New Zealand’s Endangered Dolphins by Maria Gill. Illus. Marco Ivancic. Pub. White Cloud Books, 2024

Whenever I review a non fiction book I compare the information and arrangement of information with online sources to see which is better in terms of subject matter and age appropriateness. In this picture book about two endangered New Zealand dolphins – popota (Maui) and pahu (Hector’s) this book wins hands down.

These are two of the smallest dolphins in the world at between 1.2 and 1.6 metres long. Their brains are 15-60 times bigger than a shark so they are smart and they sense things with an echolocation system which tells them how far away objects are and even if another dolphin is pregnant, has just eaten or is frightened.

Both dolphins like to swim in pods with the Poto being located off the west coast of the North Island and Pahu mainly off the east coast of the South island but you can read the rest of the information about them when you get this excellent picture book for primary intermediate and even high school readers.

It also tells of marine sanctuaries and what we can do to help save them as well as the dolphin’s structure in comparison to other larger dolphins.

Marco Ivancic’s diagrams, photographs, maps and illustrations enhance the excellent information and easy text of Maria Gill. An award winning non fiction book if I ever saw one.

Andy & The little Rimu Tree by Hydie Balle-Hands, Illus Nhat Hao Nguyen. Pub. Beau Books 2024.

Andy is a little upset when his parents go out but he is left with a capable nanny who has a special little rimu tree.

She tells Andy that the rimu tree will grant him three wishes as long as Andy believes in his heart that the wishes will be granted. Andy is a believer and when he lies down to rest he and his dog Archer are whisked away on a ship only to discover that a sneaky prate has legged it with his rimu tree.

What is Andy and Archer going to do? fortunately they meet some fairies called Tipodes who are guardians of the Forgotten island where the pirates have taken the little rimu tree. Will they get it back?

Well illustrated with the Tipodes a highlight and the surprise ending will have you guessing. Good read-a-loud as well.

Faelan The Wolf Bk3. Faelan the Fearless by Juliette MacIver. Pub. Scholastic, 2024

Faelan the wolf is one on the best characters I have read about in a children’s book. He is brave, fearless and different to the norm. A wolf who loves music, plays the harp, is selfless, is a vegan and is best friends with a chicken and a skunk.

This last book in a trilogy ties up all the loose ends from the first two books which are also reviewed elsewhere on this blog. Questions like Who is Faelan’s real father? Is it Varg the beast from a rebel wolf pack? and if he is not Varg’s son then who is and does he pose a danger to the pack?

With the death of Bardolf who will become pack leader? Weylin or somebody else? Will Avian and Faelan free the chickens from man and take them to the promised land?

The conclusion to this story is stunning but not surprising considering Faelan’s character. Don’t miss this easy to read adventure, it’s one of the best of the year.

How to Be a Cat by Juliette MacIver, illus. Carla Martell. Pub. Scholastic 2024.

This is a sequel to award winning picture book Duck Goes Meow also reviewed elsewhere on this blog, as duck continues his quest to become a cat.

Mama cat teaches her two kittens plus the duck to wash their fur, to climb a tree using their claws, to stalk and pounce and hiss but when the trio meet some rough looking big cats, Duck begins to wonder whether he is a cat.

Mama calms Duck down and says he has all the skills necessary to be a cat and not all cats are the same. When he snuggles into mama’s fur with the other two kittens guess what noise he makes? read it and find out.

Carla Martell’s illustrations capture all the cat moments and Duck is a delight. Great rhyming text that makes this a great read-a-loud book for juniors

A hug So Tight by Holly Melville-Bell. Pub. Twig 2024.

Lenny the Loris announces at the start of this excellent picture book for primary and intermediate kids that he is “Here to teach you something new! how to talk to other people using only your hands”.

He is not a very well behaved young loris and other animals in the forest are “scared stiff of his crazy mischief”. he drops an old meatball on Benny the bear cub, he sticks Riley raccoon to a tree with blue gum, he throws sally the Spider at Elly the Elephant but comes unstuck when he throws a rotten plum at a baby monkey. Read it and see what happens. How will Lenny’s bad behaviour be rewarded.

While the treatment of bad behaviour is a major theme of this story which the author deals positively with the major theme is sign language.

The animals in the story sign 5 big words during the action – baby, Mother, Sorry, Love and Escape. try to find them in the story and learn how to do them at the back of the book.

A unique picture book that will help children understand and learn sign language. The illustrations are superb with Lenny adorable but my favourite was the mother monkey at the end. We all need a mother like her.

Bubbles the Zooting Tooting Manatee by Minky Stapleton. Pub Scholastic 2024.

A manatee is an aquatic mammal that was once mistaken by sailors as a mermaid. It inhabits tropical areas especially around Florida and it eats the sea grass which unfortunately creates gas in their intestines and makes them fart. Hence Bubbles.

Most young lady manatees control their farting so that they have Elegance, Finesse and Serenite and they can glide , sashay and pirouette but not Bubbles. She wants to be different. She wants to use her farts to make he speed. She wants to zoot and squee much to the chagrin of her mother and the aunties.

Then she hits an old turtle and enough is enough. But a crisis is at hand involving an alligator when zooting and squeeeing is going to prove helpful. read it and see what happens.

Delightful pink illustrations and lots of farting. kids will love it.

In the back there is some information about manatees. They speak French you know.

This is the Ship That Jack Built by Peter Millett, Illus. Sam Caldwell. Pub. Buster Books 2024.

Jack wants to get the gold back that the rat stole on the ship he built then in turn is nabbed by the cat, the squid, the whale the seal and the crab before being taken ashore by the turtle.

Of course there is more to it than that and it is told in rhyming text as a parody of the old English nursery rhyme The House that Jack Built.

The question is will Jack get his loot back?

Cleverly told by Peter Millett whose other books are reviewed on this blog and superbly illustrated by Sam Caldwell who captures all the action and the characters as the loot changes hands.

Released on 11 April this would make a grand edition to the school library and the home for juniors and primary school students.

Take Me To Your Leader by Leone Agnew. Illus. Paul Beavis. Pub. Puffin, 2024.

Ashton Hill primary school has 17 students of which Lucas, his sister Ellie and friend Harriet are students. The Minister of Education Mrs carter decides to close the school down and the children want to protest.

Their teacher Mr Ngata tells them protest will fall on deaf ears and any petition will be put on the scrap heap. Lucas wants to persist and so does his friend Harriet.

While flying a kite marked with high-viz tape in the evening causes a fuss when a local chicken farmer Mrs Jones reports a UFO in the area and it is printed in the national newspapers. Tourists start clambering into the town poking their cameras and noses into recycling bins almost like they were hoping to find dead alien bodies.

Lucas, Harriet and co promote the alien theme in the hope that it will create jobs and people will stay in the town of Ashton Hill and the school will be saved. Lucas has another reason to stay as his father is buried in the town and he wants to keep in touch. Will it work? read the book and find out..

Very funny in places and other issues like the treatment of battery chickens, vegetarianism, climate change, government responses to protest, school closures etc come into the story. The kids also use a blog, Twitter and other social media to promote their actions.

A modern story and great read -a – loud.

Koro’s Star by Claire Aramakutu. Pub. Scholastic, 2024.

Good old fashioned story telling from the winner of the 2023 Tom Fitzgibbon Award.

Set in the 1960’s when there were no cell phones, no computers, no online games and kids played outside and made fun by themselves and their friends. Marbles was a competitive sport and kids did jobs to get pocket money.

Atama is 10 years old and his sister Maia is 6yrs. They live in Burnham army camp as their father is sent to Vietnam. he is good father and close to his son in particular. When he leaves he gives Atama a gold Star medal that his grandfather Koro, was presented with after the battle of Crete during World war 2.

Atama finds new friends at the camp and to get into the group called the fear Crushers he has to do an initiation by going underground into some old tunnels that go under the army camp. Atama makes it but when his new friend Eden has to do the same she gets into bother fully testing the courage of Atama and his friends.

There is something eerie underground, I wonder what it is and will Koros Star medal have an influence on what is going on. read it and find out.

Short easy to read story and a deserved winner of the Tom Fitzgibbon literary award.

Avis and the Call of the Kraken by Heather McQuillan. Pub. Cuba Press, 2024.

This very good fantasy novel about dragons and the mythical undersea beast the kraken is a sequel to Avis and the promise of dragons.

In the previous book Avis became the nursemaid for two dragons owned by the far out Malinda Childe. The two dragons named Humber and Princess have grown and want to stretch their wings and Malinda decides they need somewhere safe to stay where they will not be found by humans.

Avis and Malinda stay in contact with the dragons by means of a dragon teardrop which they wear around their necks like a cell phone. When that communication is hacked by something else they start to worry what it is.

Out at sea is a drilling platform and when Avis is flying undetected over the sea she sees a disturbance under the sea which she also detects is the force hacking her communication with the dragons.

While flying over the sea Avis finds an island that is suitable for Humbert and Princess to live but the mysterious force is going to have an effect on this. It is a Kraken called Mother and she is disturbed at the mess the drilling rig is making on her environment.

Also introduced are two new characters Mr Papalu and a young aspiring journalist called Lulu. They discover the secret of the dragons but will it remain a secret and what will happen when the dragons eat chocolate bars especially the chilli chocolate bar.

a fun story with a serious aspect to it. Well written and cleverly paced with a very good role model in Avis.