The third in the series about Aaron Falk a federal investigator, following finds Aaron at a festival in the wine country in South Australia. A terrible discovery is made – a baby has been left by herself in a pram and her mother Kim Gillespie, has disappeared, never to be seen again. A year later Aaron is back, this time for a christening, and deep rifts and fractures appear in the tight-knit community as the community begins to remember the events of the night and the truth begins to surface.
Jane Harper is a clever author, drawing on the atmosphere of a wine growing area as she explores the relationships in the families that Aaron is close to. The festival is running again, and questions are being asked about what was really seen on that night. Aaron is also drawn to Gemma, the organiser of the festival and to her stepson Joel, who is grieving the loss of his father who had been killed by a motorist who left the scene. These two mysteries begin to fascinate Aaron as he reconstructs what has happened in the past.
I was left pondering the title Exiles and the sentence on the front cover ‘We see what we expect to see,’ as I tried to follow the clues and spot the red herrings in the plot. I was also fascinated by the relationships – Aaron’s growing feelings for Gemma and the life of the missing woman, Kim.
As always, there was depth and complexity to the story from Harper who is an outstanding author of rural noir and Exiles is a worthy successor to her other novels, The Dry, Force of Nature, The Lost Man and The Survivors.
Themes Mystery, Thriller, Australia Crime, Suspense, Family relationships.
Rabbit is traumatised after watching his father die in the woods and he and his mum have moved to a caravan park near the coast which she manages. Helped by his counsellor Louise, Rabbit is no longer mute but Joe Fludd, who befriends him, says he is “quiet as a rabbit” and the nickname sticks. Joe’s family are outsiders, associated with local thefts, vandalism and fires, especially Joe’s older brother Billy, but Rabbit is irresistibly drawn to Joe, with his smile "like daytime lightning”. "Me and Joe, we’re closer than mates. Close as you can get without being brothers.” p17. Rabbit’s internal life is soaked in dreams of impending doom, often featuring a white horse, a great, beautiful creature, so when Joe asks Rabbit if he wants to see a dead horse the two set out on what proves to be a dangerous mission.
The sensitive, stilted first person narrative, with its short sentences and staccato feel cleverly communicates Rabbit’s vulnerability and the intimacy of the boys’ relationship. Rabbit’s courage and bravery in the face of trauma is somehow redemptive, helping him make sense of the world he has been thrust into. The text is beautifully supported by atmospheric ink and wash pictures and page borders, a thoughtful book with a special feel to it. This is the sequel to We were Wolves but it does stand alone successfully.
Quickly slowly day by Martin Baynton and Rob Foote
Little Steps, 2022. ISBN: 9781922678515. (Age:2+) Recommended.
Quickly slowly day is one of the Book Hungry Bears book collection from stories used in The Book Hungry Bears TV show. In this brightly coloured story the concept of the passage of time is explained to the very young. On each double page spread the little bear is involved in an activity that is slow and then fast. Scenes of events during a typical day for a toddler are show, for example catching a bus, going to the park, going shopping and playing at home. So the reader will see the bear slowly waking up in the morning, and then quickly jumping out of bed; the bears race quickly to the bus stop and go slowly into town; little bear slowly climbs the steps to the top of the slide and then quickly goes down the slide and so on. Finally it is bed time and the little bear has a story read slowly and then quickly falls asleep
The text is minimal, ‘Quickly make a big mess, Slowly clear it up’, and it reads aloud very well. The very engaging illustrations are rendered in soft water colours and I loved the happy expressions on the faces of the parent bear and little bear. The drawings complement the text and make the familiar scenes come alive, reenforcing the notion of time. Children will have fun doing some of the activities in the teacher's notes and the book would be a very useful addition to a childcare centre or home library.
Themes Time, Passage of time.
Pat Pledger
The unwinding and other dreamings by Jackie Morris
Unbound, 2021. ISBN: 9781783529353. (Age:Adult - Young adult) Highly recommended.
What a beautiful book! I was intrigued by the wonderful cover illustration of a sleeping woman nestling on a large, white polar bear and expected to find a fairy tale within. Instead, opening the book the author says in her introduction: “This book is not meant to be read from cover to cover. It is a book for dreamers. Slight of word, rich of image, its purpose is to ease the soul.” And ease the soul it does. It is intended to be a companion that can sit on the bedside table at night or be carried in a picket or bag during the day to be looked at in times of stress.
It is easy to dip into the book, with each of the fourteen lushly illustrated sections, calling to the imagination, and easing the anxieties of a busy world. Morris took me into a land where there were exotic midnight fish that flew into the sky, a fox who loved the Winter Queen, and a gorgeous white bear. The stunning illustrations are unforgettable, just so beautiful it is difficult to describe their effect on the imagination.
This is book that I will treasure and one that I intend to buy as a gift for family members. It is highly recommended for its beauty and impact.
Themes Imagination, Poetry, Fantasy, Art, Short Stories, Animals.
V.E. Schwab, the author of City of ghosts and Gallant among others, takes her story writing to memorable levels with her adult tale of Addie LaRue, a young woman living in France in 1714. Desperate not to enter a soul-destroying marriage trapped in a small country town, she makes a deal with the Devil – she will live forever, but everyone she meets will forget her. Schwab takes her readers across three centuries and continents as Addie faces many adventures and meets many people, none of whom can remember her name. Her loneliness is devastating. Then in New York Henry, a young bookseller, sees her and remembers her name and she takes desperate measures to remain seen by him.
With Addie’s adventures Schwab delves into history and art. The reader becomes immersed in Addie’s life as she tries to survive on her own, first poverty stricken and later as a muse for artists, but always isolated and lonely. When she meets Henry, she hopes that things will change and their love story resonates on many levels, with hope that this time Addie will not have to repeat the same first meeting over and over again.
This is a very memorable fantasy (Locus Award Nominee, Best Fantasy Novel (2021), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee, Fantasy (2020)) which has been written for an older and more mature audience than her previous books. Readers who enjoyed The Time Traveler’s wife and The night mobile by Audrey Niffenegger may like this as well.
Swickley is a small town with all the features of other American small towns in the 1990s, though it has had its fair share of disasters and incidents over the years. Jess is a typical high school teen, worrying about relationships, school and family issues. She lives with her hyper organised and controlling mother and her rather detached father, and has a close relationship with her bedridden sister, Sarah, who has slowly deteriorating health. Jess’s two best friends, Amber and Kristen are always ready to dissect Jess’s life and especially so when she admits to harbouring feelings for her friend and neighbour Ty who recently seems to have been flirting with her. Music is an important part of Jess’s life; she plays keyboard in the school band and listens to all the latest songs, sharing CDs with Sarah. At one time she pestered her parents into letting her take guitar lessons but after six lessons the teacher asked her if she had ever wondered about the nature of reality and after that she was told he had some sort of breakdown and never came back, foreshadowing other dissonances in Jess’s life. When Jess becomes aware of distant chanting that people around her seem unable to hear and Amber is evasive about a strange shiny object dropped from her bag, the dissonances start to add up, culminating in the replacement of her dog Fuller with one that looks the same.
Suffused with 90’s popular culture references and well-crafted predicable characters, this enjoyable story holds up for us as well as Jess, the narrator, until it doesn’t. The second half shifts our perception and holds a mirror up to our society’s obsession with other people’s lives, influencers and marketing. A clever concept, well executed.
Frane Lessac, author/illustrator of A is for Australia and A is for Australian Animals, has created another beautifully presented non-fiction book about Australia’s underwater reefs and the diverse sea life that inhabits these areas.
The letter A show cases a map of Australia with the more well-known reefs mentioned: Ningaloo, Montgomery, Great Barrier Reef and the Great Southern Reef as well as providing facts about reefs in general. Following on from this, the book continues in alphabetical order covering topics such as Biodiversity, Leafy Sea dragons, Sea stars and finally Zebra seahorses.
The more unfamiliar sea creatures mentioned include Xanthid crabs which are recognisable by their black-tipped claws, Peacock mantis shrimp - one of the fastest and strongest in the animal world, Kunes and Kanga nudibranchs which are different coloured sea slugs found on shallow reefs, the Irukandji – one of the most dangerous jellyfish in Australian waters and my favourite sea creature the Handfish which has tiny fins that look like hands and which they use to ‘walk’ along the ocean floor.
Throughout this brightly illustrated book are amazing facts easily accessible for middle grade readers but also perfect as a read aloud for younger readers. The final page has a ‘Spot the Fish’ quiz asking the readers to find some very interesting fish with great names such as Small-mouth Hardyhead or the Humbug. A wonderful resource for all libraries.
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761065460. (Age:5-9) Recommended.
Sunny the oceanic white tip shark is just looking for a bit of peace and quiet, away from noisy seagulls, in the depths of the open ocean where it is cooler. It is not long before that peace is shattered when a school of little fish race up asking for help to escape a hungry tuna fish. On seeing Sunny, with her sharp teeth, the tuna turns tail and swims away. The little fish are very grateful and want to stay safely with Sunny saying they can offer something in return. Sunny replies “what could you have to offer? The great gift of noise?” It turns out they can remove parasites from the shark’s gills and clean her teeth. They promise to be quiet but that doesn’t last! Sunny is caught and tagged by a marine research team but then she becomes entangled in a loop of plastic attached to a discarded balloon. As she grows the plastic gets tighter around her fins and Sunny finds it harder and harder to hunt for food. Time passes and she gets weaker and slower but Sunny is encouraged by her constant companions, the noisy, but supportive, little fish and the barnacles living on the ring of plastic. It seems she will never be rid of it in spite of attempts by the researchers and a diver.
There is a happy ending and at the end of the book is the real story of a shark with a plastic ring around her neck and details about the types of shark and little pilot fish that often accompany them. There is also a section about plastic rubbish in the ocean and ways to avoid it. Described as part of an “inspiring series for young readers” the message is not overdone with the emphasis on the story. This colourful and fun graphic novel has plenty of adventures, beautifully drawn and engaging characters, equally suitable for young readers or for storytelling.
Themes Sharks, Plastic pollution.
Sue Speck
A trip to the Moon by Peppa Pig
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9780241610664. (Age:2+)
Peppa Pig is back again, this time going on an exciting trip to the moon. There is a show at the Museum that is all about the moon and the family goes to see it. Mr Rabbit shows them around and they blast off when they are all seated in the rocket. Even though Daddy Pig makes some Daddy jokes about the Moon being made of cheese, Mr Rabbit corrects him telling everyone that it is made of rocks and that the tour is a serious one. The children hear about gravity, space vehicles and what it would be like to jump on the Moon. Young children listening to the story will have fun learning about the Moon and space as well.
The illustrations are very familiar with the Pig family featured in their backyard, and then in space suits. All the pages are brightly coloured, with interesting details for children to look for, and the black sky against the grey of the moon is very effective.
Fans of Peppa Pig will have fun with A trip to the Moon, enjoying blasting off and defying gravity.
Themes Moon.
Pat Pledger
Peppa's Australian ocean colouring book by Peppa Pig
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9780241552421. (Age:2+)
Peppa's family is visiting the Kangaroo family in Australia and learn much about the Australian ocean. What fun for Peppa Pig and Kylie Kangaroo! They have many adventures as they visit the beach and the Great Barrier Reef, learn how to scuba dive, and watch Daddy Pig windsurf. They have a barbeque on the beach and learn all about sea creatures.
Fans of Peppa Pig will love this colouring in book, which has 64 pages for them to colour. Each page has a separate adventure or event to incite the curiousity of young children. All the figures and creatures are outlined in thick black lines that make it easy for young hands to colour in.
This would be a very useful book to keep a toddler happy and busy while they learn hand-eye coordination.
In another delightful picture book, Helen Milroy, Palyku writer and illustrator (Backyard beasties, The emu who ran through the sky), tells the story of Owl and Little Star. One night Owl, who loves to look at the stars at dusk, waits for his favourite star to appear. Where could she be?
What makes this book outstanding is the quality of the rich and detailed illustrations. Strong colours portray Owl and the night sky, all reflecting the familiar dots, lines, and patterns from this talented artist. My little grandson loved the pictures of Owl, sitting in his tree and trying to find his friend the little Star and was happy to listen again and again while examining the pictures.
The narrative flows along easily for a lovely read aloud for young children, while older children will enjoy trying to read it for themselves. My son, always interested in Astronomy, loved the story of Star appearing each evening in the sky and the way the Sun and Moon collaborated to bring Owl and Star back to earth on moonbeams.
In her dedication Helen says Owl and Star is 'a picture book for all stargazers – young and old and she says her message is, if you do care for the universe then the universe will care for you'. Owl and Star is a book that families will want to cherish and is a must for libraries and classrooms. Teacher's notes are available.
A wonderful book about the passing of time during one twenty four hour day will have younger readers searching out hidden things on each page as well as learning about what happens in any twenty four hour period and the things which go along with the changing of the hour. Interestingly it also shows how devoted we are to the clock, how it regulates out lives as seven means getting up, eight means going to work or school, twelve means lunchtime and so on. Children will recognise just what the time is at each strike of the hour through the day, and have that time reinforced with the image of what happens. This is shown through the image of a house on each page with a clock on its top.
Within the house are a baker, a clockmaker, a family, a grandmother, a butcher and an artist, all with varying things to do at certain times of the day. It is just wonderful peering into others’ lives to see what time means for them.
For younger readers the sight of things happening as each hour goes by will intrigue and delight as they compare it with their own routines. And more importantly learn about time: how many hours in a day, what a clock face tells us, how life revolves around time, and what happens as each hour ticks away. They will have a great deal of fun learning about time from this offering with its humorous look at the various occupants of the house and seeking out the hidden objects. I loved looking a the progression of each room in the house, noting its changes over the twenty four hours, and I especially loved the night time scene when everyone is asleep, except for some animals and then the baker getting ready for his day.
And curiously a plane is in the sky (I live in Adelaide where there is a 6 o’clock curfew!).
Bright, engaging illustrations cover each page and children will eagerly seek out the differences from one page to the next in the same room in the house.
Chihiro's detailed, paper cut artwork instantly engages readers. With their attention focusing on the hour and what happens at that time of the day, the reader learns about the significance of that hour of each day, learning to tell the time along the way. Berbay’s mantra, ‘Clever books for curious kids’ shines out in this unique picture book.
Themes Time, Clock, Humour, Paper cut-out, Passage of time.
What a wonderful surprise this beautifully presented cookbook with a difference is. The main ingredient is mud!
From the gorgeous endpapers featuring a splattering of mud and other natural materials, to each recipe presented across a double page spread, the young reader who enjoys time outdoors playing in nature will find so much to engage their attention. Recipes such as the Un-lickable lasagne, Squelchy sushi, Muddychino, Murky mudshake and Wild waffles, are presented in a familiar procedure format with details of what ingredients are needed, as well as numbered instructions set out clearly with handy photographs to guide the budding young chef.
In the beginning of The muddy chef is an introduction to the delight of playing with mud, how to set up a mud kitchen, a safety guide, ingredients that could be used, plus equipment and utensils. There are so many opportunities presented in this book to create enticing non-edible delights with mud and other natural ingredients. A perfect gift for the child who loves being outdoors creating with nature and a great resource for homes, early learning centres and schools.
Every now and then, a book is published that is just a gorgeous, warm and beautifully written story - one that you would give to your children or grandchildren. Evie and Rhino, by Neridah McMullan first published in 2022, is one of those books.
Combining history with an imaginative story, McMullan weaves a story around the real-life shipwreck of the steamship SS Bancoora at Breamlea in SW Victoria in 1891. The ship was headed for Melbourne from Calcutta carrying tea, rice, tapioca, jute, sugar and exotic animals bound for Melbourne Zoo. It was wrecked on treacherous reefs during a storm as it rounded Cape Otway. Living in a crumbling once well-loved grand old home near the beach where the ship founded lives ten-year-old Evie and her grandfather. Both are bereft - grieving - and the desolation of their house is symbolic of the inner grief of the two occupants. Roaming on the dunes after a mighty storm, Evie comes upon a rhinoceros that has been washed ashore from the wreck of the SS Bancoora.
And so begins an absolute love story. Evie, so awash with grief at the death of her parents, is mute. Rhino has been wrenched from his natural home and is equally bereft. These two beings - the blonde headed child and the armor plated rhino with the softest, kindest heart recognize each other’s souls. This story is imbued with love. The rambling old house is filled with warm domestic interchanges and the aroma of cook's apple pie (recipe included). The characters are all well developed and very likeable. The stables and outlying farm buildings are populated by friendly cows, hens and dogs - all of them friends of Rhino and of Evie. The surrounding countryside is natural SW Victorian land where Evie and Rhino are free to roam.
There is the question of locking exotic animals up in zoos. There is the impending threat of Rhino being taken away by the Royal Zoological Society who are on their way to collect him and there is the power of friendship that can perhaps restore everything to rights. Written in present tense by an omniscient author, there is a sense of immediacy for the reader. The rawness of emotion, the dialogue and the action are fresh and immediate.The illustrations by Astred Hicks are scattered throughout the book and complement the gentle nature of the story with equally gentle sketches of comforting objects: shells, a bucket of fresh milk, fresh eggs, a pile of books, a hen, a mixing bowl and spoon and of course Evie and Rhino.
McMullin has previously written Drover and Fabish - The horse that braved a bushfire - the latter being shortlisted for CBCA Book of the Year in 2017. It would not be at all surprising if Evie and Rhino is seen on future nomination lists.
The Big Book of Exhibits is a fascinating look at 50 exhibitions and collections of unusual and wondrous objects from around the world. From well-known collections including Madame Tussaud’s (France), Terracotta Soldiers (China), Peace Memorial (Hiroshima, Japan) to Toilet Museums in India and South Korea and an Underwear Museum in Belgium, this colourfully illustrated hardback book will have something to interest everyone.
The book begins with a contents page listing ‘some of the world’s great curiosity cabinets’ followed by an introduction. A wide variety of interesting topics are covered throughout this book including art, technology, medicine, science, history and culture. Each page has a title in colour with two or more paragraphs giving information about the place or exhibition being discussed with an interesting highlight and colourful images surrounding it.
For those of us who live in Australia did you know that in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef is an underwater sculpture, the Coral Greenhouse? It is an underwater building filled with reef gardens growing coral and is overseen by statues of children. On a more sobering note, the British Museum has the Gweagal Shield believed to be one of the few relics left from the earliest First Nation peoples’ contact with European colonists. Also, in Australia is the National Arboretum in Canberra which features the largest collection of the critically endangered Wollemi Pine, a tree which dates back to the time of dinosaurs.
This fabulous book is packed full of information which is easily accessible for middle grade readers and older. A highly recommended addition to a school or public library.
