** GORDON, Gus Herman and Rosie Viking, 2012 unpaged $24.95 ISBN 9780670076031

 Every adult and every school kid knows what it’s like to feel lonely in a crowd. 

Herman and Rosie were amateur jazz musicians living parallel lives in New York City. They loved the city, but it was often a lonely place. Although  Rosie lived in the building next door to Herman’s, she didn’t know where the sounds of the groovy jazz oboe were coming from, and Herman didn’t know whose singing it was that made him feel so wonderful. The tension in the story builds as we watch Herman and Rosie pass each other again and again and finally end up in the same place ... and walk off in opposite directions. When Rosie hears the familiar music coming through the window once more, she leaps off the balcony, scales a wall and springs to the roof, where she and Herman find each other.

Gus Gordon’s mixed media illustrations are amazing. They incorporate maps, newspaper, postcards and photos of instruments and give the impression of a loud, bustling city. Even though I’ve never been to New York, I now feel as though I have. The flowing text and illustrations work together beautifully to tell the story.

This book has depth and romance, but by using animal characters, Gus Gordon has avoided an ‘adult’ feeling and created a book about friendship perfect for both adults and children (6+). Reading this book will make you feel (like Herman) that you have eaten honey straight from the jar.

TIMMERS, Leo The Magical Life of Mr Renny Gecko Press, 2012 unpaged $15.99 ISBN 978187767899

Mr Renny’s paintings looked real, but nobody wanted to buy them. He had no money, and longed to eat his painting of an apple. One day, a stranger gave him the ability to make his paintings come to life. He painted everything he had ever wanted – a hotdog, dessert, a mansion and more. He painted everything he had ever dreamed of, but he didn’t enjoy his creations. All that he could think of was what to paint next. It wasn’t until someone came along wanting to buy a painting, that he realised what he really wanted ... to be a painter.

This book is beautiful, funny, quirky and thought provoking. The large size gives it the feel of a special book. The painted illustrations are bright and original, with amusing details on every page. The story has a heart warming ending, and we realise, without needing to be told, that life consists of more than our possessions. For age 5 to 93.

** ROWE, Jeanette Rex the Tyrannosaurus ISBN 9781743310083 Tracy the Pterodactyl  ISBN 9781743310151 Bruce the
  Brachiosaurus ISBN 978174310144 Tip the Triceratops ISBN 9781743310113 (Dinosauritis: Catch the Dinosaur Bug)
  Allen & Unwin, 2012 unpaged $12.99

If you know a preschool-aged boy, then you are probably familiar with dinosauritis, an affliction which has children everywhere addicted to dinosaurs.

 Dinosauritis: Catch the Bug is a non-fiction series suitable for 2-4 year olds. The illustrations feature Jeanette Rowe’s trademark vibrant colours, cute dinosaurs and favourite vehicles. The information is presented in a way which the youngest children will relate to, for example: a triceratops was ‘bigger than ten rhinos all glued together’. There is plenty of childish silliness, such as ‘pterodactyls do love children, but only with sauce!’ 

Each book has an activity page: Rex has a maze, Tracy has match-the-shadow, Tip has spot-the-difference and my favourite is Bruce, with a simple snakes and ladders style game. The joke pages may not be as funny to a preschooler as the fun facts: A single poo from a brachiosaurus was the size of a small car. A fun series for budding dinosaur fans.