Crossover by Kwame Alexander

This is a rattling, bouncing, rhyming, shouting flurry of a verse novel centring around basketball and family. Josh Bell (aka Filthy McNasty) and his identical twin brother Jordan (JB) have been playing basketball since they could walk, thanks to their father who was a star ball player until suffering an injury. They are all pretty much obsessed with the game and the boys are stars of their team, playing way better than their age (12) would suggest.

While their father urges them on to greater achievements in basketball, their mother is hot on discipline and the importance of their schoolwork. She's also assistant principal at their school so always knows when they're in trouble. She's also constantly nagging their father about his hypertension (which killed his father at a young age), and recruiting the boys to help ensure he doesn't eat the wrong things or get too wound up but their father is a powerful personality and hard to persuade.

Josh takes particular pleasure in words; his vocabulary featuring as title and subject for a dozen poems which serve to further explain his current state of mind. Also making regular appearances throughout are the ten rules of basketball, which somehow seem just as much rules for life as for the game. (Rule No. 1: “In this game of life / your family is the court / and the ball is your heart.” School is also where a girl - Alexis, upsets the solid bond between the twins when she and JB get together and Josh is left alone and angry.

The use of verse is perfect for this story - the rhythm of the words matching the pace of the action - sometimes a driving, urgent rap, sometimes a slow considered reflection, or a pacing out of misery when things go wrong, it both shares the action and conversations, and the thoughts shared with no-one but the reader.

I'm a very non-sporty person, I'm quite happy to know next to nothing about most sports, but basketball is the exception, thanks to my son taking it up when he was young, and a lack of coaches which meant either I became coach or he couldn't be in a team, so I did what I had to; I said yes and got books out of the library about how to play. So I willingly threw myself into reading Crossover and delighting in actually knowing some of what it was talking about on the court, the fast paced tumble of words and rhythm bringing the game to vivid life. Credit due for the graphic cover design which instantly identifies the basketball subject-matter with a clever text ball giving just a hint to the power of words within.

It was a pleasure to see the world and life through the eyes of these thoughtful, hardworking, impulsive young men, and heartbreaking to see the tragedy that unfolds, at the same time knowing that they will survive it because of their inner and family strength. I hope this book makes its way into the hands of many young teens who can see their own lives and experiences expressed in these pages, and pick up a few clues about how to express and conduct themselves through the ups and downs life brings.

The Crossover
By Kwame Alexander
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014
ISBN 978-0-544-10771-7

11+

Go Home Flash by Ruth Paul

Flash is the sort of dog that really appeals to me - not too big but not too small, a little bit scruffy and slightly grubby (I love the spatters and texture of his coat) and so cute that you can't help but forgive him when he gets into trouble, which happens constantly in this charmer of a picture book, follow-up to the equally delightful Bad Dog Flash.


It's a large size landscape format so the watercolour illustrations have plenty of room for variety. Some pages have a series of vignettes that capture the momentum and mischief of the young pup and his busy family. Other pages capture a full scene like the kids soccer game or classroom, or we zoom in close to see things from a dog's-eye point of view - I love the early scene where we see just the legs and briefcase of the dad rushing off to work as Flash looks out the dog door. The illustrations convey the very busy lives of the whole family, full of things the young readers will likely be familiar with -  going shopping, to school and to work; whilst the text is primarily a simple narration of Flash's own busy day full of smells and sounds and temptations, interrupted by the recurrent 'Go home Flash!'

Flash is based on Ruth Paul's own dog's younger days and her affection for him is clear in the illustrations and the fun of the story, which concludes happily (of course) with Flash dreaming of a great game of 'chase the cat' (whilst sleeping under a lovely patchwork bed cover!) then finally being taken out for a walk. 

Young children love to read books that reflect their own lives, indeed many children might identify with Flash himself and his propensity to find trouble simply through his enthusiasm for whatever he's keen to do at the time. This story is bound to be in high rotation with everyone joining in on the 'Go home Flash' chorus.

You can read about Ruth Paul, and see a photo of her with her own dog in an interview by Joely, Caitlin, Sophie and Laila from Lyttelton Primary School on the excellent Poetry Box blog. 

Go Home Flash
Written & illustrated by Ruth Paul
Scholastic New Zealand 
October 2014
ISBN 978-1-77543-245-6
Paperback $19
2-7 years

Also in te reo Maori
E Hoki Flash
ISBN 978-1-77543-268-5

Alligator in an Anorak by Daron Parton

I have a fondness for alphabet books but I know there is often confusion about who they are for, certainly many in my collection are far more sophisticated than a 4-5 year old requires. The presumption is that they are for children who need to learn their letters, and perhaps they are, but they are often so much more, and sometimes the alphabet is simply a device to bring order to the subject the creator is keen on. 

Alligator in an Anorak will certainly be useful for children learning the alphabet, the feature letter is stands out in colour from the otherwise grey text, though from an educational perspective I wished for lowercase letters as well as capitals. 

But don't just share it with the little kids, let everyone have a look because there is some really quirky, interesting artwork here, and it's a nice piece of book design too, though I know that the pristine white cover with the glossy green alligator in his yellow anorak (is a raincoat the same thing as an anorak?), is not going to remain sparkling white once a few children get their mitts on the book.

Crab in a Caravan

The aim of the game here is to put interesting animals in funny situations - does the alligator need an anorak? Of course he doesn't, he loves the water. Does a tiger belong in a tent? Of course not (unless he's eating the occupant). I love the idea of the child reader anticipating what will be on the next page, particularly once they know their alphabet so they can predict what's coming next and what absurd situation will it be in. One of my favourites is the whale in the wigwam where only a tiny part of the whale even fits inside.

Most of the time this works well but a few pages don't play by the rules, they have an easily anticipated animal somewhere that's entirely reasonable - a fish in a fountain - fair enough. The zebra in the zoo - what's silly about that? That last one made me sigh a little because the book should close with a bang as good as what you got, if not better, for any other page.

Aside from the odd disappointing page I think this is a tasty piece of picture book publishing, full of style and panache. It's been published by Random House Australia, but the author was born in the UK but lives in New Zealand, with his Kiwi wife and two kids, and teaches illustration at Auckland's AUT. 

Alligator in an Anorak

Written & illustrated by Daron Parton

Random House Australia (distributed here by Random House NZ)

1 October 2014

NZ release 21 November 2014

Hardback $24.99

ISBN 9780857983091

ebook 9780857983114

Picture book

3-8

NB: I haven't seen the ebook yet, will report back when I've had a chance to play with it.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Poetry is a great way to tell a story, even a biography, the truth told in just the perfect number of words, no more, no less.
Jacqueline Woodson tells not only her own story but those of her parents and grandparents in a time of great change in America. From the days of slavery to feminism, trying not to forget all the old ways in the midst of gaining the new.
She writes wonderfully about learning to read, how much slower she was than her older sister, but how stories embedded themselves in her mind so she could tell them well before she could write them down, and there's a slowly growing ember of the desire to become a writer.
This book is a brilliant way for a child reader to develop empathy for those who struggle one way or another to make their way in life, but somehow do it all the same. 
The story of the author researching her own life story is briefly outlined at the end, and is a tribute to all those family members who came before her, who come together in the pages of this book to tell a very fine story. National Book Award winner.
9+
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy Paulsen Books / Penguin Group USA) ISBN 978-0-399-25251-8`

Three Bears in a Boat by David Soman

This delectable picture book ticked all the boxes for me, from the rotund trio in their sailboat on the cover of the generously proportioned square format hardcover, to the map of their journey on the final endpapers, the book had me exclaiming over the clever details in both the visual and the text.
The three young bears - Dash, Theo and Charlie (who is a girl bear) try to get at the honey pot on a high ledge when they knock down and break their mother's treasured blue shell.

A little bit afraid of their mother ("who, after all, was a bear"), they take to sea in their boat, deciding that if they can replace the shell she won't be so mad. 

They ask other seafaring bears for advice, including a raft full of Huckleberry Finn types, and the Moby Dick inspired crew of a boat called the Melville. A "big, salty bear" tells them to look for "an island shaped like a lumpy hat" though has no idea where the shell would be. "Just look in the right place".

They have an amazing journey including a page where the text simply says "Their voyage was not without incident." but the double-page spread depicts, in gorgeous watery blues and greens, a pod of whales under the water and lifting the boat up into the air.

When they finally find the lumpy island they commence looking everywhere - under the water (this page reminds me of The Water Babies), in the trees, on top of the mountain where a mountain goat obviously doesn't think much of their invading his territory, even in a dark cave.

The by now very grumpy bears ("were most unhappy and stared at teach other with very squinty, very mad bear eyes"). They have a jolly good bicker amongst themselves about whose fault everything is until a storm - another dramatic spread with the only text a large "BOOM!" with lightning in the sky and huge waves sweeping in. "They don't care whose fault it is anymore, they were all in the same boat." - such cleverness, and again on the next page "And then, like turning a page, the little boat sailed out of the storm" They are miraculously near their home island, completing the adventure story cycle of home, off on an adventure, and home again, and know they must go and face their Mama, and because they are again "in just the right place" they find another blue shell on the beach and race home with it. Mama of course forgives them and gives them (with a little echo of Max in Where the Wild Things Are) a warm supper - but no dessert.

There are many more literary references hinted at, the bears' boat is called the Ursula K which is surely a nod to Ursula LeGuin, but also perhaps to the term 'Ursine' - relating to bears. They sail past an island featuring a fun fair which is surely Coney Island, I'm sure there are others that I haven't identified and I keep going back for another look to see what else I can spot. 

A charming story with finely acquitted watercolour illustrations with added depths to ensure enjoyment of both adult and child reader. A complete and rather perfect picture book.

Three Bears in a Boat written and illustrated by David Soman (Dial Books for Young Readers - Penguin USA. ISBN 978-0-8037-3993-2.

Books for Christmas #2 A First Book of Nature

When you first see A First Book of Nature by Nicola Davies (Walker Books) you might think it is an old-fashioned nature book, and you might be right, but as you pick it up and feel its heft and note that it's no slim picture book but a large and well-made thing, then open the cover to reveal the gloriously patterned endpapers, taking a peek under the dust-jacket to see the hardcover bears a different illustration to the dust (something that always encourages me to take better care of the coverings, and the feeling that I've witnessed a secret that others might not think to find).
Within are poems, long and short and well informed by the biologist-author's thorough knowledge of the 'simple loveliness that is everywhere, if only we can look'. It is English so some creatures are found here that won't be seen in New Zealand. I do love poetry myself and find that, given the chance children will enjoy it too, and appreciate having something brief which can create big pictures in the mind and feelings to dwell on.
It was the illustrations that drew me to this book in the first place, led to artist Mark Hearld by his association with one of my favourite artists Angie Lewin and St Judes, the business she runs with her husband. I'd seen this great video about Mark and his work on their website and heard that he was illustrating a picture book. His collages are crafted from his own illustrated paintings and I never cease discovering things in the pages that I hadn't noticed before. Glorious patterns, lovely characters and creatures in all their mottled and colourful variety.
A treasure for young and old.

Books for Christmas #1 Princess Betony and the Unicorn

Princess Betony and the Unicorn by Pamela Freeman, illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie (Walker Books)  This is a teeny book that appeals to the little girl in me who also loves dollhouses, Sylvanian Families, The Borrowers and other such things, and with delicate illustrations and all things magical it's a little treasure that I'd want to hide away in a pocket to be enjoyed in any spare moment. The chimes in the book trailer are the perfect sound effect you hear in your head when you open the pages. As soon as I read the first few pages set in a library I was hooked!
It's priced at NZ$20, which might seem a bit much for a tiny book but it's hardcovered with a dust jacket and thus destined for a long life. 6-9.