Round Fish Square Bowl

The Book Chook

I believe our society needs square pegs just as much as we need round pegs, old pegs, new pegs,pegs with two prongs or pegs with three.

I love the fact that this picture book underscores that need, and does its best to help all little pegs be proud of their individuality.

The book works on different levels. It's not a narrative, more a wry commentary on not taking stereotypes for granted.

It does this in a light-hearted, positive way.

Buzz Words

Round Fish Square Bowl is a celebration of being different - 'Ugly ducklings turn into beautiful swans' - 'The tortoise beats the hare'.

It’s also a book that children will want to read
or have read to them, time and again, not just because of the storyline, but for its colourful, zany illustrations.

Once again, New Frontier has produced a book which should be on every child’s bedside table and in every kindergarten classroom.

Pass It On

When this book arrived in the mail, I knew I had a favourite with my children. The 'Can you read this, Mummy,' was an early clue, but the fact that both children wanted it as their bedtime story — over and over again — sealed it.

The bright orange fish grabs your atteniton, and the title, to me, summed up what is probably true for everyone to some degree.
 

Magpies

A clever use of font styles, plenty of white space allowing focus on the flaw/virtue, and vibrant illustrations that caper across each double spread reinforce the encouraging words, Be A Square Peg today.That's what I say!

Sydney's Child

Here is a simple tale told with great charm. The award winning illustrator Mini Goss has brought the story to life with her quirky and humorous drawings.

In each character she draws, Goss captures a variety of emotional responses. Importantly, she also captures the acceptance and joy that is central to the moral of this story.

The Reading Stack, Volume 1, ISSUE 2, 2007

It introduces “old fashioned sayings” to teach timeless messages reinforcing self-esteem and self-confidence.

The illustrations are bright and cheerful and the message speaks volumes. So go out and enjoy being a square peg, even if it just for a day!

Eve Hanks
Spring 2006

Littlekids Magazine

Those sayings people trot out, such as "He's as clumsy as a bull in a china shop", get questioned and turned around in this happy, well-drawn book.

The Sunday Age

Kids hate feeling as if they are the odd one out — the pressures to conform are so strong.

This picture book will provide reassurance. It tells a story of acceptance via proverbs and sayings.
 

Journal of the South Australian Association of State School Organisations
Term 4 2006

School Post

With a delightful spin on what can often be a hindrance to young children, Tom Skinner has presented the issue of being different in a positive light.

This book aims to teach children that it is OK to be different, and that they should celebrate everything that makes them who they are.
 

PreschoolEntertainment.com

This is a beautifully presented book, which will entertain your children immensely, while teaching them to celebrate their own, and others' differences.

The use of familiar fairytales is inspired, and the quirky, lighthearted but bright presentation will instantly capture children's attention.

The message is one that children need to hear more often.

Jane Page
  Centre for Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood,
Faculty of Education,
The University of Melbourne

2007
 

Every Child Magazine VOL.13 NO.2 2007

This book offers scope for teachers to explore with children the meanings underlying various ways of feeling - how different emotions may position individuals in particular ways and the impact this can have on feelings.

It encourages readers to think beyond a view of emotions as fixed and one-dimensional ways of feeling and rather to view them as multifaceted states of being that shift according to the context in which a person finds themself.

Discussions of this kind might reasonate strongly with children who are often pressured to conform to others’ expectations of how they should they act and feel.

Accordingly, this book could be read in early childhood settings and also the early and middle years of primary school.

Katharine England
23 September 2006

The Advertiser

Round Fish Square Bowl looks at feeling different and points out that ugly ducklings can turn into beautiful swans, stubborness can be a lifesaving trait, the little pig can, on occasion, overcome the wolf and the slow tortoise beats the hare, while the empty-pocketed church mouse may well enjoy a different kind of wealth.

ACT Minister for Education and Training

”I am pleased to join with Autism Asperger ACT to launch the first ever Bubble Day in the ACT as a way of ensuring greater understanding of those with ASD in our schools and in our community generally. I hope many schools will take part in Bubble Day during public education week, 18 to 22 May.”

The day can include events at schools such as bubble blowing competitions, building bubble blowers and reading stories such as Round Fish Square Bowl, which celebrates diversity amongst children.

       Review By Joshua

                    August 2011

Mr Baldock's Year 2/3 Class Blog 2011

Main characters: The little pig, the tortoise, a stubborn mule, the mad hatter, a bull, the ugly duckling and a rich mouse.

A brief description of the story: It is a story about some people that have a bit of trouble with their things, but in the end they all were happy.

What did you like about the book?: I liked the characters and the stories.

I give it 10\10 because it is funny, it has funny words and it is a good book.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Hallfrídur Ólafsdóttir

Principal Flute, Iceland Symphony Orchestra
Author of Maximus Musicus
www.maximusmusicus.com

 

The Sorcerers Apprentice is a cheerful tale with lively illustrations 
that match Dukas' colourful palette of sounds.

A great way to introduce this entertaining orchestral masterpiece to
children.

ReadPlus

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a modern twist on a classic German poem which inspired a piece of classical music also called The Sorcerer's Apprentice. It is also reminiscent of Walt Disney's Fantasia. It is set in a car and camel wash where we meet Rizwan, the sorcerer's apprentice, who just wants to cast spells and be noticed by girls.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a great story to read aloud as it uses rhyme to weave the spells as well as words like 'uppity', 'lurched' and 'mysterious' (words that may be tricky for young readers). Independent and young readers will enjoy its colourful and detailed pictures, showing the antics the young apprentice gets up to as he tries different spells to impress a girl.

Of course, just like Fantasia, Rizwan gets into all sorts of bother as he tries to act a little more grown up than he really is and chaos occurs - brooms do as they please, the soap suds grow and grow.
Highly recommended for teachers to read to their class, it could be compared to the original poem or Fantasia, and used as a lesson on rhyming words and writing poems and spells. It could also be used to introduce classical music as it comes with a CD that has a narration of the story, background information on the composer, Paul Abraham Dukas, and a copy of the original piece of music.

Parents will also enjoy reading this story to their children as they giggle at the pictures together and cast their own magical spells.

Buzz Words Books

The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a colourful and lively contemporary adaptation of Goethe's famous poem and attests to the enduring popularity of this story. First written in 1797 (and titled Der Zauberlehrling), the poem was put to music by Paul Abraham Dukas in 1897, and has been the basis of two Disney movies; Fantasia (1940) and Fantasia 2000. 

Tom Skinner has brought The Sorcerer's Apprentice into the era of the car while still retaining the magic and wizardry. The sorcerer's apprentice Rizwan uses spells to help him with his tasks at the Wizard Car and Camel Wash. As in the original tale, everything goes wrong and the sorcerer must fix all on his return. However, that is not until after the mayor, his limousine and the whole Wizard and Camel Car Wash have nearly disappeared under a cloud of foamy bubbles.Annie White's illustrations are bright and colourful and full of movement. As with Skinner's text she manages to combine magic and modern.

The third title in New Frontier's Music Box series, the book is accompanied by an audio CD read by Antonia Kidman. At various times during the reading, Dukas' classical composition of The Sorcerer's Apprentice plays. There is further music after the reading ends and I must say it is delightful to be writing this review while it plays. The Sorcerer's Apprentice could stand as a picture book on its own but is also a perfect way to introduce young children to some of our literary and musical traditions. 

Onkaparinga Libraries, Adelaide 

This enchanting story contains all the elements children love - magic, bubbles, colour, humour and a little boy who doesn't do as he's told!

The moral and music are a bonus.

Great to read to my Storytime children with my wand in hand.

 Deborah Abela
Author of
Max Remy Superspy series

25 July 2011

Susan Stephenson
  1 August 2011

The Reading Stack
  12 September 2011

Uma Singh
   2011

Reviewed on ABC Radio Canberra Drive Show with Louise Maher

The Music Box series of books has so far included The Flight of the Bumblebee, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and now, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, based on composer Paul Abraham Dukas’ score which was based on a poem by Goethe, in which a young apprentice uses his magic to complete his chores, which works out fine until everything starts to go horribly wrong.

Rizwan is a very lazy sorcerer’s apprentice, who is ordered by his master to clean up the terrible mess around his ‘Wizard Car and Camel Wash’  but not, the sorcerer warns, by using any magic.

Upset at being bossed around, Rizwan uses the Sorcerer’s wand to clean the camels, conjure up the mayor’s pretty daughter and even clean the mayor’s car.

However, the suds and foam wont stop forming, the brooms wont stop swooshing and soon enough the mayor risks disappearing in a great cloud of bubbles.

He tries to use more spells to stop the mess but it only gets worse until the sorcerer flies in on his broom to stop the bubbled mess.

The book comes with a CD reading of the story and of course, the very wonderful music.

The Book Chook

New Frontier Publishing (Australia) has a delightful series of books with accompanying CDs based on famous classical compositions. I've previously reviewed Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Flight of the Bumblebee. I very much like the idea of introducing children to classical music wrapped inside a story package.

Today I'd like to tell you about The Sorcerer's Apprentice, written by Tom Skinner, illustrated by Annie White and published by New Frontier (2010). This children's picture book is based on The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas, a much-loved piece of music. Children may recognise it from Walt Disney's film, Fantasia. I know I can't hear it without visualising Mickey Mouse prancing around with a magic wand! But Skinner brings us his own interpretation.

Rizwan is a fumbling apprentice determined to prove to his master that he is ready to become a fully fledged sorcerer. Things are not as easy as they seem. Rizwan gets himself into a bit of a sticky situation.

There is something for everyone in this story; mops, buckets, magic, a sorcerer, a beautiful girl and a slightly naive apprentice.

Kids will very much relate to Rizwan not wanting to tidy away his mess:
Cart this, cart that.
Egyptian cat, black hat.
I'm Rizwan the Great, Rizwan the Brave,
not some uppity sorcerer's slave.
And maybe parents and teachers will relate to the exasperated sorcerer!

I love how both author and illustrator have woven fantasy into this tale, but also added modern day elements like the Car and Camel Wash. There's humour too in plays on words and the colourful, detailed illustrations.

Antonia Kidman does a great job of narrating for the CD, where kids can also listen to excerpts from Dukas' music woven naturally into the narrative. I really like the way the CD is safely ensconced inside the book's cover - helpful for parents and kids who'd like more organisation in heir home than Rizwan! Kidman's voice brings the characters to life, and she also reads an end page that tells a little of the background of the original poem and piece of music.

The Reading Stack

The Music Box Series is an excellent way to introduce young children to classical music and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is the third book of this series.

Rizwan is a young apprentice at the Wizard Car and Camel Wash. Rizwan is like most children – looking for an easier way out, and when he starts to cast his own magic on the mayor’s camels and long car, you just know it isn’t going to end well for him.

The story is a funny tale that has some lessons gently embedded in it. The narration will help young readers follow the words with Paul Abraham Dukas’ music playing in the background – perfect for car travel. The tension rises as the magic and Rizwan’s mistakes reach a crescendo. The illustrations by Annie White tie the story together into a wonderful package. Readers and listeners will want to repeat the experience. Fantastic!

Need To Read This!

The Sorcerer’s car and camel wash (yes, you read correctly), is the place to be, and with esteemed clientele like the Mayor, business is good. Rizwan, the sorcerers apprentice, works at the car and camel wash, but soon tires of his ‘boring’ duties.

Left in charge and wanting to impress, Rizwan get’s a little bit ahead of himself, and even after an express warning by the sorcerer, conjures spells beyond his control which lands him in all sorts of trouble!

The bright and colourful illustrations in this book add to the magic of this tale. It is entertaining and also teaches a classic lesson in patience and perseverance.

The book also comes with a CD narration by Antonia Kidman for something a little bit different!

Sweet and Sour Pork

Teacher Tilly

We received a promocode for this app from the writer of the book the app is based on. We got the code because the images in the app are all crafted scenes and we have a lot of crafts on our site.
The story is about the big bad wolf who moves into the same town the three little pigs live in. Instead of just telling the story the writer tries to show you the pros and cons of the wolf moving in to the town. The pro and the con each get a different photo. It is very important that you look and talk about the images with your child else the message might be lost. The story tries to learn children that there are often two sides to a story.

There is an option to have the story read to your child but you will have to record the audio yourself. A piggy minus is that the recording option can be found in the iPhones options menu which is not the most logical place to find the option. A piggy plus is that your child can not accidentally go into this menu from the app. So there are no distractions. There is also no prerecorded voice so if you do not record it yourself you won’t have audio.

A piggy plus is that if you want to record the audio in a different language you can only the printed text will stay in English but if your child can’t read yet that is not a problem.
A piggy plus is that the images look colorful. A piggy minus is the presentation. It reminded me a lot of a powerpoint presentation. There isn’t really a menu or anything. To navigate you just swipe the view to go to the next image. A piggy plus is that this makes it really easy for little kids to navigate.
The writer did not make the app himself he won a contest in which four writers could submit their story and would get the story made as an app.