'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Sunday 30 June 2013

KBR Recommends: New Picture Books, May & June 2013

 
Dino-Baby by Mark Sperring and Sam Llloyd, Bloomsbury, $14.99, 9780733330445, ages 2 - 5)

It's not easy being a big sister - especially when your new baby brother is a roaring dino baby. There are just SO many things to remember . . . be quiet in the morning, because crashes, bangs and thuds will wake our dino pup. Shhhhhhhh! Don't play rough and tumble - be soft and gentle.

Before long, this big sister grows to love teaching her brother all the grown-up things she knows and, very quickly, life in the dino family is as fun (and chaotic!) as ever.

Hoot / Splash / Snore by Alison Lester, ABC Books, $12.99, 9780733330438 / 9780733330452 / 9780733330445, ages 0 - 3

These board books are part of a delightful new series by bestselling author-illustrator Alison Lester, designed especially for 0-3 year olds. Babies will respond to the rhyming text and the simple, colourful images, while toddlers will love joining in to make their own animal sounds.

With sturdy covers and pages, these bright, engaging board books are perfect for little hands. Alison's iconic artwork is truly wonderful.

Fabulous Fishes by Susan Stockdale, Working Title Press, $24.95, 9781921504556, ages 2 - 5

Fishes come in all sorts of shapes, Colours and sizes. And many of them can do amazing things!

Can you imagine fish that leap and glide, fish that crawl on land and fish with flashing lights? They're all here in Fabulous Fishes!

Whose Bottom? by Jeannette Rowe, ABC Books, $14.99, 9780733332074, ages 1-5

The latest in Jeannette Rowe's classic, totally-toddler-friendly 'whose' series is one that will have kids a-titter. With a sturdy hard cover and firm paper pages, kids will delight in lifting each double page spread flap for a peek at whose bottom might be hiding there.

Shut the Duck Up! illustrated by Mandy Foot, Hachette Children's Books, $14.99 RRP, 9780734413833, ages 3 - 5

Indie dreams of being able to fly, but as an Indian Runner Duck, he can't.

Up late to practise his flying technique, he spots a fox and raises the alarm.

No-one believes his at first, but when Indie sets a trap to catch the fox, he becomes an unlikely hero.

Can on noisy and determined duck save his farmyard friends from a very hungry fox?

Florentine and Pig and the Lost Pirate Treasure by Eva Katzler and Jess Mikhail, Bloomsbury, $14.99 RRP, 9781408824405, ages 4 - 7

Florentine and Pig are stuck in the house on a terribly gloomy day, but they're not gloomy - they're brimming with inspiration for entertaining things to do.

Soon they're sailing the high seas of their imaginations in a pirate ship, and it seems that Pig is very, very good at finding hidden treasure.

Between the Pages by Joan van Loon and Chantal Stewart, New Frontier, $24.99, 9781921928444

Between the Pages is the story of two brave boys, Billy and Jack, and their exciting adventures in the rainforest. 

Barrelling through the forest on an enthusiastic adventure, it celebrates the pleasures of reading, especially reading in bed.

Chantal Stewart's stunning illustrations and the tall format make for a divinely retro-style book with fabulous crossover appeal.