Book Review
Book Review:
Her Day, Heather Potter, Walker Books, 2012, ISBN 9781921720369. Hb. $9.95
His Day, Heather Potter, Walker Books, 2012, ISBN 9781921720352. Hb. $9.95
These two tough board books are the perfect way to introduce a young child to the delights of reading books.
As the blurbs say, From the moment he (she) wakes …his or her day is full of special moments which are really day to day happenings such as the time to change nappy or go walking, but to a young child this is her/his world and as such are something most young children will eagerly relate to. After all, the entire key to reading is to hook the person in and what better way to do this than to write about something that the child is already comfortable with? Combine that with the delicate illustrations on each page and you have a winner.
As well, the small size of the book will be easily handled by a young child so familiarising him/her with what a book is compared to other digital devices is made simple. The thick board should also cope with a little bit of chewing.
These two board books are effective tools to encourage the delights of reading from as young an age as possible. Perhaps the only thing I would have liked to see is not such a stereotypical and old fashioned colour scheme – the pink book is for the girl, the blue for the boy.
Recommended.
Sharon Greenaway
Book Review: Do not forget Australia
Book Review:
Do Not Forget Australia, Sally Murphy and Sonia Kretschmar, Walker Books, 2012, ISBN 978 1 921529 86 3. Hb. $29.95
This story is set during WW1 in a small village in France called Villers-Bretonneux and a home in Melbourne, Australia.
It is a fictionalised account of the suffering the French people experienced during one of the many battles fought in WW1, told through the eyes of a young French school boy, Henri. As well on the other side of the world, Billy is waiting for news of his father who is serving in the Australian army and as chance happens his father meets up with Henri.
After the war schoolchildren raised funds to enable the rebuilding of the French village and as such the school has signs in its school ground and above each blackboard Do not forget Australia.
While I felt the story to be a little boring the overall book, with its detailed illustrations, should make a starting point for schoolchildren wanting to do research on WW1 as well as finding out more about ANZAC day.
Sharon Greenaway
Sharon Greenaway 