Bugs (NF) (Pop-up)

FULL TITLE: Bugs : a pop-up journey into the world of insects, spiders and creepy-crawlies
AUTHOR: George McGavin ; ILLUSTRATOR: Jim Kay ; PAPER ENGINEERING: Richard Ferguson
PUBLISHED: London : Walker books, 2013

PLOT:
Larger-than-life bugs spring from the pages, peek out from behind flaps and hide under tabs, inviting young entomologists to marvel at the mind-boggling variety of arthropod life. What reader can resist a chance to peel back the flaps to look inside a cockroach's body to see how it works, or open a wasps nest to see what's inside? Useful information (why does the world need bees?) and scientific trivia (which beetles are strongest and fastest?) pack every page, while exquisite art, dramatic pop-ups, and a multitude of lift-the-flaps bring the world of bugs to life. Presented in a field diary format, with hand-written notes and specimen samples.

REVIEW:
Absolutely enthralling. I can't see that anyone, child or adult, would be able to simply flick through this book - no, every page must be analysed for what can be lifted, folded out, and taken out of little pockets.

AGE: 7-77 (adult supervision and guidance required for younger ages; the paper crafting is quite fragile).
RATING: STRONG 5 stars

The Boring Book (PB)

AUTHOR: Vasanti Unka (NZ)
PUBLISHED: 2013

PLOT:
There was once a book so boring that everyone who tried to read it fell asleep. One day the words in the book said "We're tired of standing in rows, let's have fun instead!" So they escaped from the boring book, went out into the world, and things would never be the same again. The words jump into street signs, they leap onto shop signs, they decorate pathways and roadways and ponds. They change size and font. But one day they go too far...

REVIEW:
This is quite a complex book, complete with lift-the-flaps, fold-outs, and pull-out inserts in the form of books within books (ingenious and delightful). The Boring Book explores the importance of books and words in a fun and imaginative way. Children and adults alike will love it. The Boring Book is NOT a boring book.

AGE: 4-9
RATING: 4 1/2 stars

Lost and Found (Pop-up) (PB)

AUTHOR: Oliver Jeffers (Northern Ireland; U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2011

PLOT:
When a young boy finds a penguin on his doorstep, he goes to great lengths to return him to the ice. As he leaves the penguin, they are both very sad. That's when the boy realises that the penguin wasn't lost; it was looking for a friend.

REVIEW:
A lovely story about making assumptions about what other people need.

You MUST find the pop-up edition. It is one of the most delightful creations I have ever read.

This title is part of "The Boy" series. Other titles in the series include:
How to catch a star
The way back home
Lost and found

AGE: Preschool - Primary school ages (but will delight all ages).
RATING: a strong 5 stars

Stuck (PB)

AUTHOR: Oliver Jeffers (Northern Ireland; U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2011

When Floyd's kite gets stuck in a tree, he throws everything from a shoe, to the kitchen sink, to a whale after it to get it down.  What will happen to the kite?  (not to mention the whale...)
Jeffers does it again with a book that will delight all readers.

AGE: Preschool - Primary school ages
RATING: 5 stars

Penguin and Pinecone (PB)

AUTHOR: Salina Yoon (U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2012

When Penguin finds a Pinecone, love and friendship blossoms instantly. Penguin cares for pinecone, and knits it a scarf.  Penguin learns that pinecones can't grow in the snow, so he goes on a long trek to return Pinecone to its own environment. After he leaves Pinecone in the forest, Penguin worries about his friend, and returns to check on it.
A lovely touching story of care, generosity, and friendship.

AGE: 3-8
RATING: 5 stars

This Moose Belongs to Me (PB)

AUTHOR: Oliver Jeffers (Northern Ireland; U.S.)
PUBLISHED: 2012

An exquisite tale of Wilfred who finds a moose and takes ownership of him and calls him Marcel. Marcel is mostly an obedient pet, but Wilfred soon finds that Marcel answers to other names. A beautiful story about the "ownership" of wild animals.

AGE: Preschool - Primary school age
RATING: 5 stars

Diary of a Wombat (PB)

AUTHOR: Jackie French; Bruce Whatley (illustrator) (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 2003

Now published in a series, this delightful set of picture books looks at life through the eyes of a cuddly and lazy wombat as he goes about eating, sleeping, digging holes, and training its humans to produce treats.

Other titles in the series include
Christmas wombat
Diary of a baby wombat
How to scratch a wombat

AGE: 3+ (enjoyable for all ages)
GENRE: Humorous fiction
RATING: 5 stars