Mrs Pepperpot's Outing by Alf Prøysen

This is the first Alf Prøysen book I have ever read and it was a delightful read, nothing deep, stories about a little lady who shrinks at the least inopportune moments, and whose clothes intriguingly enough shrink with her which is very convenient. The Norwegian author, Alf Prøysen,  was born back in 1914 and sadly only lived to be fifty-six. He was well known for his children's books as well his contributions to the music and television industries. Mrs Pepperpot, the protagonist, lives with her husband Mr Pepperpot on a hillside in Norway. The main story in this book revolves around a car ride with Mr Pepperpot searching for some interesting activities in which to partake.  Whilst he is muddling through these, Mrs Pepperpot is busy collecting stray animals, all of whom rescue her during her shrinking episodes. The stories don't require a great deal of brain power to decode, but they are intriguing and obscure enough to keep you reading. To my way of thinking, students who enjoy the adventures of Pipi Longstocking and Enid Blyton books,  may well find the Pepperpot series of interest. 

Onion Tears by Diana Kidd

I have now read quite a few of Diana Kidd's novels and it is a shame she is no longer around to continue sharing cultural insights in order to break down stereotypes which often dehumanise refugees. This book is a beautiful vehicle for teaching children values-based education in relation to asylum seekers and refugees. Although it was written some twenty-four years ago, it is still extremely relevant to the situation in Australia today. The thoughts of a young Vietnamese girl Nam-Huong,  who has been through a trauma that has left her unable to speak, are eloquently conveyed to the reader through the first person narration. Nam lives with "Aunty" and helps out in the family restaurant (along with fellow refugee Chu Minh) when she is not attending school. Insight into what she suffered and her loneliness and disconnectedness are conveyed through a number of letters which Nam writes to the "Dear little yellow canary," "Dear Mr Buffalo" and other animals with who she had a connection in her past life. At school she is teased because of her name, the food she brings to eat and the fact she doesn't verbalise what she is feeling. The students have no understanding of her grief for her missing family and her beloved Grandpa whose fate is revealed only at the end of the story.  It is only her understanding teacher, Miss Lily, who eventually helps Nam to start enjoying her new life and to smile again.Whilst some younger readers will be unable to relate to the atrocities Nam endured in Vietnam and during the boat trip, they will understand how difficult it can be to start life in a new country and how being dismissed, teased and excluded can affect a person's well being. Onion Tears was shortlisted in the 1990 Children's Book of the Year awards and winner of the 1990 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Children's Literature.  It was inspired by the stories of Southeast Asian students at Richmond Girls High School. I have reviewed a few books by this author on this blog. The detailed ink illustrations by Dee Huxley which adorn all the pages add greatly to the pathos of Nam's story.

The soldiers took Dad away..Nam and little yellow canary

The Tartan Kangaroo by Tom Lewis and Tony Oliver

Australia meets Scotland, this book is basically an illustrated poem, written in ballad form. Mind you, the illustrations by Tony Oliver, are absolutely amazing, especially the massive tartan, bagpipe-playing kangaroo. This kangaroo is an environmental disaster of earthquake proportions who rips up gum trees and flings them around awakening the townsfolk in the middle of the night with his merry bagpipe tunes. Well, the time happens when there's bound to be a few complaints. Then, there's the bright idea of using the eccentric roo to attract tourists. What happens in the end is not what you might expect!

Say Cheese by Mary Blakeslee

This is definitely a girly book and focuses on the issues of fitting into a new school, friendships and peer pressure. Fifteen year old Granada (Granny) has just returned to Canada to attend Fineacre High after many years of studying at an exclusive school in Switzerland. She initially has trouble settling in, and is faced with further trouble when she sets her sights on Steve Williams, the editor of the school newspaper Fi High Speaker, and who is under the constant watch of his girlfriend of three years, Lonnie Kaye Borgnine. Granny is so infatuated with Steve that she lies about her photography skills to gain a place on the newspaper. There are a few fiascos to start off with, but after spending many hours studying the art of photography with her father who is  renown for his accomplished photojournalism, she starts to gain Steve's appreciation and attention. Gary, the guy in charge of the photography section, is not so easily impressed, and like Kaye, it seems he is out to make her life miserable. Thank goodness for her new friend Maureen who is there to offer advice, and support her through the tricky situations. On the home front, Granny is trying to develop a relationship with her new step mother Judy and help out with the energetic five year old twins Trixie and Trina. Judy firmly believes they are destined to be great child models.  

Pup by John Heffernan

This novel is an engaging follow-up to the books Chip and  Spud by the same author, and focuses on the life of Pup, another one of Farmer Morton's abused dogs. It follows the friendship of a young boy called Jack with the young kelpie whom he rescues from his cruel master. On the advice of one of his father's friends, Jack sets out to train Pup to a professional level in the rounding up of sheep. Jack doesn't enjoy school is currently struggling with reading, and is the brunt of ongoing jokes and verbal abuse at his school. Pup bring a new joy to his life and slowly things start to improve with his studies. Morton whose wife has left him along with his daughter, has spiralled further into the ugly tunnel of alcohol abuse and he is determined that Pup be returned to him. He is reckless in his pursuit of all he has lost. It is a hard book to put down and very suitable to an upper primary audience.

Eric by Shaun Tan

How excited was I when I found this little gem! I have a large collection of Tan's works and was not aware of this existence of this littler number. Turns out that this is a mini gift edition of one of the most loved stories from the multi-award-winning, internationally lauded masterpiece Tales from Outer Suburbia. Despite the fact that in general we tend to think of book with fewer words are reserved for children, this is really a book for all ages.

Some years ago we had a foreign exchange student come to live with us. We found it difficult to pronounce his name correctly, but he didn't mind.

Thus begins the story of the very amiable  "Eric," the name he chose for himself to make life easier for others. Eric chooses to live on a shelf in the pantry rather than in the freshly decorated room the family had provided for him.  Tan showcases Eric's interest in the smaller and less obvious things in the world; those things we often neglect to notice. His illustrations are what make this book so memorable as they are unique and whimsical, with the final illustration which makes you go tingly inside. It is a beautiful and fitting conclusion which makes everything else in the books suddenly very meaningful.

A Dog So Small by Philippa Pearce

First published in 1962 this book may not appeal to many of today's young readers as they may not be able to relate to everything in the text. But, some will find it quite enchanting, especially if they enjoyed Philippa Pearce's award winning novel Tom's Midnight Garden. Ben, the main character, would dearly love a dog and when his grandfather promises him one for his birthday he is very excited. However, his excitement turns to dismay on his special day when he receives a hand embroidered picture of a chihuahua in a frame from his grandparents. It seems nobody thinks a dog is a good idea when you live in a small abode in the middle of a busy city like London. As it so happens, the reader learns, that this picture has special significance to his grandmother and was lovingly stitched in Mexico. As the novel progresses we see Ben visit his grandparents, as he does regularly, and enjoy the company of their dog Tilly. Upon his return to London he starts to obsess over the picture of the miniature chihuahua dog to the point where it nearly costs him his life. Some readers will find Ben's attitude in the final chapter very disconcerting and unexpected. Avid upper primary readers with good comprehension skills would definitely take away more from this book than a less capable reader. It contains some powerful insights into life.

He saw clearly that you couldn't have impossible things, however much you wanted them. He saw that if you didn't have the possible things, then you had nothing.

Ink drawing by Anthony Maitland are regularly dispersed through this book and are very representative of the way children's novels were illustrated in the sixties and seventies. I really enjoyed the illustrations as much as the story.

The hand embroidered picture

One of Ben's visions

Click on the link below to hear famous actress Judy Dench tell part of the story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUHwGqSKWe4