Picture Book Nook

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

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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

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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.

Picture Book Nook: Bruiser by Gavin Bishop

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Christchurch kids have seen lots of diggers, dump trucks, and cranes lately with all the demolitions after our earthquakes so what better time for a book about a grumpy digger than now.  Bruiser is a grumpy digger on a mission.  He has to hurry up and plough the hillsides, crush rocks and tear up forests so that he can get the motorway built.  But one day he gets stuck in the mud and no matter what he does he can’t get out.  While he’s trying to get out, he knocks a magpie nest out of a tree and it’s up to Bruiser to get them to safety.

Bruiser has everything that a great picture book should.  The story is full of mischief and fun, and it’s perfect for reading aloud.  Gavin Bishop’s bright, bold illustrations bring his story to life and children (especially boys) will love this grumpy digger with a heart of gold.  Gavin has effectively used the days of the week and numbers in his story, in a similar way to Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, “On Monday he ploughed through five hills.  On Tuesday he crushed ten rocks,” and so on.  Children are always the best critics of picture books, and having read Bruiser aloud to a group of preschoolers, Bruiser gets the tick of approval.  Bruiser is certain to become a New Zealand classic.

Picture Book Nook: The Elves and the Cloakmaker by Chris Gurney

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The Elves and the Cloakmaker is the latest title in the Kiwi Corkers series from Scholastic.  Written by Chris Gurney and illustrated by John Bennett, I think this is one of the first, if not the first, Christmas book with a Maori theme.  Chris and John have taken the idea of the original Elves and the Shoemaker story and given it a New Zealand twist.

Kahu is a cloakmaker who toils night and day to weave cloaks to sell to his customers.  His wife picks the flax and extracts the fibres for the cloaks and Kahu finds the feathers.  It is nearly Christmas and they must finish their cloaks in time, but when they fall asleep, four fairies come to help them.  Their little rhyme is:

“Tahi, rua, toru, wha
we bring feathers from afar.
Our flying fingers weave a cloak,
for we are special fairy folk…
Patupaiarehe!”

Each night the Patupaiarehe come to help them so that they can get their cloaks finished in time for Christmas.

Like the other titles in the Kiwi Corkers series, The Elves and the Cloakmaker is a fun twist on a classic tale and is a welcome addition to the growing number of Christmas stories for Kiwi kids.

Picture Book Nook: All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, Illustrated by Katz Cowley

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Christmas is nearly upon us again and one of the first new Christmas books for the year is an illustrated version of song, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, originally by Don  Gardner.  This catchy little song has been brought to life by the quirky illustrations of Katz Cowley, who also illustrated the best-selling Wonky Donkey and Willbee the Bumblebee.  I’ve loved Katz’ illustrations ever since I first saw how she’d perfectly portrayed the Wonky Donkey from Craig Smith’s song.  The song is about a child who has lost their two front teeth and wants nothing more for Christmas than to have them back again so that they don’t have to keep talking funny.  Katz has taken a different take on the song and instead she uses a monkey to tell the story.  The monkey’s two front teeth have gone missing and he doesn’t know who to blame.  The teeth police are on the case and they try to find where his teeth are gone.  The monkey can see that everyone else has all their teeth apart from him and thinks up all the ways he could get new teeth, including asking Father Christmas, and replacing them with buttons or leaves.

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth is the perfect Christmas gift for young children.  Katz’ illustrations are quirky and fun and will make children laugh.  I particularly like the page where the monkey is holding up a pair of teeth that he has drawn.  Like the other books that Katz has illustrated, there are lots of things happening in each of her illustrations, especially with other characters, so watch out for these.  Not only are the illustrations wonderful, but the book also comes with a CD of Craig Smith (of Wonky Donkey fame) singing the song (and a monkey version), as well as one of his own songs, called Toothless.  If you loved Wonky Donkey, Willbee the Bumblebee and The Fidgety Itch, then you’ll love All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.

Picture Book Nook: Don’t Worry Douglas! by David Melling

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Douglas, the loveable bear who wants a hug is one of my favourite picture book characters.  David Melling really knows how to write and illustrate for children, particularly preschoolers, and he’s created a character that every child will love.  In his first picture book outing, Hugless Douglas, our bear friend just wanted a hug, but he never seemed to be able to find the right type of hug.  In Don’t Worry Douglas! he’s given a special wooly hat by his dad and he goes off to show his friends.  On the way out the door his dad tells him to look after it, but this is exactly what Douglas doesn’t do.  His hat gets caught on a tree and slowly unravels.  The other animals say “Don’t worry Douglas” and try to help him put it back together.  But what will Douglas’s dad think?

Don’t Worry Douglas is the perfect match of text and gorgeous illustrations.  David’s illustrations make Douglas look so cuddly and loveable which makes him appealing to children and adults.  His child-like qualities and personality are something that children can relate to and you can’t help but want to help him out, give him a cuddle and tell him everything will be OK.  One thing I particularly love about David Melling’s illustrations is that he portrays emotion so well in both the facial expressions and body language of his characters.  The illustration of Douglas wearing his wooly hat that his dad just gave him captures that excitement and joy so perfectly.  I can’t recommend David Melling highly enough and urge you to go to your library or bookshop and get all of his books!  They’re perfect for any age.

Picture Book Nook: Tarantula Boo! by Lucy Davey

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Lenny the Tarantula lives at Zurlington Zoo.  He’s “furry and fuzzy and hairy” and he likes to play tricks on people, especially his favourite trick, Tarantula Boo, where he jumps at people.  The only thing that’s missing is a friend to share his scares with, and when a flying coconut breaks the glass on his cage, he escapes to go and find a friend.  Lenny looks all over the zoo, but will he find someone who isn’t scared of him or tries to eat him?

Tarantula Boo! is a book that begs to be read aloud again and again.  I love Lucy Davey’s books because of the beautiful, descriptive language she uses (I think she’s the next Lynley Dodd) and this is what makes Tarantula Boo! such a great book.  It’s so easy to read because the words just roll off your tongue.  The first couple of pages will have children hooked as they are introduced to Lenny:

“Safe behind glass at Zurlington Zoo,
lived loveable larrikin Lenny Lassoo.
Lenny was furry and fuzzy and hairy,
and liked to play tricks that were frightfully scary.

He’d wiggle his toes, and ogle his eyes,
and stretch out his limbs to dinner-plate size.”

Children will love Lenny and they’ll laugh as he jumps out at people and animals.  Philip Webb’s illustrations perfectly match Lucy’s descriptions and make Lenny funny, rather than scary.  Tarantula Boo! is a book that parents and teachers will enjoy as much as the children and won’t mind reading again and again.

Picture Book Nook: Phoebe and the Night Creatures by Jenny Hessell and Donovan Bixley

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Phoebe’s in bed but needs to go to the toilet.  There’s only one problem – there’s a wolf under her bed.  Her mum tells her to take the wolf with her and off they go to the toilet.  Along the way she meets a cast of interesting characters, including a stinky troll, a scary shark, and a giant,  who all follow her to the bathroom.  Are all these monsters following her or is it just her imagination?

Phoebe and the Night Creatures is one of those picture books where the words and the pictures are a perfect match.  Jenny Hessell’s story is full of the monsters that children create in their imagination and they are brought to life with Donovan Bixley’s stunning illustrations.  Jenny has created Phoebe, a girl who isn’t afraid of trolls or ghosts and Donovan has portrayed this courage in his illustrations, particularly on the cover of the book.  Donovan Bixley is my favourite New Zealand illustrator, because of the way he uses light and colour, making his illustrations glow on the page.  This book has really allowed him to have some fun and use his imagination to create these night creatures.  Another aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the design, which is also done by Donovan.  The layout of the words adds extra enjoyment to the story, with some words looking spooky or stinky.  Phoebe and the Night Creatures is probably not a book to read before bed, but one to share with those children who aren’t scared easily and are fascinated with monsters.

Picture Book Nook: Out of Bed Fred by Lucy Davey and Harriet Bailey

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Every day Mum has to give the boys a hurry-up.  She goes through the house calling,

“Out of bed, Fred!
In your clothes, Mose!
Brush your hair, Blair!
Wash your face, Mace!
Eat your food, Jude!
Clean your teeth, Keith!
Time to go, Joe!”

However, their little sister, Shirley is always up before them, “all dressed, brushed, washed, fed, cleaned and ready to go.”  She’s the sort of sister who always  does everything right and never gets in trouble.  But one day her brothers come up with a plan to change all that.  Will it work or will Shirley outsmart them?

Out of Bed Fred is a fun story that perfectly captures the day-to-day life of a big family.  Shirley really stands out, not just because she’s the only girl, but also because of her sense of humour and the way she stands up to her brothers.  The illustrator, Harriet Bailey has given the pictures a real Kiwi feel, with the brothers wearing shorts and rugby jerseys and photos of beach holidays on the wall.   If you look hard enough you’ll also be able to spot Weetbix and Marmite on toast.  Out of Bed Fred is perfect for brothers and sisters of all ages and is a great read-aloud.

Picture Book Nook: My First Car Was Red by Peter Schossow

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My First Car Was Red is a really unique picture book by German author and illustrator Peter Schossow.  It’s the story of a boy who is given an old, rusty pedal car by his grandfather.  Together, they repair the car and give it a new coat of shiny red paint.  The boy wants to take it out for a spin straight away but his grandfather takes him off to the Driving School to have lessons first.  When he finally gets to go off on his own his little brother wants to join him, and this is the start of a wild ride uphill and downhill, through fields, spooky forests and tunnels, nearly hitting pigs, and being chased by wasps.

The thing that really makes this book unique are the road signs throughout the book.  Each of the signs match up with the story perfectly (a speed bump sign for the bumpy field, a rockfall sign when they reach a cliff) and the story could almost be told without words, just the road signs.

The relationship between the brothers is realistically portrayed.  I especially liked when the little brother offered to kiss his arm better.  The story is perfect for boys (especially 4 and 5 year olds) because of the topic and the way in which the author talks about cars.  Boys will be hooked right from the start where Peter describes all the work they have to do on the car

“First we took the whole thing apart…Then we hammered, sanded, patched and painted.  I chose the colour – shiny red.  We drilled holes and tightened nuts; we greased and oiled and upholstered.”

My First Car Was Red is a story to be read again and again, finding new things in the illustrations each time.

8 out of 10