Review + Teachers’ Notes: ‘Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush: A Musical Show’
Title: Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush: A Musical Show
Author: Zanni Louise
Illustrator: Gillian Flint
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Age Range: early childhood; lower primary; independent readers
Themes: music, painting, art, The Arts, imagination, creativity, friendship, feelings, nerves, resilience.
Author Zanni Louise adds a touch of...
Review + Teachers’ Notes: ‘Puffin the Architect’
Title: Puffin the Architect
Author/Illustrator: Kimberly Andrews
Publisher: Penguin Books Australia
Themes: animals, homes, animal homes, architecture, professions, STEAM, STEM, design, family
Click on title links or cover image to purchase.
There is so much to love about this picture book by Kimberly...
Review + Teachers’ Notes: ‘Dinosaur Day Out’
Title: Dinosaur Day Out
Author/Illustrator: Sara Acton
Publisher: Walker Books
Age Range: early childhood
Themes: dinosaurs, museums, books, family, Sydney
Click on title links or cover image to purchase.
Siblings Sally and Max are off to see the dinosaurs at the museum with...
Review + Teachers’ Notes: ‘There’s a Bug on My Arm That Won’t Let Go’
Title: There's a Bug on My Arm That Won't Let Go
Author/illustrator: David Mackintosh (see interview here)
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Age Range: early childhood and adults who need a laugh
Themes: bugs, childhood worries, insects, visual literacy
Click on title...
Review + Teachers’ Notes: ‘The Flying Optometrist’
Title: 'The Flying Optometrist'
Author: Joanne Anderton
Illustrator: Karen Erasmus
Publisher: National Library of Australia Publishing
Age Range: early childhood - middle primary
Themes: optometry, eye-health, glasses, remote communities, outback, flying, aviation, medical professionals.
Click on title links or cover image to...
Review + Teachers’ Notes: ‘Sonam and the Silence’
Title: 'Sonam and the Silence'
Author: Eddie Ayres
Illustrator: Ronak Taher
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Age Range: middle - upper primary
Themes: music, resilience, courage, curiosity, Afghanistan, Taliban.
Click on title links or cover image to purchase.
A lyrical fable-like story by the well-known musician,...
Review of ‘A Boat of Stars’
Title: A Boat of Stars: New Poems to Inspire and Enchant
Editors: Margaret Connolly and Natalie Jane Prior
Publisher: Harper Collins
Age Range: babies – middle primary
Themes: poetry, rhyme, language, anthology, family, feelings, Indigenous, animals, food, identity,...
First Facts and First Reads
If you've been reading here for a while now you'll know that I love the work of Australian author Rebecca Johnson, who happens to also be an award winning teacher, her latest accolade being...
Native Stingless Bees and Bee Books
It has been a very big week at school! Monday we had Elly Awesome (who was awesome and her book is here) and Tuesday we had Dr Tobias Smith from Bee Aware Kids to...
Review of ‘Kookoo Kookaburra’
I have most excellent neighbours - I really do. I always knew this, but the past few months has really proven this; the care they have shown the girls and I, as well as...
Review of ‘This is Banjo Paterson’
Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson loved to write poetry. He loved hunting and fishing and horses, too, especially a horse named Banjo. In this exceptional picture book, young readers can celebrate the life of a...
Review of ‘The Tales of Jahani’
Series Title: The Tale of Jahani. Book One 'Daughter of the Nomads'; Book Two 'The Leopard Princess'.
Author: Rosanne Hawke.
Illustrator: D.M. Cornish
Publisher: UQP
Age Range: upper primary - lower secondary.
Themes: identity; trust; courage; belonging; family; journeys;...
Literature Supporting Makerspaces
I've just presented another Webinar for the fab Eduwebinar team - this time on texts which support the makerspace movement. Some notes from this evening's webinar are below for attendees, and anyone else who...
612ABC Bookworms: Books for ANZAC Day
25th April is ANZAC Day, a day to honour Australian and New Zealanders who have served their countries with such bravery. One of the most effective ways to ensure our children understand the importance...
Gardening, Sustainability and Literature for Children
Today we combined with our sister school and all of Year Two enjoyed 'Gardening and Sustainability Day'. We ran three rotations focusing on worm farming and composting, growing from seeds and cuttings, and fairy gardens....
Books Celebrating Australia
I find it incredibly hard to put together a list of books which encapsulate Australia. Our country is so many different things to so many different people and I don’t think any one book,...
Review of ‘On Track’
Author: Kathryn Apel
Publisher: UQP
Themes: siblings, brothers, sibling rivalry, family, sport, academics, school, resilience, disabilities, poetry.
Teachers' Notes: UQP produces some outstanding teachers' notes and the 'On Track' notes here are no exception.
To purchase this book...
Book People: Sally Morgan
Book People: Sally Morgan
I am so honroured today to be featuring Sally Morgan on the blog, as part of my Book People series. Sally Morgan has been 'in my life' since the 80s, when...
Slow Communication: Snail Mail
Slow Communication: Snail Mail
I am an out and out social media lover and my phone bings and dings at me day and night with emails from five different accounts. It would be fair to...
Libraryspace+Techspace+Makerspace
Libraryspace + Techspace + Makerspace
I’ve been so looking forward to Eductech and it has not disappointed! Tomorrow at the conference, Jackie Child and I are talking the makerspace which we’ve created in our Junior...