PICTURE BOOK SPOTLIGHT

I've been on holidays - no internet, not even mobile phone coverage - out on a sheep farm in central west NSW. So tonight, finally home, I am taking a short cut and posting an old favourite. A good picture book lasts a lifetime anyway so what's a year or two matter between reviewing and re-reading - over and over again?

Little Jingle Says No!
By Kerrie O’Connor. Allen & Unwin. RRP $24.95

Mama and Papa Jingle are having a baby. Together, with taller Jingle and middle Jingle, they suggest baby names. But little Jingle hates them all! He has his own ideas.

Al, Adrian, Atticus, Aladdin, the family suggest.

‘No,” argues little Jingle. We’ll call him Blockhead!”

Not only is this book a fun read-aloud story, it has a secret. As the family proffer sensible names beginning with the same letter, Little Jingle suggests a silly one beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. Once my son picked the pattern, he would loudly and enthusiastically suggest his own horrible baby name after I read the sensible ones.

This is a wonderful interactive book with eye-catching illustrations. Toddlers will love it and so will Year Ones and every child in between.

My review wouldn’t be complete without consulting an expert. “Bestest book ever,” six-year-old Cassidy said. And we read it again, and again… And the follow up report: “Bestest book ever Mum. I’ve already told you that!”

PICTURE BOOK SPOTLIGHT

No -one is ever too old for a good picture book. I had shelves full before my children were born and I'm still buying them long after my boys have grown out of them. I used to say "I'm putting these away for my kids..." Now I just tell the truth "These are for me.

Purinina, a Devil’s Tale – Christina Booth – Hachette Livre (Lothian) - hardback - rrp $28.95

Purinina, a Devil’s Tale tells the story of a Tasmanian Devil, one of our unique mammals younger children are often unfamiliar with.

Little Purinina lives with her family at the bottom of the world. She learns to play and search for food. She growls, snorts and snarls. Nowhere is safe from the reach of Man and eventually two men appear outside Purinina’s cave. But this is a gentle tale of hope and the human interlopers choose to leave the Devils alone. Purinina grows up to have a family of her own.

The language is simple and almost poetic. The illustrations are stunning, guaranteed to appeal to adult and child alike.

Author and illustrator Christina Booth grew up in Tasmania and hopes her book will draw attention to these often misunderstood animals. Purinina is their Tasmanian Aboriginal name. Early European settlers called them Devils when they heard their bloodcurdling cries coming from the bush at night.

The book includes a glossary of Devilish Details – information about habitat, habits and lifecycle. Did you know the Tasmanian Devil is a good swimmer? Or that its fur is soft like a cat?

Particularly suited to children 4 to 7 years, ‘Purinina, a Devil’s Tale’ would make a beautiful Aussie gift for an overseas relative or friend.