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| Recommended for 5+ |
Timo Parvela and Virpi Talvitie $15.99pb
I must confess to having a bit of a soft spot for European children’s books; a love for the style and presentation of the stories as much as an ongoing fascination with the tales that non-English speaking cultures want to read to their children. Bicycling to the Moon (known to Finnish children as Maukka and Väykkä) is a perfect, and very charming, example.
Barker is a dog and Purdy is a cat. Together they live in a sky blue house on top of a hill with a huge lake at its base. Their differences – Barker is practical, wise, earthy and above all dependable; Purdy is headstrong, creative and oh so joyful – are what make them the very best of friends. Tracing a year of seasons, each with its challenges and joys, Parvela explores Barker and Purdy’s friendship, as well as their interaction within a tight-knit community of farm animals, with brevity, gentle wit and true depth of feeling. Each chapter holds a simple but powerful lesson bound up in wonderful storytelling for the astute reader. Whilst I have no doubt that confident readers of 7 and up will enjoy devouring this book independently – the gatefold cover, the wonderful (and how!) pencil and watercolour illustrations all make it highly desirable – I think it’s a book perhaps best read aloud by an adult, to be savoured with a child one beautiful chapter at a time. BiP staff review by Lucinda
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| Recommended for 4+ |
Neridah McMullin and Andrew McLean $24.99hb
This is the story of a brave horse called Fabish. In his racing days, he always tried his hardest. And when he retired, Fabish took care of the flighty young horses.
The Black Saturday bushfires destroyed many lives in February of 2009. Neridah McMullin tells one of the rare, amazing stories of survival on that dark day in her new picture book. Upon retirement from racing, Fabish takes on a new role, looking after yearlings in a paddock far away from the stables. One hot, dry afternoon smoke fills the air and their trainer, knowing that he cannot protect them, sets the horses free as the bushfire heads straight toward the farm. All night the trainer battles the roaring fire, protecting the horses that he knows he can save and by morning, nothing is left. All he can think about are those horses he left to their own wiles… But he hears a distant, rhythmic thudding – could it be that Fabish has saved the yearlings?
Dedicated to the late Alan Evett, the trainer in this true story, Neridah McMullin has created a stunning book that will appeal to all animal lovers, but especially those who love horses. Powerful and moving, Andrew McLean does a great job of matching pictures to words. We have signed copies available while stocks last. BiP staff review by Lucinda
Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton $14.99pb
Finally, the 6th Treehouse book has arrived!
Join Andy and Terry in their spectacular new 78-Storey Treehouse. They've added 13 new levels including a drive-thru car wash, a combining machine, a scribbletorium, an ALL-BALL sports stadium, Andyland, Terrytown, a high-security potato chip storage facility and an open-air movie theatre. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up! Recommended for 7 and beyond.
