After the War by Bob Kerr (Mallinson Rendel $22.95)
When the father comes home from the war, the family plants a tree in front of the house. Over the seasons and decades the tree grows, the family grows up and old, the landscape changes.
This lovely little book is a visual testament to the passage of time, and all the changes, subtle and otherwise, that we make to our surroundings. With each passing decade, the style of the house’s interior changes slightly.
Adults will enjoy remembering certain looks, and now-old-fashioned brands and labelling — in fact, visually, this book will be more fascinating for adults, although children may enjoy it as a “spot the difference” game. A great introduction for children to the idea of historical change.
Nanny Mango by John Walsh (Te Papa Press $24.95)
This is a horrible story, with gruesome drawings of the hideous Nanny Mango clutching severed legs, sitting atop a pile of skulls, strangling or decapitating people that she has hunted down in parks or at discos.
Those people that think children’s books can be too saccharine may like to give this a go — its publicity likens it to a scary, Grimms-type fairy tale with a distinct New Zealand flavour but I thought it was worse than reading the newspaper.
The Silver Swan by Michael Mor-purgo, illustrated by Christian Birmingham (Doubleday $34.95)
A swan comes to live in a loch near a boy’s home. He is fascinated by it, and watches as it finds a mate, builds a nest, hatches its eggs and is threatened by a fox.
Seemingly simple, this lovely story offers much to think about: birth, death, love and nature’s terrible conundrum that for some animals to live, others must die.
Told as something remembered from long ago, the language is rich, the illustrations heart-achingly beautiful.
Michael Mor-purgo is one of Britain’s most popular children’s authors. His wonderful The Rainbow Bear (illustrated by Michael Foreman), about the danger of having a wish come true, is now available in paperback for $16.95.
Crispin, The Pig Who Had It All by Ted Dewan (Doubleday $34.95)
A morality tale especially for this time of year. Crispin is used to getting all the latest toys, but one Christmas he receives a box with a strange note on it: “In this box you will find the only thing you do not have. It’s the very best thing in the whole wide world.” Can you guess?
It’s a great little story, beautifully illustrated, and a good reminder for both children and adults.
Good Night And Thanks For The Teeth by Rob Alexander and John Marsden (Macmillan $14.95)
Madlenka by Peter Sis (Allen and Unwin $29.95)
Two books based around that momentous occurrence: a child’s loss of baby teeth.
The first one uses this major life
event as a foil for teaching a lot about teeth and their care, as well as con-
structing a detailed world of fairies
whose job it is to collect the little pearls.
Sounds a good idea, yet the detail becomes a little tedious; I couldn’t hold Ropu 4’s attention with this one, and found myself having to speak louder and louder, skipping pages.
Madlenka is quite different — much simpler, yet more sophisticated. Madlenka has a wiggly tooth, and must tell all her friends about it.
She skips around the block in which her apartment stands, visiting all the store owners, who greet her in their native tongues — French, Italian, German, Hindi, Spanish, Chinese.
A lovely introduction to different countries and languages.
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr Seuss (HarperCollins $29.95)
This will be all the rage this year, with the movie coming out, and it’s good to see such a marvellous old book being given a new lease of life.
Bitter, miserable old Grinch hates Christmas, and can’t bear for anyone else to enjoy it either. So he sets out to destroy it for the Whos down in Whoville ...
What happens next, of course, is truly in the seasonal spirit.
It’s the kind of book which is really good fun to read aloud (which is lucky, as you’ll be called on to do so again and again) and which, because of its strength of personality, rhythm and drama, makes you feel that you’re one of the best readers-aloud in the world.
