kangaroos – Mom Read It

A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch!, by Janet Halfmann/Illustrated by Abira Das, (May 2020, Pen It! Publications), $13.99, ISBN: 978-1951263126

Ages 4-7

A little gray kangaroo wants to wander off on his own, but can he find his way back to Mum’s pouch? He can if he and his friends decorate it so her pouch stands out – a real bobby-dazzler! Award-winning author Janet Halfmann‘s newest book is an amusing little story of a kangaroo and his mom, and a bunch of Austalian animal friends that give Mama Kangaroo a bedazzling. The phrase “bobby dazzler” is British slang for somethin outstanding, striking, or showy, and boy, does her pouch get the showy treatment! A lorikeet and an emu contribute some feathers; a sugar glider shares some blossoms, even an echidna contributes some spikes – yikes! Little Joey has a lot of friends, but he finds a way to include everyone’s contribution. It’s a good thing, too: the easy-to-spot pouch does the trick when he has to dash for Mama when a dingo makes an appearance!

The artwork is cartoony and cute, with smiley animals and a bright Australian landscape. A little note about Australian kangaroos accompanies fun kangaroo facts, and lists of Australian words, animals, and plants. A cute read-aloud for animal fans, especially fans of those ‘roos! Have some Aboriginal-inspired coloring sheets available for storytime.

Janet Halfmann is a multi-award-winning children’s author who strives to make her books come alive for young readers and listeners. Many of her picture books are about animals and nature. She also writes picture book biographies about little-known people of achievement. Janet has written more than forty books for children. Visit Janet at: janethalfmannauthor.com

Noodlephant, by Jacob Kramer/Illustrated by K-Fai Steele, (Jan. 2019, Enchanted Lion), $18.95, ISBN: 9781592702664

Ages 4-7

Noodlephant is an elephant who loves noodles – and she believes in sharing! Her noodle parties are all the rage, until the bossy kangaroos decide that only kangaroos get to eat noodles. Breaking the law will land offenders in “the zoo”: which isn’t a very fun place to be! Sticks and twigs don’t cut it for Noodelphant and her friends, so they invent the Phantastic Noodler, a machine that makes pasta out of anything put into it: pens turn into penne, cans into cannelloni, pillows into ravioli! The kangaroos are ready to make a bust – will kindness save the day?

Noodlephant is a fun, wacky look at creative civil disobedience and injustice. The kangaroos are oppressive and mean, forbidding other animals from enjoying anything the kangaroos deem exclusive to their little group. The pushback is creative and silly enough to get a laugh out of readers while encouraging them to think about bullying and exclusion. Occasional verse lends a subversive air that kids will understand and appreciate: “When the laws are so unjust, misbehavior is a must!” Sometimes, you just have to break the rules. K-Fai Steele’s cartoony art is bold, bright, and loaded with noodley fun.

Pair this one with Miranda Paul’s The Great Pasta Escape for a pasta-riffic storytime. A nice add to your picture book collections and a fun, discussion-provoking add to social justice storytime.