Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: Aussie

  • The Great Aussie Easter Egg-and-Spoon Race

    The Great Aussie Easter Egg-and-Spoon Race

    Promoting the values of sharing, caring and helping others, author Sophie Sayle has created the perfect book to give a 4-6 year old with a small chocolate treat for Easter. This attractive, hard covered book, is beautifully illustrated by New Zealand winner of prestigious illustration awards, Daron Parton.

    Easter morning has arrived, the Australian bush animals each contribute colours for decorating the eggs left by Easter Bilby, however Echidna is unable to find any colour. No problem his friends share theirs with her.  Soon the bush babies are cradling their eggs and the egg-and-spoon race begins; who will win? Find out how her friends help her, when poor echidna trips and her egg rolls away. 

    The adults, sharing this fun story with their youngsters, will find themselves smiling as they read.

  • Never Say Die: The Hundred-Year Overnight Success of Australian Women’s Football

    Never Say Die: The Hundred-Year Overnight Success of Australian Women’s Football

    The ‘Matildas’ have become the pride of Australia in the field of football; they have exceeded all expectations to become a force in women’s football. This wasn’t always the case!

    Fiona Crawford and Lee McGowan in their book ‘Never Say Die’ track the story of Australian women’s football; their substantive international achievements and domestic challenges. The book not only highlights how in the early days the key hindrance was men; their lack of interest, support and even sabotage, but also the role of many very determined, committed women.

    Despite all obstacles put in their way, these passionate women were tenacious and dedicated to the cause of having women’s football truly accepted. The inclusion of their stories gives the reader insight into the many obstacles placed in their way and the steadfast manner in which they moved towards their goal of equality for the women players.

    The authors document and highlight the popularity of the women’s game over 100 year and anecdotally explain the reaction of the all-male authorities. This gives the reader a greater understanding of the trials and tribulations which needed to be overcome by the talented women players.

    Through dedicated research of archives and interviews with players, administrators and fans, the authors have been able to publish a book, which will long be used as an authoritative reference for those wishing to understanding the development of women’s football.

    I highly recommend this book to not only readers who are sports fans, but also to those who wish to obtain a greater understanding of women’s struggle for equality and recognition. From its grassroots games organized over one hundred years ago, the struggles of women to become fully accepted in the football world as equal partners is still on going!

  • An Aussie Year: Twelve Months in the Life of Australian Kids

    An Aussie Year: Twelve Months in the Life of Australian Kids

    In a time of much cultural discussion, it is charming to find a series of books that deal with who and what make up the very interesting mix of cultures, now an integral component so many countries of the modern world.

    An Aussie Year takes five children from five different cultures who live in Australia celebrating their cultures and differences, all the while looking at how these differences have now become an accepted component of life in Australia.

    Ned’s family go back five generations to the early days of white settlement in Australia, Zoe’s family originally came from Greece, Lily’s parents are from China and Vietnam, Kirra’s family are first people, having family roots back thousands of years and Matilda was born in Ireland, arriving in Australia with her parents when she was still a baby: they all call themselves Australian.

    Broken up into months of the year, each month is filled with the many celebrations and traditions of the different cultural backgrounds that are now absolutely a part of modern Australia.

    Cartoon style illustration and cleverly constructed sentences from Tania McCartney and Tina Stirling weave across the seasons and the months of celebration, with a lovely understory saying no mater what your cultural background, somehow everyone really is the same: Australian.

    Hours of fun discovering much about other aspects of life and people in Australia can be discovered within the pages, as the five children take readers on a fantastic adventure into their cultures and how they, as a family, celebrate seasonal events.

    There is also the very real opportunity to go on an adventure of your own, as you discover much more about Ned, Zoe, Lily, Kira and Matilda’s cultures and how all they fit so well into everyday life here in Australia.