by Anne Hanzl

Index

Introduction

PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Story of Rosy Dock

Old Pig

Just Another Ordinary Day

The Hunt

Billy the Punk

The Race

BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS

The Big Bazoohley

Tashi

45 & 47 Stella Street and Everything That Happened

Swashbuckler

A Bit of a Hitch

I Hate Books!

Exploring each of the books

• It is anticipated that teachers will read each of the books for themselves before exploring them with children. Therefore the suggestions presented here are intended to complement teachers' own planning, and should be adapted to meet each teacher's particular classroom context.
  
  
• While it is ideal if children have the opportunity to read and explore the books individually (with picture books like The Hunt it is essential), it is also valuable if they can read, share and discuss them with each other and with the teacher. In this way they can share their personal responses and insights, and teachers can offer new ways of considering a story and its illustrations. Children themselves, of course, often see things in illustrations and the text that their teachers may have missed.
  
  
• Children should consider the literary merit of each text. Does it, above all, tell a good story and tell it well? Is the story fresh and original, and does it involve the reader in a way appropriate to the type of story and its theme, and its intended audience?
  
  
• Children should also look at the overall design of each book, including the covers and endpapers--do they add to the overall unity of story and theme? They should consider whether the text and illustrations in picture books meld together to tell the story, giving it a 'seamless unity'.
  
  
• When children have had time for further reflection, exploration and comparison, they may like to have a poll to decide a rank order of merit for the six books in each of the two categories. They can then compare their findings with those of the CBCA judges when the awards are announced in Children's Book Week, 17-23 August.
  

PICTURE BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Story of Rosy Dock

Jeannie Baker
Random House Australia

• Study the front cover-- what kinds of things can we see through the window? Where might we find such a landscape / flora / fauna? In what kind of building do you think the window belongs? Why do you think the artist has chosen to give readers this view of a particular landscape?
  
  
• Is the name of Jeannie Baker, the author/artist, familiar to you? If so, what kinds of picture books has she created before, and what expectations do you have of this book? What kinds of materials does she use to create her illustrations in this and other books? Who or what do you think 'Rosy Dock' is?
  
  
• Look at the front endpapers--does there seem to be any connection between the front cover and the endpapers? What can we tell about the lifestyle of the lady? Why do you think she has a fence around her little house? Are there any differences between the plants inside the fence and those in the rest of the countryside? What kinds of animals can you see? Which ones do you think would be native to this part of the country?
  
  
• When you have finished the book, study the back endpapers and back cover--compare the scenes with those at the front. What is missing from the landscape? What has been added?
  
  
• How would you describe the landscape on the first double page spread of the book? Why do you think the artist has made the blue sky so dominant? Does anything grow or live in this land? Why do you think the river is the colour it is? Does the language used to describe the setting for the story create images of its own? (e.g. How can mountains be described as 'worn down bones'? Is there anywhere that really looks like this?)
  
  
• How does the artist create another kind of visual impact on the next double page spread? How does she ensure that the reader concentrates visually on the figure of the woman and the plants? Is there anything else of significance in this picture?
  
  
• While there is a written text in this book, much of the story and the artist's purpose in telling it is conveyed through the illustrations. For example, the text states 'Water is precious'--does this make sense when there is a large river running through the land behind the house? Why is it that some people seem to be sitting 'on' the river? How/where do the seeds of Rosy Dock spread? What effect does the flooding river have on the landscape/people/animals/ birds? Is the land in this area ever entirely without water? Do the changes to the land happen suddenly or gradually? Is it possible for people to live on this land without causing environmental damage?
  
  
• Could the chest that is seen in several of the pages be a metaphor for anything relevant to the theme of the story? (e.g. Pandora's Box).
  

Old Pig

Ron Brooks (text Margaret Wild)
Allen & Unwin

• How does the artist suggest which of the two pigs on the front cover is 'Old Pig'? Who do you think the other pig might be?
  
  
• The title page and the first three pages 'set the scene' for the story and the relationship between the two pigs. How would you describe this relationship? Why are Old Pig and Granddaughter so close?
  
  
• Why do you think that Old Pig is so insistent that Granddaughter eat corn and oats? What does Old Pig's statement 'While I'm alive . . . ' foreshadow to Granddaughter (and to the reader)?
  
  
• Why is Granddaughter so worried when Old Pig does not get up for breakfast? How does the reader know that Granddaughter is very worried? Why does Granddaughter pretend to get cross with Old Pig at breakfast the next morning?
  
  

• What kinds of things does Old Pig do to prepare for what she knows is coming? (e.g. practical things--closing her bank account, making sure that Granddaughter has money, paying bills; spiritual things--'feasting' her eyes on the beauty of nature).
  
  
• How does Granddaughter help to make Old Pig's passing easier? (e.g. looking after Old Pig and hugging her; playing the cello; accompanying Old Pig as she visits her favourite places; listening to Old Pig; following Old Pig's advice).
  
  
• How do you think Granddaughter is feeling at the end of the story? How do you think she will cope on her own?
  
  
• What do you think are the underlying themes of this story? Has the author written any other story about companionship, preparing for, and coping with, old age and death? (e.g. The Very Best of Friends). Could this story also be seen as a celebration of life? Do you think that such stories should be written for children who are at the beginning of their lives?
  
  
• Why do you think the author chose pigs rather than people as the main characters ? Are there any other animals/ birds in the story?
  

• What extra elements about the relationship between Old Pig and Granddaughter do the illustrations convey, over and above the text?
  
  
• Why do think the artist used pencil and watercolours rather than some other medium? What is the effect of these soft media?
  
  
• When/why do some full double page spreads have one large illustration, and others up to seven small illustrations? What is the difference in the effect produced?
  

Just Another Ordinary Day

Rod Clement
Harper Collins

• Examine the front cover--does the girl look concerned about the large animal sitting on her lap? What kind of animal is it--a Great Dane? What does the design of the material covering the armchair remind you of?
  
  
• What do you think the girl on the title page is looking at? Is it the same girl as on the front cover? Has her mood changed? (Keep lookout for this illustration in the book.)
  
  
• The illustration on the first double page spread leaves the reader in no doubt that Amanda lives in no ordinary world. Does she seem concerned about the rather exotic 'alarm bell' used to wake her up?
  
  
• What are the other extraordinary people/creatures/ situations in Amanda's life? Do all these strange things/ people/animals come from other worlds/times? Is there anything 'ordinary' about Amanda's life? (e.g. she eats breakfast, goes to school). Is there anything unusual about the 'ordinary' people in the story, including Amanda?
  

• Rod Clement is the author and the illustrator--what do you think was his intention in creating this picture book? How does he show that he has a good sense of humour? (e.g. the incongruity of the very ordinary text interpreted through very extraordinary illustrations, visual humour, irony). What other stories/times/characters does the artist evoke in the illustrations?
  
  
• How would you describe Clement's style of illustrating? (e.g. surrealistic/exaggerated with some realistic elements). Why do you think Clement uses a lot of white space as a background to the illustrations?
  
  
• Compare this book with other books by Clement-- Counting on Frank, Edward the Emu. What similarities and differences are there in the three books?
  

The Hunt

Narelle Oliver
Lothian Books

• Look at the front cover--how would you describe the look/behaviour of the bird? What do you think it might be looking for, and why? Are there any other creatures in the illustration?
  
  
• What effect do you think the artist is trying to achieve with the design on the endpapers?
  
  
• Read the quotation by Zborowski on the title page--what do you think he is trying to explain to the reader?
  
  
• Can the text at the beginning of the story be described as poetic in its use of language? Does the language match the illustration? What do you think are the main concerns of the mother Tawny Frogmouth? How would she behave if anyone/anything approached the nest?
  
  
• As you continue through the story, consider what the mother owl seems to be looking for, and why. What special skills does she need to achieve this aim? Why does she miss seeing the Bark Moth? Are there any other creatures that she doesn't see? What special skills do you need to see these creatures? Why is it that so many of the creatures seem able to 'disappear'?
  
  
• When does the hunter become( the hunted? If you were telling the story, would you have let the frogmouth catch the moth? What would happen if the frogmouth was not successful?
  

• As you read through the book can you find a pattern in the storytelling in text and illustrations? Why do you think the author/illustrator has told the story in this way?
  
  
• What skills did the author/illustrator use to ensure that the creatures being hunted are hard for the owl (and the reader) to see? Do you think that she is reflecting real life in the illustrations, as well as in the story itself? How has she made sure that we can see each creature being hunted by the owl when the creature is first mentioned?
  
  
• What techniques and media do you think the artist has used for the illustrations? (hand-coloured linocuts). What special effects does this medium/technique achieve that are well suited to the topic being illustrated?
  

• Read the information on pages 28-31 to find out the names of the camouflaged creatures in the illustrations. Explore the differences between camouflage, disguise and behaviour. Are animals in the wild the only ones to use these tactics?
  
  
• Why do animals/insects hunt each other in this way? Discuss the concept of the food chain, and whether all living creatures (including people) are part of that chain.
  
  
• Zborowski is an entomologist--what does this mean? How does a person become one?
  
  
• Look up an atlas to find out where this story is set; if possible find some pictures of the countryside that the artist has portrayed in the illustrations. How does the type of flora and fauna native to a particular part of a country affect all the creatures living there?
  

Billy the Punk

Craig Smith
(text Jessica Carroll)
Random House Australia

• Does the illustration on the title page confirm your concerns about this book? Who or what do you think is going to be 'whammed'?
  
  
• After reading the first page of the story, are you changing your mind about it? Might the author and illustrator be playing games with the reader? What kind of boy do you think Billy is? Could he have anything to do with 'Billy the Punk'?
  
  
• How would you describe the expression on Billy's face when he first saw the punks? Why are the words describing the punks in different sizes and types of print? Why do you think Billy was studying the punks so hard?
  

• Was your first description of Billy's character accurate? Why do you think he was so fascinated by the punks and the way they dressed? How would you describe his behaviour, going to school dressed as a punk? How did you expect his teacher to react? Did the teacher's reactions change as the week went by? Why do you think Billy's parents didn't react any earlier?
  
  
• What do you think Billy's father may have said to Billy when he refused to put on his school clothes? Why do you think that the father took Billy to see soldiers with the various uniforms? Did Billy's visit to the army barracks have any effect on him?
  
  
• Is this the kind of story you thought it was going to be after looking at the front cover? Is this a serious story, a funny story, or a funny/serious story? If you think it's funny, what makes it so--the illustrations, the text, the combination of the two, the incongruity of a little boy wanting to be a punk, or all of these? What might be some serious elements in the story?
  
  
• Why do you think Billy wanted to dress like the punks he saw? Why do you think punks dress as they do? Is their dress reflected in their behaviour? Why do some people get upset with punks? Why do some groups of people like to dress in a similar way? Are there some situations where it is important for people to dress in a similar way?
  

The Race

Ann Spudvilas
text Christobel Mattingley
Scholastic

• Study the front cover-- what kind of race do you think this story will be about? How good a runner do you think the boy is?
  
  
• Read the first page of story--the boy in the text and illustrations appears to be very athletic. Have you any ideas as to why he always comes last in races?
  

• What special qualities did Greg have? Why do you think he smiled at people, no matter what they said? Was he always happy? Why was he like a 'piece of jigsaw' that didn't 'quite fit'? Why did he watch everyone so closely?
  
  
• Was not being able to win a race the only problem that Greg had? How did his disability affect his school work, and his relationships with others? Were there any other kinds of 'race' Greg had to win?
  
  
• How can we tell what other people are like? Are we always right in our judgments? Why did one teacher work out what Greg's problem was while the other teacher didn't? How did the second teacher confirm her suspicions about Greg's disability? Could anyone else have worked out what the problem was? Did you work it out as the story was being read? To what extent do you think Greg really understood what was wrong?
  
  
• How would you treat Greg if he was in your class? Does having a disability mean that you can't join in most things at school, and life generally?
  
  

• Look carefully at what the artist actually illustrates-- what does she concentrate on? What does she not include? Why do you sometimes only see part of a person, such as the teacher? Why do you think she includes very little background detail? What is the effect of so much white space in many of the illustrations?
  
  
• The artist has had much experience as a portrait painter --how is this evident in her illustrations for this story?
  

BOOK OF THE YEAR: YOUNGER READERS

The Big Bazoohley

Peter Carey
University of Queensland Press

• Who or what is a 'big bazoohley'? Does the front cover give you any clues?
  

• How would you describe the members of Sam's family and their attitude to life? Is his father's philosophy 'One door shuts, another opens' a useful
  one to live by? How does Sam feel about his father, his mother, the family's lifestyle?
  
  
• Have you any ideas how the family might solve its immediate problems?
  

• Sam faced several problems after the sleepwalking episode--what were they? (e.g. locking himself out of his room; coping with Muriel and George's crazy scheme). How did Sam turn the difficult situation he found himself in with Muriel and George to his own advantage?
  
  
• What kind of adjectives could you use to describe Sam? (e.g. spunky, intelligent, adventurous). How would you describe Muriel and George? (e.g. greedy, selfish, fanatical, exploitative). What kind of person was Wilfred, their son? Do people really become obsessed about winning competitions like the 'Perfecto Kiddo Competition'? What sometimes happens to the children/animals who are entered in these competitions?
  
  
• How did Sam feel about the competition, and those involved in it? Should he have agreed to take Wilfred's place?
  
  
• Why did Philip Lopate award the prize to Sam and Nancy? Should he have done so?
  
  
• How would you describe Mr. de Vere, his role in the competition, and his role in the life of Sam's family? Do people like him really exist?
  
  
• Devise a short play or readers' theatre session of the episode where the competition for the 'big Bazoohley' is taking place. Work out how many characters are needed and who are the main ones. (e.g. Sam and Nancy, the 'nasty' boy and his partner, Philip Lopate, Muriel and George, Sam's parents). Decide which parts are funny and which are more serious, and how to build up tension to reach the climax.
  
  
• Try to answer the questions posed in the last chapter of the book about what might happen to Wilfred and his parents in the future. Did anyone already make Wilfred's life a little happier?
  
  
• Do you think Sam and his parents learned anything from their experiences in Toronto?
  
  
• Try to create a miniature painting similar to the one described in the last chapter, including all the scenes/ characters mentioned.
  

Tashi

Anna Fienberg (illus. Kim Gamble
Allen & Unwin

• What mood is created by the cover illustration? What kind of person/creature do you think Tush is? What kind of story do you think this is going to be?
  
  

• How would you describe the relationship between Tashi and Jack? Did Jack's parents really understand who Tashi was, and why he was so important to Jack? What is it about his Dad's questions that Jack didn't like?
  
  
• Discuss the things that are really special about Tashi. Would you like to have a friend like Tashi? ow did Tashi and Jack find each other?
  
  
• Why do you think the swan helped the warlord to return home? Do you know other stories in which a swan (or swans) play a role? (e.g. folk/fairy tales; the stories of Hans Christian Andersen). Are there other characters in this book you have met in other stories? (e.g. dragons). How did the dragon help to cause his own loneliness? Do you think he really was the last dragon on earth? How was it that Tashi was able to defeat the dragon when the dragon was so much bigger than him?
  
  
• How has the author created a story within a story? What other kinds of stories do you think Tashi might have to tell? (See the sequel Tashi and the Giants.)
  
  
• What mood is created by the soft grey pencil illustrations? What kinds of things can you see in the illustrations which the text doesn't tell you about?
  
  

45 and 47 Stella Street and Everything that Happened

Elizabeth Honey
Allen and Unwin

• Look at the front/back covers, title/half-title/contents page -- they are messy, disorganised and amateurish! What an odd title! Why is there a child's letter on the back cover? What are the publishers thinking of? Who might have written this book? What are your expectations of this book?
  

• Do you understand better now what type of book this is going to be? Whose story is Henni telling, and why do think she has chosen to tell it in this way? How does Henni begin her story? (e.g. by introducing people, describing 47 Stella Street). How does she make it seem like a true story? Could it be a true story?
  

• How did the people who lived in Stella Street normally get on? Why did the new people in No. 45 become known as the 'Phonies'? Why did the Stella Street community start reacting negatively to the new neighbours?
  
  
• Who/what annoyed the Phonies about their new neighbours? Why did Briquette's behaviour make them angry? (Was 'Briquette' an apt name for the dog?) Why do dogs often cause problems between neighbours? What did Briquette's owners do to stop him causing further trouble?
  
  
• Discuss what it means to be a good neighbour, and how/ why neighbourhoods change in various ways over time.
  
  
• When and why did the children start becoming really suspicious of the Phonies' behaviour? Could there have been other explanations for the things that the Phonies said and did?
  
  
• What adjectives could you use to describe Henni and her friends? (e.g. loyal, inventive, thoughtful, funny, brave, adventurous, foolhardy).
  
  
• What do you think life is going to be like in Stella Street from now on? What kind of career do you think Henni might follow when she grows up? If you would like Henni to write another story, you could write to her through Elizabeth Honey and her publisher.
  
  
• What genre does this story belong to? (e.g. adventure, first person narrative, journal/diary writing). Why do you think the author chose this writing style to tell the story? What devices does the author use to involve the reader in the narrative? (e.g. chatty style of writing, including some asides to the reader, some exaggeration to make a point, use of capital letters for emphasis, handwritten copies of notices/ letters, sketches, fast, racy style when things are tense, action taking place).
  

Swashbuckler

James Moloney
University of Queensland Press

• What is a 'swashbuckler'? (e.g. a swaggering bully or ruffian). How does the character portrayed on the front cover show that he's trying to be a 'swashbuckler'? What do you think the building behind him might be? Is this story set in the present day or in times past?
  
  
• Look at the title page--is the person at the forefront in the small illustration a 'swashbuckler' too?
  

• Who is telling this story? What kind of problems is he facing? Why do you think the author chose to write the story from his point of view?
  
  
• Is it common for bullies to try to intimidate a new boy at school? What kind of person do bullies often pick on? (e.g. someone vulnerable).
  
  
• How was it that someone like Anton managed to 'beat' the bullies? (e.g. surprise attack, sophisticated/archaic use of language). What kind of person does Anton seem to be? Why do you think he behaves and speaks as he does?
  

• How did the different members of Peter's family cope with his father's gambling problem? Why do you think Peter was so angry with, and resentful of, his father? Had he stopped loving his father? How did Peter come to realise that his own father needed 'rescuing' too? Why did Peter find Anton's attitude to his dying father so hard to understand?
  
  
• Were you right in your early assessment of Anton's behaviour, including his use of archaic language? What was the biggest real challenge that Anton had to face? How can an illness like cancer be likened to a dragon? What device did Peter finally use to get Anton to visit the hospital? What do you think the tower on the front cover of the book might represent? What 'dragons' do you think Anton's father had to face?
  
  
• What do you think the relationship between Peter and Anton might be like in the future? Do you think they would continue to play 'hero' games?
  
  
• Why do you think Anton knew about Dick Turpin, Beowulf, the Scarlet Pimpernel, Scaramouche, the Count of Monte Christo and Robin Hood? Were they 'swashbucklers' or 'heroes' (or do people often confuse the two terms)? Why do people seem to enjoy hearing about 'heroes'? Are there any modern heroes?
  

A Bit of a Hitch

Mary Steele
Hyland House

• which is the most memorable and/or humorous story for each child and why; the three most popular stories with the group.
  
  
• the author's style of writing, her use of humour, characterisation, related themes in the different stories (if any)
  
  
• where authors get their ideas from--in this book the author has obligingly included a section at the end (the Afterword) in which she discusses the 'seed' of the idea for each of the stories. Children could begin their own story 'ideas' book.
  
  
• how short story writing differs from novel writing (e.g. short stories often focus on one episode and/or one or two characters; there is usually not as much 'lead in' to the story as in novels; greater intensity of writing, tighter plot structure).
  

I Hate Books!

Kate Walker
(illus. David Cox)
Omnibus Books

• The title and picture of the boy on the front cover seem a little depressing--what kind of story do you think this is going to be?
  

• Whose story is this? Why do you think the author has Hamish telling his own story?
  
  
• What does Hamish like about books at this stage in his life?
  
  Grandpa likes books too, but what is rather unusual about the way he reads them? Why do you think he does this? What do Hamish and Nathan like about Grandpa's reading? How does Hamish feel about himself and his abilities before he goes to school?
  

• What did Hamish enjoy about school for the first two or three years? Do you think that Hamish thought he could actually read at this stage?
  
  
• What is reading, and what do you need to understand about it before you can begin to learn to read? Did Hamish realise he had a problem? Why didn't his first teachers and his parents realise that Hamish had a reading problem?
  
  
• What was Hamish very good at? (e.g. telling stories with lots of expression, using his vivid imagination, using his memory). Was this why it took so long for adults to realise that Hamish wasn't actually reading the words on the page?
  
  
• What device did Hamish's parents use to show that reading is important and useful? Even though Hamish accepted this, why was he still depressed at school, and when he and Angie tried to teach themselves?
  
  
• What was the crisis point for Hamish and Nathan? How did Nathan manage to convince Hamish that he wasn't stupid? How do you think Hamish is feeling by the end of the story? What kinds of things do you think that Hamish might do when he grows up?
  
  
• What element in the writing style/illustrations story of a serious issue light and easy to read?
  
  
• Discuss the reasons why it is important for people in our society to be able to read. Now that we have computers, does this mean that people needn't learn to read? Are you ever too old to learn to read?
  
  
• Design/illustrate a picture for the back cover of the book as a contrast to the front cover.
  

The entire Short List is available from your State Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, or check with your teacher/librarian, who may already have a copy.

This page was last updated 19 July 1996

Enquiries/Comments to: mteach.IT@alex.edfac.usyd.edu.au