Kids on the coast

The Emerald Casket: The Billionaire Trilogy Book II

by Richard Newsome. p/b $19.95

I thought it would be appropriate to include an author who will be a guest speaker for the upcoming ‘Voices on the Coast’. This book follows on from the first in the series which was a wonderful adventure involving a missing diamond, a vast inheritance and some engaging characters. In this, the sequel, Gerald and his friends go on a holiday which unfolds into another adventure where they will need to beat time and criminals. There is also a good dose of humour amongst the suspense to captivate any reader.

The Muddleheaded Wombat

by Ruth Park. H/B $40.00

The Muddleheaded Wombat combines four of Ruth Park’s much-loved classics into one edition: The Muddleheaded Wombat, The Muddleheaded Wombat at School, The Muddleheaded Wombat on Holiday and The Muddleheaded Wombat in the Treetops. Featuring one of Australia’s most adored children’s book characters of all time. Suitable for all ages.

Delightfully simple yet engaging, this site offers a range of activities for kids around the ages of three to five who are discovering how to use a computer mouse to manipulate objects on the screen. Some activities are linked to literacy and numeracy skills, others to music, or ideas about actions and reactions, like pushing a swing. You can choose the English or French version, which is a great way to expose your kids to another language. Poisson Rouge welcomes small donations, which help to keep it (almost) free of advertising.

Yogi Bear 3D

Release: January 13, rated G

Everyone’s favourite pic-a-nic basket-stealing bear, Yogi (voiced by Dan Aykroyd), and his fun-loving pal, Boo Boo (voiced by Justin Timberlake), come to the big screen in a 3D blend of live action and CGI. A documentary filmmaker travels to Jellystone Park and soon crosses paths with the fun-loving mischievous bears, as usual battling with Ranger Smith. But when a scheming politician gets ideas about selling Jellystone Park to loggers, Yogi has to prove he really is smarter than the average bear.

The idea for this website was born on a long journey when two little girls started filming themselves reading stories to each other. It now contains hundreds of original stories, mostly written by adults and always read by children. You can search by age group and Smories are available for the iPhone and iPad.

Visit: www.smories.com

Rating: TBA

Release date: December 9

Lucy and Edmund return to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with King Caspian for a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before reaching the edge of the world. Starring Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley and Will Poulter.

Rating: PG 

Release date: December 26

In a contemporary re-imagining of the classic tale, Jack Black stars as Gulliver, a big-talking mailroom clerk. After he’s mistakenly assigned a travel piece on the Bermuda Triangle, Gulliver finds himself a giant among men when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Lilliput, home to a population of very tiny people. At first he is enslaved by the diminutive and industrious Lilliputians, but later declared their hero, Gulliver comes to learn that it’s how big you are on the inside that counts. Starring Jason Segal, Jack Black, Amanda Peet, Emily Blunt and Billy Connolly.

Rating: G

Release date: December 26

Yogi’s exploits take place in Jellystone Park, where he and Boo Boo get into good-natured mischief and must elude their nemesis, Ranger Smith. Features the voices of Dan Aykroyd, Justin Timberlake and Anna Faris.

By Kim Kane

This quirky picture book tells the tale of Noah and his very different brother, Neil. While Noah does very well at everything, Neil is a bit of a loner who doesn’t do so well at school. As they grow, Noah becomes a rather large and wealthy show-off and Neil becomes a peaceful hippie with a vegetable garden. When the rain comes, the story unfolds and they both have their own means of survival. Suitable for ages 4-6 with very interesting illustrations. RRP: $30.