Holiday reading 2001

New Zealand Picture books

Allen, Pamela Brown bread and honey
One night the king is so sick from eating that he sacks the cooks. The next day the stable boy finds the king hungry and sad and gives him his own lunch - brown bread and honey.
Batt, Tanya The terrible Q
Sam likes shopping, but one day mum says they can't go because of "The terrible queue". Sam begins to wonder what a terrible Q actually is.
Butler, Dorothy My brown bear Barney at the party
Barney's owner takes the brown bear to Harold Hinkel's birthday party where he suffers many indignities at the hands of Harold's little sister, Polly.
Cowley, Joy Pip the penguin
Pip the penguin's parents warn their baby of the dangers that await a penguin in the wilds of the Antarctic. A little ponderous.
Dodd, Lynley Scarface Claw
Scarface Claw thinks he is the toughest tom cat in town and that nothing frightens him, until he gives himself a scare in the mirror.
Drewery, Melanie Nanny Mihi and the rainbow
Nanny has a special plan for her grandchildren when they visit her in the holidays. Every day she asks them to collect objects of a different colour, and by the end of the week they have made a rainbow.
Gilderdale, Betty Little yellow digger saves the whale
Ho-hum entry in this popular series.
Hopkins, Perrin Desert dessert
The animals in the desert are bored with plain old water to drink. One by one, they each add something to the waterhole until they have a glorious dessert! The logic of the story falters somewhat, as the animals eat and eat and eat without seeming to reduce the dessert a great deal, but overall this is a quality production showcasing two new talents. Illustrated by Jenna Packer.
Meharry, Dot The pipi and the mussels
When the whales swim up and down the coast, they disturb the pipi and the mussels with the big waves they create. A somewhat unlikely pourquoi story.
Turner, Gwenda Penny and Pocket
Tale based on true events about a Jack Russell terrier, who develops mothering instincts towards an abandoned kitten named Pocket. Sadly, Gwenda Turner's last book, completed shortly before her death.
Watson, Joy Grandpa's shorts
When the family invite Grandma and Grandpa to the beach, Grandma doesn't want Grandpa to wear his old beach shorts, but he finds them and the kids think he looks pretty cool. Although this feels a bit patronising, fans of the other books in this series will enjoy the latest addition.
Wolfe, Richard Walter's planet
Young inventor Walter (something of a Harry Potter look-alike) discovers a new planet, in this somewhat clichéd verse narrative. The ending feels tacked on.

Related pages