Swings + Roundabouts Spring 2020

BRUCE GOES OUTSIDE By Kathryn Van Beek Mary Egan Publishing; RRP: $20.00 Hardback Bruce Goes Outside is a sequel to Bruce Finds a Home, a story about Bruce's rescue when found as a homeless kitten at the age of one day! In Bruce Goes Outside we share the adventure when Bruce ventures outside for the first time. Bruce struggles with the cat flap, annoys a bird…and ends up on the wrong side of the fence. What will his owner Kate do? The story in rhyming verse is catchy and fun to read with children and allows children to anticipate and guess what word is next after a couple of reads. Children will enjoy the illustrations with this mischievous kitten. The book will be enjoyed by children 2.5 +. MAX AND HIS BIG IMAGINATION: THE CAVE By Chrissy Metge Illustrated by Dmitry Chizhov Duckling Publishing; RRP: $16.99 Paperback The simple storyline of a child being giving a few blankets and a flashlight to make a cave with the dining table, is accessible to many children’s experiences of something to do on a rainy day or the holidays. Max and His Big Imagination: The Cave is the seventh Max and His Big Imagination book. In this book Max’s large imagination encourages and inspires children to use their imagination through utilising Max’s techniques in facing his fear of being scared by the dark through meeting some nocturnal creatures in his imagination and playing hide and seek. The animated style of the bright illustrations will appeal to many young children due to its familiarity. This book will be enjoyed by children 3+. THE HUG BLANKET By Chris Gurney Illustrated by Lael Chisholm Scholastic; RRP: $19.99 Hardback The Hug Blanket really pulls the heartstrings in this touching story where adults will find it a struggle to hold back the tears due to the sensitive written prose and the stunning and somewhat whimsical illustrations. One day, Dad told me that Nana had died suddenly. I didn’t know what to do. Everything felt wrong. People said she had gone to a better place. I wondered how she could go to a place that was better than me. The Hug Blanket was written to help children understand grief by exploring how this young girl deals with this sudden death of someone very special. We first met the young girl and her brother as they spend time with their colourful Nana as she reads books to them, plays make-believe, cooks bread buns, and collects shells. We learn how she knitted hug blankets for all her family, personalising each blanket, with this young girl having a shell knitted on each corner of her blanket. Then we how this young girl deals with this sudden death of a beloved grandmother, such as, going back to the house where Nana is no longer, where she collects shells (which are placed on Nana's coffin), then later at home taking comfort from the knitted gifts and feeling the love of her grandmother. You also see the children visit the gravesite and naturally talk to their grandmother. This book is great to have on your bookshelf to give children an opportunity to discuss times of sadness or grief in a very natural way and offers opportunities to discuss what different families do to celebrate and remember their loved ones. This book is also available in te reo Māori. This book will suit readers from 4+. September 2020 { 41 }