Poems of Growth selected by Amanda Earl & Danielle Sensier

As the title suggests, Poems About Growth, this is a book all about things that are growing or in the minimalistic sense on the move, but its mainly limited to plants,  the seasons, buildings and physical growth. None of the poems are about personal growth. There are example of Haiku poetry, rhyming couplets but  not really any free verse entries. There are nineteen poems in all and each has an accompanying photograph. The photography is a definite feature of this book. Some of the poets/poetesses  include Christine Rossetti, Robert Fisher, Barbara Baker but there are also a few anonymous ones. There is also a contents page which probably isn't that necessary due to the limited nature of this anthology. Nevertheless, there are some great poems and this will be a useful addition to our basket devoted to poetry.

Loads and Loads of Limericks collected by David C. Harris

This hardback edition contains twenty-six limericks, each with a bold and detailed illustration by Allan Stomann. Some of the limericks have a publisher's note which often adds to the humour. See an example of this below These limericks were collected by David G. Harris (who sadly, does not come from Paris.) There is  a contents page at the beginning which is useful when trying to quickly locate the limerick you want. This compilation was first published in Australia by Angus & Robertson in 1985. It is a welcome edition to my classroom poetry selection.

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Borka: The Adventures of a Goose with no Feathers by John Birningham

Borka the Adventures of a Gooes with no Feathers, John Burningham's first picture book, is a stunning picture book which is somewhat reminiscent of The Ugly Duckling. Only this time, Borka, the goose born without feathers is the bird of central interest. Her mother, Mrs Plumster,  even knits her a grey woollen jersey that looks like feathers to keep her warm, but this just makes her a further object of derision amongst her five siblings. This timeless book deals with difference and exclusion. The big bold illustrations and intricate end papers ensure its appeal. Author/illustrator, John Burningham, is among the most prestitigous illustrators working the children's book arena whose career spans over 60 years. This year he was nominated for The Hans Christian Andersen Award. This particular book won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1964. 

An end paper from Borka

Below is one of my favourite illustrations in the book:

Captain McAllister, Fowler, Borka and Fred

Garfield Flying High by Jim Davis

This little Garfield gem is chock a block full of funnies about Garfield's enforced diets and his health. Odie doesn't make such a big appearance in this book and most of the strips are about John and Garfield. This one below is one of my favourites:

The Angel and the Wild Animal by Michael Foreman

The Angel and the Wild Animal, first published in 1988 (the year my beautiful daughter Nicola was born), is a beautiful book for preschoolers by well-known  and prolific writer/illustrator Michael Foreman. Most parents could  well and truly relate to the story; I know I can. No-one's child is ever a complete saint or a horror, they just flit between one extreme and another and fortunately at certain points in the day level out to be just normal children.The luminous water colours are a  Foreman trademark and exemplify both the magical and the trying moments well. 

"Sometimes we have an Angel in the house.
Most times at night, and mostly asleep.
But sometimes awake,
a golden head in the dark.
In the day, in the park,
the Angel is brighter than the sun.

In some ways this book reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, especially the illustrations.

....'

The Singing Hat by Tohby Riddle

I just adored this completely absurd story The Singing Hat by Tohby Riddle. Colin Jenkins awakes one day after a nap under a tree only to find that his head is now adorned with a bird's nest complete with bird. Not wishing to interfere with nature, he decides that he can carry on his daily routines with his new hat. The bird brings both positive and negative things into his life. Life becomes even more challenging when the eggs in "hat" hatch just as he is being dismissed from his job! It is a book of contrasts, as too is the illustrative style with solid and lightly sketched images. The pen and ink gouache, collage are cartoon like and add to the humour in the story. It's definitely a book to share with middle and upper primary students as they would appreciate the ambiguity and the amusing incidents much more than a younger reader. This book was first published in 2000 in Australia and has one a number of awards for both literature and design. These include Honour Book in the Australian and CBC Picture Book of the Year Awards and APA Best Designed Cover. So if you enjoy the bizarre you will love this book. The following website has some excellent discussion and teaching ideas on the book as well as some questions which could be explored:

http://www.tohby.com/Images/Notes_on_TheSingingHat.pdf

Gorgeous by Caroline Castle & Sam CHilds

If only giving birth was as easy as "Ouch!" Big Zeb gives birth to Little Zeb at the beginning of this beautifully illustrated children's book.  This is a perfect book for toddlers and preschool children with its bright illustrations and minimalistic bold  text. It's all about first words spoken by the innocent. Little Zeb's first words are gorgeous and tip top and these are his main means of communication with others, along with a few other phrases he picks up along the way.The day is passing nicely when along comes a growling lion, now how will Little Zeb deal with him?