Winter 2024 Book Reviews with little Unity in Auckland

The Bread Pet: A Sourdough Story by Kate DePalma, illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff (Ages 4+)

I’m a big fan of sourdough, having had my own bread pet for the last 23 years, so am overjoyed to see a picture book that celebrates the joy and responsibility of my slavish weekly ritual. I’ve ended up taking my pet on holiday with me due to the regular demands of feeding and in this fun story of a young girl and her mum left in charge of a friend’s sourdough starter I can so relate to how the sticky bread pet soon takes over the house. The illustrations playfully show the mathematical extent of the takeover but with some quick thinking and community spirit the rising bread pet problem is solved. With a starter recipe as well as care and baking tips at the back of the book you will soon be spreading the sourdough love as well. Reviewed by Roger.

Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish by Michael Foreman (Ages 5+)

How did we get it so wrong? It’s never too early to nurture a love for the planet as is demonstrated in Michael Foreman’s poignant environmental picture story written over 50 years ago and featuring stomping, talking dinosaurs no less. This is a simple tale of human greed gone awry and a valuable lesson about looking after the place you live for everyone to enjoy and share. I love the bold and playful illustrations combined with the spare, concise text to evoke such a strong message that will last well beyond finishing the book. Reviewed by Roger.

The Letter with the Golden Stamp by Onjali Q Rauf (Ages 9+)

In celebration of all those superhero carers out there quietly keeping their loved ones alive behind closed doors. Onjali Q Rauf is a deserved award-winner for her previous books, notably The Boy at the Back of the Class, and here she tells the story of nine-year-old avid stamp collector Audrey who is the sole carer for her increasingly sick mum and her two younger siblings. With the threat of her family unit being torn apart Audrey takes some drastic action to turn things around. As she recounts her sometimes hilarious and often tense adventure we end up where the story begins in a London police station. Onjali has captured so well the voice and innocence of the young protagonist dealing with very adult challenges. Reviewed by Roger.

How to Draw Almost Everything: An Illustrated Sourcebook by Chika Miyata (Ages 8+)

The title of this whimsical guidebook doesn’t lie. It offers visual instructions for drawing a plethora of things from the commonplace to the bizarre. The pages switch between bright, pastel colours and classic white or brown paper to create sections, making it such a lovely object to handle (satisfying for a book about art!). Miyata has included a wonderfully peculiar range of objects: if you head to the ‘Around the House’ section you’ll find, on a single page, instructions for drawing both a mounted deer head and an air-conditioning unit! It’s a lovely reminder to be observant, pushing the reader to notice the mundane and teaching them to break objects down into building-block shapes. You can piece together drawings from across the book, and change the colours, medium or details of your illustrations, this adds endless possibilities to the already 2000+ things you’ll learn to draw. Reviewed by Elka Aitchison.

You Can’t Kill Snow White by Beatrice Alemagna (Ages 14+)

This darkly beautiful picture book is unlike any other, not least because it’s for teens and adults. It’s breathtaking, right down to the format, the unique binding allows it to lie flat revealing Alemagna’s sprawling illustrations in full. The story is a retelling of Grimms’ grizzly version of Snow White through the eyes of the stepmother. Alemagna’s version strikes a clever balance: she gets inside the villain’s mind and reveals the dark, obsessive jealousy, but our Queen’s violent actions are not rationalised or softened. Layered illustrations are what make this book so evocative and compelling. Eerie, surreal characters and settings loom in green and brown shadow or leap off the page in fluorescent, luminous pink and red. The beauty of the images is simultaneously undeniable and sinister. They’re gruesome and haunting but rich with emotion; each page is a surprise and it's something one can pour over for hours. Reviewed by Elka Aitchison.