Thursday, 9 July 2020

The Problem with Problems .... book review.

***Please note that I do not receive commissions of any kind for this review, it is simply a book that we find useful.***


Hands up who likes books!!!! We love books in a superhero headquarters, especially books that appeal to children. I was once asked how many children's books did we have in the house, this was quite a few years ago, and I honestly didn't know other than to answer with that one of our six shelf book cases was filled with children's books!!

Last weekend, the little superheroes and I were killing some time looking at books in a shopping centre, as you do. I'd actually gone to Kmart to look for a different book and this one caught my eye first. O then found the original book, so keep a look out for a review on that one, and we left Kmart after purchasing a few more books than I'd originally intended.

The title of this book caught my eye but it was the illustrations that both little superheroes were drawn too. O had a quick read through and told me that it was probably a book more suited to L's age and younger. L had a look through and asked me to read it to him before bed because the picture looked cool!


The Problem with Problems was written by Rachel Rooney and illustrated by Zehra Hicks and is all about, well problems that children might encounter every day. L and I read the book before bed that night and he thoroughly enjoyed it. So without any further ado, it's over to L.

Me ... What is the book about?
L ... It a rhyming book about problems. They can be big problems and they can be small problems. Lots of different problems. I like the pictures, they very colourful.

Me ... What does the story tell you you to do with the problems?
L ... Well some problems, they can be everywhere and they want to be trouble for you. But the book says you got to look at the problem cause it might not be a problem. Like the spider. It's not really a problem, it just a spider.

Me ... What does the book say about ignoring problems?
L ... They say that some problems will just go away if you ignore them, but sometimes that can be too hard. The problem still stay.

Me ... What does the book say to do with the problem if it stays?
L ... It say "Don't ask the problem to play!" And sometimes if you sleep, the problem might go away but I not like to sleep. Sleep is boring!

Me ... No, you don't like sleeping! What could you do with the problem then?
L ... The book say that problems don't like it when you tell someone so you got to tell your Mummy or Daddy or your friend or the bus or the chair and then the problem will go away. It was a good book. It even gots a boy in a wheelchair in it. We read it again please?

Me ... One more question? Do you think other kids would like to read this book?
L ... It a good book. If kids got problems, they got to read the book. We read again now?

Me ... We sure can, thank you for telling me about the book.
L ... You welcome but no more questions. You read to me please?


The book discusses and explains what problems are in very easy to understand terms. It is a topic than can be difficult to discuss with children, this is a brilliant book that should be in every families home library. The story then goes on to provide the reader with realistic and practical strategies that they can use to make the problems disappear, like talking to someone. The story is in a rhyming format, which L loved (we're big on rhyming books!) and the illustrations are not only fun and colourful but also very inclusive. There is no one central character, rather a group of characters all dealing with the same issue, problems. We then read the book again, so I have a feeling that it will be one that we will keep coming back to.

I would highly recommend this book if your children are young readers or if you are an educator or teacher of young readers. It was definitely a great buy.

Thursday, 2 July 2020

2020 .... The Year We All Played Jumanji!


Oh 2020, it is only July but golly gosh, what a year it has been so far!

We, as a family, had grand plans that this was going to be our year. January came and went with huge devastating bush fires and then floods here in Australia. February arrived and seemed to last a very long time. Then March arrived with a bang! 

March, you really should have been holding a sign that said "Welcome to Jumanji!"



COVID19 hit Australia in March, not long before the Easter holidays when many people have their yearly family holiday. But unfortunately all holidays must be cancelled unless there are compassionate reasons. Caravan parks closed, flights cancelled, campgrounds closed, hotels closed, restaurants and cafes closed. Cruises cancelled. Cruise ships stranded at sea with no ports allowing ships to dock. Airports become parking lots for aeroplanes.

Petrol prices are at a record low just above $1 per litre. Currently I am getting three weeks to a tank of fuel!

Social isolating and self distancing measures in place. Tape on the floors at supermarkets, chemists and other shops to help distance shoppers 1.5m from each other. Some supermarkets are limiting the number of people inside shops therefore there are lineups outside the shop with security guards allowing people in one at a time.

Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed by the government. Nature parks, trails, entire cities locked up. Schools with multiple pupil free days at the end of term 1 so that teachers can prepare for online distance learning.

There is a shortage of masks, gowns, and gloves for our frontline health workers. There is also a shortage of respirators for the critically Ill. 

Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towels, no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer - the shelves are bare. Limits are placed by the shops on how many tins/packets of food that can be purchased at a time.

Essential businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and other PPE.

The Federal Government closed the state borders all over the country as well as national borders and anyone entering from overseas must isolate for 14 days. Fines are established for breaking the rules. All beaches, playgrounds and places of gathering, including churches, are closed and in some cases, fenced off. Stadiums and recreation facilities on standby to provide overflow to hospitals and mortuaries in some countries. In Australia, five people were allowed at weddings and ten at funerals. Groups no larger than two people to gather in public, unless it's your family group.

Press conferences are held daily from both the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, our Queensland Premier and the Government Medical Officer. Government offering financial support to individuals and businesses to help cope with job losses, save the economy and avoid a recession.

Thousands losing their jobs enmasse. Massive queues outside Centrelink to access unemployment benefits. Barely anyone in the streets or on the roads. People wearing masks and gloves outside. We are to distance from each other and stay at home unless we need to do essential shopping, go to medical appointments or go to work, if an essential worker. We can also leave the house each day for brisk exercise. 

Thousands are affected by the corona virus, there are huge numbers of people who are critically ill in ICU. There are also many who have recovered. And unfortunately, many thousands of people have lost their lives due to COVID 19.

Schools were closed to all students except for children whose parents were classed as essential workers. All lessons were delivered via a online platform for most of term two. Parents who were at home with their children became instant teachers, supervising their children's online learning. 

This is the Novel Corona virus, COVID 19 Pandemic, it was declared by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020.

Why, you ask, do I write this status? We are a part of living history. My little superheroes are a part of living history. One day when they have children, they will be able to tell about the time when the world stood still to help prevent the spread of the corona virus. This will be a reminder that life is precious. A reminder that we shouldn't take everything that we love, for granted. A reminder of the time that we were all this together.