9th January

Continuing yesterday's Summer theme, I thought today I would make some suggestions for Australian books about the beach and holidays at the beach. Of course, there is Alison Lester's Magic Beach with its irresistible illustrations that make you want to be swimming in those waves too. Next, another oldie, but goodie, Greetings From Sandy Beach by Bob Graham. Every Australian family that has ever been camping, had someone be sick in the car or met bikies will relate well to this and if they haven't it is still a good laugh. Thirdly, Tim Winton's The Deep, a family story about the youngest child being brave enough to swim in deep water by herself. Roland Harvey's At the Beach with its postcards home to the grandparents telling all about the children's holiday at Crabby Spit. Australia at the Beach by Max Fatchen should be on this list too, but I want to feature it on Australia Day because it is about the archetypal beach celebration for commemorating this Australian holiday. And lastly, a chapter book which is also about the beach and camping, Skating on Sand by Libby Gleeson. This is the story of Hannah, the younger sister of twin older sisters who give her a hard time about skating, but Hannah's perseverance and obstinacy pays off.

8th January Marjorie Priceman (1958)

Yesterday's book was new, today's is old. You will probably have it in your library though. Summer by June Factor and Alison Lester is a good book to revisit at the beginning of school because the children can then compare their summer activities to the activities of the children in the book. It has a simple text by Dr June Factor, the folklorist responsible for collecting all those wonderful playground rhymes that started with Far Out Brussell Sprout. The illustrations are very early Alison Lester, with strong colour and bold shape as she has done again in her new picture book, Noni the Pony.

P.S. It is American illustrator Marjorie Priceman's birthday. Read Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, a story about the orchestra, written in rhythmic verse and a fun way to introduce number and music to a child. See lesson plan for how it could be used here.

7th January

As the return to school gets closer and planning for classes begins to preoccupy my thinking, I have thought of some books that I must use. Today I want to focus on All Through the Year, a new Australian picture book by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker. The narrator is a young girl who lives with her parents, two brothers, one older, one younger and a puppy. She says,

"I want to take you through

One year - twelve months in all."

Then on each double-page spread she tells what happens in each month for her and her family in Australia. Yes, a book about the seasons, the school year and the festivals of Australia, instead of a country in the northern hemisphere! It will be every preschool and infants teacher's 'reference' book. It is written as verse, but it is not contrived or overly obvious. The text is illustrated so warmly and ably by Anna with pencil, ink and collage. All senses are appealed to, and both the exuberance and intimacy of family and school life shine through. Rush out and get one. It feels, reads and looks lovely.

Author, Jane Godwin is the Publisher, Books for Children and Young Adults at Penguin, Australia. She has written many novels and picture books, among them award-winners. It is her second collaboration with illustrator Anna Walker who also lives in Melbourne. Previously they did the picture book Little Cat and the Big Red Bus.

6th January Epiphany Joan of Arc (1412 - 1431) Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)

Fog

The fog comes

on little cat feet.

It sits looking

over harbour and city

on silent haunches

and then moves on.

Carl Sandburg

Carl Sandburg was an American writer who was best known for his poetry. There would be very few poetry anthologies for children which do not have Fog or some other poem of his. Fog is perfect for learning and reciting. It is also good for teaching children about the power of imagery.

It is Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas, the time when the Three Wise Men came to visit baby Jesus in his manger, time to take down the Christmas decorations and time to think about going back to school. I wrote about Epiphany yesterday.

Joan of Arc, known as St Joan because she is a Catholic saint was a French heroine of the Hundred Years' War. Born a peasant, she led the French army to several victories before being captured, tried by the English and left to burn on a stake when she was only nineteen years old. Joan of Arc's story has been told in picture book format several times. See:

• Joan of Arc by Josephine Poole and Angela Barrett

• Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley

• Joan of Arc: Heroine of France by Ann Tomert and Michael Garland, and

• Joan of Arc by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman (this has a longer text, but very dynamic illustrations)

5th January La Befana

La Befana is part of traditional Italian Epiphany celebrations. I have borrowed this from Anthony Parente to explain what it means. "La Befana is one of Italy's oldest and most celebrated legends. Each year on January 6 the children of Italy awaken in hopes that La Befana has made a visit to their house. This is a significant day to Italians because it marks the end of the Christmas season and the day that the three Wise Men arrived at the manger of the Christ child. Over the years the Epiphany has been a more celebrated holiday for the children of Italy than even Christmas.

As legend has it the three Wise Men were in search of the Christ child when they decided to stop at a small house to ask for directions. Upon knocking, an old woman holding a broom opened the door slightly to see who was there. Standing at her doorstep were three colorfully dressed men who were in need of directions to find the Christ child. The old woman was unaware of who these three men were looking for and could not point them in the right direction. Prior to the three men leaving they kindly asked the old woman to join them on their journey. She declined because she had much housework to do. After they left she felt as though she had made a mistake and decided to go and catch up with the kind men. After many hours of searching she could not find them. Thinking of the opportunity she had missed the old woman stopped every child to give them a small treat in hope that one was the Christ child. Each year on the eve of the Epiphany she sets out looking for the baby Jesus. She stops at each child's house to leave those who were good treats in their stockings and those who were bad a lump of coal." This story is told beautifully by Tomie dePaola in The Legend of Old Befana. We can always rely on Tomie to have a picture book about any Italian tradition!

Interestingly, the Russians also have a folktale about an old woman who is also visited by three wise men who are on their way to visit a new baby. She is known as Baboushka. If you cannot find the dePaola book, look for one of the Russian folktales. My library has these three, but there are others:

• Babushka by Sandra Ann Horn & Sophie Fatus

• Baboushka by Arthur Scholey & Helen Cann

• The Tale of Baboushka by Elena Pasquali & Lucia Mongioj

4th January Jacob Grimm (1785 - 1863)

It is the famous German philologist and folklorist, Jacob Grimm's birthday. He is half of the Brothers Grimm who are responsible for collecting fairytales together and publishing Grimm's Fairy Tales. I have written about him and his brother, Wilhelm on 24th February, which is Wilhelm's birthday and I said there which anthologies of Grimm I prefer. There I also said that I wanted more Grimm versions of Cinderella and since I wrote that, Berlie Doherty's wonderful fairytale anthology has been reissued as individual tales in picture book editions illustrated by Jane Ray and the Cinderella is a Grimm version. It is perfect for my clientele. I have also found some websites that are good places to explore Grimm's fairytales: 1. The National Geographic Grimm and 2. Kids Fun Canada's Grimm Fairytales.

3rd January Patricia Lee Gauch (1934) Alma Flor Ada (1938)

Patricia Lee Gauch, the American author is known in my library as the author of the ballet stories about Tanya. She was the children's editor at Philomel books though at the time Owl Moon was published and she therefore knows what makes a good picture book. Back to Tanya, she is a small girl who is eager to dance like her older sister and so begins the series in Dance, Tanya. The text and the illustrations by Satomi Ichikawa dance musically across the pages, even though Tanya is not yet a dancer and you fall in love with Tanya and her tenacity. Then you go looking for more and luckily there is more. There are at least six books: Dance, Tanya; Bravo, Tanya; Tanya and Emily in a Dance for Two; Presenting Tanya, the Ugly Duckling; Tanya and the Magic Wardrobe and Tanya and the Red Shoes.

Alma Flor Ada is also known in my library as the author of a fun series of books about Hidden Forest, but hers are to do with fairytales and stories that the children know well. There is Dear Peter Rabbit; Yours Truly, Goldilocks; With Love, Little Red Hen and Extra! Extra! Fairy-Tale News From Hidden Forest. The first three are written in letters and the fourth is in newspaper format. The characters the children know, but the books are full of side issues and there is plenty to discuss. All four stories are illustrated by Leslie Tryon whose website has much to offer teachers.