Review: Good night, Me by Andrew Daddo

Author: Andrew Daddo

Illustrated by Emma Quay

Age: 3+

Publisher: Hachette Children’s Books

Pages: 32

Release date: 25th November 2014

Amazon

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Someone’s ready for bed, but it’s going to take a long, long time to say goodnight.
A baby orang-utan is sleepy and it’s time for bed, but not before saying ‘Good night, me,’ from head to toe. This captivating, unique gift book celebrates that precious moment when a parent tucks a child into bed at the end of the day. Anyone who is a parent, or is about to become one, will appreciate the simplicity of this enchanting picture book.

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

Good Night, Me is the most perfect bedtime story! I now read this book nightly to my daughter to help her wind down and she is actually beginning to memorise the book which I think is wonderful.

We are introduced to a little Orangutang who is going through his nighttime routine and resting parts of his body starting with his feet and ending with his eyes in preparation for slumber.

This is the second children’s book I have read by Andrew Daddo now and he has a real knack for storytelling and engaging the child with his natural way with simplistic wording; it is also an easy book for Miss 7 to read and understand.

The illustrations are beautiful detailed with the orangutang relaxing each part of his body whilst in bed, the colours are muted and not vibrant – perfect for night-time reading.

Thank you to Hachette Books Australia for the opportunity to read Good Night, Me

About the author: Andrew’s published 24 best selling books for children, and one for bigger kids.

He started writing late last century, and after a pretty woeful attempt at a picture book called The Big Green Smiling Wobbly, found his voice with the Sprung! series for Hachette books.  It’s a series about a kid called Fergus Kipper and his family, and it’s really about growing up and doing the sorts of things kids do and the things they do because they shouldn’t. There are six books in the series and it’s been very successful in getting boys who don’t normally like reading into books.

Since then, Andrew has gone on to write two series of chapter books – one about a family who move from the city to the country, the other about a sleepwalking dog called Skoz.  There are two novels – Youse Two and Muffin Top – for older readers and a growing list of picture books which, as we all know, are for everyone.

Andrew’s been published in lots of different countries and languages, he’s got one brand new book called Ned and at least two (maybe three) new picture books on the way.

He talks in schools throughout the year, and does dinners and breakfasts for kids and parents to talk about the importance of sharing stories, reading and writing.  And he tells lots of funny stories!

Review: My Hiroshima by Junko Morimoto

My Hiroshima

Author: Junko Morimoto

Publisher: Hachette Children’s Books

Age group: 8+

Pages: 32 pages

Release date: 23^rd December 2014

Amazon

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

On 6 August, 1945, 13-year-old Junko Morimoto's life changed forever. That was the day that an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, the Japanese city where she lived.First published in Australia, widely praised, and subsequently translated into fourteen languages, the picture book MY HIROSHIMA is Junko's powerful and deeply moving story of a period in history that should never be forgotten.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

My Hiroshima was certainly a surprise, it was probably a little too graphically detailed for my children but the overall heart-breaking message and the way it is explained from a child’s perspective was done extremely well.

Despite the graphic nature of some of the images, it was a realistic portrayal at what happened in Hiroshima during this war torn time. It was educational and the kids had many questions about it all. The narrator starts off by explaining her happy childhood in Hiroshima which abruptly halted on August 6, 1945 when an atomic bomb was dropped; the images show the extent of the destruction and the heartbreak of loss during the aftermath. The images and details are extremely poignant and powerful.

Overall, this book was very well written and detailed the tragedy in a way that was easy for a child to comprehend. A suggestion to parents would be to read this book yourself to see whether or not it would be suitable for your child, there are images that can be quite upsetting.

Thank you to Hachette Children’s Books for the opportunity to read and review My Hiroshima.

About the author: Junko Morimoto was born in Hiroshima and came to live in Australia in 1982. She has written and illustrated many best-selling picture books including MY HIROSHIMA, THE INCH BOY, KOJURO AND THE BEAR (Winner CBC Best Picture Book 1987), The Two Bullies (Winner CBC Best Picture Book 1998) and RUN DAMON, RUN! (with Anne Ingram).

Review: The Angry Little Puffin by Timothy Young

Author: Timothy Young

Pages: 40

Publisher: Schiffer

Source: Netgalley

Release date: 19th September 2014

Amazon - TBD

Synopsis: Look at the funny little penguin! and What a silly-looking penguin! Hearing this all day long is enough to make any little bird angry, especially when he s NOT A PENGUIN! This is the story of a puffin who is upset that he s constantly mistaken for a penguin. He finally reaches his breaking point and goes on a rant about the many differences between the two. A little girl stops him in mid-speech because she does know the differences, and he listens as she explains to her father why puffins are her favorite. When you are feeling alone and misunderstood, sometimes it only takes the understanding of one small person to turn things around. A charming picture book with 18 fun colorful spreads showing children what frustration and feeling alone looks like from the outside, how to get over anger, and how to reach out to others when they are frustrated."

Review: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Miss 7 enjoyed this book, the illustrations were cute and she was eager to find out why the little Puffin was so upset over being mistaken for a Penguin.

The message was sweet and it was written in a way that was easy to understand and sympathise with but I felt it could have been done in a way that wasn't so aggressive, Miss 7 thought the Puffin was then being mean to the Penguins.

"I live at the zoo and my roommates are dumb, dorky penguins." 

The pages were vibrant and the text was easy to read, there were a few words in there that my children aren't allowed to say such as dumb and stupid and I think other words could have replaced these but we overlooked this to enjoy the overall story. It's also a great learning experience as we find out the difference between Puffins and Penguins. The Angry Little Puffin is a great little story that children can easily relate to, it shows emotions and feelings and the why's of his reaction.

A free copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

VERY GOOD LIVES: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by J.K. Rowling

VERY GOOD LIVES: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination by J.K. Rowling

Hachette Australia announces the publication of an illustrated edition of J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard Commencement speech,Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination. The book will be illustrated by Joel Holland and will be published worldwide in the English language on 14th April 2015.

About the book:

In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, Very Good Lives offers J.K. Rowling’s words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life, asking the profound and provocative questions: How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?

Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world-famous author addresses some of life’s most important issues with acuity and emotional force.

Sales of Very Good Lives will benefit Lumos, a charity organisation founded by J.K. Rowling, which works to transform the lives of disadvantaged children, and university-wide financial aid at Harvard University.

Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust said, “I have heard and read many commencement speeches, none more moving and memorable than J.K. Rowling’s. Years after her visit to Harvard, people still talk about it—and still find inspiration in her singular evocation of the idea that living a meaningful life so often means daring to risk failure. What a powerful example she embodies, and what a remarkable gift her speech was, and is, for all of us privileged to hear it then—and to read it now.”

About the author:

J.K. Rowling is the author of the bestselling Harry Potter series of seven books, published between 1997 and 2007, which have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, are distributed in more than 200 territories, are translated into 77 languages, and have been turned into eight blockbuster films. She has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harry’s schoolbooks within the novels: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages were published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. In December 2008, The Tales of Beedle the Bard was published in aid of the Children’s High Level Group (now known as Lumos) and quickly became the fastest-selling book of the year. Her first novel for adult readers, The Casual Vacancy, was published in September 2012 and her first two crime novels, written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, were published in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

As well as an OBE for services to children’s literature, J.K. Rowling is the recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, including the Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, France’s Légion d’Honneur, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. She supports a wide number of charitable causes through her charitable trust Volant, as well as being the founder and President of the children’s charity, Lumos, which works to end the institutionalisation of children globally and ensure all children grow up in a safe and caring environment.