Holiday Reading 2004

Picture Books

Almond, David Kate, the Cat and the Moon: Kate changes into a cat and roams the countryside, free to become anyone and do anything, while the moon looks down from the sky and everyone else is fast asleep. First picture book by this renowned author.
Anno, Mitsumasa Anno's Spain: First new Anno 'journey' in nearly a decade.
Appelt, Kathi Bubba and Beau meet the relatives: While preparing for a visit from some relatives - and even after they arrive - Bubba and Beau want nothing more than to sink their paws into the squishy, squashy mud hole.
Baker, Jeannie Home: A wordless picture book that observes the changes in a neighbourhood from before a girl is born until she is an adult, as it first decays and then is renewed by the efforts of the residents.
Banks, Kate The cat who walked across France: After his owner dies, a cat wanders across the countryside of France, unable to forget the home he had in the stone house by the edge of the sea.
Bartram, Simon Dougal's deep-sea diary: Dougal is unable to see what's going on behind his back. Readers can count the hidden mermaids and mermen guiding Dougal on his search for the lost city of Atlantis.
Base, Graeme Jungle Drums: Sequel to The waterhole.
Bedford, David The way I love you: Showing the caring relationship between a little girl and her dog, this book is a celebration of love and friendship.
Blake, Quentin Angel pavement: Corky and Loopy are two perfectly normal girls. They like chocolate biscuits, fizzy drinks, screaming at each other and drawing. But they are also a little bit special - because they are angels.
Briggs, Raymond The puddleman: One day, Tom decides to take his grandfather on a walk to see the puddles he has named after the members of his family. But the puddles aren't there. Grandfather says it's because it hasn't rained, but Tom believes it's just because they haven't been put in yet.
Brown, Ruth The Winter Garden: A book introducing visitors to a garden at night. As it is winter, the snow on the ground records which creatures came, and where they went.
Browne, Anthony Into the Forest: One night a boy is woken by a terrible sound. A storm is breaking, lightning flashing across the sky. In the morning Dad is gone and Mum doesn't seem to know when he'll be back. The next day Mum asks her son to take a cake to his sick grandma. "Don't go into the forest," she warns. "Go the long way round." But, for the first time, the boy chooses to take the path into the forest, where he meets a variety of fairy tale characters.
Buehner, Caralyn Superdog: the heart of a hero: Tired of being overlooked because he is so small, a big-hearted dog named Dexter transforms himself into a superhero.
Butterworth, Nick Whisperer: Two gangs of cats live in a scrap yard on the edge of the city. When they're not eating or sleeping, they're fighting, and that's just how The Whisperer likes it. He's a rat, and if he can keep the cats going after each other, they'll leave him and his kind alone. But just maybe, things in the scrap yard are about to change for the better. Or as The Whisperer sees it - for the worse.
Carle, Eric Mister Seahorse: After Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs on Mr. Seahorse's belly, he drifts through the water, greeting other fish fathers who are taking care of their eggs
Clark, Emma Chichester Just for You, Blue Kangaroo: A seasonal Blue Kangaroo story, focusing particularly on the preparation for Christmas.
Chichester Clark, Emma No more teasing!: Mimi loves her cousin Momo but he teases her all the time and she doesn't like it. When Grandma finds out about it she and Mimi make a cunning plan - and soon Momo realises that teasing isn't such a good idea. He and Mimi end up better friends than ever!
Collins, Paul Home run: Robbie tries to move like everyone else, but it's difficult for him. He longs for the day when the other kids will let him play baseball with them. At last he proves that, if you wish hard enough, your dreams will come true.
Cook, Sally Good night pillow fight: Rhyming bedtime conversation between a city full of parents and their children, who are much more interested in playing than sleeping.
Cooper, Elisha Magic thinks big: An overweight cat sits in the doorway and tries to decide whether to go inside where he might get fed again, go outside where he might have an adventure, or stay where he is.
Cox, Tania Wolf's Sunday dinner: Wolf's attempts to fatten up a gosling result in more hassles for him.
Cronin, Doreen Duck for President: When Duck gets tired of working for Farmer Brown, his political ambition eventually leads to his being elected President
De Kantzow, Megan Just you wait!: Royal Highness College is a school for fairytale characters. It has dungeons and a forest with Hundred Year Thorns. Prince Roderick is the worst school bully, and Eleanor True is growing tired of his teasing. But Eleanor knows a trick or two.
Dematons, Charlotte The yellow balloon: A yellow balloon sails around the world.
De Paola, Tomie Pascual and the kitchen angels: Pascual, a boy blessed by angels at his birth, receives divine help when the Franciscan monks make him their cook.
Donaldson, Julia The Gruffalo's Child: Sequel to the bestselling The Gruffalo.
Doyle, Malachy One, two, three O'Leary: Rhythmic text based on traditional rhymes tells how their father and mother try to put the ten bouncy O'Leary children to bed.
Dunbar, Polly Flyaway Katie: Katie is all alone and feeling grey. The colourful picture on her wall looks a much better place to be. If only Katie could brighten herself up, who knows what might happen. This story is a flight of fantasy about the powers of the imagination.
Dupasquier, Philippe Blue: Celebrating the joys of seeing the world around us.
English, Karen Hot day on Abbott Avenue: After having a fight, two friends spend the day ignoring each other, until the lure of a game of jump rope helps them to forget their anger.
Ernst, Lisa Campbell The turn-around, upside-down alphabet book: An alphabet book in which each letter becomes three different objects as the book is turned different directions.
Feiffer, Jules The daddy mountain: "Before your very eyes, this little redhead is about to do something extremely daring. And scary. And she'll show you - she'll actually document, step-by-step - exactly how she does it. First, she takes her daddy and makes him stand very still. Then, balancing herself on his shoe, she wraps her arms tightly around a leg and starts her perilous ascent to the summit."
Fleischman, Paul Sidewalk circus: A young girl watches as the activities across the street from her bus stop become a circus.
Freeman, Don Manuelo the playing mantis: A praying mantis who longs to make music gets help from a spider named Debby Webster.
Garland, Sarah Eddie's garden and how to make things grow: What makes Eddie's garden grow? Earth, rain, sun and all sorts of creatures, of course! Eddie's garden is magnificent, from his stringy bean house to his tall sunflowers. How Eddie's garden grows and develops is clearly told in this gentle story with lively characters and colourful illustrations.
Gelman, Rita Golden Doodler doodling: Teachers teach, flyers fly, painters paint, climbers climb - and teachers fly, climbers paint…
Gleeson, Libby Cuddle time: In the early morning, two children make their way to the cave of their parents' bed and enjoy being cuddled there.
Grey, Mini Biscuit Bear: When Horace bakes a biscuit in the shape of a bear, little does he know that his edible treat is going to turn into Biscuit Bear! For in the middle of the night, when all is quiet, that is exactly what happens and Biscuit Bear decides that it is time he made some friends of his own.
Hassett, John Mouse in the house: When Nana Quimby is upset by the mouse in the house, Father gets an owl, which also upsets Nana, so Mother gets a dog - until the family ends up with an elephant in the house.
Hathorn, Libby The great big animal ask: A variant on the Noah's Ark story,
Hawkins, Colin Fairytale news: "Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Big bad Wolf steals granny's clothing! Golden-haired girl caught napping in three bears' cottage! Boy makes fortune out of magic beans!" A paperboy encounters favourite nursery story characters in this book with a pull-out newspaper.
Henkes, Kevin Kitten's first full moon: When Kitten mistakes the full moon for a bowl of milk, she ends up tired, wet, and hungry trying to reach it.
Hest, Amy Guess who, Baby Duck!: It is a rainy, rainy day and Baby Duck has a cold. She feels a bit sad. Then who should come to visit, but Grandpa, with a cheering-up present - a photo album of Baby Duck with pictures from the day she was born.
Holwitz, Peter Stick kid: A stick figure boy grows up, eventually leaving home and starting a stick family of his own.
Hughes, Shirley Alfie wins a prize: An adventure with the inimitable Alfie.
Hughes, Shirley Olly and Me: This collection of poems and stories is all about Katie and her little brother Olly who first featured in "Nursery Collection". Here the pair visit the park, the library and the Natural History Museum; they make pancakes with Dad and a birthday card for Mum.
Inkpen, Mick Is it bedtime, Wibbly Pig?: Wibbly Pig is being his usual cheeky self, he doesn't want to go to bed, he's not tired at all! He wants to splash around in the bath, count the stairs to the bedroom and bounce around. But in the end, he snuggles into bed and falls asleep with his cuddly toys
Jarman, Julia Kangaroo's Cancan Café: When Kangaroo goes to France he discovers the cancan. Back home he decides to open his very own Cancan Café.
Joosse, Barbara M. Hot city: Mimi and her little brother Joe escape from home and the city's summer heat to read and dream about princesses and dinosaurs in the cool, quiet library.
Jeffers, Oliver How to catch a star: The tale of a boy who loves stars and decides to capture one of his own.
Jolly, Jane Limpopo lullaby: When the Limpopo River bursts its banks Josette is forced to shelter with her children in the milkwood tree. Based on real incident that occurred during the devastating 2000 floods in Mozambique.
Kimura, Yuichi One stormy night…: A tale of a hungry wolf and an equally hungry little billy goat who both take shelter in a dark cave during a thunderstorm and who try to find out who the other is. They talk about food mainly, and sigh. But thunder blots out the words "goat" and "grass" when their favourite meals are mentioned.
Kimura, Yuichi One sunny day…: During a storm in which a wolf and a goat take shelter in a dark hut, they decide to meet for lunch and discover who the other is. When the wolf drops his packed lunch and the goat falls asleep the wolf has a difficult choice to make. Sequel to: One stormy night.
Krishnaswami, Uma Monsoon: A child describes waiting for the monsoon rains to arrive and the worry that they will not come.
Lewis, Kim Good night, Harry: When Harry, a toy elephant, has trouble sleeping, his friends help him.
London, Jonathan Froggy's baby sister: Froggy hopes for a brother to play with so he is disappointed with his new baby sister, Pollywogilina, but only until her 'legs are all grown in and she loses her tail'.
McCleary, Stacey When it is time: Sakura has hens at the bottom of her garden. They have a gentle and timeless message for her.
McKee, David The conquerors: The General of a powerful country decides to conquer all of his neighbours. This story demonstrates that the winner of a war is not necessarily the powerful and aggressive one.
McKee, David Elmer and Snake: This is the 12th picture book starring the much loved multi-coloured elephant.
McNaughton, Colin Cushie Butterfield (she's a little cow): On Monday morning (a school day) Cushie Butterfield doesn't feel well. Anyone can see her face is covered in red spots - so she stays at home in bed. By Saturday she's better, but on Monday she's under the weather again. What could be the cause of her mysterious complaint?
McNaughton, Colin Once upon an ordinary school day: 'Mr Gee's bonkers', the children whisper. He plays rousing music which thunders round the classroom and asks what it makes them think of. 'Write a story about it!', says Mr Gee. As the ordinary boy begins to write, the words tumble out of him.
Matthews, Penny Pudding & Chips: Pudding is a goose. Nobody tells Pudding what to do, not even Chips the sheepdog.
Meddaugh, Susan Perfectly Martha: When Martha discovers how the Perfect Pup Institute turns dogs into obedient robots she decides to do something about it.
Miller, David Refugees: Two ducks are forced to leave their swamp and search for a new home.
Mueller, Ross The big ball of string: George wants to play soccer but all he has is a big ball of string.
Ormerod, Jan Emily and Albert: Emily the ostrich and Albert the elephant share a friendship in which they compare noses, dance, read together, and more.
Ormerod, Jan Frog princess: A twist on a traditional tale.
Palatini, Margie Stinky smelly feet: a love story: When stinky feet threaten the romance between Douglas and Dolores, they must find a solution.
Radunsky, Vladimir The mighty asparagus: A large asparagus appears suddenly in the king's back yard, and he enlists the help of several people and animals, including a songbird, in order to get rid of it.
Radunsky, Vladimir One: a nice story about an awful braggart: When Six, a pink armadillo with nine green siblings, brags that he is "#1" in everything, his family expresses a different opinion. Sequel to Ten.
Rash, Andy Agent A to Agent Z: A spy named Agent A inspects his fellow spies, all similarly named after letters of the alphabet.
Ravishankar, Anushka Tiger on a tree: After trapping a tiger in a tree, a group of men must decide what to do with it.
Rosen, Michael Alphabet Poem: Provides a new perspective on the letters of the alphabet.
Ross, Tony I want my mum!: This is the tenth in the series about the stroppy, opinionated and yet endearing Little Princess. In this story, there have been disasters all day but mum knows exactly the right thing to sort out the problem.
Simmons, Jane Daisy and the moon: "It's getting dark and it's time for little ducks to sleep," yawns Mamma Duck. But Daisy and Pip are fascinated by all the night-time animals playing in the moonlight. So off they run after Twitch, the mouse, to chase moths. But when a big cloud covers the moon, Daisy and Pip realise that they are lost in the dark.
Stevens, Janet Plaidypus lost: When a young girl takes her favourite toy along to the park, the market, the lake, and for a car ride, she mistakenly leaves him behind each time.
Stockton, Frank Richard The Bee-man of Orn: Illustrated by P.J. Lynch. The Bee-man is happy with his lot, until one day he finds out he has been transformed - he was once something else. But what? A giant or a prince, perhaps? A dog or a dragon? With a hive on his back and a cloud of bees about him, the Bee-Man sets out on a quest to discover the (surprising) answer.
Taylor, Sean Boing!: A terrible thing has happened to the Great Elastic Marvel (five times World Trampolining Champion, sometimes known as the Man with Rubber Legs, the Jumping Master). As he practises his deadly difficult, quadruple, headfirst flip, he flips from one danger to another.
Toft, Kim Michelle The world that we want: Nine different habitats and forty-five creatures are portrayed in interlinked ecosystems.
Waddell, Martin Tiny's big adventure: Tiny sees things he has never seen before when his sister Katy Mouse takes him to the cornfield for the first time.
Wickstrom, Sylvie I love you, Mister Bear: Young Sosha buys a shaggy old teddy bear at a yard sale and brings him home for some special care and love.
Wilcox, Leah Falling for Rapunzel: A prince tries to get Rapunzel to throw down her hair so he can rescue her, but she mishears him and throws down random objects from her room instead.
Wild, Margaret Piglet and Mama: Piglet has lost her mother and none of the other animals are acceptable substitutes.
Willis, Jeanne Shhh!: Shrew has the secret of peace on earth, if only anyone would listen.
Wood, Audrey Ten little fish: Ten little fish swim along an ocean reef, each finding a different reason to leave until there is only one left.
Wormell, Chris The big ugly monster and the little stone rabbit: The horribly ugly monster isn't ugly on the inside; he's just lonely. So he decides to build some friends out of stone, but not even the stone can stand the full force of the monster's smile and the stone animals shatter, all except one, a little stone rabbit.