Bridge Books: Books that bridge the gap between Picture books and Novels

Bridge Books:  Books that bridge the gap between Picture books and Novels:

 A Lion in the Meadow  Margaret Mahy, ill Jenny Williams, Orion, 49 pages, paperback, $14.99 

Wolf and Dog  Sylvia Vanden Heede, ill Marije Tolman, Gecko, 94 pages, pb, $24.99  

Lily Gets in a Pink Pickle  Elizabeth Pulford, ill Aki Fukuoka, Scholastic, 88pages, pb, $12 

Salto-scaredypus (Dinosaur Rescue 8)  Kyle Mewburn, ill Donovan Bixley, Scholastic, 96 pages, pb, $12 

Megasaurus Mash-Up 1 (Dinosaur Rescue 1-4)  Kyle Mewburn, ill Donovan Bixley, Scholastic, 374  pages, pb, $19 

Hercules, Champion of the World  Nigel Gray, ill Heath McKenzie, Walker Books, 109 pages, pb, $14.95 

The Day My Father Became a Bush, Joke van Leeuwen, Gecko, 104 pages, paperback, $19.

 

Bridge Books:  Books that bridge the gap between Picture books and Novels

by Trevor Agnew

Call them bridge books. Call them chapter books, early readers or young novels. The name doesn’t matter; it is the function which is important.  These are the books where words carry young readers across the gaping chasm between picture books and novels.  These are the books that show children the power of words to entertain, enlighten and amuse. These are bridge books.

The pictures in Margaret Mahy’s A Lion in the Meadow are certainly beautiful but, right from its first publication in the School Journal in 1965, this story has demonstrated the combined power of words and imagination to create a gripping story.  A little boy is frightened to go into the meadow, because of “the big, roaring, whiskery, yellow lion” there. His mother conjures up a story of a dragon to scare the lion away. It works – because stories are powerful – but the lion then seeks refuge in the broom cupboard. All ends well, with the boy and lion friends, playing in a different, dragon-free meadow. This story may be nearly 50 years old, but its charm and wisdom make it fresh on every telling.

Sylvia Vanden Heede’s Wolf and Dog (translated from the Dutch by Bill Nagelkerke) is a witty tale of two cousins: Dog who lives in a basket and menacing Wolf who lives in a forest and is wild. Wolf mocks at Dog’s possessions (like his cap and Guard Dog sign) while secretly lusting for them. Dog is fascinated by Wolf’s rough ways and fleas. When Dog cooks him some bacon, Wolf eats it straight from the pan! This tale, full of word-play and puns, is ideal for young readers, especially those with rough friends.

Elizabeth Pulford’s Lily Gets in a Pink Pickle has a highly appropriate title because little girls adore pink, and this book has pink-edged pages and a twinkly pink cover. Lily is a trainee angel at Amelia’s Angel Academy who always has cute mishaps, which turn out well anyway. Will Frumplepuss cause trouble at the Cherub Cat Show? The tone may be twee but Pulford knows how to tell a story and Aki Fukuoka’s pictures are charming. There are five earlier volumes in the Littlest Angel series for those who get hooked.

Kyle Mewburn’s Dinosaur Rescue series has more boy readers than girl readers because of its cheerful concentration on farts, snot and dinosaur droppings.  Salto-scaredypus is the eighth in this gleefully anachronistic series, which now has 120,000 copies in print and fans from Canada to Slovenia. Arg is a bright Neanderthal lad with a Swiss army rock and a low-brow family, who hinder his high-minded efforts to save the dinosaurs from extinction. It’s all messy, slap-stick fun, and Donovan Bixley’s brilliant illustrations add a whole new dimension to the silliness with features like ‘The Dos and Don’ts of Mammoth Hunting.’ For newbies, Volumes 1 to 4 have been bundled into Megasurus Mash-up 1. These are books that make kids want to read.

 Nigel Gray tells the story of Hercules, Champion of the World in a cheerfully flip way that lures young readers deep into Greek mythology. “Hercules was one of those kids who is best at everything. (Don’t you hate them?)” is a typical comment. When Hercules lies on his funeral pyre, a friend asks if it’s a good idea to start smoking at his age. The bits in between are just as amusing but also re-spin a good yarn.

 The best writers are those who can make an unpleasant subject readable. Joke van Leeuwen’s The Day My Father Became a Bush (another Bill Nagelkerke translation) faces up to the baffling world of war. “Before my father turned into a bush, he was a pastry chef,” says Toda, who learns about military camouflage when war overtakes her country. She becomes a refugee and has to avoid irritating those who care for her. Her list of things to avoid includes “not saying ‘thank you’ enough,” and “singing songs they didn’t like.” Her identity reduced to a number, forced to learn a new language (which the reader too has to pick up), Toda reflects the experiences of the world’s refugees. Her simple childish viewpoint makes sense to the reader, as Toda describes the turmoil of war as seen by one of its victims. The down-to-earth common sense which enables Toda to be reunited with her family also makes this a warm and touching story, which emphasises the power of words. It is a perfect example of a story that builds bridges.

 Trevor Agnew

Note: This review was first published in Your Weekend Magazine, The Press, Christchurch on 15 June 2013.

 

FULL  PUBLISHING  DETAILS:

A Lion in the Meadow  Margaret Mahy, ill Jenny Williams, Orion Early Reader/ Hachette NZ, 49 pages, paperback, NZ$14.99  ISBN978-1-4440-0926-2

Wolf and Dog  Sylvia Vanden Heede, Gecko, ill Marije Tolman, 94 pages, pb, NZ$24.99   ISBN 978-1-877579-38-7 

Lily Gets in a Pink Pickle  Elizabeth Pulford, ill Aki Fukuoka, Scholastic NZ, 88 pages, pb, NZ$12  ISBN 978-1-77543-099-5

Salto-scaredypus (Dinosaur Rescue 8)  Kyle Mewburn, ill Donovan Bixley, Scholastic NZ, 96 pages, pb, NZ$12  ISBN 978-1-77543-121-3

Megasaurus Mash-Up 1 (Dinosaur Rescue 1-4)  Kyle Mewburn, ill Donovan Bixley, Scholastic NZ, 374  pages, pb, NZ$19  ISBN 978-1-77543-121-3

Hercules, Champion of the World  Nigel Gray, ill Heath McKenzie, Walker Books, 109 pages, pb, NZ$14.95  ISBN 978-1-921529-89-4

 The Day My Father Became a Bush, Joke van Leeuwen, Gecko, 104 pages, paperback, NZ$19.99  ISBN 978-1-877579-16-5