Calypso Summer - Jared Thomas

Calypso is into the Caribbean – he’s into Rasta, reggae, Bob Marley, Usain Bolt and the West Indies cricket team. He wears his hair in dreadlocks and no one calls him Kyle, his real name. He’s even convinced his customers at the local health food shop that he’s Jamaican. It’s not surprising Calypso would want to idolise someone like Bob Marley, who, like Calypso, had a black dad and a white mum and grew up poor. (Marley’s dad took off, Calypso’s died.) Calypso reckoned that being a black kid in a white world would be easier if he was cool; being a Rasta provided him with a sense of identity. Run, Calypso’s cousin, on the other hand, hangs out in Calypso’s flat all day smoking ganja (cannabis) – when he’s not out with his mate stealing grog for drug money – as his way of dealing with the challenges of being a blackfella in a predominantly white person’s world.

This is a story about choices, about determination and hope. It is the story of what happens when a young man rediscovers his connection to country, to his mob, and unearths within himself a sense of who he is within his wider family and community. It is also the story of the harsh reality of age-old racial prejudice and the ramifications of its outworking amongst the Indigenous members of modern Australian society. When Calypso’s boss, Gary, at the Henley Beach Health Food and Products Store wants to introduce a new range of native plants for natural remedies, and enlists Calypso’s help to source some from his ‘tribe’, Calypso’s mum suggests he visit his Nukunu family in the Southern Flinders Ranges. The summer starts looking up for Calypso when he meets Clare, a Ngadjuri girl who works at the local hairdressing salon down the street; the two of them join forces to help wager a fair deal between Gary and Calypso’s elders who oversee the land where the plants grow. Festering in the background, however, like a boil about to burst, is the situation with his cousin Run’s covert criminal activities and the possible impact on Calypso’s life.

Calypso Summer is a well-crafted story populated with authentic characters – Calypso is immediately likeable, aptly flawed. The reader is drawn into the lives of each character –Calypso, Clare, Gary, Run, Calypso’s mob – into all the messiness, exuberance, optimism and ordinariness each life affords. The many references to culture add richness and verisimilitude to the text: ‘You see, the Dreaming ain’t just a lot of stories, it’s a way of living, staying connected with country, giving and taking’. Calypso Summer is also a story that dives intrepidly into the swirling waters of drug dependency and petty crime within the Indigenous community. Run’s downward spiral into hopelessness is poignantly contrasted with Calypso’s rediscovery of his roots and the way his connection with country and family help provide him with agency. Punctuated with life lessons, a story that foregrounds the power of acceptance, the potentiality of self-belief and the importance of culture.

Strong language and drug references deem this a book suitable for an older YA audience.

Magabala Books, 2014

(A version of this review appears in Magpies Vol 29, Issue 3, July 2014)

 

Australian Federation: One People, One Destiny - Net Brennan

One of the winning aspects of this educational picture book for upper primary school students (and beyond) is its narrative flow: it reads like a story. Net Brennan has crafted her significant research into a body of work that is accessible from the outset: the historical figures that populated the era around Federation become three-dimensional characters that are weaved deftly into a compelling chronicle. The reader is introduced to names that perhaps already sound familiar to them – surnames they recognise from street signs, the names of universities, the suburbs of Canberra, their houses at school. Brennan brings such characters as Parkes, Deakin, Griffith, Barton (Tosspot Toby!), Reid, Kingston – and the women Catherine Spence and Mary Lee – to life as she relates the journey of their various roles in the move to towards Federation. The tension Brennan builds around the ever-present ‘yes or no’ question – will the colonies vote for a constitution that results in a federated Australia? – works well to keep the reader engaged.

The tone of the narrative is easy-going, the congenial voice of the narrator positioning the reader to gain insights into the ordinary lives of the men – and scattering of women – who effected change on the early political landscape of the nation. This, for instance, invites the reader to feel the frustration and disappointment around the many setbacks to the formulation of the Australian Constitution, having been made privy to the journey of those who worked towards its inception and eventual acceptance.

The visual impact of the book is immediately appealing. The text is broken up with a diverse array of illustrations into manageable chunks, a new story element introduced and featured on each double-page spread. The illustrations feature photographs of the time, paintings, political cartoons, diagrams and sketches. The book also features break-out segments that define terminology for the child reader, and includes a short glossary at the back. The background sepia tones and variation in fonts contribute to the accessibility and aesthetic of the work.

A criticism of this text is the cursory glance it gives to the original and subsequent impact of colonisation on the Indigenous population, and the dubious title of the first page opening/chapter: ‘A Name Without a Nation’, which, in this context, lends weight to an unfortunate subtextual reference to the assumption of terra nullius and its violent consequences (which the book does not address).

Apart from said criticism, the book is certainly an interesting, informative and engaging read.

Black Dog Books, 2014

(A version of this review appears in Magpies Vol 29, Issue 2, May 2014)

Monkey and Me - David Gilman

Beanie is counting the days he’s been alive. Every new one is another step closer to achieving a goal of paramount importance: to become a fully-fledged member of his older brother Mark’s gang. To do that he must reach double figures. He’s close: nine years, eleven months and some days. Fortunately a meeting of the Executive Council has approved his probationary status, but Beanie will do almost anything to accelerate the process – including a life-endangering stunt to save the Sweet Dreams Sweet Factory, home of the gang’s secret headquarters. So when the factory is demolished anyway, Beanie sets a new standard in bravery when they decide to search for a new location and check out Black Gate, a condemned old mansion that everybody knows is haunted. And it’s here, when he’s alone in the house, he meets Monkey.

David Gilman has put together a ripping yarn. It’s a warm and funny, superbly plotted story where the stakes are raised incrementally; the reader has no choice but to read on in order to relieve the ever increasing tension and suspense. It even contains the obligatory chase scene – albeit on a postman’s bicycle with a screeching monkey perched on the handlebars! Monkey and Me, however, is much more than an adventure story that features a young boy’s bravery in an attempt to impress his peers and to save a monkey. It is also the poignant narrative of a family doing it tough in the face of serious illness. The reader is cleverly positioned to come to the gradual realisation that this is a story about another sort of bravery. The significance of Beanie counting his age in daily increments takes on a deeper level of meaning when it is revealed that the reason he is so attached to his beanie is because he is bald. Beanie is suffering from Leukaemia. When this comes to light, pieces of a jigsaw puzzle come together for the reader, who is positioned to know more than the protagonist, Beanie, about the seriousness of his illness and the ramifications of the risks he takes in trying to protect Malcolm, his new charge.

 

This is a heart-warming story about courage, friendship and hope; it is about resilience in the face of uncertainty. But most of all it is a remarkable story about a boy’s determination to save the life of a monkey, even when it means his own must be put in jeopardy. A thoroughly engaging read.

Puffin, 2014

(A version of this review appears in Magpies Vol 29, Issue 2, May 2014)

Pigs Might Fly - Brett Avison and Janine Dawson

When it doesn’t stop raining for over a week Bryn’s family find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Their farm is situated right by the river which is rising at an alarming rate. They manage to load the sheep, sows, the goat and the cows into trucks just before the river breaks its banks, but there’s a big problem. Where are the piglets and hen? Ted and young Bryn stay behind to look for them, but by the time Bryn spots the hen asleep on her bed in the shed, it’s too late to make their escape – the road is inundated. Just when Bryn thinks the situation seems hopeless, Ted uncovers his shiny new microlight at the back of the shed. But their wings to freedom are not the only discovery Bryn makes in the shed: six piglets have been hiding there too! What are they to do now? They’re not all going to fit into that tiny plane! Don’t worry, this story has a very happy ending and a brilliantly novel one at that. Bryn, with some help from Oscar the dog come up with a marvellous solution – and a surprise – that will delight any young reader of this charming picture book.

The text, written in rhyming verse, is unpretentious and easy to read aloud (always the definitive test); the storyline is straightforward and free-spirited, with just the right amount of micro-tension and suspense to keep the young reader engaged, invested in discovering the outcome of Bryn’s plight. Janine Dawson’s illustrations, as always, work their magic with the verbal text so that the result is well and truly more than the sum of the parts. Her bold, animative, painterly style amplifies the humour and adds movement and excitement to the overall text. Her characterisation brings a gratifying harmony to the music of the rhyming verse.

 

A thoroughly enjoyable read and a book children and their adults will want to re-visit time and again.

Five Mile Press, 2014

(A version of this review appears in Magpies Vol 29, Issue 2, May 2014)

Amazing Babes: a picture book for kids and adults - Eliza Sarlos and Grace Lee

The first glorious aspect of Amazing Babes that tips you off balance in the most agreeable way is the surprise. When my review copy arrived in the mail, I was about to leave for an appointment; I had a quick look at the cover and the first page opening that simply contains the text, ‘AS I GROW …’ spread over two pages. I thought, Okay, it’s a book about babies, and popped it on my ‘to read’ pile. This book is about babes of a different kind, however, as I later discovered – to my delight. The second page opening contains the text, ‘I want the COURAGE of AUNG SAN SUU KYI’ with a striking illustration of her portrait, painterly, bold and arresting – in line with the simplicity and punch of the text. First tick: clever title – waggish and takes the definition of ‘babe’ to a new level. This book, as the title suggests, draws attention to an amazing array of women from around the world, both from contemporary society and history, who have wrought change by their inspiration, creativity, determination and bravery. The text continues, ‘I want the COMPASSION of MUM SHIRL’ followed by, ‘I want to BREAK THE RULES, like ELIZABETH GARRETT ANDERSON’, a different ‘babe’ to each successive page opening. Some of the other characters in this welcome and exciting addition to the world of literature for young people and adults alike are: Tavi Gevison, publisher of the online magazine, Rookie, and who at 15, had 30, 000 readers of her blog; Miles Franklin, feminist and author; Hedy Lamarr, actress and mathematician; Frida Kahlo, artist; and Malala Yousafzai, young Pakistani activist, who in 2012, survived a gunshot wound to the head and continues work for the rights of all children to an education. The list also includes the lesser known West African activist, Hadijatou Mani; barrister and British political figure, Shami Chakrabarti; and Liberian peace activist, Leymah Gbowee, to name a few.

There is much to love about this important work. It receives an enormous tick for the very idea of it. The text is compelling in its spareness and lexicon, with the ‘I want’ on each page invoking such words and phrases as; ‘moxie’; ‘conviction’; ‘commitment’; ‘vision’; ‘curiosity’; ‘fervour’; ‘feel empowered’; and ‘never lose the excitement of possibility’. The reader is positioned by the intersection of the evocative verbal text and Lee’s powerful illustrations – that adeptly capture an unspoken essence about each woman – to see much more than the sum of the parts. The women are presented as vibrant, strong, and essential. Another welcome surprise comes at the end of the book. During my first read-through, I expected to be researching the characters with whom I was unfamiliar. Sarlos, however, is one step ahead, listing a short biography of each ‘babe’ at the back. This portion of the text is aimed more at the adult or advanced younger reader, with a more sophisticated lexical set and writing style.

 

Amazing Babes is stirring, inspiring and significant. It is a text with the power to be a subversive influence on young and old, female and male alike.

Scribe Books, 2014

(A version of this review appears in Magpies Vol 29, Issue 1, March 2014)

Truly Tan Spooked - Jen Storer and Claire Robertson

Tan Callahan, sneaky sleuth extraordinaire, is back on the job when some suspiciously unusual occurrences around the town grab her attention. What’s happening to the stone animals – ‘stonies’ – in Peppercorn Valley? Why do they keep disappearing – or moving? Who is the stonie thief and what is their motive? Just as well Tan has her two best friends on the case to assist. Molly is visiting from the city for a whole month, and after Tan assures Gloria there is no book written that says you can’t have two best friends, the three immerse themselves in detective work and World Headquarters becomes a hotbed of investigation.

The third in the Truly Tan series, this book is a delight to read and girls in middle primary school will have trouble putting it down. Tan is a charismatic character, immediately likeable, who has a joie-de-vie that is refreshing and attractive. Her spark and vivacity are endearing. She’s positive, pragmatic and blithely unaware of enough undercurrent goings-on to make her character entirely believable. Jen Storer, on a number of occasions, cleverly positions the reader to know more than Tan and sometimes her counterparts, which works a treat in terms of engagement and empathy. Seasoned with humour, the text is splendidly crafted, and the ‘Dear Diary’, list and word-explanation segments add contrast and variety, working to invite the reader for a closer look into Tan’s world. Claire Robertson’s illustrations add warmth and appeal and are a great match for the text.

Truly Tan Spooked! is a winner – heart-warming, jaunty and a joy to read.

Harper Collins, 2013

(A version of this review appears in Magpies Vol 29, Issue 1, March 2014)

Dying to Tell Me - Sherryl Clark

There’s been a lot going on in thirteen-year-old Sasha’s life and a move to Manna Creek with Dad and younger brother, Nicky, is supposed to be a good thing, sort out some of the challenges. But will it? Who wants to start off in a new school as a policeman’s kid, when your father is the only cop in town? Anyway, Manna Creek feels like a ghost town to Sasha – in more ways than one. The weather’s freezing, the streets are deserted – where are the kids her age? – and there is something ghostly and sinister about the old prison cell between the back of the police station and the house. Sasha making a new start after ending up in the Children’s Court in Melbourne might sound like a good idea to Dad, but it’s not going to be straight-forward. When King, a trained police dog, joins the family, Sasha discovers they are able to communicate with each other. Is it because of the bump on the head when she falls in the forest on the first day? Or is it linked to Sasha’s other mysterious ‘abilities’? Will she be able to make sense of all the weird goings on both within herself and in Manna Creek? Will she find the strength to put her ‘gift’ to good use and save a life?

Sherryl Clark has come up with a pacey first-class mystery that keeps you turning the page. Her prose is vigorous and fresh, with plenty of foreshadowing and withholding of detail to rack up the tension. Sasha’s characterisation drives the story forward and engages the reader, positioning them to see the world through her eyes, to share in her struggles and work through her conflictions. Clark creates believable subtext that adds authenticity and depth to Sacha as she begins to come to terms with her own strengths and capabilities. The authentic relationships with her brother and father work well to ground the story and round it out in juxtaposition to her supernatural connections and abilities. The scarcity of detail around Sacha’s relationship with her mother detracts from this, but perhaps Clark will develop this in a sequel.

This book’s closure leaves the reader with lots to wonder about and in many ways feels like a set-up for a series. There is much in place for the reader to accompany Sacha as she continues to work through her unique life challenges and makes Manna Creek her home. How will she fare at school – what friendships will she develop? Will there be a move towards reconciliation with her mother? How will her relationship with King develop, and what of Tangine and Mark Wallace? How will she continue to manifest her 'gift'?

 

A quirky but sensitive coming-of-age story about self-acceptance, courage and overcoming adversity. A gratifying and compelling read.

Sherryl Clark, 2014 (first published Kane Millar US 2011)
Distributed by Dennis Jones and Associates


(A version of this review appears in Magpies Vol 29, Issue 1, March 2014)