New Zealand

Picture Book Nook: The Story of Bo and the Circus that Wasn’t

/ zackids / Leave a comment

It’s great to start off the year with a picture book by my favourite New Zealand author and illustrator, Kyle Mewburn and Donovan Bixley.  Their junior fiction series, Dinosaur Rescue was among the best New Zealand books for children last year and I’m sure we’ll see more in the series in 2012.  Their first picture book together is called The Story of Bo and the Circus That Wasn’t and was written in collaboration with Telecom customers.

The Story of Bo and the Circus That Wasn’t is about a sheep called Bo who has always dreamed of being an acrobat.  He’s not going to let the fact that he’s a sheep or that he’s afraid of heights get in the way of his dream.  However, Bo lives in a country where circuses are forbidden, so he works in secret on his sparkly blue uniform and his ‘sheepachute’.  His friends are right behind him and want to help him live his dream, but can he overcome his fears?

This story about a brave wee sheep has all the excitement, thrills and colour of the circus.  For a story that has been pieced together from different people’s ideas it flows really well and it will enthrall children.  As I was reading I could still hear Kyle’s humour shining through.  I always love Donovan Bixley’s illustrations and this book is no exception.  Donovan’s colourful characters leap off the page and brighten up their dreary world. 

The Story of Bo and the Circus That Wasn’t is a wonderful story that children will love.  Everyone should go and grab a copy from their local bookshop as all the royalties from the book go towards “helping the Telecom Foundation make real, measurable improvements to the lives of children all around New Zealand.”  Available in stores in February.

4 out of 5 stars

Picture Book Nook: Two Little Bugs by Mark and Rowan Sommerset

/ zackids / Leave a comment

Last year Mark and Rowan Sommerset brought us the hilarious Baa Baa Smart Sheep, which went on to win the Children’s Choice Award at the 2011 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.  Their latest creation, Two Little Bugs, is sure to be another hit with children.

As the title suggests, the story is about two little bugs, Little Bug Red who lives underneath the leaf and Little Bug Blue who lives on top of the leaf.  They try to convince each other that life is better on their side of the leaf, but neither is willing to try something different.  Little Bug Red decides to start eating the leaf bit by bit, and so each page gets smaller and smaller, until there is no leaf left, just a stalk.  They discover that the end of their leafy home is just the beginning of a new adventure.

While Two Little Bugs doesn’t pack the same humorous punch as Baa Baa Smart Sheep, it’s a fun story with an interesting design that children will love.  I love the way that the pages mirror each other so that you can see both bugs in each double-page spread (the bugs can be seen poking through the holes in the leaves).  This design aspect will make it appealing to children, as they see the page (leaf) shrink every time they turn it.  The colour palette is simple (green and black of the leaf with the red and blue of the bugs) which draws your attention to the two bugs.  Mark and Rowan publish their books through their own independent publishing company, Dreamboat Books, and other self-publishers could learn alot from the quality of their beautiful picture books.

You can learn more about Mark and Rowan Sommerset and buy their books from their Dreamboat Books website.

Guest Post: New Zealand author Deborah Burnside

/ zackids / Leave a comment
Deborah Burnside

The question was; Do you want to write a guest blog?

I said, YES…

I say yes to a lot of things because it makes life interesting and gives you things to write about.

Yes, I’d like to learn to belly dance and derby skate, yes I’d like to see the pilots flying the plane, yes I’d like to buy a ticket, yes I’ll get up extra early to take the special Colosseum tour (even though I am NOT a morning person).

You can see a theme here I hope?

That writers are spontaneous, curious and explorative people who may or may not write about all of the things they do, see or experience, but will likely always be doing interesting things that they could write about.

Although sometimes it’s the thing a writer hasn’t been able to do that turns up in their stories.

I live on a large rural block with my lovely husband, Malamute Blaze, three sons, their assorted friends, some sheep and cattle, various migratory birds, pesky rabbits and a wild, white cat with no ears.  A long time ago I said I wanted to turn our paddock into a maize maze – at the time we were leasing the land to a cropper who had planted maize and our son got lost in the maize.  While that was a terrifying experience, it made me think it would have been a whole lot easier to find him if there were paths through the maize.

“Then the cropper wouldn’t make any money, Deb.”  Said the lovely man.

“I know, but you could charge money to walk through the maize maze instead, before you harvested,” I said.

“Nobody would pay to do that.”  Said the lovely man.

“I think they would, I think we should do it here.”

The lovely man didn’t agree, “You are raising kids, singing, dancing, acting in Les Miserables, building a house and running a waste and recycling company…I think you are too busy to grow and operate a maize maze.”

Well, put like that I had to agree, because what the lovely man didn’t know was that I was also harbouring a secret desire to write books.

It was that seed of truth, that personal desire to grow a maize maze that made me give that thing to Marty in YES.

I love that YES, my new young adult book, is titled YES, because so many great things have happened in my life simply by saying YES.  It’s also an acronym for the Young Enterprise Scheme, something the characters in the book take part in and which is something I wish had been in High Schools when I was at school, as I cold started a business when I was 21.  I encourage anyone given the chance to participate in YES at their school to give it a go.

And all those other things I mentioned… well since 9/11 you can no longer visit pilots in cockpits.  The Colosseum  closed the lower levels in October this year indefinitely and they’d not been opened since the 1930s.  Learning to Belly Dance was fun, I met great people, got to perform at lots of public events and it gave me an idea for a scene in, On A Good Day.  Buying the wrong bus ticket in Turkey led me on an amazing (sometimes slightly hair-raising) adventure and personal tour of Istanbul by a local, which may yet end up in a book.  And Roller Derby has me loving bruises, blisters, grazes and speed and leaves me with the conundrum of what to call my skating alter ego.  I wanted Princess Slayer (Princess Leia – star wars) because my Mum used to put my hair in two buns when I was little, but thanks to the movie, Whip It that name is taken.

I’ll take some time thinking about my Derby name the same as I do when I name characters in stories… because I like names and words that mean more than one thing and I like my characters to be true to their names.

The newest character I am writing about is Cartograph, he takes a while to get his name, I’m not quite sure exactly what is happening in his story,  I know where it is and when it is and who is in it, but the rest is just a fabulous rollercoaster ride as I sit at the computer and say YES – today I’m writing.  How lucky am I?

Deborah Burnside

Picture Book Nook: Moon Cow by Kyle Mewburn

/ zackids / 3 Comments

Kyle Mewburn deserves an award for being New Zealand’s hardest working children’s author this year.  He’s had so many books published in 2011, from picture books to junior fiction novels.  His Dinosaur Rescue series (with which he collaborates with the brilliant Donovan Bixley) is probably the best series for junior readers to come out of New Zealand in recent years.  Kyle’s latest book is a picture book about a cow that tries to make friends with the moon, called Moon Cow.

Milly the cow thinks that the moon must be lonely up there in the sky with no-one to talk to so she decides to try and make friends with it.  She stays up all night talking to the moon but “the moon didn’t say a word.”  All the other cows laugh at her, saying “Silly Milly Cow! Talking to the moon!”  Each night the moon gets brighter and closer as Milly talks, dances and juggles for the moon, but the moon stays silent. Will the moon ever talk to Milly and share its secrets with her?

Moon Cow is an absolutely stunning picture book.  It’s one of those picture books where the text and illustrations are perfectly matched.  Kyle’s story is gentle and touching, with just the right amount of humour.  As I was reading I thought that it had a similar feel to his award-winning Hill and Hole.  Deidre Copeland’s illustrations are what really make Moon Cow stand out for me.  The front cover really draws the reader in and makes you want to make friends with Milly.  I can just see children gushing over how cute Milly is, especially because of the way Deidre has drawn her eyes.  I love the way that Deidre’s illustrations glow on the page, especially the very last page with Milly and the moon by the lake.  The book’s designers should get some credit for the amazing job they have done on this book too.  My only negative is that a book of this quality should have been published in hardback.  Moon Cow will be a favourite with children and is sure to be a finalist in the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards in 2012.

Kiwi Corkers – traditional tales with a Kiwi twist

/ zackids / Leave a comment

Scholastic New Zealand Publishing Manager Diana Murray shares the story behind the stories.

The Kiwi Corkers series hatched from the idea of taking well-known tales and retelling them with a New Zealand flavour. The concept of reworking fairy tales is not revolutionary; however the idea of bringing them into our familiar, uniquely Kiwi environment has made them popular stories that our children can relate to.

Every aspect of the series has been carefully considered. We decided to publish them with bright, fun and durable hardcovers, but sell them at lower than paperback prices to make collecting the full series affordable. We identified the traditional tales children are still growing up with. Initially we asked New Zealand authors to write stories for us, but after a time the series took on a life of its own and we have received a high volume of manuscripts for it.

Sounds straightforward? Well – not always!

Take The Elves and the Cloakmaker, written by Chris Gurney and illustrated by John Bennett (October 2011). There were twists and turns in bringing this book to publication, as we had to consider things such as whether men can weave cloaks (yes, our research tells us, they can) and what patupaiarehe might look like (bright red hair, pale skin). At one stage, the title was going to be The Patupaiarehe and the Cloakmaker , but we were concerned that such a complicated looking word in the title might be off-putting to non-Maori speakers and changed it to The Elves and the Cloakmaker – which begged the question whether patupaiarehe are elves? After research and consultation, we decided yes, that would be fine.

And it took a long time to come up with the Kiwi wolf for Little Red and the Cunning Kuri, also written by Chris Gurney, with illustrations by Sarah N Anderson (October 2010). What nasty New Zealand creatures do we have that could fit this character? We thought of a katipo – but it wouldn’t have been the right size in relation to Little Red, and not the right shape either. A kahu (harrier hawk)? No, still not right. It was a light-bulb moment when the author came up with the kuri, a Maori dog.

Scholastic New Zealand has now published 12 books in the series, and have another two in the pipeline for 2012 – both of which promise to uphold the ‘high standards’ of ‘this series of poetic parodies’ (Trevor Agnew The Source, 6 July 2011).

Yes by Deborah Burnside

/ zackids / 1 Comment

Every now and again you read a book that you really connect with.  Something about it, whether the characters or the story, strike a chord with you.  You get to the end of the book and you just sit there for a while thinking about it, with a smile on your face but with a sense of loss because it’s over.  Deborah Burnside’s latest book, Yes, is one of those books.

Marty (AKA M & M) has trouble reading people, organizing things and pleasing his father.  His brain isn’t wired the same as other people so it takes him longer to figure things out, but he’s as normal as any other teenager on the outside.  Luke spends his time hanging out with his best mate Luke (AKA Legless) and his ‘chick-mate’ Francesca, who he’s had a crush on for ages.  Luke’s always trying to get Marty into all sorts of crazy ventures, and when he attempts to get him involved in YES (the Young Enterprise Scheme) it’s futile to resist.  Marty doesn’t know what to expect, but the last thing he thought he would be doing was making crochet hats and being mentored by his dad.  Will their business succeed or will it all fall apart?

Deborah Burnside has created a memorable character with an authentic voice.  As Yes is told in the first person, we really get inside Marty’s head and we get the sense of how difficult it is for Marty to read people and make sense of the world.  Even though his brain is wired differently, Marty is still such a typical teenage boy.  He’s got a crush on his ‘chick-mate,’ his dad’s an embarrassment and Marty never seems to live up to his expectations, and he has an obsession with sex.  It’s a sign of a great story when you can picture yourself in the same situations, in places that you know – I kept thinking of myself and my best mate from high school as Marty and Luke.  One of the things I liked most about Yes is that Deborah can have you laughing out loud one moment, then in tears, and leave you with a smile on your face by the end of the story.

I can’t recommend Yes highly enough.  It’s my favourite New Zealand book of 2011 and I’ll be surprised if it’s not a finalist in the 2012 New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards.

Subscribe and win a New Zealand picture book pack

/ zackids / 6 Comments

If you’ve enjoyed reading my reviews you might like to get them emailed to you as soon as they’re posted.  If you subscribe to My Best Friends Are Books before 30 November you could win a New Zealand picture book pack just in time for Christmas.  The pack includes All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, There’s a Hole in my Bucket, and The Elves and the Cloakmaker.

The winner of the New Zealand picture book pack is Nicole Latham.  Thanks to all my new followers!

Picture Book Nook: Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear

/ zackids / 2 Comments

Marmaduke Duck and the Marmalade Jam by Juliette MacIver and illustrated by Sarah Davis was one of the finalists in this year’s New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards and was one of my favourites.  The bouncy, rhyming text and stunning illustrations were a winning combination and made a fun, if tongue-twisting, read-aloud.  I was excited to see that they had written another Marmaduke Duck book, called Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear.

Marmaduke Duck has opened a marmalade shop and animals of all shapes and sizes are coming from all over to sample Marmaduke Duck’s marmalade jam.  But then one day, Bernadette Bear shows up and opens a honey shop right next door.  Will Marmaduke’s marmalade shop survive or will Bernadette put him out of business?

I absolutely love Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear!  Juliette’s rhyming text is a joy to read and makes the story bounce along.  I’m a huge fan of Sarah Davis‘ illustrations, whether it’s people or the myriad of different animals that populate the pages of Marmaduke Duck and Bernadette Bear.  Sarah has the amazing gift of being able to portray animals that look life-like while at the same time having human expressions (just have a look at the front cover to see what I mean).  Every page glows with the brightly coloured animals and their crazy antics.  Any parent who chooses to read the Marmaduke Duck books to their children is sure to give them a love a words and beautiful illustrations.  This is definitely one of my top picture books of 2011.

Picture Book Nook: There’s a Hole in my Bucket, illustrated by Jenny Cooper

/ zackids / Leave a comment

When Kiwi legends, the Topp Twins get together with one of New Zealand’s best illustrators, Jenny Cooper, you know you’re in for a treat.  Scholastic New Zealand have teamed-up these two fantastic talents to bring new life to a classic song, There’s a Hole in my Bucket.

Jenny Cooper has transformed the Topp Twins into a goat and a duck full of personality.  Henry the goat has a problem – there’s a hole in his bucket and he needs his duck friend Liza’s advice to help him fix it.  Liza makes some helpful suggestions, but she gets increasingly angry when Henry keeps asking questions.  Will they ever be able to fix their bucket?

There’s a Hole in my Bucket is a perfect combination of music, lyrics and illustrations from an outstanding team.  The Topp Twins have made the song their own and it will be enjoyed by both children and adults.  Jenny Cooper’s Henry and Liza are full of personality and you can see the Topp Twins shining through.  I love Jenny’s illustrations because of the way she shows emotions in her characters.  Liza the duck is a really good example of this, especially when she gets annoyed at Henry’s constant questions (I’m sure we’ve all felt like this at different times).  There’s a Hole in My Bucket is a perfect gift book for Christmas, but parents be warned – you and your children will be singing this song for days.

Picture Book Nook: Old MacDonald’s Farm, illustrated by Donovan Bixley

/ zackids / Leave a comment

Everyone knows the song – Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O.  In this latest picture book version of the song, one of New Zealand’s most talented illustrators, Donovan Bixley, has given the song a uniquely Kiwi twist.  As soon as you open the book you get a dose of Kiwiana with illustrations of some of the things you might find on Old MacDonald’s New Zealand farm.  You can’t help but sing the song as you join Old MacDonald on a typical day on the farm.  These cows don’t just go moo-moo here and moo-moo there, they also make a mean milkshake.  The dog bakes ANZAC biscuits, the pigs have a beauty salon and the sheep get fancy haircuts.  Who knew Old MacDonald’s farm was so remarkable?

Donovan Bixley has to be one of New Zealand’s most talented illustrators.  He has a very unique style of illustration and the way that he portrays expression in his characters is amazing.  I especially like the look on the cow’s face as its preparing its smoothy.  Donovan’s illustrations depict not only the beautiful New Zealand landscape, but also items that you would find on a Kiwi farm, from Old MacDonald’s Swanndri to his gumboots, black singlet and All Black’s jersey on the washing line.  You’ll also find a Buzzy Bee toy, an Edmond’s Cookbook, Hokey Pokey Ice Cream and a bottle of L & P.  The large illustrations of the animals make this a great book for sharing with a group while singing the song.  I look forward to seeing what Donovan will do next, but in the mean time I’ll check out the other classic song that he has illustrated, The Wheels on the Bus.