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Deakin Newsletter May-June 2009Reviews written by Dr. Andrea Deakin
Picture Books
Pounce, a kitten, found Mrs. Florida Brown on a rainy night, and decided that he should take her home. He adopts her, as cats will, as his companion, letting her curl up beside him at night when she is lonely, letting her pat him if her knuckles ached, and taking care of her. One day she points to a photograph, a beautiful girl sitting by a pond, behind her a fountain and a smiling stone child. “The fountain of youth. My, my, but I could use some of that!" says Mrs. Brown. Pounce at once sets off to find it for her, risking all in the search. Tim Wynne-Jones’ warm and gentle tale of devotion is accompanied by illustrations by Alfredo Tapia, whose paintings convey not only the loneliness of Mrs. Brown, clutching her bag and umbrella in the dark rainy night, but also the joyful awakening in the lush green of her garden as she sits by the fountain, dressed in white, and cuddling adventurous and devoted Pounce.
Arlene Alda has given children a witty examination of opposites. These are imaginatively presented, each set of photographs depicting clearly opposite terms, the pictures offering opportunities to discuss in detail (old buildings, new skyscrapers) and to examine the objects and scenes depicted with some subtlety, for example two statues of lions - one hungry, one full. Finally sunrise and sunset present a recognizable image of "hello" and "goodbye". Like her other texts, this has a combination of attractive colourful photography and subtle interpretations which engage both a child's eye and mind.
John Bendall-Brunello's introduction to action verbs is a vigorously drawn, brightly coloured depiction of three very active young dinosaurs trying to awaken their snoring mother. First they wake-yawn, stretch, and then they try to awaken Mum who continues to "Snore, snore, snore." Young children will enjoy their antics as they try "tickle”,” claw" and "elbow", and then "push", "shove" and "heave". Finally, after several episodes, chorused by mother's "snore", "snore", "snore", they manage, by rather drastic measures, to wake her up. This is a tale which will quickly have youngsters joining in, the type of tale that is requested again and again.
Have you ever had your picnic lunch pinched by a Sneep? You haven't? Well, there is one small boy who finds that hard to believe. Nor can he understand a reading session not ruined by a Snook; or going for a walk and being chased home by a Loon. Are there no Gullocks, or Knoos, or Sneeps, or Snooks lurking in your woods? Then a very small boy with a very large load on his back is coming to live with you. This is a simple nonsense tale wittily illustrated in soft, non-threatening colour. These are weird creatures, not dangerous ones, text and illustration indicating that they are pests, rather than threats. There are no nightmares here. The determined little lad striding out pulling a red cart full of books has the determination and grace of an Ardizzone character. The impact of having a reading session spoiled by a Snook lies in the raucous bird upsetting a pile of books while the final declaration, "I'm coming to live with you!" shows a hopeful bare-footed lad, with his world piled on his back. Behind him tip-toe the various pests, carrying their luggage. The observant child will find much to discover in Joel Stewart's witty pictures, and Tasha Pym has taken a simple text and given it the same twist of humour by her timing. Highly recommended.
Have you ever tried being absolutely still, doing nothing? Frankie and Sal have been hectically busy, playing sport, painting, baking, reading, playing board games - but now what can they do? Sal has a brainwave, they will sit still and do nothing, be still like statues in the park. Young Frankie, however, has an overactive imagination and his statue swarms with birds, his tree in the park is visited by Sal's dog, and when he imagines himself as a New York skyscraper, he is invaded by King Kong. As poor Frankie panics Sal has to come up with a solution. The tale of dominant Sal and determined but imaginative Frankie is told in both text and illustration, each in turn carrying Tony Fucile's romp to its energetic end. It is subtle too, for young Frankie's fears are real enough and disturbing enough for him, and Sal's rescue is understanding and sympathetic.
Bradley McGogg lives in a bog where there is always a feast of bugs to dine on, always until the one day he feels especially peckish. Off he sets to visit his neighbours and share their fare. Miss Mouse's cheese, cheddar with chives, certainly does not appeal, nor do carrots covered in honey, offered by Hare and Bear, nor the cow's grass and clover. Sadly he discovers that tastes differ, but fortunately, when he returns home, a feast of insects has returned to the bog. Rhymed couplets can go terribly wrong, but here Tim Beiser's flows easily, employing internal rhyme, sound echoes and a flowing sense from line to line. It jogs along at a comfortable pace and with a dry wit. Telling detail, a rich and subtle palette, and a hint of Beatrix Potter make Rachel Berman's illustrations feel absolutely right, a charming and witty complement to Tim Beiser's text. Fiction
Indian immigrants have been arriving in East Africa since the sixteenth century, and when the Kenya-Uganda Railway was built in the Nineteenth Century many more moved to the area. After the railway was completed many of these settled in East Africa and became government workers, or merchants, or farmers. When Idi Amin took power in 1971 about 80,000 Indians lived in Uganda, many of them the descendants of earlier migrants who felt themselves to be true Ugandan nationals. There were others who lived there but held British passports. When Amin decided to expel the Indians, those with a family history in Uganda felt, as true citizens, they were secure, but Amin intended to expel all, and seize their wealth. The story of that time is told through the eyes of Sabine, the daughter of a wealthy Indian merchant. When she first sees the demonstrations she is re-assured by her African friend, Zenabu; but, as time goes on, she begins to appreciate the life that she has lived, and to discover fear as her beloved uncle disappears and her African friend turns from her. When her parents have to flee, Sabine must take care of her disabled brother and try to find a way to escape. Shenaaz Nanji builds a convincing account of loss of home, loss of friends, loss of country, as an intelligent and sensitive young girl experiences it, building our sympathy and understanding for her while Sabine experiences changes in her own understanding and suffers the loss of everything she has depended on. Sabine grows too and finally discovers that Zenabu and her family have not completely abandoned her but have done what little they dared do to help her family. The tension never relaxes as Sabine's world falls apart around her, and we watch her grow from carefree girl to a thoughtful and courageous young woman. This is a powerful and compassionate story told with skill and insight.
The Crossing of Ingo is the last book in Helen Dunmore's quartet about the young people, Saphire and Conor, who are part human, part Mer and the undersea world to which they are drawn by their inheritance. The call has gone out through Ingo, searching the Mer who are ready to make the Crossing of Ingo. Saphire and Conor feel it as powerfully as any who are fully Mer. No one part-human has ever been called before and if they succeed it will mark the beginning of the healing of Air and Ingo. There are supporters, their father who is now in Ingo, their Mer friends Faro and Elvira, and Saldowr, the teacher. The dolphins and whales, understanding the importance of the journey, say they will assist. However their enemy, Ervys, has rallied his supporters, some have even taken up weapons and deceived the sharks into helping them; but, despite their strong opposition, the journey does begin, and there is trouble from the beginning. The practical and everyday blends with the strangeness and beauty of the undersea world, of a journey through icebergs and lost hopes, of losing and finding. Scenes of great beauty, superbly written, challenge the ferocity and courage of the final encounter. This is a remarkable quartet of novels, beautifully imagined and presented and woven throughout with ecological themes suggesting the interdependence of life on earth, above the oceans and below. As the whales plead to Conor and Saphire, begging them when they return to Air," We thought perhaps you might speak for us".
This story of twelve-year-old Susan and her little sister, Vera, is based on the experiences of Kathy Clark's own mother and aunt. Until 1944 life in Budapest was difficult, but possible, for Jews; but when the Nazis invaded Hungary, dissatisfied with how Hungary was dealing with "The Jewish Question", life became much more dangerous. When the girls' father is taken off to labour camp, Aunt Isi, a gentile childhood friend of their mother, pressures their mother to send the girls into hiding. Their 'aunt' takes the girls to the Convent of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The convent is on Gellert Mountain in Buda, across the river from Susan and Vera's home. Here the nuns had quietly sent their orphans to other convents and, in the end, took in one hundred and twenty Jewish girls, caring for them in what was known as "Guardian Angel House", helping them to keep their traditions alive and nurturing them with outstanding courage and kindness. The story brings to life the story of these children and the nuns who cared for them with such devotion, a positive story of how much love and determination can achieve. The children eventually returned home safely and, with Aunt Isi's help, emigrated with their parents to Canada.
Marie-Louise Jensen's novel is based on actual events and many of the characters are derived from historical figures. It is set in the Sixteenth Century, in the reign of Henry VIII. Eleanor's father is a colleague of Thomas Cromwell, adviser to Henry, Lord Walter Hungerford. As the story opens, the family is looking forward to the return of Lord Hungerford from London, but Eleanor is horrified when her father immediately throws wild accusations at her mother and has her imprisoned in the castle tower. Four years later, aware that there have been attempts to poison her mother, Eleanor, with the aid of the local peasantry, is arranging for safe food to be secretly delivered to her and she is attempting to find a way to help her mother escape from the tower. Her father returns, having arranged a marriage for Eleanor. The situation has reached a crisis, for now she will not be able to send safe food to her mother. On top of this she discovers a plot to murder her. Now she must act. The Tudor background is well-drawn and Marie-Louise Jensen's heroine is an attractive figure - intelligent, capable, loving and practical. The plot moves quickly, woven into an intriguing and engaging story that has enough twists in plot and character to keep the reader glued to the page. The Lady in the Tower was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Children's Book Prize 2009. Fiction - Young Adult
Eva Wiseman's latest book, Puppet, is a fictionalized account of the last blood libel trial in Europe. The story is told by a girl in the village, Julie, whose friend, Esther, has disappeared from their small Hungarian village. A young Jewish boy, Morris Scharf, is forced by local authorities to testify against his fellow Jews, including his own father, saying they are guilty of murdering the Christian child for her blood-"blood libel". Julie is a young girl under great stress herself. She has been separated from her much loved younger sister by her drunken and violent father. Her dearly loved mother is dead and she has been forced out to work. Esther was her friend, she has all kinds of reasons for not becoming involved, but her instinct for justice is strong and she remembers the wise and loving teaching of her mother. She recognizes right from wrong, and so she makes her courageous and right decision to step in to the fray. Julie is a sympathetic and brave character; persistent in her attempts to see right done, even if from time to time she wearies, and her story is a gripping one. Young Morris is so young and so embattled that the reader can feel some sympathy for him too, although he persists in his accusations. He is a broken child. Based on real events, Eva Wiseman's Puppet is a gripping novel. Fiction - Reprints
The Hounds of the Morrigan was first published in 1985. A first novel, it was inspired by a dream and took thirteen years to complete, thirteen years until Pat O'Shea felt the text was the best she could accomplish. Two children, Pidge and his bright and cheeky five-year-old sister Brigit, are asked by the Irish god Dagda to search for a blood-stained pebble before it can fall into the clutches of Morrigan, the Celtic goddess of war. The children travel between Galway and the land of Faery, meeting talking animals and insects and pursued by two witches on motorbikes - Breda Fairfoul and Melodie Moonlight, who command a pack of evil vicious hounds. Packed with action, witty, thoughtful, indeed wise, The Hounds of the Morrigan combines poetry, humour and action in a totally engaging book.
World War II and bombs are raining down on Britain, Gordon wishes he were old enough to be a flyer, he would fight, not like his older brother, Raymond. He has left home and job to go who knows where. Then Gordon finds a revolver in his parents' house and decides to find Raymond himself, but, when he does, Raymond claims to be a secret government agent and wants Gordon's help. Is he what he says, or where is he leading his brother? He would not deceive his own, would he? Robert Swindell's novel for intermediate readers is a powerful and heart-breaking portrait of family loyalty, deception and disillusionment set in the dangerous background of wartime Britain.
This handsome 10th Anniversary edition of Almond's fascinating first novel also includes a short story about Mira, a tale true in every way to the relationship between her and her mother, and Mira's sensitive and open-minded approach to life. Ten-year-old Michael is moving into a new house - a true "fix-up". His mother has just had a premature little girl whose life hangs in the balance throughout the story. His friends are far off, although there is this unusual but interesting girl living next door , Mira. Mira is being home-schooled and has an interesting outlook on things. One day Michael slips into the dilapidated shed at the end of the garden, a place so rickety he has been forbidden to go in there. At the back, curled under spider webs, is a strange being. Is he human, or is he something else again? Nervously Michael brings him food other than the insects he has been eating and finally tells Mira about him - the only other person to know. As they go to lift him one day they find wings curled tightly on his back..... Skellig won the Carnegie Award and the Whitbread Award in the United Kingdom, and was a Michael L. Printz Honour Book and an ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book in the United States. Non-Fiction
Igor Siwanowicz works at the Max Planck Institute in Munich doing research in the neurobiology of the fruit fly. He is also a keen nature photographer. His work in dealing with tiny creatures and his skill with the camera have produced this fascinating introduction to a group of tiny creatures. The face of a loris gazes out at us showing the complex ears, cleaned with a specially adapted claw on its second toe. The large eyes dominate the head, the huge pupils, taking in as much light as possible, allowing the loris to see even in very dim light. A patient wait has allowed the camera to catch a mantis striking a pose to startle predators, antennae alert, limbs outstretched he makes a startling figure. Hermit crabs face each other, their large eyes popping out and their six pairs of mouth parts at the ready. Outstanding and dramatic photographs startle us into looking at these tiny creatures again and the accompanying text describes the unusual aspects of each clearly and concisely. It is the photographs, however, which are bound to immediately capture the attention and interest of young readers. AwardsCARNEGIE SHORTLIST Top KATE GREENAWAY MEDAL SHORTLISTBarrett, Angela (text Paul Gallico) The Snow Goose : Hutchinson Craste, Marc: (text Helen Ward) : Varmints Templar Doherty, Tom : Little Boat : Templar Graham, Bob: How to Heal a Broken Wing : Walker Jeffers, Oliver : The Way Back Home : HarperCollins McKean, Dave (text David Almond) : The Savage : Walker Rayner, Catherine: Harris Finds his Feet : Little Tiger Press Wormell, Chris: Molly and the Night Monster : Jonathan Cape 2009 RUTH AND SYLVIA SCHWARTZ CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS 2009 RUTH AND SYLVIA SCHWARTZ CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS B.C. BOOK PRIZE WINNERS CANADIAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AWARD: Book of the Year for Children Award Young Adult Canadian Book Award 2009 Arthur Ellis Awards (for crime fiction) Featured Websites - Cumulative
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