Tag: Scholastic

Pearl #2: Pearl the Flying Unicorn – Sally Odgers

Illustrations – Adele K. Thomas

I couldn’t help myself! After finding out that Pearl’s sequel involved her flying I had to read it. Pearl the magical unicorn (is there any other kind?) and her friends Olive the ogre and Tweet the firebird are on another adventure. This time they’re on the trail of some pink glitter feathers that blew away in a gust of wind when Pearl was trying on Olive’s new hat. Along the way they encounter some gobble-uns, the baddies from the first book.

I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. I was a bit overwhelmed by the sweetness of the first book and found Pearl’s random outbursts annoying. This time around I was expecting the sweet story and Pearl’s “Bolting buckets!”, “Blundering bats” and “Purple parsnips!” felt more like a quirk of her character to be expected, not irritated by. I expect kids who read this series will find Pearl’s exclamations funny and will enjoy Pearl, Olive and Tweet’s friendship. It was a tad convenient that Pearl’s magic only works properly when it absolutely has to but I doubt kids will care about that.

Handy hint: If you ever meet Pearl, the magic you need to know is “Flickety-prance-flick!” Get her to do this for you and a pink cupcake will fall from the sky and land on your head, intact and the right way up.

The main thing I remembered from my review of Pearl the Magical Unicorn was that it was PINK! Not to be outdone, the sequel is also PINK! Once again, Adele K. Thomas’ illustrations were adorable and the detailed expressions enhanced the characters’ personalities. I loved the background animals, particularly the frog, whale and stingrays, but my favourite had to be the bug shaking its fist at Pearl and her friends.

Yes, I do already have the third book in the series on order from the library so you’ll be hearing all about PINK! Pearl the Proper Unicorn around February 2019. In the meantime, if you’re in need of cupcakes just remember, “Flickety-prance-flick!”

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Pearl, Olive and Tweet are on the hunt for glitter feathers! But they’ve blown all the way over to Gull Island. They use Olive’s ogre-boat to reach the island, but rowing quickly behind them are three mean and stinky pirate gobble-uns! 

Can Pearl use her magic to save her friends in time?

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Ninja Kid #2: Flying Ninja! – Anh Do

Illustrations – Jeremy Ley

Once upon a time, many moons ago, I balanced precariously upon the cliffhanger of book one. Now I’ve devoured book two and am perched above another cliff.

‘But that’s a story for another day.’

Nooooo!

I hate the waiting game!

Me too, Ninja Kid! It feels like I’ve been waiting forever to read this book (March was forever ago, right?) and it didn’t disappoint. I think we’ve already established that I’m obsessed with all of Anh Do’s kid’s books and after only two books I think the Ninja Kid series is going to be my favourite.

They’re such feel-good books; they always make me smile and I come away from the experience feeling better about the world. In this instalment, Ninja Kid (Nelson) is up against all of the machines in Duck Creek, which are mysteriously coming to life each time it rains. There’s also a class excursion to the zoo that includes a stampede of zoo animals.

Once again Ninja Kid is teamed up with H-Dude (his best friend and cousin, Kenny) and awesome inventor Grandma Pat, who will always be my favourite character in the series. His mother is also there, but not in a starring role. In this book we find out just who that evil guy in the helicopter from the first book is and a little of his dastardly plan but the scene is set for Ninja Kid and helicopter guy to do battle another day.

Because Ninja Kid is sort of a superhero in the making his disguise of a sock fashioned into a mask is more than enough to deem him unrecognisable to everyone who knows him, even when he’s wearing the exact same clothes in Ninja mode and Nelson mode. However unbelievable this may seem, the precedence has already been established by many superheroes before him.

Both Nelson and Kenny face their fears in this book and the writing is often so corny it’s funny.

‘I hate vacuum cleaners!’ said Kenny. ‘They suck!’

It was hard to argue with him!

Jeremy Ley’s illustrations are magic! Some pages had two illustrations and there was only one page in the entire book that only had text. While Anh is one of my favourite kid’s authors, Jeremy has easily become one of my favourite illustrators. There’s humour in the pictures that matches that of the text, the expressions on the peoples’ faces are easy to ‘read’ and what’s happening in the book matches what’s happening in the pictures. I can’t believe how many kid’s books I’ve read where the illustrations have huge details that don’t line up with the description in the text, so finding illustrators that get it all right is a huge plus for me. Jeremy ticks every box and makes me wish he’d teach me how to draw.

I need the third book now please! ‘Coming soon’ is way too long to wait!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Nelson is a ninja. He’s not the coolest. Or the bravest. But he is the world’s nerdiest ninja! And now he has to stop an animal rampage and machines going crazy all over town! For that, he’ll need his new jetpack … and some serious ninja skills! How will Nelson learn to fly when he’s scared of heights?!

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Pearl #1: Pearl the Magical Unicorn – Sally Odgers

Pearl is a unicorn whose magic doesn’t exactly turn out how she plans. All she wants to do is share some apples with her best friends in the Kingdom, Tweet the firebird and Olive the ogre. However, each time she tosses her head or wiggles or prances something unexpected happens, like strawberry milkshake falling from the sky onto one of her friend’s heads.

Perhaps it would be better if Pearl didn’t try to use her magic after all. Then Pearl and her friends encounter three big gobble-uns who are planning something dastardly (and smelly).

This is a cute friendship story during which Pearl’s friends help her to believe in herself. Young readers who enjoy sugary sweet stories will enjoy hanging out with Pearl and her friends. I wasn’t a fan of Pearl’s random exclamations which included “Purple potatoes!”, “Cold crumpets!”, “Sizzling salad!”, and “Toddling toads!” but I’m not exactly the target audience; they may find these funny.

This book is extremely PINK! Pink things fall out of the sky, the illustrations are greyscale with lots of pink and plenty of words are pink too. I really liked the illustrations, particularly those showing Pearl suspicious, confused and cranky. I actually found the illustrations funnier than the story and they’re most of the reason why I will be ordering the second book of the series from the library. Also the second book is called The Flying Unicorn; flying combined with dodgy magic is something I want to see.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Meet Pearl. She is a magical unicorn. But Pearl doesn’t quite know how to use her magic. With the help of her friends, Tweet and Olive, can Pearl believe in her magical self? And what happens when Pearl and her friends stumble upon three naughty, stinky gobble-uns!?

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WeirDo #11: Splashy Weird! – Anh Do

Illustrations – Jules Faber

Weir is dreading his school’s swimming carnival and I know exactly how he feels. After attempting to fake his way out of having to attend [“COUGH! COUGH!”] Weir relents, deciding he will attend but not participate in any events. After all, if he’s too ‘sick’ for the swimming carnival then he won’t be able to attend the first family dinner with the Do’s new next door neighbours.

When he accidentally wins a race at the carnival Weir not only has to worry about his family embarrassing him in front of Bella and her family at dinner the next evening, he also has to face almost certain humiliation at the Regional Swimming Finals! Weir’s classmates, who have featured earlier in the series, make appearances in this book; naturally Han Some is as brilliant at swimming as you’d expect.

After reading the previous ten books I feel like I know Weir, his family and his friends. Anh Do’s books are always funny but I’m finding them funnier as the series progresses as I’m getting to know everyone better.

The illustrations always add to the humour of Anh’s books. My favourite image this time was the family pets playing a game of limbo. While I definitely enjoy chuckling my way through them Anh’s books always make me wish I had a kid to read them with.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

The school swimming carnival is on and Weir isn’t looking forward to ANY of it! Not the TINY cozzies! Or getting water UP HIS NOSE! And especially not the RACING! Can Weir win for his team? It won’t be easy … but it will be FUNNY!

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Hot Dog! #4: Game Time! – Anh Do

Illustrations – Dan McGuiness

Anh Do delivers yet another fun story in the fourth book of his Hot Dog! series. We get to hang out with best friends Hotdog, Kev (the cat) and Lizzie (the lizard) as Hotdog and Lizzie try to cheer up Kev. Kev is missing his mum. She lives on Rainbow Island and Kev hasn’t got enough money to visit her.

When the best friends find out about Game Day, where teams of three compete to win a trip to Rainbow Island (wow, that was convenient!), they decide to enter. Between them they’re sure they have the skills, speed and strength they’ll need to win.

I loved the teamwork shown in this book, the emphasis on helping people rather than winning at all costs and the message that being a good sport is important regardless of the outcome.

I always love Anh’s writing style and I adore the humour in the illustrations. In this book I chuckled at so many pictures, including the sloth riding a jet ski, Hotdog dressed in a hot dog 🌭 costume, Owlbert Einstein, and the brilliance of the measuring snake.

My favourite part was Kev (the foodie) explaining how food helps him focus on gymnastics:

‘When I’m on the bars I imagine I’m a kebab getting roasted on the grill.’

‘And when I twirl the ribbons, I imagine I’m decorating cupcakes with icing!’

Inspired and yummy!

Each book in this series has wonderful greyscale illustrations with splashes of one colour. This book’s colour is orange. It may seem as though I’m shouting at you but it’s a very loud orange (sorry, couldn’t help myself 😊). Imagine fluorescent, don’t look at this with a hangover bright and you’re close to the atomic ferocity I’m talking about. The orange not only highlights the wonderful illustrations but it also makes some of the words in the text pop. Kids will love it!

I can’t wait for my next Anh fix!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Hotdog, Lizzie and Kev are training for GAME DAY! They want to win the big prize – an awesome trip to Rainbow Island! That’s where Kev’s mum lives! 

They’ll need skill, speed and strength. Do they have what it takes to win?

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WeirDo #10: Messy Weird! – Anh Do

Illustrations – Jules Faber

The WeirDo books always make me smile and this one was no exception. I don’t care what Weir and his friends and family get up to because no matter what, I feel like the world is a brighter, shinier place after spending some time with them.

Anh ‘Can-Do-No-Wrong’ Do has done it again in Messy Weird! The Do family have just moved house and there are a lot of chores to complete. With Mother’s Day just around the corner, Weir realises he doesn’t have enough money to get his Mum a special present. Armed with a list of chores, the promise of pocket money and friends Bella and Henry to add some laughs, Weir sets out to make his Mum proud of him.

Including plenty of the quirky illustrations I’ve come to love in Anh Do’s books and the splashes of colour amongst the black and white (this book features bright yellow), the kids do their best as they deal with an exploding vacuum, a washing machine disaster and other funny household mishaps. They even find instructions for buried treasure!

My favourite illustration puts a new spin on a wild goose chase, with jet powered roller skates and a skateboard ridden by geese with Viking helmets. I just love the way illustrator Jules Faber brings Anh’s WeirDo-ness to life.

I’m ready for book 11 now!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

The Do family has a messy new house to clean up! Weir, Bella and Henry decide to do some extra work to earn pocket money. But can they handle wild lawns, dirty dishes and a vacuum cleaner explosion? It won’t be easy … but it will be FUNNY!

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Ninja Kid #1: From Nerd to Ninja! – Anh Do

Illustrations – Jeremy Ley

Anh Do can do no wrong in my eyes! I love both his WeirDo and Hot Dog! series, and his new series, Ninja Kid, is even more fun. Nelson Kane is a nerd. He lives on a junkyard with his Mum, Grandma Pat and cousin Kenny.

His Mum works as a cleaner because the junkyard isn’t doing that well and given the amount of food cousin Kenny can put away in his ultra skinny frame, he’s probably eating for five. Nelson’s Dad was a fisherman who sadly was lost at sea.

Grandma Pat is one of the coolest grannies around. She’s an inventor whose inventions work really well – sometimes. It’s handy that this grannie lives in a junkyard because all of this random stuff, including the kitchen sink, is at her disposal when she’s in invention mode, which seems to be all the time.

She looks to me like a caricature of actress Linda Hunt. She’s the school principal who at 1.45m (4’ 9”) stands up to Arnie with her, “I’m watching you!” in Kindergarten Cop. I love that movie! You may know her from something slightly more recent, like NCIS: Los Angeles.

Anyway, imagine a mad scientist grannie with a lab coat, fluffy bunny slippers, a tooth (yes, just the one that I saw), hair up in a messy bun with a wrench poking out in one spot and a critter that may well be the Loch Ness Monster poking out somewhere else. I’m sure Nessie will be identified in some later book as a mouse or something to that effect, but until it’s identified I want it to be Nessie.

So, nerdy Nelson wakes up on his tenth birthday to a spider perched on his nose. He proceeds to jump/fall out of bed and instead of falling flat on his face like he usually would, he does some impressive acrobatics and lands on his feet. 🤔 Then he realises he no longer needs his glasses as he can see perfectly without them. 🤔🤔

As luck would have it today is the day he finds out he’s a ninja, likely the only one on the planet, and that’s going to come with some responsibility. But, shh! Don’t tell anyone because it’s a secret right now! 🤫

Before this book is over you’ll encounter a bully, plenty of bananas, more bug spray than you’ve likely ever seen and a giant thong. Oh, for those of you wondering what a thong is doing in a kid’s book, in Australia thongs are what you call flip flops, not what you were thinking of.

Jeremy Ley’s illustrations are so, so brilliant! The cover image gives you a preview of what’s to come. There are pictures on most pages and they’re simply awesome! The story comes alive in them and their humour mirrors that of the story. I don’t know how much interaction authors and illustrators have but these guys are on the same page in this book (in all possible ways).

As usual Anh Do’s writing has funny bits suitable for kids and adults, the family has interesting quirks, the story hooks you straight away and you finish the book wishing you had the next one beside you to start reading immediately.

Reader Beware: You will encounter a cliffhanger. While technically you could finish this book and be done you won’t want to be. If Anh’s other series are anything to go by there won’t be a dud among them and I can’t wait for the next one!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Nelson is a nerd! Unfit, uncool … totally awkward! But when he wakes up on his tenth birthday, he discovers he is a NINJA! THE LAST NINJA ON EARTH! How is he going to save the world when he cannot even get his undies on the right way?! With the help of Grandmas inventions and his wild cousin Kenny, can Nelson master his new ninja skills AND save Duck Creek?

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Clifford’s Spring Clean-Up – Norman Bridwell

Clifford as a self help book? Allow me to explain.

I’ve had Clifford’s Spring Clean-Up waiting patiently to be read since well before Christmas and I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. Each time I pass by and glance at the cover my brain automatically wanders into ‘what can I clean/tidy/organise?’ territory. My Pavlovian ‘I watched a Hoarders episode’ response has been replicated and I’ve been on a dusting, reorganising and purging kick ever since. So, thank you, big red dog!

In Clifford’s Spring Clean-Up, Emily Elizabeth’s family (including Clifford) spend the day spring cleaning. First they work on their home and yard, where Clifford helps as only he can, with plenty of oops moments and the cutest expressions when things don’t quite go according to plan. Then Emily Elizabeth and Clifford help out her friends with their Earth Day Project before returning home so Clifford can clean his kennel.

As usual, Clifford is gorgeous, the story and illustrations are wonderful, and Emily Elizabeth’s parents are saintly as nothing Clifford accidentally destroys is a problem. They just get on with it and fix or clean up Clifford’s ‘helpful’ messes. Clifford books are always winners and this one’s no different! ❤️

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

In this all-new adventure, he’s hard at work getting the house clean. When Emily Elizabeth airs out some throw rugs, he grabs the living room carpet and gives it a good shake – in fact, he shakes it to pieces! What Clifford does best is help clear out the weeds for the vacant lot on Earth Day.

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Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist – Jess Keating

Illustrations – Marta Álvarez Miguéns

Shark Lady is the inspiring true story of Eugenie Clark, who I had never heard of but definitely need to learn more about. In this beautifully illustrated children’s book the reader is taken on a journey from when Eugenie first discovers her love of sharks at the aquarium through to her lifelong study of these magnificent animals, academically and in the field.

Defying the cultural expectations of her gender that said girls were not “smart enough to be scientists or brave enough to explore the oceans” (BOO!), Eugenie did both and became known as Shark Lady (WOOHOO!). Throughout her life some of the amazing things she accomplished included writing books and journal articles, discovering new species of fish and dispelling myths about sharks.

Included in this book are some Shark Bites (two pages of information about sharks) and a timeline of Eugenie’s life. Eugenie lived into her 90’s and spent her final birthday scuba diving! How cool is this lady?! 💜 Her story is inspirational and a testament to what hard work combined with believing in your dreams can amount to.

I remember needing to do a report to the class in early high school where you chose an animal and talked about its biology. I chose sharks and no one could understand why. Ever since Bruce nearly scared the life out of me while watching Jaws as a young child I’ve been fascinated by these extraordinary creatures, so I particularly loved Eugenie’s story.

Marta Álvarez Miguéns’ illustrations are so beautiful! I love that the marine life looks real, rather than a cartoon version of them and adored that the clothing worn by everyone at the aquarium when Eugenie was a child were appropriate for the early 1930’s, even including an array of fantastic hats. My favourite illustration is the one where the sharks watch from behind the library shelves as Eugenie studies. There are so many imaginative illustrations and they help bring the wonder and passion of this girl to life.

I’d recommend this book to children and adults alike. Future scientists will be encouraged by her story and I hope after reading this book that anyone with a dream will be inspired to follow it, regardless of what anyone else thinks. This is one of those marvellous books that makes me so proud to be a woman. GIRL POWER! 😃

P.S. I love that my library buys books like this one!!!

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

At 9 years old, Eugenie Clark developed an unexpected passion for sharks after a visit to the Battery Park Aquarium in New York City. At the time, sharks were seen as mindless killing machines, but Eugenie knew better and set out to prove it. Despite many obstacles in her path, Eugenie was able to study the creatures she loved so much. From her many discoveries to the shark-related myths she dispelled, Eugenie’s wide scientific contributions led to the well-earned nickname “Shark Lady.”

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Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah – Norman Bridwell

Clifford and Emily Elizabeth celebrate the eighth day of Hanukkah with Emily Elizabeth’s classmate Melissa and her family. They learn about Hanukkah traditions and eat a dinner that sounds so yummy before going to the town square to see the giant menorah. Clifford even has the opportunity to save Hanukkah when the menorah’s lights go out. This would be a lovely book to use to introduce kidlets to the traditions of Hanukkah.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen Clifford look any more adorable than he does in this book. When he first meets Melissa’s family he’s sitting wagging his tail with this goofy cute smile and waving at them. There’s no such thing as a bad Clifford book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Clifford and Emily Elizabeth are celebrating their first Hanukkah. They love hearing the story of Hanukkah, eating “latkes” (fried potato pancakes) and “sufganiyot” (fried jelly donuts), and playing dreidel. 

After dinner, Clifford and Emily Elizabeth take a trip into town to see the giant menorah. But when they get there, they discover that one light is broken. It’s too late in the evening to call a handyman, but maybe Clifford is big enough to help save Hanukkah!

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