Nop

Nop, Caroline Magerl, Walker Books, 2019, isbn 9781760651251, RRP $26.99 hb.

Nop is a ragged little teddy bear at Oddmint’s Dumporeum ( I love this word, it conjurs up so many ideas to its meaning).

Nop is lost amongst a crowd of others – all toys seeking a new home. At night, as in many a fairy story, the toys come alive in order to mend one another and thus make themselves more acceptable to potential new owners.

The following day the shop is busy with every toy except Nop, having …’somewhere wonderful to go.’

But it is the rags that are leftover that Nop sees as an opportunity to find his own destiny rather than waiting on someone else to make it happen.

And so he sews a wonderful balloon in which he grasps for freedom.

The watercolours Magerl uses give such an incredible whimsical feel to the story, an almost dreamlike quality which draws you in and makes you want to examine each page for clues as to what is happening.

For me it is the use of the written language that is just as if not more enticing in this story.

…’In a place soft with dust’…’A crinkly paper bag for each…’ are just two examples of the life that is created with Magerl’s words.

This story is a fairy tale of the times: a child’s loneliness is tackled in a positive way, where the underlying message is to stay strong and true to who you are.

Before reviewing this book I read an interview with Magerl which I found to be enlightening as to what influences her work.

Teachers and parents/guardians will find this of interest too.

https://lamppostmagazine.com/2019/10/27/literary-life-an-interview-with-caroline-magerl/

A lovely story,

Sharon Greenaway

15th November 2019.

The Pigeon has to go to school.

The Pigeon has to go to school!

Words and pictures by Mo Willems, Walker books, 2019, softcover, isbn 9781406389012, $16.99

This book is about the Pigeon who really does not want to go to school, even the reading out of the title of the story alarms it.

The Pigeon begins by stating there is nothing to learn at school because it already knows everything (parents may relate to their child here).

From there the Pigeon asks lots of questions that worry it, such as when are school start times, whether the teacher will like pigeons or how will the Pigeon cope with all the stuff there is to learn…

‘What if I learn too much? My head might pop off.’ It says. The accompanying illustration made me chuckle relieving the tension that is being built up as the reader realises just how worrying the thought of school can be for a child (the Pigeon), especially if the child has never been before with his or her older siblings. Turning over to the following double page spread of a tiny Pigeon in a sea of pale grey nothingness is such a poignant way of illustrating just how small and scared the Pigeon really feels.

This book is so good at being a straight talking picture story book for grown ups and children alike.

It gives grown-ups an insight into how their child may be feeling at the prospect of school for the first time. During the reading of the story the child and grown-up can sit down and discuss why the Pigeon feels this way about school and offer answers together. The positively lovely denouement with the contrasting end papers will make this story one that will be read again.

Recommended for all children and grown-ups starting their new school life together.

Sharon Greenaway.

8th October 2019

The Hand The Eye and The Heart

Book Review

The Hand, The Eye and The Heart, Zoë Marriott, Walker Books, 2019, softcover, $17.99, isbn 9781406383546.

A young adult novel

Zhilan has been brought up female in her family home; she is the eldest child of the House of Hua. In a place and time where females and males had a defined role Zhilan always felt ill at ease: not comfortable in her own skin and her own abilities. For she, like her father, the (retired) great Iron General of the Southern Provinces has the ability to create illusions, a talent thought unnatural for females to possess in this fairy tale world based on Ancient China.

Despite society’s and her mother’s misgivings Zhilan is trained to hone her skills by her father. When the Emperor sends out commands for families to help fight the new threat to the Red Empire, Zhilan gathers all her years of training in order to represent her family name – as a man.

Thus begins a tale that is epic, brutal and very human.

The human side of the story is based on how and why Zhilan (Zhi is to become her new name) throughout struggles to come to terms with who she/he really is. It is a struggle we all have to deal with whether or not we are unsure of our sexuality.

Epic due to the fighting and adventure that is told within and is brutal when the true horrors of war are revealed.

The title is part of a rhyme Zhilan’s mother recited to her when a child and is not mentioned until three quarters of the way in (page 380) when Zhilan is wondering why she could not respond well to the Young General. It is a very apt summing up.

While this novel has been inspired by the fairy tale character Mulan, it is not a Disney story and should be approached with this clearly in mind.

The author gives warning at the front of the novel that ‘…this book contains depictions of deadnaming and misgendering. Please use your own best judgement as to whether you will find this triggering….’ as well as ‘…chestbinding (practices) which…are entirely unsafe…’

A challenging novel that I am glad I read.

Sharon Greenaway.

 

 

Joy, book review

Joy, Yasmeen Ismail, illustrated by Jenni Desmond, 2019, Walker Books, Hb, $24.99, isbn 9781406385205

At first glance I thought there was nothing too special about this book but upon re-reading I changed my mind.

A kitten leaves the warmth and safety of its sleeping mother in order to play with its favourite toy. Pure Joy is felt by the young cat as the ball of red twine rolls away from it (whether the protagonist is male or female is not mentioned).

When the kitten catches the twine and climbs a clothes horse with it there is such a… ‘Tangle’…but never fear a blue ball takes its place.

And on the fun goes, including a fun time with a by now awake mum; until the kitten runs away and has a mishap, falling outside of its comfort zone. For such a brief time the kitten is scared and feels alone, however the illustrations shows a paw in view and we know the kitten is never alone.

The rhythmic words bounce along the pages with the kitten’s movements and stop when it stops and is worried or comforted.

The illustrations work very well with the text, with plenty of white space serving to focus the action on the kitten. There is a lot happening in this book which is told with these illustrations.

As the blurb states this book does ‘…celebrate the special love between a parent and child.’

Recommended.

Sharon Greenaway

14th June 2019

Tooth Fairy in Training

 

Tooth Fairy in Training, Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Briony May Smith, Walker Books, 2019, $24.99 Hb, ISBN 9781406377569.

This delightful picture book sheds new light into the world of the Tooth Fairy.

As tradition tells it a Tooth Fairy is called upon to swap human children’s teeth that have fallen out of their mouths, for a coin. In this story Tate, who is in training to become a Tooth Fairy, knows this but tonight she learns that it is not just human children she must visit.

She goes out into the world after her lesson from her sister May; who accompanies Tate on her first nights mission.

Tate’s first night proves to be such an adventure beginning with visiting a baby hippo and ending with an unexpected encounter!

It is the exquisite illustrations that first draw you into the story. From the moment the cover is opened and a delightful Tooth Fairy home welcomes the reader, turning the next page and the hero of the story, Tate, facing the reader invites you to know more.

Told in the first person, the story is told in a clear rhythmical style. Illustrations are many and with much detail to help event he younger reader guess what is going on.

Will Tate pass her test, overcoming so many varied creatures that lose teeth and become a Tooth Fairy? You will have fun reading this story in order to find out.

Lovers of fairy tales will want to add this to their collection.

Sharon Greenaway