Title: Lenny and the Big Red Kinan
Author/Illustrator: Faith Baisden
Publisher: Binanbar Books, 2008 (16 pages)
ISBN: 978-0-98053-591-4
Suitable Age: 3+

Summary (back cover)

Awabakal is the language of the Aboriginal people from the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Lower Hunter region of New South Wales in Australia. As Lenny takes his walk and collection insects, we learn some words that relate to the bush, to the landscape and the little creatures that would be found there.

Comments

I came across this book when I was helping my daughter research a school project on Aboriginal ceremonies and customs. We decided to focus on the ceremonies celebrated by the local Aboriginal people for our area, the Awabakals.

Our search for information led us to the Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association, where we also found this lovely little story book that features words of the Awabakal language in a simply story about a young boy taking a walk through the local bushland.

The story is very basic with Lenny taking his big red kinan (bag) with him on his walk so that he can collection interesting things to bring home to show his tankaan (mother).

The illustrations are stylised and bright, the text has a familiar, repetitive rhythm and the Awabakal words scattered throughout the story are clearly listed on each page. There is also a detailed pronunciation guide and a glossary listing of 61 words related to bushwalking.

My 5 year old son now insists on referring to any bag he sees as “kinan” and my daughter is keen to take this book to school to share with her class.

Lenny and the Big Red Kinan is a fantastic way to share the Awabakal language with children. The book itself is a great resource for students learning about the Aboriginal people, especially the Awabakals from the Newcastle area, and the glossary of words would assist students with writing their own bushwalk adventure as an extension task after reading the story.

Reading this story and helping with my daughter’s project research as highlighted how little I know about the Awabakal people. I must confess I am a little disappointed with this fact given that I was born and raised within the Awabakal lands. I’m looking forward to learning more now that I have discovered the wealth of resources available at the Arwarbukarl CRA.

Related Links
Review of Lenny and the Big Red Kinan at Suite101.com
I Am, You Are, We Are Australian post at Oh, The Thinks you can Think

Title: Ox-Tales: Earth, Air, Fire & Water
Author: Various
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN:
Earth – 978-184668-2582 (207 pages)
Air – 978-184668-2612 (208 pages)
Fire – 978-184668-2599 (206 pages)
Water – 978-184668-2065 (208 pages)
Genre: Short Stories

Summary (Profile Books website)

A major publishing event, Ox-Tales is a remarkable collaboration between Profile Books, the Hay Festival, Oxfam and 30 of the leading fiction writers based in Britain and Ireland.

The project launches with a set of four stunningly produced books, each containing eight original stories. Each book is themed on one of the elements – Earth, Fire, Air and Water – and features work from a dream cast of authors. The big idea is to raise money for Oxfam and along the way to highlight the charity’s work in project areas: agriculture in Earth, water projects in Water, conflict aid in Fire, and climate change in Air.

The four books will play a central role in the first ever Oxfam Book Fortnight, a new annual event launching in July 2009. The fortnight will be co-ordinated by Hay and bring together dozens of UK literary festivals, who are each being asked to put on one Oxfam event during the fortnight.

Comments

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship going with short stories. I often read for only 10 – 15 minutes and I enjoy being able to dip in and out of an anthology or book of short stories at times. On the other hand, I’m often left wanting more – more story, more character development, more information – and can be left feeling frustrated that I’ve only been given a snapshot when I want the whole photo album.

Having said that, I quite enjoyed this four book collection of short stories published as a fund-raiser for Oxfam. There were several authors that I hadn’t read before and I have now added several new names to my ‘must read’ list.

One of my favourites was Marti Leimbach’s Boy’s in Cars (in Ox-Tales: Earth) which I found quite touching, both as a mother and someone who has several friends with children with Austism Spectrum Disorder.

Other favourites included:

• Fieldwork (Ox-Tales: Earth) – Ian Rankin’s 200 word contribution
• The King Who Never Spoke (Ox-Tales: Fire) – John Le Carre
• The Jester of Astapovo (Ox-Tales: Earth) – Rose Tremain’s fictional account of the final days in the life of Leo Tolstoy.
• The Importance of Warm Feet (Ox Tales: Earth) – Marina Lewyca’s

In addition to the fantastic collection of short stories, each book begins with a poem by Vikram Seth and includes information about relevant aspects of the work done by Oxfam in developing countries.

This collection of books would make a great Christmas gift for any avid reader with the added benefit of supporting important Oxfam projects internationally.

Related Links

• Suite101 Review – Ox-Tales series
• Oxfam International
• OxfamDevelopment Projects highlighted in the books

Title: The Many Conditions of Love (Marriage Bureau for Rich People series #2)
Author: Farahad Zama
Publisher: Abacus, 2009 (308 pages)
ISBN: 978-0-349-12263-2
Genre: Popular Fiction/Romance

Summary

Can true love triumph in the face of fierce family opposition? Mr Ali’s marriage bureau is flourishing but trouble isn’t far away once son Rehman begins secretly to woo TV journalist Usha in the small cafes and on the beautiful beaches of South Indian Vizag in an ill-advised romance.

Meanwhile the lovely Aruna has a problem or two all her own. She enjoys being Mr Ali’s right-hand woman at the marriage bureau, having a wonderful husband Ram, and living in a mansion a far cry from her parents’ cramped one-room house; but how long can Aruna remain happy once her spiteful sister-in-law Mani comes home to stay?

When Usha’s father finds out about Rehman, a Muslim, the fat is in the fire. And what will Mr and Mrs Ali have to say when they discover too their son has been dating a non-Muslim?

Comments

I really enjoyed Zama’s first book, The Marriage Bureau for Rich People, and I was looking forward to reading this sequel. Generally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of frothy chick lit and what I love about this series is that it offers the relationships and social activity with enough information and more significant themes to keep me turning pages.

This book carries on smoothly from the first book in the series and there is such a diverse cast of characters and cultural issues to explore that I can see plenty of potential for further books.

If you’re looking for relaxing read with just enough substance to make it memorable, both The Marriage Bureau for Rich People and The Many Conditions of Love fit the bill perfectly. The great blend of personalities, humour, culture and deeper issues means I am looking forward to further books in this series with anticipation.

Related Links

• Farahad Zama author website
• Suite 101 review – The Marriage Bureau for Rich People
• Suite101 review – The Many Conditions of Love

Title: Mama’s Song
Author: Ben Beaton
Publisher: Black Dog Books, 2009 (198 pages)
ISBN: 978-174-20310-57
Suitable Age: 15+

Summary (Publisher)

Georgina—a teenager, alone and pregnant—is estranged from her mother and father.
When she seeks refuge in a country town, she discovers her grandmother has passed away, leaving her more alone than ever. It is here, in a small country hospital, that she must come to terms with the enormity of what she faces and the new life she is now responsible for.

Comments

I picked this book up because it was late (1am) and I wanted something easy to read before I turned out the light. At 2.30am I was finishing the final pages and marvelling that a man in his late 30s could write such a moving account of teenage pregnancy and motherhood.

As a mother, I found I could relate to many of the emotions Georgina was experiencing. I’m sure that the intended audience (mid to late teenaged girls), would be able to relate to many of the issues Georgina had with her parents and friends.

Mama’s Song explores some of the emotional issues related to teen pregnancy and parenthood without judgement or taking a specific moral standpoint. Georgina’s reflections on her past give an indication of how she arrived in her current situation – pregnant to a boy with no interest in her or her baby and estranged from her parents – without casting her as either a victim or reckless.

I enjoyed following Georgina’s gradual shift from focussing on her own uncertainties to adjusting to her new life and responsibilities and the contrasts and similarities between Georgina and the two other new mothers at the maternity hospital.

I think Mama’s Song presents an interesting perspective on the emotional impact of becoming a mother at a young age and on the emotional changes that motherhood in general brings. I found this book difficult to put down and will be looking forward to further books by this author with great anticipation.

Related Links:

• Review of Mama’s Song at Suite101
• Ben Beaton introduction to Mama’s Song on YouTube. As a side note, I wouldn’t mind browsing through the bookshelves behind Beaton when he is talking about writing Mama’s song. I recognise quite a few books that I already own, so I would be interested to see what other treasures might be hidden there as well. It’s a shame that Perth is on the other side of the country, as Beaton’s invitation at the end of his introduction to sit down over coffee and discuss Mama’s Song sounds quite tempting. I imagine it would be a fascinating conversation.