Raymond Huber reviews children's picture books.
The General is ready to go to war but a duck in the cannon causes a sudden ceasefire.
Time passes and eventually ducklings emerge from the gun.
By then, the army has gone, the people are protesting and the war is called off.
The message about the futility of war is delivered with subtlety and humour.
Robyn Belton's warm illustrations are carefully researched and extend the text for the careful viewer.
There are also excellent commentaries on the book by the author and the illustrator.
All About New Zealand Insects and Other Creepy Crawlies by Dave Gunson (New Holland) is a superb guide for young children.
Each creature has a large, accurate illustration, as well as an "actual size" picture.
The text is organised by habitat, and clearly outlines where to find the insects and how they behave.
Included are other creatures such as spiders, centipedes, moths and butterflies.
On a Rabbit Hunt by Elizabeth Pulford (Scholastic) is a delightful picture book for younger preschoolers.
Mum, Sam and baby Sara are on the trail of a rabbit.
On the journey, they collect an assortment of farm animals: a dog, cat, goat, and goose.
The runaway rabbit is finally cornered and returned to its cage.
There are plenty of animal sounds for young children to join in.
The lively illustrations are by Jenny Cooper.
Piggity-Wiggity Jiggity Jig by Diana Neild (Scholastic) was an honour book in this year's New Zealand Post awards.
It is about a small pig who is feeling unwell, so Mum takes him to Dad's cafe (The Ravenous Snout) for lunch.
Piggity doesn't like the fancy foods on the menu and ends up getting his own personalised feast.
The rhymes mostly flow, and Neild cleverly inserts some fun advanced vocabulary.
Philip Webb's pictures are excellent as usual.
Two new books present World War 1 through the eyes of those who experienced it.
Wearing the Poppy by A.J. Toledo (HarperCollins, $20, pbk) is an Anzac book for children aged about 8 to 10.
Through letters, diaries and photos, this tells the story of one family in the war.
It is a poignant account, although it does not explore the political and military folly of this war.
For slightly older readers, Caesar by Patricia Stroud (HarperCollins, $27, hbk) is the true story of a canine Anzac hero.
Trained as a Red Cross dog, Caesar rescued wounded soldiers from no-man's-land.
The bulldog was the official mascot of the 4th Battalion fighting in the Somme.
The book has many photographs, and is presented partly through story and personal letters.
A good overview of the war for readers aged 10 to 12.
- Raymond Huber is a Dunedin writer and teacher.
