OZ LIT REVIEW #9 - Five Little Owls

Five Little Owls. by Mark Carthew - New Frontier Publishing. Picture Book. Hardback rrp $24.95.

Five Little Owls is wonderful fun. Not many books can claim to be truly interactive but this is one of the rare few that succeed.

The rhyming text tells the story of five little owls who, one by one, fly off to play hide and seek in the forest. As each leaves to join the game, a beautifully presented double page illustration encourages young readers to find the concealed animals and play too. Mini Goss is one of Australia’s foremost illustrators and her drawings of mice, rabbits, frogs, bats and owls are both educational and entertaining.

The repetition of phrases, such as the owls calling Tu-whit Tu-whoo, encourages young listeners to share telling the story. They will love the rhyming rhythm and the predictability of counting down from four to zero.

My son enjoyed searching for the hidden animals over and over again. Even after he knew where every one was. Many ‘find-it’ style books are too difficult for younger readers, but this one is perfectly pitched for three to six year olds.

Hide and seek. As in the previous sentence “fly off to play hide and seek”. If you still think it needs clarification then replace with ‘and to play the game with the owls.” Either way is ok with me.

OZ LIT REVIEW #9 - Can You Keep A Secret

Can You Keep A Secret? Compiled by Mark Carthew and Illustrated by Jobi Murphy. Random House Australia. Hardcover rrp $32.95

(A review by Barbara Brown reprinted courtesy of The Reading Stack)

I started to read this book while sitting in bed one early Sunday morning but immediately felt it needed a more critical reviewer –– my son! I didn’t have to wait long before he climbed into bed with me, attracted to the beautiful coloured pictures on the page pointing out the story (he can’t read yet).

Naturally he wanted me to read him the text. I did. He turned each page, insisting “and this one!”. Next thing I knew an hour had passed and we were at the end of the book. What a wonderful mother-and-son way to spend a Sunday morning!

Can You Keep A Secret? is a collection of nursery rhymes and lullabies from all over the world. I was pleased to see a traditional Gunditjmara (indigenous Australian) lullaby included.

I nostalgically recalled the words and actions of a lot of the songs and am grateful to Mark for giving me the last 4 verses of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. I had forgotten they even existed but I am now enjoying them with my son. Many, many times over.

This is a book which will invoke wonderful childhood memories while providing a means to pass them on to a new generation. Old memories are recreated as new memories when the pages of Can You Keep a Secret are shared by parent and child..

The book is bound in purple cloth and has a thick padded cover with a ribbon bookmark and coloured illustrations that will delight all. It would make a wonderful gift for a new born or even for a young child, to be treasured until the next generation. Don’t keep this book a secret, share it around!

OZ LIT PROFILE #10- Mark Carthew

I'm going to rearrange things a little this weekend for Mark's profile. Usually it would be Saturday for the questions and Sunday for a review of the profile author's latest release. But the problem here is I have an old favourite I can't possibly overlook. It's a few years old but it's a great book and for me, Five Little Owls is associated with some wonderful memories as (a much younger than now) #2 son and I read and enjoyed it together.

So one day early, I'm introducing Mark Carthew. First I'm stealing a blurb from the web: Mark Carthew is an award winning editor, author & primary teacher. Best known for his books and series exploring wordplay, music, movement and drama, he has always loved the joy of wordplay and music. and secondly I am going to add that in my children's early years Mark was always Top of the Reading list. You can find out more about Mark at his website

1 The last children's/YA book you read (fiction or non-fiction Children’s – The Flight of the Bumblebee by Hazel Edwards illustrated by Mini Goss (New Frontier) Y/A – Chronicles of Stone: Scorched Bone by Vincent Ford (Scholastic NZ)

2 If it wasn't an Oz title, then the last Oz title Y/A – Shark Bait (Extreme adventure series) by Justin D’ATH (Penguin)

3 Name one favourite book from your childhood The Ragamuffin Mystery by Enid Blyton

4 Name one picture book that you love for the illustrations Luke’s Way of Looking by Nadia Wheatley, Illustrated by Matt Ottley

5 What is your personal favourite among the books you have authored/illustrated Who do love more your mum or dad? It’s TOO hard a question! You love them equally, yet in different ways. My latest ones - Five Little Owls, The Gobbling Tree, Newts, Lutes & Bandicoots, Wicked Wizards & Leaping Lizards and Can you keep a Secret? are all special though…

6. What book do you wish you had written - for love or money For love - The Lord of the Rings For money - Harry Potter

7 If you could be a character in a book, who (or what) would you be GANDALF (from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien)

8 Do you have a favourite quote - from a book or life in general! Anything. ‘Never give up, never surrender.’ from the movie GALAXY QUEST