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Anzac Biscuits
A mother and daughter at home in Australia around the time of World War 1 are baking Anzac biscuits and the mother is explaining their history. This is interspersed with scenes and reports of what it was like to be a young soldier [the child's father] at the battle site. Strong emotional impact , understandable and useful for approx 5-12 year olds.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Phil Cummings
70 books18 followersPhil Cummings had his first book published by Omnibus/Penguin in 1989 and has
since written over sixty books for children.
since written over sixty books for children.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 8, 2019
A lovely Aussie story about baking Anzac biscuits, the historical choice of cookie/biscuit that was sent out the soldiers on the front.
In this story Rachel and her mother are baking these and the steps taken while baking are correspondent with a soldier fighting. The pots and pans being noisily dragged out the the cupboard and banging on the floor; the shots being fired out bang bang bang. The flour being spread upon the table; the snow falling on to the soldiers cold shoulders.
A very different take on war times from a family perspective. A lovely little story.
In this story Rachel and her mother are baking these and the steps taken while baking are correspondent with a soldier fighting. The pots and pans being noisily dragged out the the cupboard and banging on the floor; the shots being fired out bang bang bang. The flour being spread upon the table; the snow falling on to the soldiers cold shoulders.
A very different take on war times from a family perspective. A lovely little story.
April 25, 2022
3'5 🌟
Me ha gustado que a diferencia de muchos libros que se centran únicamente en la experiencia bélica del soldado (diggers) que lucha en primera línea, este libro ilustrado narra una comparativa, por un lado la perspectiva de una niña (Rachel) y su madre mientras hornean ANZAC biscuits para enviárselas a su padre y, por el otro, el papel de él que está lejos luchando en la guerra. Esa diferencia entre la calidez del hogar y la tristeza y la oscuridad de la guerra, me parece que está muy bien plasmado, dejando un mensaje de familia y amor. Ellas haciendo todo lo posible porque él vuelva bien a casa y él manteniendo la esperanza a través de esas galletas que ellas le envían.
Me ha gustado que a diferencia de muchos libros que se centran únicamente en la experiencia bélica del soldado (diggers) que lucha en primera línea, este libro ilustrado narra una comparativa, por un lado la perspectiva de una niña (Rachel) y su madre mientras hornean ANZAC biscuits para enviárselas a su padre y, por el otro, el papel de él que está lejos luchando en la guerra. Esa diferencia entre la calidez del hogar y la tristeza y la oscuridad de la guerra, me parece que está muy bien plasmado, dejando un mensaje de familia y amor. Ellas haciendo todo lo posible porque él vuelva bien a casa y él manteniendo la esperanza a través de esas galletas que ellas le envían.
April 23, 2021
Rachel and her mother, warm and safe at home are going to make some biscuits for dad, a faraway soldier.
Swan’s illustrations compliment Cummings’ story so well, contrasting the warm golden hues of the kitchen with the cold grey of the trenches. The love and warmth emanating from the box at the end of the story are incredibly palpable!
Both story and illustrations are beautifully powerful. This is a touching story of how love and warmth can reach across the world, even into the cold trenches of war.
Swan’s illustrations compliment Cummings’ story so well, contrasting the warm golden hues of the kitchen with the cold grey of the trenches. The love and warmth emanating from the box at the end of the story are incredibly palpable!
Both story and illustrations are beautifully powerful. This is a touching story of how love and warmth can reach across the world, even into the cold trenches of war.
April 29, 2023
A wonderful picture book that examines the power of knowing there are people who love and support you.
Two stories, of a family cooking at home and a young soldier in the trenches, are intertwined. The colour palette is used very effectively to help tell the story. It was amazing to see our youngest readers making sense of why the two story lines were intertwined and why the author chose the colours he did. Highly recommended.
Edit: On reflection, upgraded to 5 stars after re-reading with this year's classes.
Two stories, of a family cooking at home and a young soldier in the trenches, are intertwined. The colour palette is used very effectively to help tell the story. It was amazing to see our youngest readers making sense of why the two story lines were intertwined and why the author chose the colours he did. Highly recommended.
Edit: On reflection, upgraded to 5 stars after re-reading with this year's classes.
April 29, 2018
An Australian classic I was told about recently and decided to investigate.
A delightful children's picture book.
Alternates from kitchen to battlefront.
It is quite amazing that home baked Anzac biscuits made it all the way over to the Western front.
Soldiers could be sent care packages that included home baked food.
A delightful children's picture book.
Alternates from kitchen to battlefront.
It is quite amazing that home baked Anzac biscuits made it all the way over to the Western front.
Soldiers could be sent care packages that included home baked food.
April 23, 2019
Not too sad a story about making ANZAC biscuits and about a child's father away at war.
January 20, 2022
A lovely comparison of the experiences of a father in the trenches of WWI and his daughter on the homefront.
May 9, 2023
A precious story of parallels between father and daughter, and the origin story of the good old Anzac biccy.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 21, 2016
Australian author Phil Cummings has teamed up with illustrator Owen Swan to create a unique and special ANZAC story for young children.
Unlike many books which focus only on the war experience of the solider fighting on the front line, this picture book is told through the perspective of a child (Rachel) and her mother as they bake ANZAC biscuits to send to her father who is away fighting the war. However this happy little tale is broken up every second double page spread by the story of Rachel's father and what he is experiencing while fighting for the freedom that Rachel and her mother enjoy back home. Together these two narratives create an all encompassing, and yet still limited, small glimpse of what it would have been like back then for both sides (those fighting and those left behind).
Owen Swan has deliberately used a limited colour pallet for this book, simply sticking to various shades of sepia, black, white and grey's to portray the historic nature of this turbulent time in Australia's, and indeed the rest of the world's, history. His homely illustrations of Rachel and her mum are warm and soothing, with love ozzing from every aspect of the page, while the soldier's experience is one of sorrow as he deals with the harsh realities of the war and misses his family terribly back home. I love the combination of this warmth of the home and sorrow and darkness of the war that really hounds home the book's message of family and love. What's more, I adore the fact that we see a family make the Anzac biscuit's with love and so much care through out the book, and then are able to see the miserable solider at the end unwrap his suprise of love and hope at the end. The way Swan has the box of biscuit's glowing makes it seem like the biscuits are biscuity-gold, and in many ways they would have been for those fighting overseas. A kind and gentle reminder of those back home and the love and tenderness awaiting the return.
Phil Cumming's text is simple and sparingly used throughout this narrative, instead the story relies heavily on Swan's elaborate and clever illustrations to fill in the many gaps and bring the story to life. All of which comes together to create a fantastic resource for primary school teachers and parents with young children to teach them about the war. The use of such basic text means that the book transcends all ages and is a great introduction for younger children to the war, especially as ANZAC Day comes around each year.
At it's heart, ANZAC Biscuit's is a story about love, kindness, family and hope. It's a story of one of many families who were separated during wartimes and left to cope the best way they can. For Rachel and her mother, it's through the baking of delicious treats that her father can enjoy and remember them by while away. For Rachel's father, it's a story of hope and a constant reminder of what is waiting for him back home one he is able to get away from the war front.
Simply put ANZAC Biscuits is a clever picture book that is ideal for young readers. The images and narrative are not overtly scary, nor do they seek to hide the realities of the World War 1 time period.
This review was originally posted at The Never Ending Bookshelf on 19th April 2016 and can be found here: http://wp.me/p3yY1u-Td
Unlike many books which focus only on the war experience of the solider fighting on the front line, this picture book is told through the perspective of a child (Rachel) and her mother as they bake ANZAC biscuits to send to her father who is away fighting the war. However this happy little tale is broken up every second double page spread by the story of Rachel's father and what he is experiencing while fighting for the freedom that Rachel and her mother enjoy back home. Together these two narratives create an all encompassing, and yet still limited, small glimpse of what it would have been like back then for both sides (those fighting and those left behind).
Owen Swan has deliberately used a limited colour pallet for this book, simply sticking to various shades of sepia, black, white and grey's to portray the historic nature of this turbulent time in Australia's, and indeed the rest of the world's, history. His homely illustrations of Rachel and her mum are warm and soothing, with love ozzing from every aspect of the page, while the soldier's experience is one of sorrow as he deals with the harsh realities of the war and misses his family terribly back home. I love the combination of this warmth of the home and sorrow and darkness of the war that really hounds home the book's message of family and love. What's more, I adore the fact that we see a family make the Anzac biscuit's with love and so much care through out the book, and then are able to see the miserable solider at the end unwrap his suprise of love and hope at the end. The way Swan has the box of biscuit's glowing makes it seem like the biscuits are biscuity-gold, and in many ways they would have been for those fighting overseas. A kind and gentle reminder of those back home and the love and tenderness awaiting the return.
Phil Cumming's text is simple and sparingly used throughout this narrative, instead the story relies heavily on Swan's elaborate and clever illustrations to fill in the many gaps and bring the story to life. All of which comes together to create a fantastic resource for primary school teachers and parents with young children to teach them about the war. The use of such basic text means that the book transcends all ages and is a great introduction for younger children to the war, especially as ANZAC Day comes around each year.
At it's heart, ANZAC Biscuit's is a story about love, kindness, family and hope. It's a story of one of many families who were separated during wartimes and left to cope the best way they can. For Rachel and her mother, it's through the baking of delicious treats that her father can enjoy and remember them by while away. For Rachel's father, it's a story of hope and a constant reminder of what is waiting for him back home one he is able to get away from the war front.
Simply put ANZAC Biscuits is a clever picture book that is ideal for young readers. The images and narrative are not overtly scary, nor do they seek to hide the realities of the World War 1 time period.
This review was originally posted at The Never Ending Bookshelf on 19th April 2016 and can be found here: http://wp.me/p3yY1u-Td
March 17, 2013
Emotionally engaging , impact is strong. As there is already plenty of non fiction available on World War 1, Anzac Day, Gallipoli, this is the sort of book I buy now.
Australian experience in this book is so close to New Zealand it is very useful.
Illustrations in muted browns, golds, give a feeling of being in another time, a certain reverence I guess:not exactly realistic but links to many of the photos of the time.
A pity there isn't a recipe for Anzac biscuits at the end of the book: maybe it was felt everyone knows where to get a recipe.
There's a YouTube clip of a conversation with the author.
cover and other details here
http://shop.abc.net.au/products/anzac...
Australian experience in this book is so close to New Zealand it is very useful.
Illustrations in muted browns, golds, give a feeling of being in another time, a certain reverence I guess:not exactly realistic but links to many of the photos of the time.
A pity there isn't a recipe for Anzac biscuits at the end of the book: maybe it was felt everyone knows where to get a recipe.
There's a YouTube clip of a conversation with the author.
cover and other details here
http://shop.abc.net.au/products/anzac...
April 4, 2013
Rachel is young girl at home in the kitchen with her mum; she misses her father who is in the cold muddy trenches of war, which seems a world away. Rachel's mum suggests they bake ANZAC biscuits and send them to her dad, to warm not only their kitchen but also his spirit.
This book is a touching story of a family separated by war, but due to the love and compassion from the home-front and a care package of ANZAC biscuits they don't seem that far apart after all.
This book is a great story of Australian history for young readers.
This book is a touching story of a family separated by war, but due to the love and compassion from the home-front and a care package of ANZAC biscuits they don't seem that far apart after all.
This book is a great story of Australian history for young readers.
May 8, 2013
Checkered endpapers reminiscent of a tablecloth frame this poignant story of a girl making ANZAC biscuits while her father fights in the trenches. Sombre toned water-colour illustrations capture the warmth of the kitchen, and bleak starkness of the battlefield. It is almost eerie how the actions and sounds of kitchen are then mirrored by what the soldier endures. The baking of biscuits somehow diminishes the distance between the family and brings them together again.
May 8, 2016
A beautifully drawn story, about a mother and her little daughter baking Anzac biscuits for their soldier husband/father, fighting in the trenches. The story flashes in between the warm, safe kitchen and the cold, fearful war happening so far away. And yet, their love unites them. This book is deceptively simple in both storyline and illustrations but has maximum emotional impact. One for the heart.
March 6, 2014
A picture book that tells the story of a mum baking Anzac biscuits in their warm home for her husband - their activities, putting on an apron with flowers, banging pots, gently falling flour are all linked to an alternative story of a young man fighting in a war in Europe - flowers in the battle field, bombs exploding, snow falling.
Powerful images explains the Anzac story.
Powerful images explains the Anzac story.
April 19, 2013
Excellent story. Great way to explain Anzac Day and its significance to children.
May 16, 2013
With humour and sensitivity Cummings has written a beautiful book that is ideal for Anzac Day.
February 20, 2015
A lovely story contrasting a young girl at home thinking of her father as she makes biscuits and the father on the battle fields.
May 4, 2017
Read to a pre-primary class as a prelude to cooking ANZAC biscuits. Excellent juxtaposition between the mother and daughter cooking ANZAC biscuits in Australia to the young father away at war. Plenty of discussion points to have with the class.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews