The Aboriginal Cameleer

Written by Gordon Smith

This fictional story is set in a rural Australian town in the 1930s. Willow Vale is a small town that lies at the end of a railroad line. This town has suffered a decline in population with little opportunity for upward mobility. Most of the inhabitants work on the railroad, in the mines or farming. The tiny schoolhouse has only four teachers and each classroom accommodates two grades.

Baddar and his sister, Delari are the offspring of the last Afghan cameleer and his wife, Rose, who is an aboriginal raised by missionaries. Baddar feels confused and trapped by his mixed heritage and feels he doesn’t fully belong to either group. He spends a lot of time with his friend Billy, with whom he has several adventures. Baddar’s family tries to help him by organizing a camel trip with his Afghan grandfather, but an accident mars the trip. When a brushfire threatens to destroy Willow, the aboriginals step up to team with Billy, Baddar and the citizens of the town to make a last-ditch effort to save their community.

There are a host of issues addressed by this fictional tale, coming of age, family and community struggles and relationships, cultural divides, poverty, and economics. The children set an example for the adults. Minor editing issues need to be addressed, and the plot tends to ramble on here and there, but the book gives a glimpse into a forgotten part of Australian history.

Middle-grade readers will enjoy the adventures and believable characters. Recommended for readers ages ten and older.

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Little Tooky, The Dangerous Volcano

Written and illustrated by Josh Wills

Tooky is lost and trying to find his way back home. He flies over an island with an active volcano. Friggo, the frog, is the only animal left on the island. As the volcano spews forth lava, Friggo desperately tries to attract the toucan’s attention. Friggo takes shelter in a hollow cave and screams at the top of his lungs.

Somehow, Tooky can hear Friggo amid the roar of the volcano and flies back to rescue the frog. The two become good friends. The author promises many future adventures featuring Tooky and Frigo.

This short book contains a few color illustrations. The author narrates the story in the third person. Some dialogue between the characters would make the characters more interesting and believable. There are a few editing errors. The complexity of the text makes the book more appropriate as a beginning reader rather than a picture book.

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The Legend of the Sleep-Eating Elephant (Global Beekeeping Tales)

Written by Nicola Williams

Illustrated by Henry Ezeokeke

A charming legend from Kenya relates the tale of an elephant who cooperates with the humans and animals of his village by watering the crops.

One day, a cabbage is missing from the fields. On subsequent days, more crops are missing. Elephant becomes distressed as do the other animals and humans of the village. The members of the beehive community invent a clever solution.

Readers discover the problem and the innovative solution after reading this book. They also learn facts about elephants, honeybees, the environment, and conservation.

A good choice for the classroom or home bookshelf for children who enjoy learning about animals, problem-solving, and conservation.

Recommended for ages six through twelve.

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As The Sun Rises: Morning in Mazatlan (Tales of Mazatlán)

Written and Illustrated by Carolyn Watson-Dubitsch

A beautiful, multicultural picture book for preschoolers and kindergarten children.

The story relates the experience of two Mexican children who accompany their fisherman father to the beach. They observe him digging for clams and oysters. Later, they see a sea turtle on the beach.

As the day goes on, the tourist spot comes alive. Beachgoers and vendors teach readers about Mexican culture and food. As a bonus, the readers are treated to a native recipe.

Beautiful illustrations accompany the simple but moving multicultural tale.

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Oliver and the Twisting Tornado (Navigating Natural Disasters Book 2)

Written by Chrissy Hobbs and Ben Jackson

Illustrated by Tanya Zeinalova

This book is part of the Navigating Disasters series for children. The text is written in clear language to prepare children who live in areas that are prone to tornadoes. Without being scary, it clearly defines the steps that are necessary to plan ahead and then the actions necessary to keep safe.

Oliver and Emma live on a farm. They learn what to do. Although the children are apprehensive, their parents have prepared their farm and storm shelter. Readers are provided with a checklist and a certificate to prove that they have carefully read the story and know how to prepare their families and communities to do the same.

I highly recommend the book for parents and teachers who live in communities that may be susceptible to tornadoes as an excellent resource guide.

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Mr. Macaw’s Paleta Adventure (The Mr. Macaw Children’s Book Series

Written by Leticia Ordaz

Illustrated by Yana Popova

This is an innovative bilingual picture book that relates an adventure taken by a one-hundred-year-old Macaw kite.

The Mexican children bring the kite to the seashore. Maxton and Bronx ask the kite if he can fly alone. The kite takes off on an adventure to a nearby village and then over the sea. Will Mr. Macaw find his way back to the beach in Mexico?

The book is written in simple phrases that are displayed in both English and Spanish on each page. Multicultural illustrations are lovely and appropriate. A lovely multicultural adventure for primary-grade readers.

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The Adventures of Pookie: Home is Where the Heart is

Written and Illustrated by Rebecca Yee

A story about animal adoption from the point of view of the dog being adopted.

Children meet Pookie, who is excited to meet her new owner. Readers follow her journey as she explores her new surroundings and the loving care of Pookie’s new human family.

The illustrations are simple yet expressive and evocative of the appropriate emotions. I would recommend this book to young children who want to adopt, and as a teaching tool to explain the shelter adoption system.

This book is recommended for toddlers, preschoolers, and primary-grade readers.

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Slothee Still Wants Coffee (Slothee Wants Coffee)

Written by Nikki Pezzopane, Cameron Fica 

Illustrated by Yory Borgen

Slothee is off on another exciting adventure. He is determined to find the best coffee in the world. This adventure includes several countries notable for their coffee.

Slothee begins the journey in Peru, where he meets Lucia Llama and explores Machu Picchu. He introduces readers to the Mayan ruins in Mexico. Then he lands in Jamaica, before jetting off to far-away Uganda in Africa and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. Children learn about the types of coffee grown in each country, meet local animals, and sample local culture.

A good choice for elementary age readers to learn about local cultures, coffee, and the culture of several countries.

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Mrs. Wiggles and the Numbers Patterns: Discover Patterns for Ages 3-6 

Written and illustrated by Lisa Konkol

Patterns and numbers are everywhere! Teacher, Mrs. Wiggles, summons her pupils to the schoolyard to play an I Spy Game. They will be searching for patterns among flowers, farms, animals, ponds, and gardens. Poor number zero is confused, but soon catches up with the other numbers.

At the end of the book, children find a number chart including numbers one through zero, and a useful tool to help them count by tens. The rhymes are crisp and sharp, enticing children to learn while not even realizing they are doing work.

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Teachers should add this resource to preschool and kindergarten libraries.

The Legend of the Sleep-Eating Elephant (Global Beekeeping Tales)

Written by Nocola Williams

Written by Henry Ezeokeke 

A charming legend from Kenya relates the tale of an elephant who cooperates with the humans and animals of his village by watering the crops.

One day, a cabbage is missing from the fields. On subsequent days, more crops are missing. Elephant becomes distressed as do the other animals and humans of the village. The members of the beehive community invent a clever solution.

Readers discover the problem and the innovative solution after reading this book. They also learn facts about elephants, honeybees, the environment, and conservation.

A good choice for the classroom or home bookshelf for children who enjoy learning about animals, problem-solving, and conservation.

Recommended for ages six through twelve.

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