Review: The Journey: A Big Panda and Tiny Dragon Adventure – James Norbury

The Journey: Big Panda Tiny Dragon Adventure

James Norbury

Michael Joseph

Penguin Random House

ISBN:9780241585382

RRP $35.00

Description:

The beautifully illustrated new adventure from cherished friends and Sunday Times bestsellers BIG PANDA AND TINY DRAGON

‘James has a way to speak to your soul. This book is nothing short of comforting and heartwarming’ VEX KING
‘While the drawings have the charm of Winnie-the-Pooh, the captions have the depth of ancient proverbs’ GUARDIAN
‘A beautifully illustrated book which draws on tender moments. Exquisite’ DR RANGAN CHATTERJEE
__________

‘We shall go on a journey, across the river . . .’

Join Big Panda and Tiny Dragon as they set off on an extraordinary adventure in this companion to the global bestselling phenomenon Big Panda and Tiny Dragon.

Although content in their temple high up in the mountains, Tiny Dragon realises that something feels incomplete. So it is that they decide to make a journey together, to new and distant lands.

As they encounter dangers and challenges, they learn that everything they need is already inside them and that change, though sometimes scary, is possible and, with patience, can lead to better things.

Inspired by Buddhist philosophy and spirituality, the story of these whimsical characters makes the perfect gift for anyone looking for a little hope and comfort.
__________

‘If we have to be lost,’ said Big Panda, ‘I am glad it is with you . . .’ 

My View:

Absolutely beautiful- in every way! The narrative so calm and honest and true, the illustrations – divine.

Buy this for yourself – you will so enjoy! Buy as a gift for anyone needing a bit of a boost, buy for you creative friends – they will love the art within these pages.

5 stars

Thinking of Christmas?

It’s not too early to start planning for Christmas.

Puzzles/word games- good for the brain and keep kids and adults busy for hours.

Australian Word Puzzles More then 600 Puzzles from Pan Macmillan is the perfect gift or stocking filler.

Online word games have taken the world by storm. You can now hone your skills with these five-letter word puzzles at any time, at any place, and more than once a day!

More than 600 puzzles.
All spellings are from Australian English.
Puzzles start off simply and build up to a challenging level.
Hints are supplied if needed.

Here are a couple of tasters 🙂 The hint for 9 is tease and the hint for 10 is valley

Instructions: Each puzzle consists of three to six rows. The last row is left blank for you to write the solution word, and the others each contain a “guess” word as a clue. All the words are five letters long.

Every letter in a “guess” word appears in a box with a black, grey or white background.

A grey box contains a letter that appears in the solution in a different position. If a letter in a white box doesn’t appear at all elsewhere in the guess word, that letter is not in the solution at all. If, however, a letter in a white box does appear elsewhere in the “guess” word , count the number of times it appears in a grey or black box. That’s how many times that letter appears in the solution.

Once a letter has been eliminated, you can cross it off in the alphabet which is printed beside each puzzle. That way you can keep track of the letters which may be in the solution.

When all the guesses are combined, there is only one possible word that the solution can be.

Good luck and let me know in the comments what you think the solutions are.

Review: The Bumper Treehouse of Fun Book – Andy Griffiths, Jill Griffiths, Terry Denton

The Bumper Treehouse of Fun

Andy Griffiths, Jill Griffiths & Terry Denton

Pan Australia

ISBN:9781760988890

RRP $19.99

Description:

The Bumper Treehouse Fun Book is packed with over 300 pages of treehouse-inspired fun!

With the FUNNEST activities from the Treehouse Fun Books and a whole heap of brand new ones, there are pictures to draw, stories to write, codes to crack, sudokus to solve, colour-ins, dot-to-dots, mazes, crosswords, word searches, spot-the-differences and some activities that we don’t even have a name for!

So, what are you waiting for?

Grab a pen, pencil, crayon or spooncil and come on in!

My View:

The perfect gift for a child you know – word searches, colouring in, spot the differences, decode the message, dot to dots – this makes a great gift to take on holidays or for school holiday entertainment – its bound to keep any child happily engaged for hours.

Review: Kangaroo Beach Kids Series: Cheeky Little Media.

Description:

Four young animal friends, Pounce, Gemma, Neville and Frizzy, spend an action-packed summer at a spectacular beach, training as junior cadets with their lifeguard heroes. The first board books in the Kangaroo Beach series are based off two of the most popular show episodes of the kid/s tv series . Readers can also enjoy creative hands on fun too, with the sticker activity book and the colouring book.

The Kangaroo Beach board books are ideal for kids aged 3-6.

My View:

Perfect board and activity books for first readers (ages 3-6 years) that introduce kids to the topics of water safety, water rescue equipment and protecting the beach environment. These colourful, sturdy board books make prefect Christmas gifts ( and the colouring and sticker books are great stocking fillers too) Watch as the characters come to life on the screen at ABC Kids.

Review: Pea + Nut Go For Gold – Matt Stanton

Pea + Nut Go For Gold

Matt Stanton

ABC Books

Harper Collins Australia

ISBN: 9780733340680

RRP $17.99

 

Description:

Meet Pea and Nut: best friends and also … best rivals!

 

When a chilled-out panda and a hyperactive flamingo go head to head, there can be only one winner.

 

Pea the panda relaxes by the pool. Nut the flamingo doesn’t do relaxing. It’s time for a race, and this time Nut is going for gold!

 

The second book in the hilarious bestselling series featuring two adorable oddballs by bestselling author Matt Stanton.

 

 

PRAISE FOR MATT STANTON’S BOOKS

 

‘humour is injected into every page’ – Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Reading Time

 

‘Witty, silly, and interactive … A rollicking read for children and adults alike’ – Kirkus Reviews

 

 

My View:

What more can I add than this book made my 4 year old grandson laugh out loud and that is a sound I never grow tired of hearing.

With bright colourful images and humour on every page plenty of material here to enjoy or to start conversations.

 

Fun, colurful and delightful.

 

 

Review: You Will Rise – Sjana Elise Earp

You Will Rise

Sjana Elise Earp

Ebury Illustrated

Penguin Teen

ISBN: 9781760897864

RRP$32.99

 

Description:

The debut collection from nature-loving yogi and Instagram phenomenon Sjana Elise Earp, featuring 150 of her uplifting poems.

 

For the light seekers and the love givers. This one is for you.

 

For anyone who has ever loved and lost. This one is for you.

 

For the sensitive souls, the magic makers, the time takers. This one is for you.

 

May this book brighten your shadows, illuminate your path and walk you home to yourself.

 

Sjana Elise Earp inspires thousands of people around the world with her infectiously joyful approach to life. But happiness hasn’t always come easily. During her recovery from her experiences of anxiety and depression, writing has been Sjana’s tool to reflect, find gratitude and grow through her emotions. Now, she’s ready to share her vulnerability in her first published collection of poems and photography, and help lift up her sisters too.

 

Dip in during moments when inspiration or comfort is needed, or take a cover-to-cover journey through Sjana’s tender words and beautiful images of nature’s wonders. Either way, you’ll feel grounded, calmer and more connected to the unique power within you. And you, too, will rise.

 

 

My View:

This is a beautifully produced, photographed and moving read. Inspirational, meditative and calming…I am sure there is something here for most people.

 

This is my favourite quote from the book:

 

“Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart. Do it with your

whole soul. Do it with meaning. Do it with intention. Do it

with grace. Do it with lightness and do it with love. Do it with

thought. Do it with compassion and do it with kindness.” P 47

 

This will make a fabulous Christmas gift for someone you love.

 

 

 

 

 

Review: Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths 2 – Eddie Woo

Eddie Woo’s Magical Maths 2

Eddie Woo

Pan Macmillan Australia

ISBN: 9781760981976

RRP $19.99

 

Description:

A bumper book of maths fun stuffed with things to draw, puzzle, invent, order, unscramble, code, decode for kids aged 7+ years from Australia’s best known maths man. There’s magic in maths – if you know where to look…

 

 

AUTHOR Eddie:

Eddie Woo teaches mathematics at Cherrybrook Technology High School, Sydney. He has been teaching maths for more than ten years.

 

In 2012, Eddie started recording his lessons and uploading them to Youtube – creating ‘Wootube’. Since then, he has amassed a following of more than 1 million subscribers and his videos have been viewed more than 60 million times.

 

In 2018, Eddie was named Australia’s Local Hero of the Year and shortlisted as one of the top ten teachers in the world.

 

 

My View:
This is the perfect book for your school aged child to engage them with the fun world of maths – and yes maths can be fun.  There are puzzles, word hunts, games, colouring in, “spot the differences” to name just a few of the fun exercises here …I think some of these can be played with younger kids if they are supervised/assisted by an adult.  My grandson (4 ½ years) and I will enjoy playing “sprouts” pps 158- 160 – a game about connecting dots. Because maths is all about patterns, and our universe is extraordinarily patterned, you will find something  here that can interest everyone. I learned my art practice is about fractals, so much fun to be had they won’t even know it maths they are learning 😊

 

 

Thanks, Eddie, for a fabulous fun and entertaining book.  I am glad I have discovered you and your maths books, now to discover your YouTube videos.

 

PS – this will make a great Christmas present for someone you know.

Review: Rudie Nudie Christmas – Emma Quay

Rudie Nudie Christmas

Emma Quay

Harper Collins Publishers

ABC Books

ISBN:9780733338342

RRP $24.99

 

Description:

A delightful Rudie Nudie celebration of the joy of Christmas from award-winning creator Emma Quay.

 

Yoo-hoo, Rudie Nudie.

Rudie Nudie, where are you?

It is very nearly Christmas Day

for Rudie one and two.

 

It’s Christmas Eve and two little rudie nudies are on the run again!

 

From bestselling author-illustrator Emma Quay comes the perfect book to share this holiday season.

 

My View:

This is another joy filled book of innocence from award winning writer and illustrator Emma Quay. If you are thinking of buying a child you know a book for Christmas (or even before then – it such a cute read), get yourself a copy of Rudie Nudie Christmas.

 

“Rudie Nudie up in lights,

Wishing Santa would appear

The sooner we’re asleep,

then the sooner he’ll be here.”

 

 

 

 

Geode Bomb : Fizz Boom Bath – Isabel Bercaw & Caroline Bercaw

Fizz Boom Bath!

Images and text from Fizz Boom Bath by Isabel Bercaw & Caroline Bercaw, Quarto US, RRP $27.99. Photography by Evie Abeler

 

Fizz Boom Bath © 2018 by Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Da Bomb is a registered trademark of Da Bomb, LLC. “Sisterpreneurs” is a trademark of Da Bomb, LLC. Photography: Evi Abeler. First published in 2018 by Rock Point, an imprint of The Quarto Group 142 West 36th Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10018 USA.

 

Geode Bomb (Page 49)

 

MAKES 3–4 BOMBS

 

‘GEODES ARE SPARKLY ROCK FORMATIONS THAT COME FROM DEEP WITHIN THE EARTH, WHERE THEY FORM SLOWLY OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS. THANKFULLY, THESE LITTLE BEAUTIES DON’T TAKE QUITE AS LONG TO MAKE AND THEY SMELL AS GOOD AS THEY LOOK.’ p. 49

Fizz Boom Bath - Geode Bomb

 

2¼ CUPS (497 G) BAKING SODA

1¼ CUPS (288 G) GRANULAR CITRIC ACID

¼ CUP (24 G) CORNSTARCH

¾ CUP (180 ML) OIL

1 TEASPOON CANYON SPICE FRAGRANCE

3–4 HALF-SPHERE MOLDS

2–3 DROPS RUBBING ALCOHOL

1 TABLESPOON SILVER MICA

12 TABLESPOONS OF COARSE SEA SALT

12–15 DROPS LIQUID COLOR OF YOUR CHOICE

1 TEASPOON COCONUT OIL

½ TEASPOON ECO GLITTER

 

1 In a large bowl, mix together the baking soda, citric acid, and cornstarch.

 

2 In a separate bowl, combine the oil and fragrance.

 

3 Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with your hands until the mixture becomes the consistency of wet sand. (If you don’t like to get your hands messy, you can wear rubber gloves for this part.) The more vigorous your mixing style, the better the ingredients will be distributed, so don’t be shy. Five minutes of stirring, compressing, and kneading should do the trick.

 

4 Press a ½-inch (13 mm) layer of bath bomb mix into the mold. The sides should be higher than the center, like the peel of a hollowed-out orange, and the edges should be a bit ragged. Allow to dry completely before removing from the molds.

 

5 Next, add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the silver mica. Stir until a thin paste forms. With a paintbrush, paint the outside of the bomb with the paste. Let sit for 1 hour.

 

6 Add approximately 1 tablespoon of coarse sea salt to each painted half sphere, making sure to spread the salt to the outer edges of the half sphere.

 

7 Next, add 12–15 drops of liquid color to the 8 remaining tablespoons of coarse sea salt and mix well to distribute the color.

 

8 Add the colored sea salt to the center of the bomb and spread it out, as desired.

 

Note: Spreading it to the very outer edge of the mold will create the most realistic-looking geode.

 

9 Heat the coconut oil in the microwave for a few seconds to melt it. Using a pipette or spoon, distribute the coconut oil, drop by drop, over the sea salt to bind it together.

 

10 Let harden and sprinkle the eco glitter on top to complete the look.

Poppy and the Orchestra, Poppy and the Brass Band – Illustrated by Magali Le Huche

 

Poppy and the Orchestra

Poppy and the Orchestra

Waler Foster Jnr, Illustrated by Magali Le Huche

Allen & Unwin Australia

Quarto Group USA

ISBN: 9781633224018

 

Description:

Go on a musical adventure to the symphony with the adorable dog, Poppy, and see as she meets new friends who introduce her to the sounds of musical instruments.

 

With 16 buttons to push and hear, kids will love listening to the sounds of the different instruments as they follow along with the story. With colorful illustrations and a new sound to discover on each page, both kids and parents will be entertained and engaged for hours.

 

Poppy and the Orchestra offers an opportunity to teach kids about classical music and the instruments of the orchestra. Now that is truly unique!

 

 

Poppy and the Brass Band

Poppy and the Brass Band

Waler Foster Jnr, Illustrated by Magali Le Huche

Allen & Unwin Australia

Quarto Group USA

ISBN: 9781633224025

 

Description:

There really is no better way to introduce young children to the full-bodied sound of a brass band than with the story of an excited puppy and 16 sound effects. Poppy and the Brass Band has it all.

 

Go on a musical adventure to the circus with an adorable pup named Poppy. Poppy and the Brass Band takes kids on an adventure with Poppy she meets new friends who introduce her to the sounds of the musical instruments of a brass band. With 16 buttons to push and hear, children will be whisked to a different world while listening to the sounds of the different instruments and follow along with the story.

 

With colorful illustrations and a new sound to discover on each page, both kids and parents will be entertained and engaged from cover to cover. Poppy and the Brass Band offers an opportunity to teach kids about classical music and the instruments in a brass band.

 

My View:

These books have been a lifesaver! This week our grandson has been sick with a virus, he has not been his usual happy self and it has taken a lot of effort to keep him entertained – then these two books arrived in the mail! Allen & Unwin Australia you could not have known how perfectly timed their arrival was.  Our grandson is intrigued with these books; he sat quietly and focused on the sounds and the “pushing” to control the “sounds” himself, he listened, he giggled and jiggled to the music as he sat on our laps, or next to us as we read him the story and played the tunes.  He has enjoyed this book, over and over and overJ  These are unique musical books that entertain and educate.