Review

Spring 2024 Book Reviews with little Unity in Auckland

Spring 2024 Book Reviews with little Unity in Auckland26 Nov 2024

Glasgow Boys
by Margaret McDonald – (Ages 14+)

You’ll easily fall in love with the two broken boys at the heart of this story. Finlay’s and Banjo’s backstory is full of trauma and yearning in their journeys to turn their lives around after childhoods spent in care homes and foster families in the working-class suburbs of Glasgow, Scotland. This is a coming-of-age novel full of awkwardness, laughter and tears, that will hit you in the gut as you feel the full emotional force of the boys trying desperately to find themselves and their place in the world. The pacing and development of the characters is phenomenal considering this is a debut and I’m predicting well-deserved award recognition.

- Reviewed by Roger

The Biggest Footprint: Eight Billion Humans. One Clumsy Giant
by Rob & Tom Sears – (Ages 9+)

I read that the author’s aim with this book was to give readers a graphic way to look at the big data about our species. And they’ve far surpassed their goal in this beautifully simple, illustrated story of humanity’s impact on nature through the lens of a 3km-tall blue giant (roughly the size of eight billion humans mashed together). Carrying all the baggage of humanity with it this mega human proves not to be the smartest of creatures (spot on so far), but through careful observation begins to understand the problems it has created for Planet Earth’s future… and how it might be able to fix them. There is hope for us yet if we’d all just come together to make it happen. - Reviewed by Roger

Johnny, The Sea, And Me
by Melba Escobar & illustrated by Elizabeth Builes - (Ages 10+)

This is a novel to treasure. In hardback and accompanied by beautiful painterly illustrations we meet a young, timid Pedro, about to embark on a holiday with his mother to a small Caribbean Island. Smallest in his class and bullied at school Pedro has imagined going to sea all his life, finding lost treasure and meeting a pirate. Be careful what you wish for! In his excitement he literally grows inches and likewise when he is sad he shrinks in size. Beautifully rendered story and illustrations this is a magical tale of a young boy coming into his own. - Reviewed by Roger

Miss Cat: The Case of The Curious Canary
by Jean-Luc Fromental & Joelle Jolivet - (Ages 7+)

An utterly charming noir mystery about the clever and memorably dressed Miss Cat. She’s a PI with ears on her hat running her detective agency at 29 Thirty Street (which smells of old milk). The illustrations are intricate and punchy with a bright but moody palette. I love the humour; it’s witty and not too on the nose, with funny details to be found in names, addresses and the quirks of each character’s personality, like the references to cats littered throughout. They certainly share some traits with our protagonist, after all being stealthy and observant are absolutely necessary if you want to be a private detective! The story is fantastic, with a
satisfying twist and some more complex moral ideas peppered in. It’s atmospheric, sometimes sinister, whimsical and a bit weird, the perfect graphic novel for 7-to-10-year-olds or any lover of crime and cats. - Reviewed by Elka

One Weka Went Walking
by Kate Preece & illustrated by Pippa Ensor - (Ages 5+)

A wordy, rhyming read aloud that introduces you to the Chatham Islands and their incredible inhabitants through the eyes of a curious weka. You learn the characteristics of our native birds as they’re woven into a delightful, rhythmic story. Pippa Endsor’s beautiful watercolour illustrations capture the beauty of some of Aotearoa’s most endangered birds, from the black robin to the tōrea tai. At the foot of each page we get a fun fact about the corresponding species, like did you know the Chatham Island tāiko was believed extinct until 1978? This is perfect for kids who are as inquisitive as the little weka and a great introduction to Aotearoa’s wildlife and the importance of protecting it. - Reviewed by Elka

Book cover
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