Premier's Reading Challenge 2011: Prep - Year 1 booklist with reviews

The following annotations have been compiled using information from:

• Library Services' catalogue
• You Review spaces
• The Source courtesy of Kerry White and Rayma Turton
• State Library of Queensland's Literacy and Young Peoples Service
• Publishers' websites and back-cover blurb

Book reviews for Prep - Year 1

Students, parents/caregivers and/or teachers may choose books from these lists, but it is not mandatory.

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• Allen, Pamela 2009, Our daft dog Danny, Penquin/Viking, Camberwell, Vic., 32 p.
  Two children and their dog, Danny, join their uncle and his dog, Millie, for a walk on the beach. When Danny attacks Millie's tail, Uncle Peter becomes very cross and growls, 'Don't bring that daft dog with you ever again'. The children come up with a solution that keeps everybody happy. A great story to support themes of problem solving and pets. ( Prep - Year 3)
• Barnes, Kim L; Joyner, Andrew (illus) 2010, The farmer's hat, Omnibus, Malvern, S. Aust., 21 p.
  This is a short but absorbing tale about the whereabouts of one particular hat, which opens up endless possibilities for a farmer's hopes and dreams after it blows off in the wind and comes into the possession of an eagle. The reader follows the farmer around his property as he tracks down his hat. The story is told in lyrical style, with humorous illustrations by Andrew Joyner, of Australian bush and farm animal characters. The text is perfect for reading aloud and for sharing ideas and impressions about the animal depictions. ( Prep - Year 3)
• Blabey, Aaron 2008, Sunday Chutney, Viking, Camberwell, Vic., 28 p.
  Sunday Chutney frequently moves from country to country and school to school as her father's job takes her family all over the world. The playful text captures her valiant and creative efforts at remaining buoyant and resilient, while the illustrations sometimes tell a different story. The acrylic and mixed media artwork hints at the vulnerability and sensitivity beneath Sunday's bright exterior. Muted pastel tones beautifully carry the pathos of the story as it moves in and out of moments of creative and imaginative fun to more empty moments of isolation. (Prep - Year 5)
• Bland, Nicholas 2010, The very itchy bear, Scholastic, Lindfield, N.S.W., 22 p.
  The Very Cranky Bear is back in this rollicking rhyme exploring coexistence. Bear is introduced to a new friend, Flea. Flea's exuberant biting leads Bear into a precarious position at sea, where together they overcome their problems by joining forces. The use of differing size and styles of font adds to the reader's involvement with the protagonists' journey. It should appeal to young children and is ideal for reading aloud, dramatisation and innovation on a text. ( Prep - Year 2)
• Bland, Nicholas 2009, The wrong book, Scholastic Press, Lindfield, N.S.W., 30 p.
  Poor Nicholas Ickle is trying to tell his story but is constantly interrupted by a variety of characters who make themselves at home in his book. His frustration at having others steal attention away from him and making his plans go wrong could provide stimulus for social skills lessons. (Prep - Year 3)
• Bollard, Kellie 2008, In the bin, Kellie Bollard, Helensburgh, N.S.W., 32 p.
  This fun rhyming story about bins will have young readers thinking about issues relating to rubbish and recycling. (Prep - Year 3)
• Brown, Kerry; Stewart, Lisa 2010, Can I cuddle the moon?, Scholastic, Lindfield, N.S.W., 24 p.
  A baby owl is looking for someone to cuddle. While he makes some unusual suggestions - the sun, the stars, the moon - his wise parent looks on offering gentle advice. This rhyming story ends with the very best type of cuddle. (Prep - Year 1)
• Browne, Anthony 1990, Changes, MacRae, London, 32 p.
  Dad had said things were going to change but Joseph was still taken aback when the kettle began to turn into a cat, his slipper grew a wing and a beak, the armchair became a gorilla, an elephant's trunk grew out of the wall and eyes appeared at the window, to name just a few of the disconcertingly surrealistic images summoned up by Anthony Browne's extremely fertile imagination. Finally, the big change in Joseph's life is the arrival of a baby sister, bringing him back to reality in a warmly secure family environment. (Prep - Year 4)
• Butterworth, Nick 2009, Trixie: the witch's cat, Puffin, London, 32 p.
  Trixie is a witch's cat with a difference. Her one white paw distresses her no end and she will stop at nothing to make it black. Many attempts fail until she succeeds in what she does best - magic! She quickly discovers that being the same as all of the other cats isn't all it's cracked up to be. Trixie's tears turn her situation around. Topics to explore include differences, social skills, anger management and problem solving. Nick Butterworth's illustrations beautifully enhance a story with many messages. (Prep - Year 3)
• Crossley, Nick 2009, Superhero Phonic Readers: Cow Boy, Ladybird, London, 32 p.
  Billy is mad about cowboys. He wants to be a cowboy when he grows up. One day, Dad gives him a magic bottle of milk that makes his dreams come true - Billy turns into Cow Boy - part cow, part boy! He can use his tail as a lasso, squirt milkshake from his pistols and has a collection of cool cowboy hooves! With his new-found cool skills, Billy is a top crime-fighting superhero! (Prep - Year 1)
• Cummings, Phi; Allen, Cassandra 2010, All together now, Omnibus, Malvern, S. Aust., 22 p.
  This fun book tells the story of an outback Australian family going on a family holiday. Written using the rhyming pattern of the song Tie me kangaroo down sport, this could be read or sung while shared. (Prep - Year 3)
• Cummings, Phil; Rycroft, Nina 2008, Boom bah!, Working Title Press, S Aust., 32 p.
  What begins in the kitchen with a 'ting' on a teacup builds to a symphony that is a celebratory union between animals with home-made instruments and a 'real' brass band lead by a baton-waving horse. This rhythmic book is an encouragement to make LOTS of noise. Boom bah! will brighten the listless time after an afternoon nap but is not at all suitable for bedtime! (Review courtesy of The Source) (Prep - Year 1)
• Davey, Lucy; Cowley, Katz 2010, The fidgety itch, Scholastic, Auckland, 32 p.
  When Timpkin gets an itch, Feather McDoo offers to scratch it for him, then Feather gets an itch, so along comes Possum Pie to helpand so on it goes until there's only one person left. It is a lively read which highlights the need to work cooperatively as a team so that everyone has their needs met, and this aspect will help parents to teach their child about the value of team work. (Prep - Year 2)
• Dudgeon, Pat; Dudgeon, Laura 2010, Lilli and her shadow, (Waarda series for young readers series), Fremantle Press, Fremantle, W.A., 44 p.
  Lilli's family is moving from the bush to the city and Lilli is sure she'll be horribly lonely. She'll miss the mangoes, she'll miss her cousins and most of all she'll miss her Nan. But Nan sends a special friend south with Lilli, a secret Shadow to look after her, and Lilli discovers life in the city isn't so bad after all. (Prep - Year 2)
• Farrer, Vashti; Swan,Owen 2010, Lilli-Pilli: the frog princess, Scholastic, Gosford, N.S.W., 30 p.
  Princess Lilli-Pilli is not your average princess. She has legs like a frog and loves to spend her days hopping about the palace. Then one day the Queen decides to have a Royal Ball, and Lilli-Pilli must learn to act like a normal princess. Soft flowing pastel illustrations accompany a slightly different take on the traditional tale with a focus on celebrating difference. All of the characters assume botanical monikers, presenting the reader with a focus for further investigation. (Prep - Year 3)
• Fenton, Corinne; Ciaffaglione, Sebastian 2010, Flame stands waiting, Black Dog, Fitzroy, Vic., 25 p.
  Set in a time when a carousel ride was a highlight of a child's life, Flame stands waiting is the story of wanting something enough to make it real.. Unlike the other horses, who are designed to move up and down, Flame was built to stand still like the chariots. The children choose to ride on the turning, dancing horses, which are more 'exciting' and Flame is left waiting. One day a little girl who has always dreamed of riding the beautiful horses comes to ride the carousel. She studies the horses and chariots and chooses Flame for her ride. The beautiful golden horse is able to ride high, carried along with the girl's imagination. (Prep - Year 2)
• Forrestal, Elaine; Court, Moira (illus) 2010, Miss Llewellyn-Jones goes to town, Fremantle Press, Fremantle, W.A., 25 p.
  Miss Llewellyn-Jones rides to town to visit the shops, her teddy perched in her bicycle's basket. The rascally bear gets up to mischief along the way. A great adventure full of ups and downs. (Prep - Year 1)
• Fox, Mem; Rawson, Olivia; Argent, Kerry 2010, A giraffe in the bath, Viking, Camberwell, Vic, 28 p.
  A sheep in the shower? A roo on the loo? A giraffe in the bath? The combined talents of Mem Fox, Olivia Rawson and Kerry Argent create a wonderful, rollicking, rhythmic adventure with a hilarious cast of zany animal friends. Great to read aloud with bright, colourful amusing full page illustrations.(Prep - Year 2)
• Germein, Katrina; Ainslie, Tamsin (illus) 2010, Little dog, Scholastic, Lindfield, N.S.W., 29 p.
  Sam and his sister have a surprise visitor at their holiday shack. He's cuddly and playful, and his name is Littledog. But where did Littledog come from, and how long will he stay? (Prep - Year 2)
• Gilderdale, Betty; Gilderdale, Alan 2009, The little yellow digger and the bones, Scholastic, Auckland, 32 p.
  The popular little digger is working on a road slip when a cave is uncovered, bearing some interesting bones of a strange creature, long since extinct. (Prep - Year 2)
• Godwin, Jane; Walker, Anna All through the year, Penguin Australia, Camberwell, Vic., 32 p.
  A charming rhyming text in which a young girl evokes each month of the year in a simple verse. Significant events, family traditions and seasonal changes feature. Beach holidays, starting the school year, Easter, Mothers Day, winter fun and even the footy finals season get a guernsey! (Prep - Year 2)
• Graham, Bob 2008, How to heal a broken wing, Walker, London, 37 p.
  When Will helps an injured bird, he learns that a little kindness can go a long way. No one in the busy city sees the bird lying on the pavement, its wing broken. No one but a small boy called Will. He and his mother carry it home and with time, rest, and a little bit of hope, the wing mends and they set the bird free to soar over the city once more. (Prep - Year 4)
• Hilton, Nette; Whatley, Bruce 2008, The smallest bilby and the Easter games, Working Title, Kingswood, S. Aust., 30 p.
  When the rabbits announce that they will no longer be delivering Easter eggs, they organise a selection process to find a successor amongst Australian animals. Certain attributes are required and unsuitable animals are eliminated. Those that are left are put to a test that will decide which creature best represents Easter values. (Prep - Year 2)
• Hunt, Julie; Moss, Sue; Chapman, Gaye 2010, Precious Little, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, N.S.W., 32 p.
  Precious Little wants to be a trapeze artist but no one in the circus encourages her - apart from Fat Chance and Tough Luck, who run the lucky dip. Precious Little practises her skills, but it's only when she takes a risk in the lucky dip that she really takes off. A heart-stirring story about the rewards of perseverance, friendship and taking a chance. (Prep - Year 4)
• Jinks, Catherine; McLean, Andrew (illus) 2000, You'll wake the baby!, Penguin Book's Australia, Ringwood, Vic., 32 p.
  On a rainy morning, Andy and Annie find it very hard to play quietly indoors while the baby is asleep. As with most young children their imaginative games escalate to exciting and noisy climaxes, which test Mum's patience. They even scare the cat while pretending to be mice. Children will relate to this telling picture of a familiar situation. McLean's marvellously exuberant double-spread illustrations in watercolour and ink line add another dimension to this delightful vignette of family life. (Prep - Year 3)
• Kane, Kim; DeGennaro, Sue (illus) 2010, The vegetable ark, Crows Nest, Allen & Unwin, N.S.W., 29 p.
  We all know the story of Noah's Ark. But do we? In this gleeful twist on the original tale, Noah has a brother, Neil - and Noah and Neil are very different. Noah is wealthy and a bit of a show-off. Neil hums songs about peace. Noah brokers deals with a tense frown, while Neil wears his hair long and chats dreamily to pot plants. When it rains for 40 days and 40 nights the race to find land is on: brother on brother, ark on boat, rack of lamb on bean (Prep - Year 3)
• Konnecke, Ole 2010, Anton can do magic, Gecko, Wellington, 32 p.
  Anton has a magic hat and goes out to perform magic and it seems to work sometimes. When a bird and then a friend disappear, Anton assumes it is his magic that has done it. A simple but very entertaining story. (Prep - Year 1)
• Kwaymullina, Ambelin 2010, How frogmouth found her home, Fremantle Press, Fremantle, W.A., 30 p.
  Frogmouth isn't like the other birds. She doesn't want to live in the trees. Frogmouth travels the land hunting for a new nesting place, but nothing feels right. On her way she helps other animals find their true homes. Only when she meets Moon and hears his intriguing offer can she finally find her true home. A colourfully illustrated story from the Bailgu and Njamal peoples of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. (Prep - Year 5)
• Lewis, Mitch; Ziersch, Nahum (illus) 2010, Little Red Ute visits the farm, Omnibus, Malvern, S. Aust., 21 p.
  As Little Red Ute and his friend Green Wheelbarrow are shown the workings of the farm, young readers will also discover something of the equipment and processes on an agricultural property. With quite a substantial amount of text, this is a book that early childhood students will enjoy having read to them. (Prep - Year 3)
• Mackey, Stephen 2009, Miki, Hodder Children's, London, 46 p.
  Miki is an outstanding and whimsical picture book from renowned fine artist, Stephen Mackey. Miki is a polar bear who, with friend Penguin, searches for everlasting light to brighten up their cold dark home. Miki's friends worry when she disappears, but she has undertaken a magical underwater journey which might make all of her wishes come true. This story is set in a timeless, frozen place, offering a real sense of wonder for children of all ages. Readers will be seeking somewhere cosy to snuggle up and read this glorious winter story. (Prep - Year 2)
• Magloff, Lisa 2003, Frog, (Watch me grow series), Dorling Kindersley, London, 24 p.
  This stunningly illustrated and captivating text takes readers on a journey to learn about frogs. Readers will be fascinated as a large, wide-eyed and wide-mouthed frog engages directly with them throughout the text. Breeding and feeding habits, eggs and hatching, movement, strength and mobility, stages of growth and prey are discussed. (Prep - Year 3)
• Miller, David 2010, Rufus the numbat, Ormond, Ford St, Vic., 30 p.
  Rufus the numbat is just passing through the city on his way to the bush. While he is on his journey he draws a stark contrast between both environments, causing a little havoc. The text in David Miller's book is simple and suitable for beginner readers. Younger children will enjoy sharing this as a read aloud and will be absorbed by the highly intricate paper sculptures that are used to illustrate the book. It is a thought provoking book highlighting the value of the natural environment to Australia's native fauna and implies that while we can enjoy the urban environment, there is life beyond the coffee shops, skateboards and pavements - a simpler yet equally colourful life. (Prep - Year 2)
• Murray, Martine; Rippin, Sally 2009, Mannie and the long brave day, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, N.S.W., 31 p.
  Mannie is going on an adventure. She's taking Lilliput and Strawberry Luca. And she hasn't forgotten her special box of secret things, just in case the adventure gets adventurousA magical story that celebrates friendship, courage and the wonder of a child's imagination. (Prep - Year 1)
• Norrington, Leonie; Huxley, Dee 2010, Look see, look at me, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, N.S.W., 29 p.
  This delightfully simple rhyming text celebrates a young Indigenous child's achievements as he turns three. Dee Huxley's flowing pastel illustrations on ochre coloured paper add to the sheer delight of this young child's community life. (Prep - Year 2)
• Quay, Emma 2010, Shrieking Violet, Scholastic, Lindfield, N.S.W., 29 p.
  Violet is the world's noisiest, messiest little sister. But her big sister is determined to be the star of this story. Told from the perspective of the older sister, this story brings to life the fun and occasional frustration of life with a younger sibling. (Prep - Year 2)
• Smith, Lane 2010, It's a book, Walker Australia, Newtown, N.S.W., 32 p.
  Can it text? Blog? Scroll? WI-FI? Tweet? No. . . it's a book. No matter how many electronic devices are available these days, you can't deny the simple appeal of a good book. Monkey is reading a book but his friend wants to know what the book can do. Does it have a mouse like his computer? Can you make the characters fight? And does it make loud noises? No, it's a book. Monkey's friend discovers that a good book doesn't need fancy electronic accessories. (Prep - Year 7)
• Trewin, Trudie; Orsini, Cheryl (illus) 2010, Wibbly Wobbly Street, Scholastic, Lindfield, N.S.W., 29 p.
  Wibbly Wobbly Street is the only fun and quirky street in dull Squareton, and Squareton's councillors don't like it one bit. They decide to straighten out Wibbly Wobbly Street with surprising results. (Prep - Year 1)
• Vaughan, Marcia K; Lofts, Pamela (illus) 2010, Snug as a hug : an Australian lullaby, Scholastic, Sydney, 21 p.
  Join all the Australian animals as they settle down to rest. A warm and gentle story for bedtime (or indeed anytime) with simple rhyming text and beautiful full-page colour illustrations. (Prep - Year 2)
• Wallace, Karen 2010, Born to be a butterfly, (DK readers. Beginning to read series), Dorling Kindersley, London, Paperback, 32 p.
  Read about the changes that turn a tiny caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. Stunning close-up photographs combine with simple sentences and age-appropriate vocabulary in DK readers, a series designed to capture children's interest while developing their reading skills and general knowledge. (Prep - Year 2)
• Whatley, Bruce 2010, Hunting for dragons, Scholastic Australia, Lindfield, N.S.W., 29 p.
  A little girl sees dragons everywhere and she is sure there is one living in her house. She puts on her dragon-hunting amour and sets out looking for clues to help her find the mysterious creature. This little dragon hunter is in for a surprise! (Prep - Year 2)
• Wild, Margaret; Strevens-Marzo, Bridget (illus) 2009, Hush, hush!, Little Hare, Surry Hills, N.S.W., 24 p.
  When Baby Hippo can't sleep he goes for a wander through the reeds and along the bog and over the rocks and through the willowy, wavy grass. On the way he discovers that all the mums and dads are hushing their babies to sleep. (Prep - Year 1)

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