The very cranky bear

Today, our whole school participated in the annual ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime with a reading of Nick Bland's "The very cranky bear".

The hearing support unit used a Youtube presentation in Auslan. It was so well done that, after I'd read the book to the Stage 1 group who'd used the school library as their venue today, we decided to play the Auslan performance as well.

National Simultaneous Storytime is an eagerly-anticipated annual event!

What possum?

Hush from "Possum magic" (left); and Hush turns invisible (right).

Hush the baby possum from "Possum magic", a children's picture book by Mem Fox and Julie Vivas. He stays visible only by regular intake of "people food" such as Vegemite sandwiches, pavlova and lamingtons.

Bonjour, Monsieur Poulet!

Leigh Hobbs' infamous Monsieur Poulet, of "Mr Chicken goes to Paris", climbs the Eiffel Tower and then (below, in my version of the story) seemingly meets an appreciative, time-travelling artist. (I'm actually working on a book trailer for this CBCA Awards nominated picture book. I hope. I have to produce something exciting for Tristan Bancks' final class on Monday night.)



Monsieur Poulet was crafted from yellow, black and white FIMO Soft oven-hardening modelling material. Background artwork is from "Mr Chicken goes to Paris" by Leigh Hobbs (Allen & Unwin, 2009).



I bought my copy of "Mr Chicken goes to Paris" the day it came out. It was one of those books you just couldn't leave behind in the shop. Earlier this year, when the CBCA shortlist came out, I grabbed a copy for school. At first, I thought I'd have to forfeit mine. Mai non!


By the way, the French chair (above) is an actual miniature prop
from the 2001 Australian movie, "Moulin Rouge!"



I must explain, too: I was reading "Mr Chicken goes to Paris" today to a group of K-2 students, one of who just *could not* cope with me calling the main character "Mr Chicken" - especially since we read "Kip" (about a rooster) and "Bear & Chook by the sea" yesterday. Every page, the poor kid kept putting his hands over his ears and yelling, "There. Are. No. Chickens. In. That. Book!"

His young colleagues were telling me, "We all have to just ignore him." We kept reading, but I had to avoid saying those magic words, "Mr Chicken", hence the main character was "Monsieur Poulet" throughout!

UPDATE: Okay, I think I've just managed to upload my book trailer as a VIDEO PODCAST! Music: "Parks On Fire (California Burning Mix)" by DJ Rkod (feat. Trifonic). http://ccmixter.org/files/DJ_Rkod/14745 is licensed under a Creative Commons license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/nc-sampling+/1.0/.

The spirit of Schumann the shoeman?

When I spotted these shoes this foggy winter morning, I was originally convinced I was seeing two birds on the rail. Trying to work out why one bird was seemingly hanging upside down, I approached slowly. Was it a bat? As I took out my iPhone to snap a quick shot, I was also bewildered as to why the other bird hadn't yet flown away.

What remains unexplained is that these beautiful shoes aren't even a matched pair! If you've read and enjoyed the poignant CBCA shortlisted picture book, "Schumann the shoeman" by John & Stella Danalis, you'll understand why this local example of urban art gave me a few chills.

Room to Read!

What a fun night at Room to Read! The Sydney chapter of this highly worthwhile children's charity held its bimonthly function tonight at the Kirribilli Club. Had I not walked right past this club on Monday night, filling in time before my new course started at the Sydney Writers' Centre, I might not have made the effort to attend.

I'm so glad I did.

"Room to Read" is an international organisation that raises funds to help children in the developing world by building libraries in schools, providing locally published books, and maintaining the children's right to read and girls' right to an education; an attempt to end poverty and change the world.


Back row: Sarah Charles, Linly Goh, Susanne Gervay, Deb Abela, Ian McLean.
Front row: Gus Gordon, Tristan Bancks. Photo courtesy of Susanne Gervay.

Deb Abela gave a warm and enthusiastic reading of the new picture book, "Zak the yak with books on his back" by John Wood & Abin Shrestha, and we all received a free copy of this book for attending.

I look forward to finding out a lot more about "Room to Read" in the coming weeks.

Ben presents "Where the wild things are"

I spent last Christmas with a young friend, three-year-old Ben, of Brisbane. I gave him a copy of the picture book, "Where the wild things are" by Maurice Sendak, but the festive season was so frantic he didn't get much of an opportunity to explore it until the New Year. It has become a firm favourite.

His parents have uploaded the following Youtube video:



Great work, Ben! I'm proud of you!

Brain behind glass

"Pinky & the Brain", the famous TV cartoon mice, visited my school this week - as teaching aids. Coincidentally, they were posed next to computer mouse.

Christmas in the library

When I scrounged around at home, I found many more picture book-related toys to take into school to add to this year's Christmas tree. You might spot the Grinch, Selby, Max, Arthur, Captain Underpants, Bear and Chook, the Frog Prince - and many others.

I am again indebted to the neighbours across the road, who did a moonlight flit not long after their Midwinter Christmas party one year, dumping their huge, second hand, artificial Christmas pine tree onto the footpath. Looks much better in our school library, although storing it between outings is tricky.

I know where the wild things are

The movie of the famous Maurice Sendak children's picture book finally opened in Australia these week. I saw it tonight. It was... satisfactory. It could never rival the book, of course, but it definitely hit lots of the right chords.

I had no misconceptions. The film was going to need some "padding" because the text of the picture book is typically scant, and it was always going to be a pal shadow of the original material. The US reviews were lukewarm, but it got a great review in Thursday's Sydney newspapers and I thought it did what it needed to do. (Certainly not the disgrace of "The Magic Pudding" animated film of a few years ago, which changed things for the sake of changing them.)

"Where the Wild Things Are" certainly adds lots of new imagery, while saluting so much of the original book. Was there a sea serpent and I missed it? I always liked how he was the first indication of what Max would find when he arrived on the shore.

At home in the school library

First day of Term 3. Bear and Chook have moved into my school library
and made themselves right at home!

Sickbed round-up

I've just spent a week very under the weather with flu symptoms that threatened to overwhelm me. Luckily, I seem to have thwarted it, despite everyone around me sniveling, coughing and complaining.

I haven't felt too much like blogging, but I have kept up with my daily photographs for the 365 Photos project:


Part of a very large pile of parcels I had to send out, containing
aluminium Star Trek water bottles. 5 July 2009.

I (stupidly?) volunteered to buy them up for 37 US members of the Playtrek action figures and collectibles listserv, and I'm hoping it pays off in plenty of toy karma. (Now I know why firms charge postage "and handling" - the time it takes to package up things and get them to the post office is deceiving. Every package has required flashing my Medicare card each visit, three signatures: on the parcel, the customs declaration, and a form attached to the declaration - and my address has to appear twice.)


Jack on the lounge, a few minutes to midnight. 6 July 2009.


Cover art of the picture books "Bear and Chook" and "Bear and Chook by the sea". 7 July 2009.

I spent the day writing programming notes for a book rap. These books by Lisa Shanahan and Emma Quay will be the focus of a book rap in Term Four.


The Shopping Trolley Graveyard, where lost and abandoned Penrith shopping trolleys
congregate before their ultimate demise. 8 July 2009.


View through a balcony rail at the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney CBD. 9 July 2009.


My cute new set of "Cosbaby" Nightwing, Robin, Batman and Batgirl figurines. 10 July 2009.


A cheeky poolside willy wagtail left behind a mess on Pan's head at sundown today!
He was using the statue as a springboard for his bathing expeditions.
And driving Jack crazy! 11 July 2009.


View behind the laptop, a few minutes to midnight. 12 July 2009.

Collaboration!

Today Emma Quay, illustrator, and Lisa Shanahan, author, launched their exciting, new children's picture book, "Bear and Chook by the sea", at my local teacher-librarians' professional development day. Another Sassy Award coming their way, perhaps?



I can't wait for Term 4, when I help to coordinate a book rap based on their two "Bear & Chook" titles.

Happy Easter from Happy Tree Friends

I hadn't heard of these bizarre little guys until a few years ago when the action figures of the TV show started turning up in the comics & collectibles shops. I noticed this link to Youtube on Kelley's hilarious blog, Magneto Bold Too!



Meanwhile, my happy tree friends and I went off to Hog's Breath Cafe and the movies, to "see" the voices of Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell and Carol Burnett in the animated "Horton Hears a Who", based on the popular old picture book by Dr Seuss about the elephant who meets, and tries to save, the tiny population of a speck of dust. A lot of fun, probably funnier that "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (with live action Jim Carrey and lots of Whos), and heaps funnier than "The Cat in the Hat" (which, despite its talented cast was a big flopperoo storywise).

Sunday's magic number: 91.7 - Disappointingly higher than last week, but I guess I'm paying for the always-wonderful meal and wine at the Meat and Wine Co on Thursday night... I went for a big walk last night to equalize today's amazing Mars Bar Sundae, which was my Easter junk food treat.

A blog entry in the hand is worth two elephant books online, or some such proverb

It's been a busy week, but I haven't been too motivated to blog (here). I think it's probably because I'm blogged out, spending a chunk of every work day jointly-constructing numerous blog entries with Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2 at primary school) on a blog format with our current book rap: on the picture book, Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox & Julie Vivas. And helping to moderate other entries. And designing wiki pages to go with them.

The quality of the students' answers has been very exciting! The blog format and the wiki pages, are working out very well, and the ability for the moderators to edit out errors in posts - never possible on a listserv - means that we can model better examples for the students.

Predicting what the next few years will bring for the so-called "Generation Web 2.0" is almost impossible. Tomorrow's school students will have such a different outlook on technology and its possibilities than their teachers, or even their older siblings. I'm guessing all homework will be completed (and marked) online, once every student is assumed to have home Internet access. Heaven help those who never get it...

This week, the Internet, Google, Wikipedia and online shopping all came in handy to help me track down an old classic Australian picture book, "Jessie the Elephant: Her Story" by WM Fleming (New Century Press, 1939), the true tale of one of Taronga Park Zoo's icons, who gave elephant rides from 1883 to 1938.

Actually, I managed to find two copies, in different online stores, on the same day. I had missed the first copy by a matter of days, I was informed, but there was a similarly priced one at another site. I shall explain later why I need it, but I'm rather excited about finding it, especially when I found a few on overseas sites for a lot more!



Sunday's magic number: 90.8 - Well, speaking of elephants, I've mastered the art of staying the same mass for a whole month. Obviously, I will be much happier to see a downward procession of numbers again, but I am going to have to change more things about my weekly routines to make that happen. If I go back to that fateful day when my mass was 104kg a few years ago, then I can grin and say, "Hey, I lost over 13 kg!" (In fact, I've now lost that amount twice in recent years, having let most of my loss creep back on in just a few months early last year.)

On the other hand, I can think back to the very first time I went on the "Fat Free Forever" diet in the mid 90s - when I started at 90.2 and got down to 75kg. Sigh. It was so much easier then.

Minnie Pearl and the APEC transport debacle

"Minnie Pearl and the undersea bazaar"
by Natalie Jane Prior & Cheryl Orsini (ABC, 2007)
is being launched today at Muffledux Books, Clovelly.

I'm off the hook, to use a thematically suitable term, although I was quite looking forward to attending this book launch today. But it coincides with the transport havoc created by Sydney playing host to APEC this week, and Natalie rang me yesterday to say that her family cancelled their plans to fly down from Brisbane for the weekend due to her daughter's ear infection. (I think half of Brisbane still has that rotten cold it gave me last week!) So, I shall give it a miss. Cheryl Orsini will still be there. I wish her (and Natalie, in absentia) a very happy launch.

"Minnie Pearl and the undersea bazaar" is a very clever children's picture book about mermaids, with lovely "Roaring 20s" period-style costumes, art deco embellishments, and lots of in-jokes hidden in both the art and text, including a reference to the original version of "The Little Mermaid". May there soon be a fresh haul of Minnie Pearl titles joining this one on the shelves.

Sunday's magic number: 93.3 - and we're back on track! I celebrated today with a piece of chocolate cake (ie. it's Junk Food Day!). Amazing how great chocolate tastes when you haven't had any for an extended period. I was offered a single French fry last weekend and it was... almost orgasmic!

Peter and the Wolf and The Weird Coincidence

Well, it's happened again. Blog about a series of coincidences often enough, and surely there'll be more coincidences. (And don't call me Shirley.)

A week ago, one set of metal shelves, from a forgotten corner of the school library, collapsed, spilling their contents of bulky, excess, to-be-deleted teacher reference materials all over the floor! I immediately put in a request for our general assistant to re-bolt the shelving to the wall, and they were repaired with great efficiency. However, the piles of scattered resources had to wait a few days for my undivided attention.

On Thursday, my school has a troupe of puppeteers visiting, to perform Sergei Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" for the students. Last Friday, one of the teachers said she'd scoured her own book collection, wanting to find a text version of the classic story. (She'd been playing numerous variations on the spoken-word-with-musical-accompaniment version.) On Monday morning, a different teacher mentioned that she wanted a text version, too. I typed "Peter and the Wolf" into OASIS Enquiry, but... "Computer says 'No'!"

Now, my last time in a school library was a decade ago, but I often find myself remembering the collection of my last school library. There, we had a set of about a dozen picture books based on famous musical works: "Coppelia", "Swan Lake", "The Carnival of the Animals", "Peter and the Wolf" and many others. Published in the early 70s, the internal artwork was of a Japanese inspiration, often using collage. In fact, when I mentioned this series to my current colleagues, they were sure that this library used to have them, too.

A search of classroom collections uncovered first one, then three more, books in the series. They'd been deleted, and moved out of the library years ago, due to lack of their circulation in the system but, today, as I finally got to those unwanted piles on the library floor, I found nine more books - including the elusive "Peter and the Wolf"!

You know, if that shelving hadn't collapsed on cue, I would not have gotten to that dusty, to-be-deleted shelf until the visiting puppeteers were a very distant memory.

And again: doo doo, doo doo, doo doo, doo doo...

Born to read

Tonight, our school was part of the official launch of a local initiative to improve literacy potential of students entering Kindergarten through early intervention: books from birth.

An interesting array of speeches from an equally interesting array of speakers, with the keynote address being from Dr Robin Morrow, a former bookseller and Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) judge.

Dr Morrow, whom I know briefly from numerous teacher-librarians' meetings and conferences over the years, spoke fondly and knowledgeably of her documented efforts of reading iconic picture books to her grandchildren in their pre-school years, fostering a love of literature through repetition, anticipation, shared experiences, and even plenty of cuddles.

Our choir attended and made us all proud, not only with their singing, but with their exemplary behaviour through long speeches aimed mainly at adults.

It was a great evening all round and gave us all reassurance that what we do every day at work/school really makes a difference.

Tomorrow: the Pedlars' Fair! (I have my red velvet cloak and jester's cap at school, ready for the big day. In other words, I'll be there with bells on.)