Grammar and Punctuation in Children's Books

I am a stickler for grammar and punctuation. No one is perfect, and I can pretty much guarantee that I've made errors in this blog, but I feel that any error detracts from the fluidity of a story because it 'catches' in your mind like a fish hook. Published works can and should be held to a high standard.

I feel no different about children's books. Children gain so much language by reading and being read to, that we shouldn't be reading them things which don't facilitate this.

These two books in particular really got my goat. I cringe just knowing that they exist.

The first is an obvious one.
Please burn any copy you may come across.

Hooray for hat.  No. Just no. No. No. No.
Hooray for hatS. Yes. Fine. Good!
Hooray for MY hat. Yes. Great!
Hooray for THE hat. Yes. Fine. Not as good, but perfectly acceptable.

'Hat' should not be used as a proper noun unless it is anthropomorphised (which it is not in this case).

The story is about animals which are upset and a friend gives them a party hat and they cheer up and say, "Hooray for hat".

Sure, perhaps the author was trying to connect with his audience by failing to use correct grammar, but he has failed if this was his approach. The only time this ploy works is when the story features direct speech from a toddler who can't speak properly.


Which brings me to the next example.

Did you notice? Missing quotation marks.

Reported speech does not need quotation marks, e.g.: Milana's grandfather noted that there were many children there. Milana's grandfather told her to look at all the people.

However, this is quoted speech and REQUIRES quotation marks.
"Wow! Look at all the people. And [there are] so many children," said Milana's grandfather.

This may be a small thing that children (and some adults) won't consciously pick up, but language is picked up subliminally in young children, and I could not have a child look at this without correcting it.


All I can say to these authors is, "Fire your editor", or maybe get one in the first place.

The Lost Thing (video)

The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan is a picture book for upper primary school students about a teenager who finds something (a cross between a robot, a dog, an octopus, a crab, and something unknown) lost and looks for a place where it could belong. It has quite a lot of social commentary embedded in the pictures and sub-text.

It was made into a short 15-minute film.

This book and film could be used together in a literature study for middle school students.

Children's Books of 2014

Brainpickings has put together a list of top children's books of 2014. I haven't seen some of them, but Oliver Jeffers' "Once Upon An Alphabet" is simply genius.

Series: Little Bug Books (PB) (Jnr NF)

AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR: Graeme Base (Aust)
PUBLISHED: Penguin ; 2015.
PAGES/ILL: 14 unnumbered pages : col. ill.




REVIEW:
This is a new series by author/illustrator Graeme Base. It uses pictures of animals to teach young children language. It starts off with the singular, and the pages pull/fold out to reveal the group. The original picture splits (you can see the fold going through the picture).

• A Heard of Elephants teaches collective nouns (a caravan of camels, a swarm of bees, a pod of whales, etc).
• Starfish are pointy: adjectives.
• Birds fly: animal movement.
• Cows say moo: animal sounds.
• Monkeys live in trees: animal homes/habitats.
• Pigs have piglets: animal babies.

AGE: 2+.
GENRE: Non-fiction.
RATING: 5 stars.

The Book With No Pictures (PB)

'The Book With No Pictures' read by author B.J. Novak.

This is an example of the power of a good story, reading with enthusiasm (which we should always do when reading to children), and connecting with your audience.

Aviary Wonders Inc. (PB)

FULL TITLE: Aviary Wonders Inc. Spring Catalog and Instruction Manual : renewing the world's bird supply since 2031.
AUTHOR: Kate Samworth (USA)
PUBLISHED: Clarion Books, c2014.
PAGES/ILL: 31 pages, illustrations.

PLOT:
In a future when deforestation and other environmental factors have caused many bird species to go extinct, businessman Alfred Wallis offers a catalog of parts for creating replacements, from hand-carved beaks to Italian-leather feet. Mix-and-match wings, beaks, crests, legs, and more. Clients discover problems when they try to mix and match parts that don't work together.

REVIEW:
The book takes a humorous look at a future where you can create a bird in much the same way that one would make something out of Lego, or in a build-a-bear store (except that this pet is alive). It is very creative, funny, and though-provoking.

It would be a good discussion prompt in sustainability and environmental lessons - what will the future be like if our wildlife disappears? For light-hearted imagination, children can imagine what bird they would create themselves.

AGE: 7-12. This picture book may be read/browsed by children aged 4+, but the deeper storyline, the environmental message and the humour is ideal for older children.

GENRE: Fantasy fiction
RATING: 4 1/2 - 5 stars.

RIP Eric Hill (author) 1927-2014

RIP children's author Eric Hill, 1927-2014.

The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish (PB)

AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman (AUS); ILLUSTRATOR: Dave McKean
PUBLISHED: Australia : HarperCollins, c1998.

PLOT:
When a boy swaps his dad for his friend's goldfish, chaos ensues. Mum is not impressed and demands that he swap them back, but in the meantime, his friend has swapped his dad for something else. The boy and his sister go on a hunt to get their dad back.

REVIEW:
Very funny. Lots of subtleties to the story that may go over the heads of some kids, but enjoyable all the same; even more so for the child who gets the jokes. It would lend itself well for children to create their own stories about something that keeps getting swapped for something else and how one might hunt it down.

AGE: 4-10.
RATING: 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

The Emu That Laid The Golden Egg (PB)

AUTHOR: Yvonne Morrison ; ILLUSTRATOR: Heath McKenzie
PUBLISHED: 2012

PLOT:
A hungry emu eats what she thinks is some corn...and ends up laying a golden egg! Two scoundrels discover this phenomenon, and thinking to make a quick buck, lock her up and try to make her lay some more. But when the emu eats more than gold, something strange happens - and everyone learns it doesn't pay to be greedy.

REVIEW:
Very cute story, with lovely pictures. Young children will love knowing the secret of the golden egg before the thieves do.

AGE: 3-5
RATING: 4 stars

Goose On The Farm (PB)

AUTHOR: Laura Wall
PUBLISHED: 2013

PLOT:
When Sophie and Goose go on a trip to the farm, they meet lots of new animals, but soon Goose feels left out and wanders off to have his own adventure and make a new friends. One of which follows them home.

REVIEW:
Another title in the "Goose" series. An absolutely adorable character, sure to be a favourite in all pre-schools. The story line and humour can have subtle nuances, which is enough that adults won't be driven mad by having to read it for the 5th time (although it's simple enough that madness may set in after the 10th time...)

AGE: 2-5
RATING: 4 stars

The Nowhere Box (PB)

AUTHOR: Sam Zuppardi
PUBLISHED: 2013?

PLOT:
George's little brothers wreck his toys and his games and trail after him wherever he goes. Try as he might, there's just no hiding from them. George has had enough! So he commandeers an empty washing-machine box and goes to the one place his brothers can't follow: Nowhere. Nowhere is amazing! It's magnificent! It's also, however, free of pirates and dragons and...well, anyone at all. Eventually George decides that Nowhere isn't as fun as he thought it would be, and returns home to his adoring younger brothers, who are more than happy to play pirates and dragons.

REVIEW:
An ode to imagination - and annoying but indispensable siblings. A great book for early primary school ages learning that younger brothers and sisters may be annoying, (and it is important to have you own space), but also that they can be a lot of fun to play with, and you can't do without them.

AGE: 4-7
RATING: 4 stars

My Friend Fred (PB)

AUTHOR: Hiawyn Oram ; ILLUSTRATOR: Rosie Reeve
PUBLISHED: 2011

PLOT:
Rose's big sister tells her that Fred the dog belongs to the whole family, but Rose knows better - Fred is HER friend. Her friend Fred. But when Roe tries to keep Fred all to herself, she learns that sometimes sharing your best friend is the best way to stay best friends.

REVIEW:
A sweet story about family, pets, friendship, and sharing.

AGE: 3-5
RATING: 4 stars

The Swap (PB)

AUTHOR: Jan Ormerod ; ILLUSTRATOR: Andrew Joyner
PUBLISHED: 2013

PLOT:
"This baby brother is not exactly what I want. It's smelly and it dribbles, it's no fun, and it takes up all the room on my mama's lap." Jealous and not happy with her baby brother, Caroline Crocodile trades him in at The Baby Shop for other animal infants, but soon finds they all have issues - the baby panda is a fussy eater, and the baby elephant squirts water everywhere. Eventually, Caroline finds a baby that is just right.

REVIEW: A new take on the relationship between an older sibling and a new baby, with sweet pictures and a feel-good ending. Perfect for the pre-schooler with a new baby in the family.

AGE: 3-6
RATING: 4 stars

Black Dog (PB)

AUTHOR: Levi Pinfold
PUBLISHED: 2012, c2011
AWARDS: 2013 Kate Greenway Medal Winner

PLOT:
One day, a black dog appeared outside the Hope family home. Dad was the first to see it - it was the size of a tiger! When Mum saw it, it was the size of an elephant! The black dog grows and grows the more family members see it. Only Small, the youngest of the Hope family, has the courage to face it, and as she shows no fear, it grows smaller and smaller.

REVIEW:
With gorgeous, stunning pictures, this story is about exaggeration and facing fears.

AGE: 3-7
RATING: 4 1/2 stars

The Hoppameleon (PB)

AUTHOR: Paul Geraghty
PUBLISHED: 2013, c2001

PLOT:
When the world is still quite young, there was a sleepy, slurpy swamp. And in it swam a very odd-looking creature. As he makes his way in the world, this very odd-looking creature, with a long sticky tongue, who can hunt like a chameleon and swim like a turtle, isn't quite sure who or what he is. Nor is anyone else. But he does know that he wants to find a friend who is just like himself.
REVIEW:
A story of self-perception, similarities and differences, and belonging.

TEACHERS: It would lend itself to a creative writing activity where children make up a name for another animal by comparing it and taking names from other animals as in the story.

AGE: 3-6
RATING: 4 stars

Can't Sleep Without Sheep (PB)

AUTHOR: Susanna Leonard Hill ; ILLUSTRATOR: Mike Wohnoutka
PUBLISHED: 2011, c2010

PLOT:
Whenever Ava can't sleep, she counts sheep jumping over a fence. But Ava takes so long to fall asleep, it's the sheep who are growing tired and finally they quit! When the sheep promise to find a replacement that Ava can count on, chaos ensues as chickens, cows, pigs, hippos and more try their hand at jumping over Ava's fence. Finding the perfect replacement for sheep might not be so easy after all.

REVIEW:
With adorable pictures, this is a very cute bedtime story (although the concept of counting sheep to get to sleep may need to be explained, since the concept is something that is passed on - it's not innate knowledge).

AGE: 3-6
RATING: 4 stars

Cloth from the Clouds (PB)

AUTHOR: Michael Catchpool ; ILLUSTRATOR: Alison Jay
PUBLISHED: 2012

PLOT:
The boy who spins cloth from the clouds is wise. He spins only enough cloth for a warm winter scarf, not one stitch more. But a greedy King sees the marvellous cloth and demands that the boy spin cloaks and gowns galore. Soon there are fewer clouds in the sky and finally the rain stops. Will it be possible to undo the damage?

REVIEW:
The story aims to promote a sense of care and respect for the natural environment and illustrates the impact humans can have through greed and thoughtless selfishness.

AGE: 3-7
RATING: 4 stars

Doodleday (PB)

AUTHOR: Ross Collins
PUBLISHED: 2012, c2011

PLOT:
Mum has just one thing to tell Harvey on Doodleday - no drawing allowed! But before Dudley can ask why you don't draw on Doodleday, she's out the door. Surely one little fly won't hurt? Not until Harvey's fly comes to life and starts to wreck the kitchen, that is! What can Harvey draw that will catch it? Will anything, or anyone, be capable of stopping Harvey's rampaging doodles?

REVIEW:
The thought of line drawings coming to life and causing chaos is just a lot of fun.

AGE: 3-7
RATING: 4 stars

The Santa Trap (PB)

AUTHOR: Jonathan Emmett ; ILLUSTRATOR: Poly Bernatene
PUBLISHED: 2010, c2009

PLOT:
Bradley Bartleby is bad, and the older he got, the badder he became. He's greedy and naughty and selfish and spoilt -- and Santa Claus knows it. But when beastly Bradley empties his Christmas stocking to find nothing but a pair of socks, he does quite the baddest thing he has EVER tried to do. He builds a trap -- a SANTA TRAP! With guillotines, dynamite and a tiger or two, Santa doesn't stand a chance. Will Santa be forgiving?

REVIEW:
Most children love it when the bad kid gets what's coming to him in stories. The simple karma of a child who gets trapped in his own trap is a winner, not to mention the story is told beautifully, with illustrations to match.
AGE: 4-8
RATING: 4 1/2 stars