Out in the bush by Yvonne Morrison

Rating 4 out of 5
Title: Out in the Bush
Author: Yvonne Morrison
Publisher: Koala Book Company

ISBN: 0864618093

EAN: 9780864618092

Age Range: 2-4 years

"Out in the bush" is a cute remake of the song "Over in the meadow" (if you don't know the tune google Wiggles Over in the Meadow). 

This book is educational on a lot of levels. Firstly it discusses Australian native animals with each page using a different critter. 

There is counting woven into the story and every page displays a number prominently, and then reinforcing it with the animals totalling that number on the page. My son loved counting the animals after i had read the text. 

Lastly the text rhymes and is a little silly so kids can really enjoy it (and if you know the song then you can sing it, even badly). As I knew the Wiggles version of this song (which is an old rhyming song) I couldn't help but read it as a song with the voice of Sam (former yellow wiggle) in my head.

I adore the art work which is bright and colourful and would not be out of place hanging on a wall.

For some reason I have not heard of Yvonne Morrison prior to my son bringing this book home from his school library. I have seen her books on the bookshelves in book stores though so was surprised to learn I knew the names of quite a few of her books. But I have to say this New Zealand/Aussie author has won a place in our personal book library as we just loved this book. I am going to get my hands on her "Out in the ocean" book next as master 4 will go bananas over it.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone as it is a fun engaging read.

The Happiest Refugee: A Memoir by Anh Do

Rating: 5 out of 5
Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Allen & Unwin; 1st edition (2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1742372384
ISBN-13: 978-1742372389
ASIN: B005X3W8TA

Anh Do is a beloved Australian comeedian who happens to be a refugee and a "boat person". This memoir is Anh's and his families story; from life in Vietnam, their journey in a leaky boat as refugee's, and their life in Australia as migrant family.

Anh is an amazing story teller. He can discuss very tough and sensitive topics and still find the humouros or positive side to the story. The whole book is filled with warmth and the love he clearly feels for his family and adopted homeland.

There are a lot of sad stories like his families trip on the boat from Vietnam, racism, or his father alcoholism. He doesn't shy away from the sad topics either. But he doesn't dwell on them and he tells turns the stories into positive things (like a pirate taking pity on them and throwing them a gallon of water). While most people would focus on the negatives Anh Do focuses on the positives that came from the sadness.

One thing I took away from this book is just what an amazing person Anh Doh is. That despite some incredible hardships he (and his family) can still be positive and retain their sense of humour. Their family has done well for themselves but only after incredible hardship, and hard work.

This is a must read if you want an insight into what life can be like as a migrant and particularly what the refugees have to go through.

Even if you are not interested in life as a migrant or a refugee this really is an excellent book and I have to say this is easily one of my best reads for 2012 and HIGHLY recommend it!

Extras
2 Youtube videos for you to view. The first one is an interview about his book and the second is a skit he did on an Aussie tv show.

Here is an interview of Ahn discussing his book (there are some spoilers he discusses some of the stories he tells in the book, but also expands on some of them)

Another video of an appearance he made on the Aussie show "Thank God You're Here" no spoilers here just comedy.

 

Mirror by Jeannie Baker

Rating: 4 out of 5 (for kids over 5)
Rating: 1 out of 5 (for us)
Reading level: Ages 5 and up
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; Bilingual edition (November 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763648485
ISBN-13: 978-0763648480


Mirror is the wordless picture storybook of two boys in two different cultures from across the globe. The pictures tell the story of a day in their lives and how they "mirror" each other even though they are from different cultures.

There are two boys and two families in this book. One family lives in a city in Australia and one lives in Morocco in North Africa. The lives of the two boys and their families look very different from each other and they are different. But some things connect them ... just as some things are the same for all families no matter where they live.

 Both stories are told similtaneously in the one book. So when you open the book it opens in the middle with one picture book story on one side and the other story on the other side. So you essentially have two books laying side by side. The goal is to turn the pages of each book together so you can see how similar and different each little boys life is.

The illustrations are collages and is exquisite in its detail. The illustrations really do make this book. There is so much information contained in each image. I don't think you could full appreciate everything each image contributes on one reading. It would be something you can go back to over and over and discover something new.

Here is a sample of the mages so you get the idea  of the art work:

The book is thought provoking for little ones and would allow you to have discussions about different cultures. I can see why it has won so many literary awards in Australia. What would be really cool is if the author planned on doing this as a series with different cultures from around the world. But that might be pretty ambitious. I can see this book being used in schools to help promote multiculturalism.

Because there were no words unfortunately my two year old just wasnt interested. Especially as there were no fish, animals, or really bright colours or funny noises to read out. You could probably show it to children younger then 5 as a starting point but don't expect them to really get much out of it. This is definitely a book for older children.

Overall a beautiful book that helps raise awareness on tolerance and understanding of different cultures. I gave this a 4 out of 5 for older kids for the discussion value. If you want a good story then this is perhaps not the book for you  but if you want something that will provoke thoughtful conversations then this is it.