Dim's Write Stuff

A Piscean by nature, it follows I automatically soak up anything associated with water. Here is an aquatic themed book list sure to ‘whet’ the appetites of ocean lovers. Click on the title links to explore these books further and access ways to acquire them. Aquatica: A beginner’s field guide by Lance Balchin Imagine a world bereft of the natural order because of we humans. A world where artificial robotic life has replaced real species and most terrifyingly, multiplying faster than surviving humans can control. A few years prior to this account, Liberty’s journal of Mechanica surfaced. This is her latest chronicle of the underwater life forms that now plague the oceans. Incredible detail describes each robotic menace, all accompanied by stunning diagrammatic sketches and paintings. Imaginative, beautiful and quietly disarming, this is a must for lovers of future dystopia, sea creatures and saga type fantasies. A supremely standout picture book. Five Mile, April 2017  ...

A huge number (pardon the pun) of counting books regularly cross my reviewing line of sight, some fun, some novel, some nonsensical. The thing that sets Counting Creatures by the ineffable, Julia Donaldson and illustrator extraordinaire, Sharon King-Chai, apart is the exquisite presentation and thoughtful use of content. This is decidedly more than a counting book. It verses children in the prerequisite 1 - 10 then continues in multiple of fives which prolongs the enjoyment and exercises young brain muscles. A forest, tree top and meadow full of interesting creatures lurk, fly and float in a wonderful wildness of stunning colour and detail.  Children are invited to count these creatures and then venture a guess as to how many babies they might have; a bat has one for instance but who has more babies than that? The most exuberant thing about this counting and naming book is the gorgeous arrangement of flaps and fold out pages each hiding the answer and a surprise or two.  Comb...

I often tell kids how lucky I am to live so close to so many wonderful worlds, Sea World being one of them. A recent visit beyond the sea to this world famous attraction plunged me back into all things Atlantis. It was marvellous. Fortunately, there is a raft of equally phenomenal picture books into which youngsters can immerse themselves for fun – and learning. Here are just some of the special ones. Bad Crab This is basically a wordless picture book with a restrained use of just one expression however when coupled with Philip Bunting’s comically styled illustrations, the result is a visually powerful and entertaining narrative. Crab is a cranky crustacean whose first reaction to newcomers is to claw nip them, an anti-social behaviour not uncommon among young biting pre-schoolers. His unaccommodating mood swings push his sea-mates literally to the edge and force them to abandon their cantankerous chum. A change of circumstance forces Crab to re-evaluate his behaviour leading to a re...

ABCs and 1 2 3s are not only the fundamental building blocks for learning and communicating, they establish connections with ourselves, our cultures and humanity as a whole. These next few picture books are perfect for exploring those connections, introducing sounds, letters and numbers to pre-schoolers whilst providing sound material for ever important reading time, during lockdown time or anytime! B is For Baby ABC books come in an infinite number of guises. This one is singularly different because it focuses on just one letter of the alphabet rather than all 26, in this case, the letter B. We begin with the obvious, Baby but as the story evolves, we and baby are introduced to a marvellous collection of other B words: beads, basket for example. But what is in the basket…? Bananas of course! Or is it something more? This spectacularly illustrated non-fiction picture book is really a cyclical visual journey of baby’s unplanned journey from her African village into town where...

As our fair land buckles and burns in the grip of vicious summer heat, I can’t help but reflect on how catastrophic events like this remind one of not only the fragility of life but also its unique beauty. Across Australia and indeed the world, humans are rallying to make things better for all the worse they have caused. We are all tiny players in this huge game but I hope titles like these below help highlight the best bits of living in Australia no matter what. They are but snippets of my impressions but hopefully enough to water hope and maintain wonder.  Read on! Dream on! Eco Rangers Wildfire Rescue This is the third in the Eco Ranges environmentally charged series and one of the most salient to date. Despite being conceived and written well before the awful bushfire events of late 2019 / early 2020, this episode of Jay and Ebony’s conservational crusade ironically involves bushland under the siege of wildfires and wildlife under stress. It also illuminates a less wel...

Halloween is just around the corner and although observations celebrating this time of remembering the dead vary from country to country, the traditions associated with it have made it one of the most notable celebrations of the year. This wee collection of children's picture books embrace the essence of spook but also fun and friendship. 1, 2, Boo! A Spooky Counting Book I love a bright colourful board book, able to withstand years of love and wear. 1, 2, Boo! is a counting book that clusters all of your favourite Halloween images and themes into a chillingly colourful countdown from 1 – 10.   Crammed with ghosts, goblins, bats, dangling skeletons and even warty toads, this fun rhyming romp harnesses the fun of the trick-or-treating tradition, neatly entertaining even the wee non-verbal youngsters in your life, never mind the bigger ones whose sole aim is to fill their lolly bags. Title: 1, 2, Boo! A Spooky Counting Book Author: Paul Howard Illustrator: Paul Howa...