Although 15th in the publication order in the Penric and Desdemona series, Testimony of Mute Things is a novella in which Lois McMaster Bujold takes Learned Penric and his demon Desdemona back to a time when he was young. The most recent book in the series that I had read was Adventure of the demonic ox where Penric was happily married with children who were asserting their independence, so it took me a few pages to adjust to picturing a young Penric, supporting the Princess-Archdivine Llewen of Martensbridge, who is adjudicating a dispute in the border town of Occo. When Penric discovers that a woman’s death is suspicious, he and Des are determined to find the murderer and uncover the strange circumstances leading to her death.
The world building is wonderful as Bujold brings to life the complexity of trying to arbitrate peace settlements and petty jealousies between Temple hierarchies. As always Penric and Desdemona’s characters are fascinating and the mystery that they set out to solve is one that mystery lovers will enjoy.
Although Testimony of Mute Things can be read as a stand-alone, readers new to the series will want to read Penric’s demon, the first book, and no doubt will continue with others in the series.
Dreaming by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing. Illus. by David Hardy
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761065095. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
The fifth book in the series, Welcome to our country sees a young girl seeing back in time to the early Dreaming where the rainbow serpent is building the land on which we live.
The whole series is designed to inform children, parents and educators, to include them in the story, to help them appreciate the history and stories of Aboriginal people. Muda is the Adnyamathanha word for the cycle of life, the past, present and future. And Adam Goodes uses this word in his story.
The book explores Indigenous cultures using a child’s voice. The young girl tells us that at night when she is dreaming, she looks back over many generations to the time when the land is being moulded, rivers created, grassy plains made for the animals to graze. Forests were made for the birds and honey ants, and possums.
Muda is not just in the past, but is here and now, not just now but into the future, with stories shared between generations.
In her Muda law men came down to teach about the country. They showed people how to use the landscape, where to find water, giving rules for people to behave, and they are still there, watching that we know what is right and what is wrong.
In her Muda she sees her place in the family, she sees a future where her stories are passed on as a guide for those still to come.
The young girl sums up the story:
“In my Muda, the Ancestors are never far, and I can see how I fit and who I am”.
This is a joyful, inviting story, showing how dreaming fits into this girl’s life, and how it has been passed down to her, and how her stories will pass it on to the future. The past, present and future is not just for this child, however, but for everyone, Indigenous and non indigenous, old and young.
The bright inviting illustrations show a modern family, living in the suburbs, going to the beach surrounded by high rise apartments, but still solidly linked to the land, with wonderful full page illustrations of the desert landscape, and the night sky, the mountains and Wilpena Pound.
The publication's page has an explanation of the word, dreaming, and how it is used in this story. And the 17 pages of teacher’s notes on the website, offers lots of ideas for using this book in the classroom.
An inviting introduction and reading of the book can be seen here.
Crocodiles do not like the toilet by Ali Rutstein & Niña Nill
Bright Light, 2025. ISBN: 9781761213960. (Age:3+)
Manu is off to day care when Dad reminds him to use the toilet when he is there. He tells Dad that he does so much that he forgets. Dad tells him that even crocodiles must stop what they are doing and use the loo, as he kisses Manu’s snout and gets a friendly flick of its tail. At day care the children shuffle aside to let Manu and his tail into their circle.
Mrs Kevat asks the class to eat their fruit, then go to the toilet and wash their hands. She offers to help Manu take off his tail, but he declines, happy just to wash his hands. That done he rushes to the sandpit to join the dinosaur battle. He does feel a little squirmy, but is too engrossed in his game to do anything about it. He plays with Maya and has a little accident. Mrs Kevat helps him change into some dry clothes, and when Manu goes back the game it is over. He plays after lunch, swinging his tail with the music. He feels squirmy again and realises that he does not want to miss out any games if Mrs Kavet had to change him again. So he asks Ravi to hold his tail while he goes to the toilet.
All is well, because when he gets back the game is still going and he joins in. He has learnt that going to the toilet does not mean missing out with his friends. This is another in the series, Personal Problems, targeting things which children may find difficult to talk about. The series includes, stories about riding a bike, having a bath and going to day care.
Each is brightly illustrated by Nina Nill, showing children involved in a range of activities with their friends. Plenty of colour and movement will attract the readers who will recognise lots of things they know well.
And Manu’s crocodile costume will encourage young readers to make one themselves.
Themes Crocodiles, Toilet, Day care.
Fran Knight
Handbooks for Little Humans: Compassion by Zanni Louise. Illus. by Kim Drane
Compassion is imagining how someone else feels and wanting to help them.
This simple yet powerful sentence sums up this delightful first book in a new series for young children. With the title Handbooks for Little Humans, this first smallish picture book about compassion is an easy to follow resource to guide both adults and children in engaging in meaningful conversations about things that are important in daily life.
Beginning with examples of what compassion might be and then flowing onto what does compassion feel like, the accompanying vibrant illustrations, diagrams and graphic-style images will help reinforce the ideas being discussed. It is important to note that the feeling of compassion can be different from one person to the next.
Ideas for discussion and examples are given throughout the book that young readers will be able to relate to. These include walking around in someone’s shoes, how to show compassion, as well as asking for help from a trusted grown-up. There is valuable insight about self-compassion that is gently shared plus an opportunity to reflect on what has been learnt about compassion.
Early years educators and parents will find this book about compassion a valuable tool that will support emotional literacy both in the classroom and at home. The second book in the series Handbooks for Little Humans: Confidence is due out late November 2025. Two further books in the series will be released in 2026: Handbooks for Little Humans: Integrity and Handbooks for Little Humans: Inclusion.
A fabulous resource for home, school and public libraries.
In this intriguing and puzzling book children with different skills and talents follow the style of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot to piece together clues and solve big and small mysteries. Using a combination of story telling and logic puzzles and mazes, we follow their deductions as they solve five separate cases.
This is a book for kids who love solving puzzles. There is usually a short narrative introduction to a problem-solving activity page, with several puzzles for each case. The need to use a pencil to fill in the details on the puzzle pages perhaps precludes this book from finding an easy home on library shelves (too many young readers would find it hard to prevent themselves from leaving their mark). But this would make a wonderful gift for the logical reader who finds joy in solving a mystery or puzzle. The Agatha Christie connection has the sanctioned approval of Agatha Christie Ltd, and there is a brief biography of the well-known mystery writer at the end of the book (after the solutions to the logic puzzles). Kids aged 9-11 (with a little tenacity and logic-enthusiasm) will enjoy the challenge of this book. The reading demands are not high, but the logic puzzles can be stretching, but not impossible for this age group.
Turbo Turtle is fourth book in Gregg Dreise’s series Scales and Tails which includes Fast Fish, Super Snake and Lethal Lizards. This vibrantly illustrated and engaging new release cleverly shares a tale of how a fast impatient lizard became a slow moving turtle.
After hatching from its shell, a lizard explores its environment searching for his parents. Taken by an eagle, he struggles to get free and loses his tail in the process. Falling to the ground he is saved by Clever Man – Biamme, who vows to look after the lizard he names Warrabah until he can find his family. Biamme and Warrabah travel the land looking for his family with Biamme using his magic to allow Warrabah to be turbo-charged in search. But Biamme stresses to Warrabah that he must obey the Elders from different places and ask permission to hunt and be on their Country during his journey.
Initially Warrabah did as he was asked but his impatience led to the Elders of each Country meeting with Biamme and demanding that Warrabah is punished for not respecting the Lore. Biamme protects Warrabah with his magic and as the spears of the Elders are thrown, he changes into a turtle and is forever to live in the water.
Turbo Turtle is a fascinating story with an important lesson to be learnt about facing the consequences after making a mistake. The expressive and detailed illustrations in true Gregg Dreise style are simply stunning and the illuminating lime green used on the cover is a standout.
Teacher notes are available on the Magabala website.
Themes First Nations Culture, Belonging, Permission, Country, Respect, Traditions, Consequences.
The front cover introduces us to the main character in this story, one very cross cat who does not like Christmas: his eyes glare out at the reader, the ears are flat, the whiskers making a cross over his face.
Cat likes to feel comfortable and safe, but one time he does not feel happy with life is Christmas. He does not like the decorations, he hates the silly presents, the sticky food, the noisy visitors who come to stay, especially when they move into his special places. He tries to tell his family, but they don’t take any notice, just shove him out into the cold wet snow after he pulls down the Christmas tree.
He yowls at the moon from a high branch in the tree, and the clouds part. He loves looking at the moon and the stars, and is happy with the world, but as the clouds move together again, it begins to rain, leaving him wet and bedraggled. He walks past the leftover presents, the remains of the feast, the baubles and bunting, to go back inside. He jumps onto a lap and is wonderfully received. The girl asks him where he has been. It is not Christmas without Cat, she says, offering him his present. Christmas has changed, and he loves his new favourite place, getting the attention he wanted.
A charming story of a turnaround as Cat hates Christmas, but when he is included in the gift giving, his attitude changes.
Kids will love reading about the trappings of Christmas, seeing what Cat’s house looks like at this time of the year, comparing it with their own. The illustrations are wonderful, giving a clear idea of how Cat feels with the simple change in his eyes, whiskers or ears, adding lots of laughs to the reading of this story. I loved the dachshund with his snowman outfit, the favourite green chair being taken over by the dog, and the places where Cat causes minor disasters, and over all the wonderful surly looking Cat, daring us to open his book.
A great read aloud, the story is a marvellous look at Christmas from the animals’ point of view.
12-year-old twins, Pearl and Patrick, are talented young people. Pearl is a daring and brave science genius, and Patrick is less confident and a history guru, but they both hide their brilliance. Pearl has used her ‘science-smarts’ to create a time-travel device that sends the twins on a journey into the past. The challenge in time-travel is the desire to change the past to protect the future, but in doing so, will they create a complete mess-up of reality or make an improvement? The organisation TIME (The Interdimensional Misconduct Enquiry) takes these ethical dilemmas seriously, and Pearl and Patrick are confronted by the logic to never change anything - good or bad. Another time traveler seems to be creating ripples in time, and Pearl and Patrick must confront the problems that are created while also addressing their own personal concerns - Pearl has a desire to be recognised and appreciated, and Patrick feels the need to feel brave while still valuing his esteem of history (and maybe even survive the taunts of the class bully). And all of their adventures must happen in secret - even from their family. Can time heal all their struggles, or are they likely to continue in the time-loops of mistakes?
This is a glorious story … I loved every minute of my reading journey, both back in time and into the present. The challenge of writing about time travel is handled brilliantly by the authors, and there is a logical understanding of the possibilities and impossibilities of time travel. The flavour of a Sri Lankan culture for the twins is also unique and appealing - food culture and some history is highlighted. Thank you to Martin Seneviratne for highlighting his own understanding of his family’s culture, mythology, and history. But it is all the journeys into the historical past that are fascinating, with their ethical dilemmas. Would you prevent the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand? This and other time-travel journeys give wonderful insights into history. But there is also a considerable esteem given to scientific investigation in the story as well.
This will be a much-loved adventure where kids use their brains in amazing ways. Readers aged 11-14 with a desire to exercise their own intelligence will love this book (I hope there are more Chrono-loop adventures to follow). It does require some mental gymnastics to follow time-travel logic, but it is worth it!
Themes Time travel, History, Science, Twins, Bullying, Sri Lanka - Culture and history.
Carolyn Hull
Snowed in at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop by Gracie Page
Fans of The Wildest Dreams Bookshop will be thrilled to have another stand-alone romance set in the picturesque seaside town of Fox Bay in Cornwall. Ivy’s first term at art college has been disappointing. Unable to afford to live in the college’s residential accommodation, she must travel to college and hasn’t made any friends. What is worse – she has lacked inspiration for her art and is failing her course. She returns to Fox Bay, with a job in The Wildest Dreams Bookshop, but feels isolated and depressed. Then Trip, a bright optimist, always cheerful and seeing the best in people, making friends with little effort, wants her to show him the sights of the town and when they work together on the school’s annual show, sparks begin to fly.
The trope of grumpy versus sunshine is managed well by Gracie Page, making Ivy the antisocial character and Trip the guy full of happiness. The reader can identify with Ivy whose dreams of leaving a small town and shining in a new environment are shattered, while Trip’s optimism is alluring. However there is a small cloud over Trip’s reason for being in Fox Bay that is subtly written by the author and readers will enjoy getting to know the backgrounds to the characters.
Snowed in at the Wildest Dreams Bookshop is an engrossing rom com that will have readers quickly racing through the book, eager to see how Ivy’s life and art progresses while enjoying the cheer and friendliness of Trip. This is a feel-good book, perfect for holiday reading and fans of Lynn Painter and Jenny Han. Readers may also enjoy Grumpy darling by Alexandra Moody.
Today is the day when the narrator is set to go to the beach and fish with Nana. The map on the endpapers gives readers an impression of where the story takes place. We see the names from Broome to Wyndham, driving past the Kimberley, along the highway between Perth and Darwin. Readers will have a good idea of where the child and her Nana live, having heard of several of these major towns and states.
When she wakes, the car is packed with the rods and bait, and some snacks to eat along the way. The rhyming lines encourage younger readers to predict the word set to rhyme at the end of the second line. And a series of numbers gives the readers an introduction to using numbers and the multiples. So we have one dog staring at the child with his two eyes. They will see two slimy frogs with four shining eyes, three jabirus and their six eyes, and so on. Multiples are used throughout the story building up to the ten friends (twenty eyes) meeting the girl and her Nana at the last page.
Bright full page illustrations are clear and full of colour. Each double page highlights another section of their journey, starting with the boab trees, then on to the frogs, jabirus and green tree snakes, crocodiles, kangaroos, dragonflies, ants, and then galahs. Each of the animals is large, giving the readers a wonderful closeup view rather than something that is part of the background.
The text uses descriptive words to support the illustration: so we have grateful jabirus, slithering snakes, cunning crocodiles and noisy galahs amongst others. Readers will learn that these words can make a difference to how we see the animal, and suggest other adjectives which could be used.
Themes Aboriginal themes, Journey, Grandparents, Western Australia, Broome, Wyndham, Family.
Channelling a life led by many busy adults, the story of Jacinda Ardern sees her work more crowded and involved, when she becomes Prime Minister of New Zealand.
This fun loving book takes Jacinda and her daughter, Neve, through their work for the week. Monday is day care and Neve gets dresses, stomping her feet, not wanting to go. But Mum agrees that some days she doesn’t want to go to work either.
Neve has a good day at day care and loves it when Mum comes home and reads her a book.
Tuesday sees a day at home with Dad, and Mum’s homecoming is fashioned wit a hug. Wednesday sees her at day care, and again on Thursday which is painting day. Neve cannot understand why Mum gets a little cross as it is Dad who does the washing. On Friday Mum comes home early, giving time to play a favourite game: hide and seek.
Saturday sees the family take a picnic to the playground, although a little dog steals some of their food. And Neve takes issue with having to go to bed early. When she grows up she says bedtime will be later.
On Sunday, Mum takes out her very large briefcase and starts her work, caring for all the people just like Neve, who settles down next to her with her own busy work.
This charming story shows the strong relationship between members of the family as they navigate their lives around Mum’s work.
With an emphasis on hugs, doing things together, asking and answering questions, and having routines, a loving family is modelled for readers. They will see a dancing Mum, a Dad who hugs, a Mum who reads stories, a child who works with her mother as she settles down to her Sunday work, a picnic family, a loving family which makes the child the centre of their days. Sometimes Neve questions decisions, or stamps her feet, but each time, things are explained, hugs given and love radiates around them all.
The lovely illustrations show a smiling happy family, holding out their arms for a hug, or holding hands, being together, laughing, smiling and child centred. Mum’s shoes and oversized briefcase are tossed aside as Jacinda reads Neve a story, her shoes can again be seen as she hides in the game of hide and seek. Readers will love following Neve’s week, comparing it with their own, centred around child care, school and parents’ work.
Themes Family, Relationships, Humour, Love, Prime Ministers, New Zealand.
Fran Knight
The Thing About Christmas by Jo Dabrowski. Illus. by Briony Stewart
Little Book Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781923141407. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
With Christmas almost upon us, it is a time when the everything is about December 25. The plethora of advertisements, promotions and discussions on all types of media including print, broadcast, social and digital can often leave young readers, for whom Christmas may not be quite the same as others, feeling like they may be missing out.
…The thing is, when your Christmas isn’t like that it might get you thinking or feeling quite flat. It may lead you to ask if it’s Christmas at all. Is Christmas still Christmas if Christmas is small?...
A beautiful new picture book The Thing About Christmas written by Jo Dabrowski and strikingly illustrated by Briony Stewart, explores many different types of Christmas celebrations where families come together in a way that is unique and special to them. In engaging rhyming text, children will learn that there is no one way to celebrate Christmas:
…There are still a few presents, but they’re not very grand. Some aren’t what you hoped for, all they’re all second-hand. The lights blew a fuse, and the baubles aren’t shiny. There isn’t a turkey, just a chook that’s quite tiny. Of maybe your Christmas is split up in two, and the one thing you wished for didn’t come true…
The rhyming verse is skilfully executed and flows harmoniously across the pages of colourful, vibrant images, showing diversity and inclusivity that perfectly complement the sensitive and thoughtful text.
This wonderful new release is an important book to share with students. Not all Christmases are the same and it is never too early for children to begin to understand this. The most valuable message about Christmas that comes from reading this book is that love between families is what really matters. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
How big is love? by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler. Illus. by Jade Goodwin
Hachette, 2025. ISBN: 9780734420176. (Age:3+)
Snuggled together under a patchwork blanket on the veranda, the older woman tells the child that she is loved. Back comes the question, how much? And after that is a long series of comparisons, showing the younger child just how much she is loved. She is loved from one heart to another, or all the way to the dog lying in the garden, all the way to the goanna on the fence, or to the top of the tallest tree. Each is followed by another question, asking is that all, urging the older person to keep going with more comparisons.
She is loved all the way to the hawk flying high in the sky, to the red cliffs. But each of the questions is edged with tiredness as she snuggles into the patchwork quilt. All the way to the waterhole, and to the end of our country, but by this time the young child’s head is leaning against the old woman’s shoulders.
And to the now sleeping child, she is loved to the setting sun and the emu in the sky.
This is a loving tribute to the love between generations, as the young girl wants to quantify the love shown to her. How big is love is the question offered throughout the book, prompting responses aiming to quantify that love. But as all the readers know, this is impossible, and they will be able to add more lines to the book.
The journey goes across the backyard, the hills, country, to the sky and beyond, encompassing all the love a family can give to each other.
The bright full page illustrations reflect the Australian landscape and young readers will be able to pick out flora and fauna, all the while learning that love is a constant in all families.
Author, Carl Merrison is a respected Jaru/Kija man from Halls Creek and is well known as a mentor and coach. He was the winner of the black&write! Fellowship in 2020 for his young readers' series Backyard Sport, and his debut picture book, My Deadly Boots.
Hakea Hustler is an experienced teacher who has taught in remote Aboriginal communities. And she worked with Carl producing the award winning Black Cockatoo(Magabala Books), which was an Honour book in the CBCA Young Reader Award.
Jade Goodwin is a First Nations illustrator who loves bringing imagination to the fore through her empathetic and bright illustrations hoping to inspire all readers.
274p. The Mirror World is the sequel to Femi Fadugba’s speculative debut novel. Set in 2040’s London approx 5 years on from the events of The Upper World, Rhianna is now the central character. It is not her Mentor Esso’s face we see on the cover this time but Rhia’s. Rhianna is arriving at Oxford University to take up her place as a first year Physics undergraduate. She seems determined to put Upper World experiences behind her and focus on her own ambitions to change the world through quantum physics. She rarely communicates with Esso. An orphan from the other side of the tracks in Peckham, her outstanding mind lacks self-confidence - the same as any Fresher meeting an esteemed professor for a one-on-one tutorial for the very first time.
Rumours of a secret elite society called the Ravens, tantalize Rhia. Even Oxford graduates can wind up back on struggle street beyond university – but not this network producing many of the world’s wealthy and powerful people. Its most famous Alumni running for Prime Minister is unlike any politician or corporate CEO Rhia has ever met but it's Imogen and her friends (all older students) who confirm the existence of the Ravens. They pressure her to take drugs for the first time in return for a shot at membership. Will she succumb to peer pressure or is this the first test ahead of a gruelling initiation ceremony?
Reaping success from her Raven connections, Zedek, takes her to the heart of the CantorCorp where Rhianna will eventually work. He shares the Mirror chip at the centre of a quantum computing project, capable of storing the sum of all human knowledge. Later Imogen alerts Rhia to the growing malevolent presence from The Upper World. Can Rhia calculate the physical forces necessary or be destroyed by electromagnetic fields?
Another fast-paced instalment in the series, to follow the announcement that The Upper World is soon to be a major movie starring Academy Award Winner, Daniel Kaluuya. Senior students may even start thinking about their own upcoming academic lives in the near future.
Martin Scarsden returns in the fourth book in the series, and what a thrilling ride this is! He escapes an assassination attempt when his book launch about organised crime is bombed and shots are fired. He escapes, and separated from his wife and son, arrives at an isolated town, Port Paroo, in the outback. Will he be able to outwit his pursuers and discover who is trying to murder him? Martin’s curiosity leads him to start investigating a decades old mystery, when he meets Ecco, a disgraced woman fleeing from her past. She has been employed to write a history of Longchamp Downs, huge grazing property, by the owner Clay Carmichael. She uncovers intriguing links to past explorers and the disappearance of Chloe, his daughter who was accused of murdering her fiancé, Roman Stanton, the heir to another property. The Stanton and Carmichael families had been involved in a long feud about water rights.
The background of the dry outback, the problems faced by graziers and life in the tiny town of Port Paroo is vividly described. The flood water slowly coming down the dry rivers and spreading across the floodplains adds to the feeling of suspense and isolation, as roads are cut off.
The story is told in two voices, that of Martin, in the third person and Ecco in the first, making it easy to relate to the different stories and characters. As always, Hammer’s story is complex with the threat of assassination, a murder to solve and links to historical explorers. The reader is also left wondering about Ecco’s backstory. The suspense is intense as Martin tries to survive and Ecco finds clues in old documents and diaries.
Hammer brings all the threads together in an enthralling climax, and I can’t wait to read more by this outstanding author.
