Review: An A-Z of Ocean Creatures

How many ocean creatures can you name? How many could you recognise?

Your knowledge will increase exponentially when you read An A-Z of Ocean Creatures.

This is another beautiful creation by Myke Mollard, packed with stunning, detailed illustrations in full colour.  

A different letter of the alphabet features across pages, each with a list of creatures, and an underwater picture featuring them. 

The names of some of the creatures may surprise or amuse you.

Review: Once Upon An A To Z

Three friends in a large library with a ladder (OMG, A LIBRARY LADDER!) and a shiny magic book on the top shelf, bring Once Upon An A To Z to life in the most delightful of ways.

Abracadabra! Alakazoo!
Bubbily, bobbily, boffity, boo!

Clutch your cauldrons and crystal balls,

Dance with dragons down the halls… 

Review: The Cheeky Toddler Alphabet

A stunning cover and end pages set the scene for this delightful picture book. Full of alliteration and clever rhyming verse, plus superb illustrations, The Cheeky Toddler Alphabet is not to be missed.

A divine publication, it reflects the good and otherwise of toddler years. 

Mothers will nod their heads in recognition as they associate the familiar issues displayed on the pages with their own experiences.

Each letter of the alphabet is represented in perfect, descriptive, carefully considered and selected wording.

Review: Emma Memma Little Library

Emma Memma Little Library is a tiny box set of four board books in a cardboard slipcase. The books are: Colours, Animals, Numbers, and Auslan.

Concept books suited to the very youngest of readers, they have a single picture focus on each page, accompanied by text naming the picture.

For example, in Colours a picture of an apple has the words apple and red. Being a board book, there are not too many colours explored – there's a brown wombat and a green plane amongst others.

Animals has pictures of animals along with their name and a noise or movement they make. For example a butterfly flapping, and a quokka squeaking.

Review: Alphabetter

An alphabet book with a difference, Alphabetter is here to teach you more than just your letters. 

It’s a book to inspire and support you, providing 26 ways to be the best you.

Like being friendly (the word for the letter F), which the book goes on to describe as sharing and being kind, like when you team up with someone new in class.

Book Lists: Alphabet and Wordless Picture Books

We’ve grouped together some of the many book lists we’ve shared over recent years, in case you missed them the first time around. 

We hope they inspire you to pick up a book you’ve not read before, or find a book to help explore and better understand a particular subject with readers of all ages. 

Today we're revisiting some of our favourite alphabet books, and some books that have no words at all. These are not just for children learning to read. They can be enjoyed by older readers as well. 

There are two lists of books for alphabet fans and beginner readers, and one of some of our favourite books where pictures tell the whole story, which are great for exploring illustrations in detail, and for creating your own special story. 

Explore the books at the links below.

Picture books that celebrate the alphabet:

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2018/10/looking-for-books-for-alphabet-fans.html

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2013/08/book-list-alphabet-books.html

Wordless picture books:

http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2013/07/book-list-wordless-picture-books.html

Review: Artichoke to Zucchini

Food, food, glorious food! 

If you love food, you’ll devour this tasty picture book with glee!

Artichoke to Zucchini is a fun and arty exploration of lots of different foods, categorised by starting letter, from A to Z. 

There is everything in here, including things you’ve likely tasted (like bananas and pizza) to some more unusual foods you may not have heard of (like dragon fruit and urchin).

Review: My Marvellous Mum

Jonathan Bentley has a wonderful catalogue of more than fifty books for children, and My Marvellous Mum is another fabulous addition.

My Marvellous Mum sets out to list all the ways Mum is special, and it does so alphabetically, working through the letters of the adjective in the book's title: marvellous. 

Animal characters depict mother and child pairs in various situations.

Review: Letters to Live By

Gotta love an alphabet book. They are ever such fun, and it's even lovelier to find one that sits outside the square and is clever in so many ways, it entices both adults and children in equal measure.

'An alphabet book with intention', Letters to Live By features a range of vibrant children from around the world, engaging with each other, caring for animals, sharing emotions, discussing differences, giving, learning, offering, embracing good things, resisting not so good things, and honing that desperately underrated gift - being kind.

Each page features just two or three [mostly alliterative] words, making it perfect for early childhood, and kids learning to read. 

Review: One and Everything

One and Everything is many layered. It's an artwork, a message, and a prompt for thought and discussion inspired by the Endangered Alphabets project.

This is a book about: stories and storytelling, words and language, culture, oral traditions, and expression. At its heart is language and written scripts.

Who is it for? One and Everything is a picture book best suited for older readers, those in at least upper primary and into early high school, and for adults. 

Arabella's Alphabet Adventure

Australian author Suzy Zail has created this delightful picture book with a unique storyline. 

Set in a library, this story is about the book itself – Arabella’s Alphabet Adventures.

Arabella’s Alphabet Adventures is the most popular book on the shelf and has the honour of being the most borrowed book – quite an achievement.

But Arabella wants to be more than just an ABC book. Especially a book that has been drawn in, pages ripped and read by sticky fingers covered in jam.

As a Librarian, this gem of a picture book is close to my heart – the story is clever, relatable and innovative. The storyline demonstrates the power of words and the journey of discovering where you belong – something we all search for in life.

Winner: Picture Book Prize Pack: Piano Fingers & Arabella's Alphabet Adventure

Our lucky winner is...

Justine C, QLD

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of both of these magical new picture book releases,  Piano Fingers by Caroline Magerl and Arabella's Alphabet Adventure by Suzy Zail and Christopher Nielsen.

Thank you to ALL who entered. 

Giveaway: Picture Book Prize Pack: Piano Fingers & Arabella's Alphabet Adventure

Isla and Bea are two sisters who share a love of music. Big sister Isla plays the violin and Bea is waiting for her music to start. With the help of Maestro Gus, the cat ghost of the piano, Bea will make her sparkling debut. 

Piano Fingers is the latest magical creation from an award-winning and internationally distinguished creator, Caroline Magerl that hits all the right notes and is a charming picture book about finding your talent, even if it takes some time and a little help.

'I’m an ABC book and that’s all I’ll ever be,' Arabella complained to her capital C. Arabella’s Alphabet Adventure is the most beautiful and most borrowed book in the library - but only ever by children. Tired of having her pages torn by sticky fingers, Arabella slips into the Very Serious Book section of the library and takes an adventure within the pages of an African travel guide. But will Arabella realise that where she belongs is closer than she thinks? A timeless story about an alphabet, a daring adventure and a book who learns she is perfect, just the way she is by best selling author, Suzy Zail and dynamic illustrator, Christopher Nielsen.

Along with Walker Books Australia, we are thrilled to have a copy of each of these beautiful new titles to giveaway.

For the chance to win these gorgeous picture books, tell us in 25 words or less if you could go inside any book which book would you visit and why?

Guest Post: AlphaKid - My Illustration Process

Love behind-the-scenes peeks at the picture book illustration process? KBR Founder, Tania McCartney, joins us to talk through her process for the creation of her recent book AlphaKid: An A to Z of Antics.

An alphabet book has long been on my bucket list, and - like many of my book ideas - the concept dropped in unannounced - a clatter of hooves and trumpet toots. 

Noisy koalas? Of course. Teeth-brushing orangtans? Natch. And yes, giraffes do eat pancakes, they really do. Towers of pancakes with rivers of syrup.

Review: An Artist's Alphabet

An Artist's Alphabet is an imaginative and whimsical book.

It takes a particular way of looking at the world to see the letters of the alphabet in the world around us.

Norman Messenger takes that to the next level with his illustrations.

A cat curled up in a ball, with its tail held high, becomes a lowercase letter d. 

A much larger and rounder cat whose tail is held close to its body, becomes the uppercase D.

A carefully placed chain and a string of pearls, depict the letter s; while the long ears of a rabbit form a v. 

And an acrobat with legs akimbo standing on the back of a horse forms the uppercase letter a.

Review: The Ultimate Animal Alphabet Book

Award-winning, Tasmanian writer and illustrator Jennifer Cossins’ most recent book, was the small format picture book about baby animals and their fathers, The Daddy Animal Book.

Her current release, The Ultimate Animal Alphabet Book, a companion book to The Ultimate Animal Counting Book, is another stunning offering featuring over 400 animal species.

Beautiful illustrations of living things close up in vivid colours, and alphabetically arranged are a delight to discover.

Review: Australian Children's Illustrated Dictionary

It’s thrilling to come across a book for children of this quality and presentation.

Parents, teachers and librarians will find this reference resource the ideal first dictionary for young readers.

With every entry illustrated in stunning colour, it will improve language skills, and broaden the mind.

How to use this dictionary opens the door to a journey of learning.

Definitions, sometimes more than one, examples of how to use words in a sentence and parts of speech, are the first crucial areas addressed.

Review: Dogography: The Amazing World of Letter Art Dogs

Award winning Australian author, Illustrator, photographer and designer Maree Coote has just released her latest creation Dogography. 

Maree’s previous books, Animology and Azaria: A True History, showcase her amazing artistic talent and the use of typographic illustrations which sets this book apart from others.

This rhyming picture book introduces the reader to an assortment of dogs, all described perfectly by the few short lines used to propel the reader forward through the story. In fact, they could be used as clues for children to guess what dog appears in the story.

However, this picture book is so much more, it’s a look and find activity book for children and parents. The use of typographic illustrations is a highlight. The name of the dog is shown in a range of different fonts which can then be used to locate the letters in the illustration of that dog, it is simply ingenious.

Winners: Australian Animals by Frané Lessac

Our lucky winners are...

Kirsty Polujan, VIC
Melissa Wong-Mahanidis, WA
Piper May Fuller, ACT

Congratulations!

You have each a prize pack of A is For Australian Animals and Australian Baby Animals by Frané Lessac.

Your prize is on its way. Meantime, if you might like to read our beautiful KBR review of, Australian Baby Animals.

Thank you to ALL who entered. The response was overwhelming and the selection of Aussie animals impressive!

Giveaway: Australian Animals by Frané Lessac

There's been an unfortunate spotlight  blazing over our beleaguered Australian wildlife this past summer. As our flora and fauna toil with recovery, children around the Australia and the globe can at least regain a sense of joy in nature thanks to books like these by consummate author / illustrator, Frané Lessac, A is For Australian Animals and Australian Baby Animals.

Each is a classic showcase of Australian native favourites, their families and babies, that encourages young children to explore sounds and names and includes high interest facts and full colour illustrations of the rich diversity of animals throughout Australia. Read our KBR review of Australian Baby Animals to understand what a celebration of nature these books are.

Thanks to our generous friends at Walker Books Australia, we have three prize packs of these two special books each including, A is For Australian Animals and Australian Baby Animals.

To enter, tell us, in 25 words or less what Australian animal you are most like?