Old friends and new: June highlights

Looking back over the month of June brings reflection on our changing state of isolation and the easing of restrictions for our community activities. Schools recommenced and our littlest readers loved seeing their friends again!

Here’s a reminder of the June highlights, which included old friends and some new ones too.

Grug has a Birthday by Ted Prior

 Why we love it:  

Grug is a true-blue dinky-di Australian character who has enriched the lives of generations of children, and their parents! Celebrate with this lovely hardcover edition, especially for Grug’s 40^th birthday.  This is an excellent book for reading together.

What it’s about:  

Grug doesn’t know how old he is, but Cara the carpet snake told Grug all about birthdays, so he decides to have a birthday party. He makes a cake, and prepares all sorts of other things that are important for a birthday party. Perfect for ages 2+

 Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty

Why we love it: 

Dara McAnulty is a 15-year-old on the cusp of a greater self-awareness and a greater understanding of how he can use his passion to influence the world. As each season passes, we experience the joy, wonder and frustration of the young naturalist and his growth as an activist and environmentalist.

 What it’s about:  

Dara documents one year in his life, exploring the angst and joy of a teenager awakening to the wider world and his place in it. Dara’s autism causes him to experience nature intensely and feel a deep connection, which he translates beautifully into stories of seasonal outdoor adventures and his own coming-of-age.

 Celebrating 80 years of Puffin children’s books

During June we revisited many old friends from the Puffin imprint. Since 1940, millions of children around the world have grown-up dreaming of big friendly giants, magical wardrobes and spiders named Charlotte. They’ve imagined rivers of chocolate, green sheep and bunyips, dogs called Spot, and very hungry caterpillars. The team at Puffin today are as dedicated to quality publishing for children as the founders were 80 years ago.

Many of the most-loved characters we know from children’s literature are from the Puffin imprint. In fact, they are so well-loved and so enduring that there are now three or four generations of readers who have shared these stories! We had a lot of fun revisiting our favourite stories and authors, Australian and international, from picture books to tales for young adults – Puffin has it all.

What Zola Did On Monday by Melina Marchetta, illustrated by Deb Hudson

 Why we love it: 

Melina Marchetta’s debut novel, Looking For Alibrandi, has become a modern classic. Made into an award-winning feature film more than 20 years ago, it continues to resonate with readers today. Now, the same honest reflection of the diversity and richness of Australian life are explored in this fresh new book, the first in a series for newly independent readers.

What it’s about:  

Zola and her cousin Alessandro miss their Nonno and try to comfort Nonna but everything seems to go wrong. Can they stay out of trouble and keep the naughty dog under control? Can gardening really be enjoyable? Will Nonna smile again?

Embrace your Body by Taryn Brumfitt, illustrated by Sinead Hanley

 Why we love it:

From Taryn Brumfitt, the fiercely passionate thought leader behind the Body Image Movement, comes a picture book that inspires everyone to love their body, regardless of size, colour, ethnicity, gender or ability. Recent studies suggest that body image is the #1 issue affecting our children and Taryn Brumfitt is doing something about it!  This book is a celebration of our bodies and a declaration of love and is perfect reading for children aged 3+.

What’s it about:

Embrace your body – you’ve only got one! Based on the #1 hit children’s song, Embrace Your Body encourages everyone to love who they are, inside and out! Filled with beautiful illustrations by Sinead Hanley, this powerful picture book is the perfect sing-along read to inspire kids!