Mean Max by John Peterson and Syd Hoff

An interesting retro read on dealing with bullying. In the picture book Mean Max by John Peterson, first published in 1970, Toby struggles to deal with the ongoing bullying he receives at the hands of Max who lives close by and attends the same school. Tony's best friend, Eddy, is more undermining than helpful and Tony ends up becoming a bully himself. Build up your muscles and train to run fast are the main pieces of advice in this little book as well as learning to stand up for yourself. Certainly an unusual addition to the Little Library of Rescued Books and also smelliest book in the collection. This book was originally called Mean Max Chickens Out. Read it and smell it for yourself and you decided how helpful this book could be. What mainly drew me to buying this book for the grand sum of twenty cents was the illustrations by cartoonist Syd Hoff as I have a lot of respect and admiration for his work. Sadly for us he is no longer around to create, but you can appreciate his works at:

http://www.sydhoff.org/

Bolton Road Spy Catches by Margaret Pearce

Bolton Road Spy Catches by Margaret Pearce starts off a little slowly for my liking but soon picks up momentum, Akin to a Famous Five novel, but much more sophisticated in terms of history and dialogue, the story is set in Victoria after the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese. A group of five children, Nancy, Mabel, Janet, Fred and Lennie have created a group to raise money for the war effort but also to track down informants and saboteurs. The story really has much more to do with the adventures of Nancy, Janet and Mabel in these efforts as Fred has nicked off with close friend Bill Owen with ideas of joining up at only thirteeen! As for Lennie, well his character is scarce. The reader is given insight into the life of ordinary families and the hardships which were endured on the home front in terms of rationing, clothing coupons, sharing housing, and just plain making do with what one has. The cooking teacher in the story really brings back memories of some of the home economics teachers I had as a child with their lack of sympathy and bullying ways. To read this book is to truly witness the life of students during the second world war, you step back in time, wear the uncomfortable and restrictive school uniforms and step into the authoritarian and suffocating school environment, and even clean the outside dunny. You ride the public transport, interact with soldiers and sailors and witness the bonds between neighbors during difficult times.

In order to read this book I had to continually cut open cojoined pages as this novel obviously wasn't cleanly cut during the publishing process. Overall, though it was an enjoyable read and I shall be keeping my eye out for more of her books.

Goose in a hole by Judith Kerr

Goose in a Hole by author/illustrator Judith Kerr is a gentle story revolving around a missing pond that has mysteriously disappeared down a hole. The main protagonist of the story, Katrina the goose, leads gander Charlie and their goslings on a convoluted search for it underground popping up in some quite disturbing places. Meanwhile, Millie Bushwell is concerned for Katrina's safety whilst the people from the township are more occupied with  the reestablishment of a new pond than they are about the wildlife that used to inhabit the missing one. Judith Kerr's famous cat, Mog, makes an appearance in a few of the illustrations. This is a sequel to Judith's first book about Katrina the goose entitled The Other Goose.

The Mouse and the Potato by Thomas Berger and Carla Grillis

The Mouse and the Potato, which is now out of print, was translated from German by Polly Lawson and was printed in Belgium in 1990 by Floris Books. This is a book about a potato, obviously and it makes for an unusual protagonist. It starts out with a little girl called Maggie deciding to plant a rather large potato with the mindset that is will produce more potatoes.  A plant appears and it grows prolifically, the problem is, when it comes to harvest time the gigantic plant won't budge. Maggie's father, a farmer, tries to uproot the plant, is shortly joined by his wife, then a farmhand, a milking maid and then Maggie; all to no avail. Then it's time for canine, felines and rodents to partake in the what is now proving to be a very challenging harvest. Well, I wonder  what could possibly happen? The farm horse even ends up with a job. A straightforward little plot with gentle water colour illustrations by Belgium illustrator Carla Grillis.   It is certainly a beautiful addition to my children book collection.

The harvest

Maggie

The Dutch version

The German version

Daddy Lost His Head by Quentin Blake & Andre Bouchard

Loved this book, Daddy Lost His Head, before I even read the first page. What kid wouldn't pluck this one right off the shelf?  I found the book very amusing.  If your Dad lost his head you would fashion him a new one of course. Newspaper, paint and a potato for a nose and voilà...there it is a new functioning head with many advantages. You see, he doesn't snore or shout, he readily agrees with you and is quite happy to do the vacuuming. Even better, take him shopping and he will buy anything you ask for. But...will Daddy ever find his real head and just how did he lose it in the first place? This is certainly a very absurd story but also very inventive and funny.

The Little Cat and the Greedy Old Woman by Joan Rankin

The story revolves around a little cat who one day is unceremoniously shooed out into the pouring rain after he attempts to gain a taste of a special roast dinner the "greedy old woman" has prepared. The anger which grows inside him causes him to grow into a great jungle tiger tyrant and he reenters the house hell-bent on revenge. The moggy is a lovable villain and the  muted softer watercolours used for the house and the old woman are contrasted with the vibrant oranges and browns used for the terrifying tiger cat. An amusing read.

Dragon by Wayne Anderson

If you love dragons then surely this is a book you will enjoy. One day, a mother dragon accidentally drops an egg from the sky into the ocean. When the newborn emerges, he spends  many months trying to find his place amongst animals such as fish, insects, birds, snakes and even a crocodile.  He is desperate to find his mother and despairing after his many encounters with other creatures...until he finds a special young boy who happily lends a helping hand. This is a warm and reassuring story about a magical creature's search for his identity and his home.Wayne Anderson is a respected English author/artist who has received the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal for best children's book, as well as many other accolades. The misty, mysterious illustrations greatly enhance the story and make it something  very special.