Available in bookshops nationwide.
I was drawn to this book because of the children in my class that have had a parent in prison. It is refreshing to see different life experiences honestly portrayed in a children’s book. It gives the words which young children and their carers need to express complicated feelings and the situations that develop from having a parent in prison.
The story focuses on the night sky and the stars that glitter there. No matter where we are, we all share the night sky and the stars which hold our hopes, dreams and a sprinkling of magic. The watercolour illustrations are emotive and beautifully accompany the text. The dark sky reappears on each page and the contrasting white details make the drawings come alive.
The poignant message within this book will touch every reader, however it is especially ideal for those children who have a parent in prison. The author wants to counter negative statistics and work to give young children hope. The text builds on the metaphor of stars throughout the story and the uniqueness of every one of us. Carers and families will find the supporting activities at the end of the book useful too.
This is a heart-warming book with an uplifting message that builds children’s confidence and aspirations. I hope that all children who have a parent in prison have an opportunity to benefit from this resource, but this book will positively reach every young reader.
Reviewed by Sara Croft
Stardust: We always share the same sky
by Ivana Mlinac, illustrated by Porsche Tiavale
Published by Mary Egan Publishing
ISBN 9780473469979
This classic by Lynley Dodd is set in the depths of winter as a young girl goes searching for all the hedgehogs hibernating in her garden. We count along with her, ‘two are on a ledge, I even saw three white ones in a hole behind the hedge’. Finally the little girl sets down on her back door step and imagines what will happen when spring arrives and the hedgehogs wake up.
This is an eloquent picture book for children of all ages that deftly touches upon subjects of loneliness and exclusion. We meet Frank who is standing alone while three friends are having fun. Frank goes home, cries into the pot and begins to cook. We don’t know what Frank is cooking and it is delicious to see the story emerge.
A young kiwi sets out to find his dinner but some clever insects are determined to not be on the menu and trick our kiwi. With each turn of the page, the silliness increases, along with the laughs from young readers!
The Clay Woman is a beautiful retelling of how the first woman came to be and the beginning of human life on Earth. The story begins when Tāne Mahuta has created the birds, insects and trees of Aotearoa but feels something is missing. He turns to our Earth Mother, Papatūānuku for help. In turn, she takes him to the scared place of Kurawaka. There he sculpts a women from the red clay earth, Hineahuone, and breathes life into her.
Our children love Row, kiwi, row your boat so we were excited to get the next instalment from Lynette Evans and her team. The three kiwi friends are back and ready to get fit. This time we are at the farm, stretching up and preparing to move.
Rebecca Larsen is back with another sing-along kiwi adventure. Following on from her debut book, Row, row, row your boat, Kiwi, Hoiho & Pukeko are heading off for a walk through Tāne Mahuta’s forest.
If you have a young coleopterist (beetle scientist) at home, you need this book! Owen Davey has created a book that is aesthetically pleasing, practical and exactly what the title says – it’s bonkers about beetles!
This is another gem of a book in the Little Kiwi series by Nikki Slade Robinson. Little Kiwi’s Koro tells the story of their ancestors coming from different lands. Koro’s ancestors were the best food finders in the land and the ancestors of Kuia were known as the best nest builders.
This is a te reo Māori version of the well-known picture book Poo Bum. Little rabbit is rather rude and from the moment he wakes up little rabbit answers every question with ‘paraweta (Poo Bum)’ – until he meets a wolf who likes to eat rabbits!
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