I love me is a happy, bouncy book to share with small children and babies. It teaches the all important belief in yourself and the ability to love yourself for the unique person that you are. In simple rhyming , repeating phrases, the text teaches the child to love their different body parts, the things that their body can do and the feelings that they have. The book commences with "I love me!" and ends with, "I love, love, love me!" A hypothetical is presented... "If I was tall as a tree with worms for hair and clouds for arms and grass for feet, ..." Arguably, with this being an imaginative situation, perhaps it should read "If I were..." This reader understands authorial choice but also respectfully questions grammar usage - while understanding that the choice was probably deliberate.
Author Sally Morgan, known and acclaimed for her autobiography My place has collaborated with artist Ambelin Kwaymullina to produce this striking little board book for little people. At 15x15cm this board book is perfect for little hands. It is made with strong board of good quality.
Two children (a boy and a girl) bounce through the pages accompanied by a delightful little dog. I love me encourages children to love themselves for who they are through a simple, buoyant first person narrative accompanied by vibrantly colourful and happy illustrations. The rhyming pattern is fun and lends itself to interaction... "Tap, tap, tap, I love the way my hands clap...Thump, thump, thump I love the way my legs jump."
The building of self esteem in children is vital. I love me is a lovely book to share for fun shared reading times together and for imparting an important message. It is a book that will make everybody smile and probably will inspire a lot of happy activity.
Themes Loving yourself, Accepting your own uniqueness.
Wendy Jeffrey
My country by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Sally Morgan
The gorgeous book My country, listed as a CBCA Picture Books Notable Book and a CBCA Early Childhood Notable Book in 2012, has been republished in a new, small (19.5x19.5cm) hardback format that is just perfect for small hands. Author of many books, including The two-hearted numbat, Ezekiel Kwaymullin and illustrator Sally Morgan (of the acclaimed My place) are both from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Their collaboration with My Country has resulted in this beautiful book.
The text flows beautifully with a phrase/page:..."sing the earth's song"..."fly with the red desert wind"..."ride the whispering wind". These are action sequences and on each double page spread there is an illustration of a child doing just whatever the phrase suggests. The phrase sits in the middle of the left page of each double page spread (usually white font on a purple background). The illustrations flow whimsically too. They are detailed and seem to be a hybrid combination of Indigeous artwork in the detail and vibrant colours but including western styles of simple, happy children and clouds and suns et al with smiley faces. The little bird that accompanies the child on the journey has a Leunig look about him! The artwork is created with ink, coloured pencils and digital colouring. The book design by Fremantle based author and artist Tracey Gibbs and Perth based graphic designer and illustrator Rebecca Mills is deserving of attention because their work significantly augments the already considerable appeal of the work of the text and illustrations.
Dreamy and whimsical, My country, is an outstanding Australian contribution to the genre of world wide whimsical, mythical, spiritual, illustrated old, old tales of creation that spring from all cultures where life and creation is firmly rooted in the earth. Children love immersion in places they call home and places far, far away. Immersion in magical tales that are illustrated with beautiful pictures of the natural world bring a comforting sense of the eternal presence and continuum of past, present and future implicit in the text and illustrations. My country is one of those books that has an effect on the reader that imparts a love for country and a sense of belonging. Books from other cultures like The lights that dance in the night (2022) by Yuval Zommer which is about the Aurora Borealis are recommended to read in tandem in order for children to marvel even more about the awesome variety in our world. While My Country deals with the red desert dust, the hiding sun, the whispering wind, the moonlight, the lightning clouds and the moonlight tide, The lights that dance in the night has snow, reindeer and the northern lights. Books like these exude wonder and joy and an understanding that we, like all creatures, can bask in the mystery and the beauty. My country is a celebration of our Australian country and a cosy story to read together. As Good reading say, it is..." a book that should be in every home" because it is.." a beautiful celebration of our country".
A missing daughter. Suspected of plotting a terror attack in the US. A father arrested. Police storm Heathrow Airport to bring him in for questioning about his daughter. A terrifying connection. In Florida, a mother discovers a link between her son and the missing girl, fearing they have been radicalised. Hunted. On the run from the authorities, the two parents are thrown together to find their children before the FBI does and more lives are lost. Amazon
This is Mukherjee’s first stand-alone novel, after the Wyndham and Banerjee series and it is a tense thriller that is difficult to put down. It is told through the eyes of Sajid, the father of Aliyah, the girl who has been seen with the young woman accused of bombing LA shopping mall, Greg, a young ex-solider who has been radicalised and whose mother Carrie is desperate to find him, and FBI Special Agent Shreya Mistry whose expertise is shunned by her boss. The reader follows Sajid and Carrie from London to Canada, across the border into the US and then on a hair-raising chase across the country to save their children before the FBI finds them. As the investigation unfolds, the reader is taken into a world of terrorism, political manipulation, racism, lies and brainwashing; a scenario that feels very credible, and the imminent presidential election makes the suspense even more unbearable. There are some unexpected twists in the story and the desperation of the parents is heart-rending.
Hunted is highly recommended, well deserving of the accolades that it has been given.
Canadian writer, Melissa Poett, enjoys writing in the fantasy/dystopian genre. The enemy's daughter is a reimagining of the medieval romantic legend of Tristan and Isolde in terms of forbidden love and the taking of potions/pain on behalf of the other. The romantic protagonists in The enemy's daughter are named Tristan and Isadora - close enough! Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet also strongly comes to mind.
In the Acknowledgements found at the end of the book, Poett thanks her publishers for advising her to change the setting from a post apocalyptic world to a dystopian world. Thus The enemy's daughter is set in a world (more specifically - a time) that is twenty seven years after the world cataclysm in a new world where people have found areas where the earth is safe enough to live. These people have developed lifestyles apart from each other and are not really aware of each other, staying strictly within their boundaries for safety's sake. Stories are told about the outsiders. The enemy's daughter focuses on the people who live in the Five Clans with our heroine, Isadora, a herbal healer in the Hanook Clan. Their lifestyle seems medieval in its primitive technology, housing, medicine and social structure with women having no power at all. Of course, our hero, Tristan, is immediate heir to the leadership of Kingsland, a far more sophisticated survivor group, who have, in the same timespan, managed to create a far more enlightened society.
The fantasy map illustration in the endpapers (which we have come to expect in fantasy books) was hand drawn by London-based freelance illustrator Nicolette Caven. The detailed map features the republic, surrounded by the Badlands and including Kingsland that is separated from The Clans by a forest.
The story begins with the murder of Tristan's father by Isadora's clan and with Tristan saving Isadora's life. In the process of saving her, they become forever linked by a powerful magic bond. Naturally, Isadora is going to be drawn away from her clansmen and attracted to Tristan and she is going to suffer all sorts of conflicting loyalties is she not? Of course there is a jealous boyfriend. Of course Isadora is gorgeous and powerful and being daughter of the head of a Clan she is about to be married off as a political pawn. Their developing and passionate love is of course going to be verboten. Though terrible peril ensues, Tristan and Isadora's love and "connection" remains more powerful than the peril, underpinned by the magical bond which must be read about to be understood.
Poett delights in the slow burn of passion. Who cannot read on with sentences like..."My teacherous heart flutters"..."It is intoxicating..." Both of our protagonists have allegiance and duty. Both want peace. Theirs is a powerful passion. Can their opposing loyalties be reconciled? Poett places the action within fantastic settings. The characters are well rounded and most importantly true to each other. The storyline is circular and plays out according to good (not dark) romance rules. The ending is unnecessarily long-winded. Not every knot has to be tied and things don't have to be too perfect. Sometimes to leave the reader with a bit of mystery is a good thing - to know where to end...
Poett handles the heightened passion and slow burn of romance well. The romance is emotionally and physically intense but remains within the boundaries of propriety which makes The enemy's daughter age-appropriate for Middle and High school age students - another enemies-to-lovers romance.
Themes Romance, Coming of age, Enemies-to-lovers, Allegiance, Treachery, Dystopia.
Wendy Jeffrey
Ludicrous legends: Myths with a twist by Jol Temple and David Conley
Ludicrous Legends: Myths with a Twist is the first instalment of a new series, and a cleverly crafted champion. Combining the talents of author Jol Temple and illustrator David Conley, this wildly entertaining junior novel ingeniously blends history and humour in a hybrid text of narrative and graphic. Perfect for young readers with an interest in mythology - or those who simply love a good laugh - this book transforms well-known Greek myths into something fresh, accessible and thoroughly amusing.
The story follows school boy, Hector – who loves myths - and his loyal best friend, Hylo - who just happens to be a centaur - as they prepare for an important test on Greek mythology, set by their teacher Mr Socrates. This forms the narrative thread of the book, but it is far from any ordinary study session. As Hector and Hylo recap, readers are taken on a ‘dip’ dive into the facts and comical reinterpretations on famous legends, such as Hercules, the Trojan Horse and Minotaur.
Temple masterfully intersperses bite-sized historical facts, making learning feel effortless, ensuring readers absorb genuine historical knowledge while being completely captivated. This balance of fact and fiction is one of the novel’s greatest strengths; entwining education and entertainment.
Conley’s illustrations elevate the reading experience even further. The cartoons and graphic panels add an extra layer of enjoyment with visual humour and action that perfectly complement Temple’s comedic tone.
The humour is constant and playful, yet beneath the comedy lies a genuine appreciation for mythology and storytelling. Young readers not only come away laughing but also with a stronger understanding of Greek myths; even testing their knowledge at the very end by taking a snippet of Mr Socrate’s Legendary test.
Short, sharp and fabulously fun, Ludicrous Legends: Myths with a Twist is an excellent choice for middle-primary readers and an exciting launch to a series that promises many more hilarious historical adventures ahead.
Rose has lived for many years in Australia, but England is the country of her birth. At a time of change in her life after failed marriages and the end of her political career, she is drawn to investigate Tom - her first love. Wanting to fill in details and to find answers to why their relationship disintegrated and to see what Tom has done with his life since she left, she returns to Rye in England. There she discovers she is too late to find answers from Tom, but his mother, Dora, also a former politician, becomes a lifeline, a confidante and a friend. Their friendship almost magically cements itself and Dora even asks Rose to write her biography. This journey into another life has many twists and Rose not only uncovers truths long hidden but also starts to assess her own life’s path.
Written from the perspective of many different characters in Dora and Rose’s life, and through letters and communication between Rose and her close Australian friend and former work colleague, Chris, the story delves into the nature of friendship and love. With hints of discussion about feminism and the power struggles within relationships, and even political life, this is essentially a reflective journey into the lives of two women who have loved and lost and have given themselves an opportunity to explore their own histories. This is an adult story, the nature of female friendships, and shame and grief are explored and insights into the changing nature of the world are possible. The cover of this book almost automatically has a feminine mystique and English country garden-feel, and the book will definitely appeal to adult female readers.
Miss Horrid is the meanest teacher at Plonkton Primary. She forces her class to do all manner of awful tasks, she could even be the meanest teacher in the whole world! When Miss Horrid cancels the Fun Park excursion, it’s the last straw for Class 5H. Led by the industrious 10-year-old Hazel and her breakdancing pal Aki, the students plan to rid themselves of the school’s meanest teacher. With the help of Hazel’s next door neighbor, the trio build an AI controlled robo-teacher, using bits of junk from around the house and throwing a dress on it for good measure. Initially the students embrace this new teacher but soon the AI powered robot begins to spiral out of control and decides to take over the world!!
What follows is a brilliantly engaging story about evil teachers, a principal with no backbone and a group of students who are facing the consequences of their actions (in the form of a robot with major dictator tendencies).
No teacher wants to read about an evil teacher making their students unhappy all the time, but this book was a joy to read, funny, silly and with a great outcome, thankfully! I loved that the students weren’t all stereotypes and in fact all had quirks that made them relatable and engaging. Miss Horrid is truly unlikeable so readers will understand the need and want of the students to find a solution.
This will be a favourite on bookshelves as readers share it with their friends, it would be good as a read aloud but the illustrations and “Bonus Bits” lend itself more to being an independent read.
Behind the Screens by Dr Niraj Lal. Illus. by Aska
University of Queensland Press, 2026. ISBN: 9780702268946. (Age:9 – older readers) Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to have been sent this handy smaller-sized book to review by University of Queensland Press. As an older Australian there is so much I am not aware of regarding the workings of the internet, and how it influences so much of what happens in our daily life.
Behind the Screens is authored by Dr. Niraj Lal, an ANU Visiting Fellow and the host of the ABC’s kids’ podcast Imagine This. This important book is brought to life by comic artist Aska, whose engaging illustrations complement the direct, accessible writing and add a playful visual layer throughout.
Set out as a traditional non-fiction text and opening with a Contents page, the book’s chapters can be dipped into as needed, yet they also flow naturally from one to the next. The chapters present information in clear, accessible segments, with generous white space and key terms highlighted in blue, while humorous graphic images help break up the text and keep readers interested.
Some of the constructive information considered by the author includes facts about:
· Data and metadata · The ‘addiction’ to mobile phone checking · The dopamine connection to mobile phone usage · Targeted advertising following you from site to site · Social media influencing public opinion more than traditional media ever did, as well as the role influencers play · Friendship issues, social skills · Online trends rippling into politics, shopping, and even community life · Mental Health is also thoughtfully considered with strategies offered in order to support those who maybe needing it including a Family Tech agreement · How to protect yourself online
This valuable and highly recommended book deserves a place in every home and classroom. It gently reveals what happens behind the scenes of the powerful internet, offering insights that are both timely and important. While much of the factual content may already be familiar to younger readers, its deeper implications are something they and the adults in their lives may not yet have paused to consider.
A wonderful resource for both teachers and parents, offering an ideal starting point for meaningful and perhaps necessary conversations about the internet.
Judith Rossell, most well-known for the Stella Montgomery series, has had an illustrating or writing hand in just about every children's book category (picture books, chapter books, novels for older children, non-fiction, even maze books). Whole page black-and-white illustrations, along with comic strips on many pages and short chunks make this an approachable and appealing chapter book in which the pictures and the text have equal footing. Readers will delight in the hilarity of Spud and Snowball's antics, cleverly illustrated by Rossen.
Spud and Snowball are a funny pair, each with one defining characteristic. Spud likes hatching cheeky plans and Snowball likes eating anything and everything. Cat lovers will get a special kick out of seeing what cats left alone inside might get up to during the day when nobody is home! In this, the first in a new series, the two cats are doing what they do every day (laying on the couch watching television) when an advertisement comes on for Fancy Fish food. A few minutes later the internet shopping is done and not long after that their package arrives. But, it isn't cat food, it's a fancy fish named Sir Mimsy Waffle Poffle Foffington. In fact, the fancy fish they just took delivery of is the most famous opera singer in the world! He expects butlers and fancy snacks and Spud and Snowball try very hard to please him but they aren't impressed. "Can we eat him now?" says Snowball.
Fans of the Fox and Rabbit, Ollie and Bea and Narwhal and Jelly series will adore this.
Themes Pets, Humorous stories, Friendship.
Nicole Nelson
How to make friends and go viral by accident by Y. K. Willemse
Hayden’s social status isn’t improving when every attempt at conversation nose-dives for the 13 yr old. Add a slight speech impediment and he attracts attention from bullies like Ben and Sam. But his parents hit on an idea to boost his confidence – singing lessons. At first he’s mortified but he has aptitude and begins to look forward to the lessons with Mrs Williamson. One of singing ‘club’ students, Sophie, begins to get to know him. Through her he gets to know Amy and Mason.
The problem is that singing lessons does draw a target on his back with the other boys. The bullying escalates as the trio practice to perform at the end-of-year recital. Hayden is still feeling like an imposter and is terrified by Sam’s threats to humiliate him by livestreaming his performance on social media.
Will Hayden go viral singing? Will performing at the school concert make or break him? A quick read of around 100 pages punctuated by more than a few laughs won’t take readers long to find out. The latest in the Rhiza Shorts series by teen fiction writer Y.K. Willemse is only 15 short chapters. They aren’t chapters per se, but the 15 step process predicated by the title, “How to Make Friends & Go Viral by Accident”. Either way, Rhiza Shorts have chosen a particularly fun coming-of-age story to join existing titles in the series.
Bitza is a dog. A bit Labrador, a bit Poodle. A bit Kelpie and Staffy and even a bit Hound. He is also a bit lost. Bitza follows the ball thief because a good dog looks after its ball. And that is why he followed Jasper home.
Japser is looking for a dog, Bitza is looking for a home and Dad is looking for Bitza’s owner.
What follows is a delightful story for independent readers about a lost dog, a young girl who really wants to own a pet and a dad who makes them do the right thing. Told from the perspective of the dog and with interesting conversations included as to what the dog is thinking as the humans are interacting with each other and Bitza. I particularly liked the fact that we heard the dog’s voice and the explanation of what Bitza recognized as emotions and the response to this in his dog’s mind, made the humour of the story delightful.
Bitza is the first in a new series and it is sure to be a favourite. It is written in a similar format to the Aussie Bites books with large text, black and white illustrations and short chapters, perfect for the emerging reader and as a read aloud. This was a great read, and I can’t wait to read more of Jasper and Bitza’s adventures in the next book.
Stonehenge, a world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage site, circa 3000BCE to 2500BCE, was built partially for renown according to Ken Follett in his latest family saga Circle of days. Ken Follett is one of the world's most successful authors. His first success was The eye of the needle in 1978. In 1989, the highly acclaimed epic The pillars of the earth was published. Circle of days follows his impressively researched 2023 Kingsbridge installment, The armour of light. In this speculative story, Follett imagines and researches the lives of the Neolithic and Bronze Age inhabitants of Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. Somehow and for some reason in this period, the most architecturally sophisticated prehistoric stone circle in the world was built. Follett has studied the construction; that of large standing sarsen stones (150 tons each) and smaller bluestones transported (somehow) from Wales featuring wood-work styling joints and aligned with the sun, making the summer and winter solstices significant for some reason.
Visitors still in these technologically sophisticated modern times, are awe-struck by Stonehenge. How could we build such a monument today, let alone the people who lived in an era before mechanisation, advanced engineering techniques when no wheels or metals were used? The questions remain: Who built it and how and why did they build it? Building on historical advice and a visit to Buster Ancient farm in Hampshire (an Archaelogical museum site), Follett has blended research and imagination to create a plausible explanation for how Stonehenge came to be, along with another great multi-generational family saga, a genre for which he is so acclaimed.
Of interest and support to the reader, in the end pages is an early aerial photograph of Stonehenge in modern times and a c.1900 rendering of how it looked when it was first completed. In addition map artwork of the region through which the stones were believed to be moved is provided so that the reader can place sites pertinent to the story.
The main characters are strong and engaging, as one would expect that the masterminds behind a feat like Stonehenge would have been. To plan, persuade hundreds of people and to have the know-how to succeed with such a "monumental" project one must assume would entail, an organised society, with powerful leadership and powerful reasons for performing such a task. Does religion drive such a movement... or hunger, need, fear, superstition, lust for glory or posthumous recognition? Follett has the answers for you. Two main characters drive the plot. Seft is a flint-miner, with a skill for masonry, carpentry, engineering and working with people. He is a commanding presence, a natural leader and good man. Joia is a priestess, sister of Seft's wife and a charismatic leader and visionary. Drought ravages the plains and terrible conflict and bloodshed is looming between the three groups of people existing in that time-herders, farmers and woodspeople. Something has to be done to avert crisis, to keep the communities prosperous and to make them an attractive stopping place on the trade route.
Follett imagines the social, economic and daily lives of these people. He presents possible behaviours around the rites of death, styles of leadership and group organisation, social dynamics, economic life, sustenance, family life and especially religious/spiritual life. In a pared back style, he evokes the simple communications, sentence structure and understandings of the people in those Neolothic times. Follett details the minutiae of daily life down to food and labour division and even understandings of measurement for example this will take you as long as a pot of water takes to boil or this distance is around the length of an arrow's flight. Rooted and dependent on nature for survival as the people were, Follett imagined that the priestesses held great power over the simple folk because of their ability to count the days and know the crucial times of the year eg Midsummer which dictated the time for planting, reaping and festivity.
Brutal and harsh, heartbreaking and heart-warming, Circle of days, true to Follett's writing is a captivating historical immersion into the people and times of the building of Stonehenge. Follett brings a human story to the mystery of Stonehenge.
Themes Stonehenge, Neolithic lifestyle and technology, Ancient worship, Cosmic cycles.
The Last Ember by Lily Berlin Dodd brings together two memorable young protagonists from opposite ends of society. With a gripping foundation and complex characters, this is a story that blends high-stakes adventure with survival, power and trust.
Dusty is a thirteen year old orphan, living in squalid conditions and driven by fierce loyalty to the other abandoned children. Recently inducted into the Thieves Union, Dusty uses his quick thinking and street-smart skills not for selfish gain, but to provide for others who rely on him. His kindness, resilience and quiet bravery make him an immediately likeable and layered character.
In stark contrast, Eva is a gifted twelve year old chemistry student, raised in an affluent family and educated at an elite academy. Eva is intelligent, analytical and fiercely determined. While her upbringing has provided her privilege and safety, she possesses an inner strength that becomes increasingly evident as the story unfolds.
The plot ignites when Eva selects a birthday gift that appears unusual but harmless, only to discover it is the last known aerimander egg. Inside contains a powerful dragon capable of destroying whatever it is commanded to, and highly sought after by an evil government director - determined to harness its destructive power.
Unaware of the true danger surrounding the egg, Dusty is assigned to steal it. But his mission quickly becomes unstuck and he must think fast. How will Dusty and Eva keep true to their cause, and will they ever learn to trust each other?
Dodd delivers a narrative filled with suspense, political tension and twists that will catch readers off guard. The stakes are high, and the adventure is tense, however, the novel does slow in places. Additionally, scenes featuring violence and particularly cruel antagonists may be confronting, and make this fantasy more appropriate for older, mature readers.
Ultimately, The Last Ember is a fantasy novel exploring sacrifice, morality and the cost of power - an intriguing, if at times uncomfortable, adventure that lingers long after the final page.
Selby is the errant understudy for the lead role in the class production of Romeo and Juliet, but she almost totally focuses instead on her nominated role in the set crew – understandable given Selby has dyslexia. When the real Juliet fractures her spine, Ms Karim needs Selby to step-up into the part in just 2 days! Selby and Dan (her old tutor) do the unthinkable, because desperation causes them to risk trusting that Selby’s reading of the script will not result in time travel. It happened in Book 1 of the series after all. They couldn’t be more wrong.
In a flash they land in the middle of a street fight between the Montigues and the Capulets. When Selby sees firsthand the folly of the lovers who she observes meeting for the first time, she is determined to stop the tragedy by nipping it in the bud. Dan is less optimistic but appreciates that Selby is motivated to learn the part and perhaps get a passing grade.
As characters move back and forth between past and present worlds, we laugh out loud when they misconstrue events. However, Selby and her classmates analyse the play with more modern sensibilities including the feminist perspective. This Selby hopes show the lovers a glimpse of the future if they don’t change their misguided ambitions, by bringing them forward in time to watch class rehearsals. The real Romeo’s reaction to Barry ‘kissing his betrothed’ captures the immersion of audience members in live performances as a core function of the dramatic arts. We see this theme demonstrated so well in Maggie O’Farrell’s novel Hamnet and the film adaptation.
R.A. Pratt, author of Friday Barnes series amongst others has added Romeo V Juliet to her Shakespearian series which kicked off with the best selling, "Hamlet is Not OK". In the epilogue she ends with the title of Book no 3, but more importantly we look forward to another witty and funny time travel adventure.
Pratt has very cleverly written a narrative within a narrative as Dan and Shelby discuss the events, motivations and character traits resulting in their intervention scheme for the Montiques and the Capulets. Can they avert the comedy of errors that leads to unspeakable tragedy of self-harm – doubly tragic for being unintentional? Romeo V Juliet is the perfect companion to the original play, affectively unpacking Shakespeare with teenagers because we have the privilege and stimulation of watching fictional contemporaries do it first. The idea of forbidden love is responsibly addressed by concluding with help-line contacts just in case the subject matter is triggering. 207 p.
Themes Shakespeare, Romance, School, Theatre, Drama, Tragedy, Time travel.
Deborah Robins
Sky country by Aunty Patsy Cameron. Illus. by Lisa Kennedy
Walking with their Grandmother, the children are introduced to their Ancestral Beings. First they must walk to the mountains, a long and cold trek. Grandmother paints their faces with red ochre, and begins to tell the story of two stars, brothers in the Milky Way. Together they built the mountains, and the rivers using their stone tools. They made the fishes, the insects and the moss and the land began to bloom. Now they made the plants and the trees, the birds and animals, spreading their seeds and digging the earth. They followed the seasons always adapting to the new climate. The first people were made from the earth, and they sang and danced, remembering the stories of the Ancestral Beings and of Country. The Ancestral Beings rubbed sticks together to make fire, giving warmth and safety to the people. Stories such as these are passed on from father to son, mother to daughter, so the younger generation know where they have come and about Country, ready to pass it on to those who come after them.
The children walk back to the coast, carrying the story of their Ancestral Beings in their hearts. The words flow easily from one page to the next, encouraging children to see the Sky Country for themselves, emboldening them to look closely at what is before them. Two pages follow with information about the author and illustrator.
The lovely text is supported by glorious images of the stars, the Sky Country and the Sea, encouraging children to look closely at each page for what is shown. A guide to what can be found on each page is given at the end. I love Lisa Kennedy’s images of the trees, standing tall on many pages, while the Ancestral Beings and her vision of the night sky are spectacular.
