It begins with a tiny seed growing inside a suitcase. With Amira’s care, the tiny seed starts to sprout. Find out what happens when kindness flourishes...Amira’s Suitcase is a gentle, thought-provoking tale about friendship and hope.
New beginnings, simple pleasures and hope symbolised in a growing plant and a blossoming girl are themes in this book. When Amira arrives with her suitcase to a new home she is timid, but through play she nurtures herself and heals, showing bravery, resourcefulness and kindness. Readers are invited to make connections whilst also exploring lives that may be different to their own. Colour, line, shape and texture harmonise in an expert application of watercolours. A high-quality production and symmetry between text and illustrations provides a heart-warming story. Intertextual connections may also be made to Jack and the Beanstalk.
It’s bath time in the outback, and a dusty boy is waiting, but so are some very dusty and very cheeky animals.
Will this boy ever get clean?
Boisterous fun, chaotic bush animals and waterplay feature in this cumulative tale about a very dusty boy who needs a bath. The setting of the dry, red Aussie outback is clearly established, and the bath time routine will be familiar to young readers and the adults too! Watercolour double-page spreads in landscape format fill each page, inviting the reader in. There is a wonderful escalation of pace throughout the book firstly as the boy begins to undress, then the drama as each animal arrives, until bath time erupts into delightful chaos. The bath emptying of water in the ruckus, the arrival of rain and the ensuing dip in the newly filled dam combine for a satisfying conclusion. Interesting endpapers suit the theme of the book. Font styling is excellent. Young readers will fully engage with this form of nursery rhyme which encourages participation.
While Milla’s friends take big, brave jumps off the jetty, Milla stays on the blistering wood, scared of what lurks below. But when Milla accidentally falls off the edge, she discovers the beauty of the deep, dark sea – and her summer changes forever.
A beautifully written and highly relatable book about overcoming fears. Time and place have been carefully created to depict an Australian beach town in summer. The language is rich and descriptive, using apt vocabulary and alliteration. The eye-catching, swirling text depicts movement to mirror themes of water and the action it describes. Mood is gently constructed. The joy of the jumping girls contrasts with Milla’s trepidation as she sits apart, afraid to participate in their fun yet wanting to join them. A lovely twist of plot adds momentum and motivation to the main character's actions, who overcomes her fears to finally enter the water.
(Username and password - THSstories)
When all of the whales in the ocean leave their home to walk around on land, people don’t quite know what to think.
But soon shopkeepers go out of business, farms are flooded with water and salt, and people shout horrible, anti-whale words.
That is, until, a smart little girl decides to ask the whales what everyone can do to help.
The magic and mystery of childhood imaginings are combined with the grand possibilities of illustrations, and a profound message about humanity’s interconnection with the planet. This weighty message is handled with a delicate touch, rhythmic text and a balance of imagination, humour and truth. There is a touching moment when a child querys the situation and the emotion in the whale’s blunt reply is beautifully framed by the tear in its eye. Less about pollution, this is a book about possibilities: the exchange of rubbish for the whales foregrounds the principle that for every action in nature, there is a consequence and there is always a fresh story and connection to discover.
(Username and password - THSstories)
An inclusive picture book for grandparents everywhere.
In every country around the world are grandmas short and tall.
Though they go by different names, we love them one and all.
This high-production picture book is a heart-warming trip around the globe, celebrating the wonderful relationships between children and their grandmothers. Themes of family, love, culture and diversity are explored, and the mood is one of joy and celebration. Written in rhyming couplets, the illustrations marry beautifully with the text, and reveal further details about family life in homes around the world, offering opportunities to discuss cultures other than the readers' own. Each grandmother is unique, but all are portrayed as vibrant women interacting with their grandchildren in a delightful array of different activities The appendix connecting each word for ‘grandmother’ to the corresponding language is well-researched and something to relish.
A story about seeing what life is like on the other side of the window.
Two very different cats: Winston, a free-spirited explorer; and The Indoor Cat, lover of leisure; form a friendship and show each other how different their lives could be. Can The Indoor Cat be enticed by outdoor adventure? Will Winston be tempted by a life of indoor luxury?
Friendship and individuality are explored in this gently told story of two very different cats. Winston, the outdoor cat, tries to entice the indoor cat outside, while the indoor cat, who is comfortable with its leisurely life, tempts Winston into its world inside the house. Characterisation is developed through subtle expressions of the cats when they find themselves outside their respective normal environments. With short sentences and concise phrases, young children will delight in listening to the words while being captivated by the illustrations. Beautiful, soft watercolour and pencil illustrations vary from full-page spreads to small vignettes and the final sequence where the cats agree to disagree and find common ground is a satisfying and humorous resolution.
(Username and password - THSstories)