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Tag: Mothers

Published on Leave a comment on My EXTRAordinary Mum by Dani Vee and illustrated by Alexandra Colombo

My EXTRAordinary mum by Dani Vee is an exuberant celebration of an extraordinary mum who is true to herself.

The young girl who narrates My EXTRAordinary Mum loves her quirky, fun-loving mum who follows the beat of her own drum. Together they share adventures big and small, making daisy crowns, playing drums under the stars, rollerblading, telling stories under blankets and taking road trips without a destination. Along the way, mum encourages her to try new things, be kind to others, lean into the unknown and most importantly to be true to herself. This extraordinary mum also reminds us how extraordinary we all are...simply by being ourselves.

My EXTRAordinary Mum's playful rhythm makes this story fun to read aloud as it carries us along on the adventures. Alexandra Colombo's vibrant illustrations and little details capture this mum's zest for life and the loving bond she shares with her daughter. 

Read My EXTRAordinary Mum with your mum and she might even tell you some of the things she did before she became your mum. 

What makes your mum EXTRAordinary to you?

Happy reading!

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Published on 2 Comments on The Book of Chance by Sue Whiting

‘Everything was the same, except me…I felt as if I had shattered into tiny pieces, tiny pieces that I had no idea how to fit back together.’

This gripping story by Sue Whiting begins with the end and takes readers on a rollercoaster ride of emotions as Chance questions right and wrong, real or fake and seeks the truth at home and in her online world.

Chance Callahan is in Year 7 and lives with her mum Nadia, a writer who also helps newly arrived refugees with English and settling into the community. They share their lives with Missa-D, Alek and Dut Deng, their much loved Sudanese next-door neighbours. When Chance and the Deng family organise a surprise reality TV makeover for Nadia’s house, the show’s reporter, Amos Kandinsky wants to know ‘the story behind the story’ and unexpectedly exposes a hidden truth that will change Chance’s life forever.

You won't be able to put this book down as Chance grapples with a truth that challenges everything she believes including her own identity. What is the truth? Who do you trust? Do you tell the truth even if it means you could lose everything? Can you forgive someone for hiding the truth? Chance discovers that life isn’t black and white. 

When you have finished reading, go back and look carefully at the front cover that has been so thoughtfully and creatively designed to reflect the story. What is the significance of the newspaper cuttings and sepia tone? Why is Chance blindfolded and standing on a ledge with Tiges? I wonder how you would design the front cover and the elements of the story you would include.

Listen to Sue Whiting talk about The Book of Chance and what inspired her story.

If you enjoyed the mystery and suspense in The Book of Chance as much as I did and haven’t read Missing by Sue Whiting, then I highly recommend you do!

Happy reading!

Teacher notes

Published on Leave a comment on Don’t Follow Vee by Oliver Phommavanh

When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I always see is my mum’s phone…

Veronica Lee, otherwise known as Vee, was only two hours old when she appeared on her Mum’s Facebook page and every day Vee‘s mum takes her photo to put on her Instagram account called The Chronicles of Vee. 

Being Insta-famous and getting freebies can be exciting, but Vee’s beginning to feel like a seal at the zoo doing tricks for likes. She's finding it hard to know if people like her for herself, for the carefully staged Vee they see on Instagram or if they just want a piece of her Insta-fame. 

Each year on her birthday, Vee’s mum asks if she wants to keep the Instagram account going. Since her mum reached 100,000 followers, she is taking it very seriously and even broke one of Vee’s golden rules by posting a photo of Vee’s friend. There are some things in her life that Vee wants to keep private and she thinks it might be time to end The Chronicles of Vee.

Vee wants her Mum to stop focusing on her and devises a plan to help her mum find some new interests. The second part of her daring plan is to create 'Anti-Vee', a Vee that people won’t want to follow. Will ‘Operation Don’t Follow Vee’ go to plan so she can claim her life back or will Vee have followers forever?

Don't Follow Vee is a funny story that will have you thinking about what you choose to share about yourself online. 

Bru-nO / Pixabay

Do you like burgers? Did you know Oliver Phommavanh is a huge burger fan and a ‘burgergrammer’? (Yes, there's such a thing!). Just like his character Bryan, Oliver’s Instagram account has photos of mouthwatering burgers that he rates before gobbling them up! So if you're looking for a tasty burger...

Alexas_Fotos / Pixabay

Happy reading and burger eating!

Published on Leave a comment on Thanks, Mum! by Matt Cosgrove

Have you ever stopped to think how often you call, shout, ask, wail, beg or occasionally whisper..."MUM!"?

When the pedals are turning
But your stomach is churning
‘Cause you’re still only learning
Just wail…Mum!’

Thanks, Mum! is a riot of rhyme and colourful illustrations as Matt Cosgrove reminds us of the many ways our mums are there for us each day. Who do you call when something goes missing, your stomach is churning, your knee is stinging, you've run out of loo paper or it's time for a bedtime story...

How many reasons can you think of to say "Thanks, Mum!" to your mum?

Click HERE for a Thanks, Mum! card and coupons designed by Matt for you to make for Mother's Day.

This is a fun book to share with your mum...look out for the 'noisy' double endpapers when you open the book! 

Holgi / Pixabay

Happy reading!

Published on Leave a comment on There’s Only One Mum Like You by Jess Racklyeft

There's Only One Mum Like You is a delightful celebration of mums. Cuddly mums, brave mums, quiet mums, playful mums. Our mums are there for us each day in their own unique way.

I love your quiet stories,
songs sung loud in the rain.
No one can hug like you, Mum,
or makes me feel the same.

This is Jess Racklyeft's first book as both author and illustrator and I hope this is the first of many! Jess has included some of her favourite animals from around the world with their mums in her gentle water colour illustrations. Jess says she thought of each page like a movie set from deep underwater, to the jungle canopy, to tobogganing downhill at sunset. She has also had fun using the landscape format by including some illustrations where you will need to rotate the book...especially if you want to see pigs flying! 

As you read, think about what makes your mum unique and the big and small ways that she is there for you each day...

There's only one mum like you, Mum.
I love you for being you.

You might like to join Jess at a card-making workshop at one of the Melbourne bookshops below...don't forget to book your place!

Happy reading! 

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