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.

12 Curly Questions with author/artist Nabeel Khan

1.Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.

I have recently trained to become a Sufi Whirling Dervish.

2. What is your nickname?
I have had many nicknames in my life, but my whole family calls me Billy.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Not allowing myself to be who I truly am

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
My writing's deeply connected to my visual art.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Ancient, philosophical, truth, goodness, beauty.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Socrates, because he never gave up on his values even when confronted with death!

Review: How to Measure the Ocean

How to Measure the Ocean is the creation of Inda Ahmad Zahri, an author and illustrator who originally trained as a surgical doctor!

How would you measure something as big as the ocean? Is it even posible?

How to Measure the Ocean explores concepts associated with maths and geography. There are lines and patterns, shells and tides, volume and equations, the water cycle, and more.

It encourages curiousity and learning from the world around you, and shows that the ocean is so much more than a boundless and infinite body of water.

Review: Count The Stars

From two award-winning creatives comes the story, Count the Stars, an inspiring picture book that shows readers how the world around us is filled with the wonderment of mathematics. 

Through its captivating narrative and stunning illustrations, the book tells the story of Maddie, a curious, maths-loving girl, who leans into her passion and yearns to find a friend to share her worldview with.

Raewyn Caisley’s writing reflects her warmth and insight, allowing her love of mathematics to shine through. 

Review: Too Many Rabbits

Rabbits reproduce quickly, as most adults know. That's the premise of this picture book.

Too Many Rabbits, written by prolific Italian author, Davide Cali and illustrated by Emanuele Benetti, is translated by Angus Yuen-Killick. 

The story begins with a simple request.

Two children want a pet rabbit. When Dad takes them to the pet store, there's a two-for-one special on, and he can't ignore a great deal. 

They leave with two rabbits. You can probably guess what happens next. 

Before long there are lots of little rabbits. The situation escalates dramatically, and soon there are simply too many rabbits!

Junior Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

This is a review of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Author Mark Haddon. Imagine that you found your neighbor’s dog murdered in your front yard. 

You are prompted by your favorite teacher to write a book about the event and your methods of finding the killer. Instead, you uncover secrets about your dead mother that change your perception about almost everyone in your life.

Christopher Boone is an autistic teenager living in a town near London. His math skills are phenomenal and he particularly likes prime numbers but does not understand human emotions and reasons for doing things. 

Red is okay, but he detests yellow, and this is just a small glimpse of how Christopher’s mind operates.

Review: Two Dogs On A Trike

Children and parents will love practising their counting skills with this beautifully illustrated book.

All it takes is one open gate and a curious poodle who embarks on a crazy and hilarious adventure.

Travelling across the city and the countryside, using a variety of transport the adventure begins. Along the way the poodle meets new friends and invites them to come along and join in the fun. 

Together they ride trikes, scooters, hot air balloons and even a spaceship.

Review: Counting Our Country

Indigenous author and illustrator Jill Daniels is a Ritharrŋu and Madarrpa woman from South East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory and lives in a remote community on the banks of the Roper River.

Jill’s bilingual board book, Counting Our Country is not just a counting book. 

In fact, it promotes cultural literacy and introduces the reader to a culture and heritage many children may not be familiar with.

Winner: The Day Henry Met...

Our winner is...

Simon Spark, NSW

Congratulations!

You have won a beautiful four book prize pack of the series, The Day Henry Met...including, Colours, Numbers, Actions and ABC.

Your collection is on its way.

Thank you to ALL who entered. 

Review: One Blue Shoe

Jane Godwin author of Birthday Baby, Starting School, and What Do You Wish For? has created a new world of numbers and counting in, One Blue Shoe.

One blue shoe is missing, can you find it by the end of the story?

Godwin introduces the numbers 1 to 10 using rhyme. She skilfully encourages readers to count the bright whimsical objects, illustrated by Jane Reiseger, reinforcing the concept of number.

Older children will enjoy testing their counting skills, as they play with the concepts of addition  and subtraction that can be found within this book.

Review: Antarctica

Antarctica beautifully introduces the coldest, windiest, driest continent in the world and continues to inform with flowing text, sequential counting and gorgeous artwork.

This informative, fact filled story counts through ten of the creatures who call Antarctica home. With lyrical prose, from one speckled leopard seal to ten vermilion sea stars, it’s wonderfully satisfying to read aloud. Four pages of more detailed information about Antarctica follow the story covering topics such as temperature, snow, the various south poles and the creatures in the story.

Review: Maisy's Preschool

Complete with durable pop-up play scene and press-out pieces, this book is ideal for preparing little ones for preschool.

A look into a day at preschool shows Maisy and her friends playing dress-ups as cowboys, pirates, fire fighters, and train drivers.

There is building with blocks, counting, and drawing pictures. Mr Peacock reads a story. Everyone has fun and lots of play is shared with Maisy’s friends Dotty, Cyril, Tallula, Eddie and Charlie. Panda is always nearby watching on.

Winners: I Love My Dad Because

And our five lucky winners are...

Stef Gemmil, VIC
Sharon Hammond, NSW
Joseph Spagnolo, NSW
Karen Henricks, NSW
Rebecca Ralfe, QLD

Congratulations!

You have each won a copy of the delightful, I Love My Dad Because.

We hope you enjoy this prize whether with your Dad or simply with your own creative self.

Thank you to ALL who entered.

Giveaway: I Love My Dad Because

Pan Macmillan is excited to be publishing I Love My Dad Because, by Petra James and Alyssa Dinallo, a fun and fantastical interactive picture book that is the perfect gift for any father, uncle, brother or loved one.

Full of fun activities and delightfully heartwarming, this perennial picture book allows children to develop important learning and cognitive skills as they fill out alongside their loved ones, or present as a special gift after completing.

Bursting with colour and life with hand drawn pages by award-winning book designer Alissa Dinallo, this the perfect gift for any occasion to celebrate dad, plus the perfect gift accompliment to, I Love My Mum Because, published in April.

Thanks to the sublime people at Pan Macmillan Australia, we have not one but FIVE copies of this brilliant book to give away!

To enter, in 25 words or less finish this sentence: I love my Dad because...

Review: Ziggy's Zoo

Discover the wonders that are hidden in Ziggy’s garden, from snails and caterpillars to teddy bears and even her parents. 

There is no escaping her imagination or passion for creating her own nature exhibits for her zoo.

Using household items, Ziggy sets about her garden to discover what nature has been hiding all this time. Her goal is to create 10 exhibits, all different just like in a real zoo. 

Review: Balance the Birds

A cute flock of little birds flutter though the air and land on a tree. Four birds land on each side of the tree, they balance.

When a squirrel disturbs the birds, some of them fly away. Now one side of the tree is heavier than the other. How will the birds balance the tree?

Balance the Birds by Susie Ghahermani introduces the concept of balance to young children. The story demonstrates how to create  equilibrium by shifting weight from one side of the tree to the other side.

Review: Pip and Posy: The Christmas Tree

Pip and Posy set out to get a Christmas tree. The ground and everything else is covered in snow, so they bring the tree back on their sled. They stand the tree in a pot and go to prepare the yummy decorations that will fill the room with a festive atmosphere.

Posy hangs the four delicious decorated biscuits on the branches. When she returns with the candy canes, one biscuit is missing! She hangs the candy canes and goes to get the chocolate bells. She counts the candy canes and again there is one less.

Review: Chomp Goes the Crocodile

Chomp Goes the Crocodile is one of the most engaging, entertaining and interactive board books I have ever read!

It's a super fun rhyming tale about a hungry crocodile that decides to chomp on a variety of animals as he crawls through the swamp.

Fish, otters, cranes and more!

The rhyme is spot on, with lots of repetitive elements, so the kids can pick it up easily and join in on reading the story.

As you move through the book, the number of each creature eaten by the crocodile increases, so the book allows kids to practice and learn their numbers.

Review: The All New Must Have Orange 430

Have you ever wanted the newest, latest and greatest toy or gadget?

You know the one I'm talking about, it's the one that had so much hype about it, stuff like a hula hoop, yo-yo, action figure or tamagotchi.

In Michael Speechley's first picture book, The All New Must Have Orange 430, Harvey had to have the new 'it' object, an Orange 430.

Review: Look Up! Numbers, Colours and Shapes in Architecture

As someone who loves both art and architecture, Look Up! Numbers, Colours and Shapes in Architecture is right up my alley.

It's a fabulous and creative introduction for children to several different concepts.

It all starts on the title page, where a snail in the bottom right corner tells us that it is an architect, and carries its building on its back.

The snail encourages us to look closely at 18 different buildings and the numbers, shapes and colours to be found in them.

This is where the visual element is so important.