Movie Review: Footrot Flats: A Dog’s Tale.

Rattle your dags, boys and girls and feast your eyes on an oldie but a goodie Kiwi Classic and childhood favourite of mine that comes to the small screen in the form of Footrot Flats: A Dog’s Tale. Featuring the characters from the late Murray Ball’s “Footrot Flats” – New Zealands most beloved local cartoon strip.

image couresty of Amazon.com

Join Dog, Jess, Wal, Cooch, Horse, Major, Rangi, Pongo, Cheeky and “those bloody Murphys” , where Dog goes on ‘a journey of a thousand miles’, and an epic adventure. You will bear witness to his first encounter with the sexy Jess, his loyal devotion to Wal Footrot, whom he saves from a fate worse than death; his adventures with Horse, the cat with the barracuda jaw and fishhook claws; his brilliant cowardice and mighty nose, pitted against the dastardly schemes of the villainous Murphys, their hell hounds and the Croco Pigs.

This film will also keep you entertained and glued to the small screen. Not to mention it’s jam packed full of Kiwi words, sayings and slang and references to Kiwi culture! The soundtrack, by Dave Dobbyn is mind blowing filled with famous popular Kiwi classics such as Slice of Heaven and You Oughta to be in love. Overall this film is VERY FUNNY! I laughed all the way through, especially during the part where Wal is serenading Cheeky with a love ballad  aka You Oughta to be in love, (see youtube clip down below!), Dog gets ambushed by an army of rats and the battle to the death with the deadly croco-pigs!

A film that can be enjoyed by all ages and a great film to watch with the family over fish and chips on a Saturday night. 6/10 all the way!

 

7 new back to school children’s non-fiction you must get your hands on!

The holidays may be over, but have no fear, Wellington City Libraries always has fantastic new books in stock for your viewing and reading pleasure. Come on down to your local library and check out what’s new in our junior non fiction collection, especially some must have new reads about the Olympics, which you should get your hands on before the games officially start:

 

image courtesy of syndetics

Travel the world Atlas.

Take a trip around the world and back again where you can  expand your geographical knowledge and stimulate  curiosity with this delightful map book.  Filled with fascinating, bite-sized facts about the landscape and the culture of each geographical region. Great for children over 6 years old.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsSuperbug.

Grab hold of this book and read all about the biggest, fastest, deadliest creepy crawlies on the planet.

 

 

 

IMAGE COURTESY OF SYNDETICSMy Little Book Tractors.

Packed full of cool photos and fascinating facts about tractors. Perfect for reluctant readers and young children interested in tractors and automobiles

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsPokemon visual companion.

Pokemon madness has taken over the library, especially with the release of this fantastic Pokemon guide. Here is your chance to really catch all the Pokémon you can find, as uncover amazing artwork, fascinating facts and comical anecdotes. This is truly a must have reference for every Pokemon fan!

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsOlympic Sport: The Whole Muscle-Flexing Story.

From running a marathon to beating your friends at basketball or being the bendiest gymnast around, find out everything you ever wanted to know about sports and games and what it is that makes athletes the best at what they do. A must have read to have in time for the Olympics.

 

 

image courtesy of syndeticsOlympic Expert.

Read this book and discover record breaking sprints of 100m legend Usain Bolt, Gymnast Nadia Comenaeci’s perfect ten, Bob Beamon’s amazing long jump and David Weir’w wheelchair racing heroics and much, much more! This book is also crammed full of facts and statistics, quotes, trivia and lots of other essential information for every Olympic fan. Grab it quick before someone else does.

 

image courtesy of syndeticsMinecraft : the survivors’ book of secrets.

The latest instalment of Minecraft as arrived in the form of  Minecraft : the survivors’ book of secrets. This Official Minecraft book contains collective knowledge of the Survivors – an underground group of Minecraft experts who’ve been around since the early days of alpha. Out in the field you’ll learn how to stalk your enemies, how to master the art of practical munitions and how to crush any opponent in hand-to-hand combat.

Great new kids fiction for the new school year!

Image courtesy of SyndeticsCrowns and Codebreakers by Elen Caldecott (The Marsh Road Mysteries #2)

Minnie’s Gran picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport. Then Minnie’s house is burgled and the only thing taken is the suitcase. The suitcase was full of boy’s clothes. Who was the boy? What has happened to him? Minnie knows there is a mystery to be solved here and reassembles her gang to solve it.

 

Stop Those Monsters! by Steve ColeImage courtesy of Syndetics

The Wizard of Oz meets Monsters Inc in this MONSTROUSLY funny stand-alone story from bestselling author phenomenon, Steve Cole. I’m Bob, a human boy stuck in a land of MONSTERS. I’m trying to get out with the help of three – count them, three – incredible creatures. There’s Verity, who looks like a giant hamster. Alfie, who’s about as scary as a bag of crisps. And Zola, a gorgon who can’t turn people to stone (though she can manage cardboard at a push). We’re on a crazy, death-defying quest to escape with our lives. And all around us, the cry goes up: STOP THOSE MONSTERS!!!

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsA Horse Called Dora ; Knight in Training #2 (by Vivian French and David Melling

Sam J. Butterbiggins’ only ambition is to be a Very Noble Knight, but he has a problem he’s been packed off to the castle next door to stay with his aunt, uncle and annoying cousin Prune while his parents are away. But Sam’s discovered an ancient scroll listing the six quests to be completed in order to become a knight, and he’s already completed the first one! Now he’s found his True Companion (Prune), next on the list is to track down a Snow White Steed. But when Aunt Egg orders Sam and Prune to journey to Weasel’s Hill to deliver Horace the warthog back to his owner, it looks like the young knight-in-training looks will have to put his quest on hold. Or will he?

 

Under Suspicion by R.A. SprattImage courtesy of Syndetics

Since Friday Barnes was arrested after cracking the case of Highcrest academy’s swamp-yeti, she is not so sure boarding school was the smartest choice! And there’s a new boy at school who’s take a shine to her to deal with. Can Friday navigate the school grounds and decipher a decades-old mystery without getting caught in an unexpected love triangle?

 

Image courtesy of SyndeticsNancy Drew; The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene

‘Nancy Drew arrives in Phoenix, Arizona, eagerly looking forward to a fun-filled vacation at Shadow Ranch, but abruptly finds herself involved in a baffling mystery.  The ranch is being haunted by a phantom horse and maliciously damaged by an unknown enemy.  Local people believe that the ghostly animal is carrying out the curse of Dirk Valentine, the romantic outlaw who was killed many years ago at Shadow Ranch, where he had gone to fulfill a promise to his sweetheart’…. –taken from inside book cover.

 

 

Young readers’ special treats!

How are you feeling now that you are back at school? Ready for new challenges? Are you getting confident with reading short stories all by yourself?  If so, this selection of easy chapter books will be perfect for you!

 

Spooky house, by Sally Rippin

Billie and her friends have started a Secret Mystery Club! There’s just one problem – they don’t have any mysteries to solve. But then Billie thinks of the spooky house at the end of her street. She has always wondered who lives there. Is it a witch or a ghost?

It is up to the SMC to find out!

Age 7 and +

 

 

Stink it up! A guide to the Gross, the bad and the smelly, Megan McDonald

Stink has a nose for yuck and muck, and this book is full of it: moose-poop festivals, mouse-brain toothpaste, maggot cheese, and more.

The pages are packed with more than two hundred facts and bits of trivia about things that are gross, bad, and smelly – loads of P.U. served up just for YOU!

Age 7 and +

 

 

Thea Stilton and the Spanish dance mission, by Geronimo Stilton

The Thea sisters are visiting friends at a lively festival in Spain. But the theft of a precious fan turns their trip into an investigation! They end up hot on the trail of a secret treasure… but they’re not the only ones searching for it. Can the mouselets solve the mystery in time? It’s a mission full of flamenco dance!

Age 7 and +

 

 

 

Lulu Bell and the Cubby Fort, by Belinda Murrell

Lulu and her family are visiting their uncle’s farm for the Easter holidays. There are horses to ride, a creek to swim in, and they can even sleep outside in a tent. What fun!

Lulu loves being a cowgirl on the farm, especially when all the cousins decide to build the best cubby fort ever. But when she sees a calf get stuck in the mud, Lulu has to find help – fast!

Age 7 and +