Reviews

1, 2, BOO: A spooky counting book by Paul Howard

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781526612052. Board book.
(Age: 3-5) Recommended. Themes: Halloween, Counting. Young children will love this counting book with its funny illustrations and will be happy to count along when it is read. Two little children go trick-or-treating, finding all sorts of amazing things as they go along, including 'one hairy, scary wolf, howling at the moon. Aroooo!' and 'nine snazzy witch's cats, looking for some fun' until they find 'Ten giant bags of treats. Let's eat them! Yum, yum yum'.
This is a variation on Howard's I went trick-or-treating and its sturdy board structure makes it perfect for younger children. The illustrations are very humorous and not at all scary, as all the characters have happy smiling faces. I loved the cute expressions on the faces of the three green, friendly, smiley ghosts, complete with little hats and even a bowtie, and the four dancing skeletons are a hoot. The brother and sister decked out in their Halloween costumes are a treat to follow as they have lots of fun encountering monster boogie kings, smiley ghosts, silly skeletons, wizard's owls, creepy spiders, warty toads, spook-wooky bats, witch's cats and giant bags of treats. The multitude of amusing details beg for a closer look at the illustrations and could result in children not only counting the figures but examining the expressions on the children's faces and what all the characters are doing on each page.
The rhymes and humour in 1, 2, Boo! make this a wonderful book to share and great to read aloud. It is sure to become a firm favourite to read before Halloween.
Pat Pledger

Gulpilil by Derek Reilly

MacMillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781760784973.
(Age: 16+) Highly recommended. Non-fiction. This is a beautiful book. It tells of the life of David Gulpilil, esteemed Aboriginal actor, dancer and performer, through conversations with Gulpilil himself, and through the shared memories of the many people who got to know him - people like Paul Hogan, Jack Thompson, Margaret Pomeranz, Natasha Wanganeen, and others who have wonderful stories to tell. Sadly, Gulpilil is now suffering from lung cancer and is not expected to live much longer; he is being cared for by close companion and experienced aged care nurse, Mary, in Murray Bridge, not too far from the treating Adelaide hospital, also near to the site of one of his earliest films Storm Boy, but very far from his Yolngu homelands in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, featured in his later films Ten canoes and Charlie's Country.
Did you know that Gulpilil is a first contact Aboriginal who didn't see a white man until he was eight? He is a living link with a culture that is 60,000 years old. Brought up in the traditional way of life, he first ventured into the 'white' world winning the Darwin Australia Day Eisteddfod dance competitions a number of times. Then his charismatic performance in the film Walkabout saw him set on a career in films. Actors and directors alike describe his intuitive ability to convey meaning with a look or a stance, a presence that just feeds the camera. He brought the face of Aboriginal Australia to film and is remembered for films ranging from Crocodile Dundee to Rabbit proof fence to The tracker. His contribution to Australian cinema was recognised in 2019 with the NAIDOC lifetime achievement award.
However, the difficulty of straddling two worlds has taken its toll, just as in earlier times it did for Bennelong, feted by Governor Philip in the late 18th century, and, the more recent, Namatjira, famous landscape artist of the 20th century. Gulpilil, like them, has battled with alcohol, and has given away everything he has to extended community.
Gulpilil's words on winning the NAIDOC award were 'Never forget me. While I am here, I will never forget you. I will still remember you, even though I am gone forever, I will still remember.' In that spirit, Reilly's book makes a fitting tribute to an Australian now regarded as a national treasure, a man of amazing charisma, much loved by friends and family and the wider Australian audience. This is the book he wanted written; it will help us to remember him.
Helen Eddy

Mr Chicken all over Australia by Leigh Hobbs

Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760296964.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Australia, Geography, Travel. Encouraged by the number of letters he has received from children in Australia suggesting places he might like to visit, Mr Chicken does his research, reading a book about Australia for polite visitors. Those who have read Mr Chicken before, are well aware of the in joke, as he is likely to be gruff and demanding. Previous books about his travels to Rome, Paris and London will have given many insights into his character as a tourist, so readers will be surprised when he takes his book to heart, and remains a polite, interested tourist.
He travels across Australia, visiting the places children have suggested, listing them all as he goes, adding an attraction or two. And most of the time he has a smile upon his face, except of course, his face of abject fear on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, or running from the Tasmanian Devils who see him as lunch, or the aftermath of eating a whole pavlova.
Readers will get lots of laughs recognising places known in Australia, combined with the sorts of things tourists want to see and are offered to them, and reading about places they have never heard of, their interest whetted by the inclusion. He visits many of the 'big' things, the big Galah in Kimba, the Big Boxing Crocodile at Humpty Doo, the big Koala at Dadswells Bridge while seeing such animal attractions as the quokka, koala and crocodile. Well known physical attractions are flown over, walked around and swum: Great Barrier Reef, Uluru, Bungle Bungles, to name a few. Each place will bring either a sigh of recognition or a 'where is that' question, begging a large map of Australia to be poured over by the readers.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mr Chicken's outing in Australia covering so many places that I wonder he was still able to unveil his statue at the end.
Leigh Hobbs' distinctive illustrative style will intrigue and delight all readers, as they look for Mr Chicken's offsider, a helpful koala, on each page, and spot the myriad of places, people and events that make Australia, Australia.
Leigh Hobbs dedicates his book to the children, teachers and librarians he met as the 2016-2017 Australian Children's Laureate.
Fran Knight

Outwalkers by Fiona Shaw

David Fickling Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781788450010. 422p.
(Age: 11+) Recommended. Themes: Dystopian fiction, Survival, Dogs. Opening with a daring escape from a horrible school for children, Outwalkers finds Jake, a 12 year old boy, on the run from the authorities. Set in a dystopian England, where everyone is microchipped and there is a threat of catching a killer virus, Jake sets out to find his dog Jet and a home. Then he encounters the Outwalkers, a gang of young people who are also on the run from the government system, and together they go on a massive adventure, travelling from one end of England to another in their quest to get to Scotland and freedom.
This was a gripping read with a setting in a future England that to an adult felt eerily real and plausible as the government microchipped their citizens and watched them non-stop, controlling their actions and imprisoning children in so called Academies that were like detention centres.
Jake is the central character in the story and his love for his dog Jet is a highlight of the story and adds a touch of poignancy as he tries his best to struggle through the nightmare of his world and work out who to trust. The portrayal of Swift carefully carrying her sick sister Cass, and the picture of the motherly Martha, the strong Poacher, twitchy Davie and young cook Ollie, all make this gang come alive and the reader is invested in the survival of all of them. Each contributes a special skill to help the gang move from safe house to safe house and forage enough food to eat.
Children will read it as a gripping adventure and survival story with its motley crew of young people vividly drawn. Readers will also identify with the loyalty and determination that the gang needs to keep going on their dangerous quest for freedom.
A small window for a possible sequel at the end left me hoping for another novel from Shaw.
Pat Pledger

Slay by Britney Morris

Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9781444951721.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Themes: Computer games, Virtual reality, Black power, Cyberbullying. Teenage college student, Kiera has created her own original computer game, 'Slay', built around black heroes and familiar concepts in black American culture. Her idea was to create a safe place for black gamers to play together without having to deal with the racist stereotypes and the bullying too frequently encountered in other computer games. And she finds success, with more and more people joining in around the world. But suddenly things start to go wrong, when a student is murdered and the motivation seems to be an argument over Slay coins. Keira, as developer, feels targeted by news reports that label the game as racist against whites, and then to make things worse, an online troll seems intent on bringing her down.
Although the context and jargon may be initially off-putting to non-American readers, the novel soon draws you in, and readers will find themselves swept up in the tension of the story, as Keira juggles both real life relationships and the threat in the cyberworld.
The novel deals sympathetically with LGBTIQ+ relationships and recognises that the online world has the potential to be a safe place for some people to explore their identity. It also recognises that gamers may not only be young students, but may include people from all strata of society - video games may increasingly be a source of relaxation and social interaction, an escape from real life pressures.
And as far countering cyberbullying goes, the main message seems to be to stand strong, and to call them out. When Keira makes a stand, she finds she has many more supporters than she realised, both online and in the real world.
With many themes in common with On the come up by Angie Thomas this book will appeal to readers interested in exciting stories dealing with black power, virtual worlds and overcoming injustice.
Helen Eddy

Elbow Grease vs. Motozilla by John Cena

Illus. by Howard McWilliam. Penguin, 2019. ISBN: 9781524773533.
(Age: 3-10) Brightly coloured illustrations draw the reader into this picture book depicting five monster truck brothers competing in a demolition derby against Motozilla, 'that gnarly monster who turns trucks into crunch sandwiches'. He is pretty scary. The book will be a useful tool to generate conversation about a variety of emotions and relationship skills.
Definitely one to read aloud, as the language in the book varies from quite simple to very complex words and information. The book uses both conventional text and speech balloons to convey its overt message of the value of cooperation, encouragement and hard work.
The book will appeal to 3 to 10 year olds, particularly those who enjoy a story with conflict, trucks and a dose of competitiveness.
Jan Barwick

Elbow Grease by John Cena

Illus. by Howard McWilliam. Penguin Random House, 2019. ISBN: 9781760894658.
(Age: 3-8) Board Book. Themes: Monster Trucks, Persistence, Determination. This is the board book edition of the same title published in 2018. The series features five monster truck brothers: Flash is all about speed, Pinball is intelligent and strategic, Tank is big and tough and Crash is courageous. The littlest, an electric truck named Elbow Grease, doesn't have any of these obvious characteristics but he remains optimistic and cheery because he has gumption and never, ever gives up. Their mechanic is a young woman, a welcome departure from the usual image of car sports being a male-only zone. When Elbow Grease shares his dream of one day being a monster truck star his brothers laugh and jeer: 'You're too slow'; 'You're too small'; 'Your technique and experience are insufficient . . . ' Determined to prove them wrong Elbow Grease zooms off to the Grand Prix by himself. He is 'bashed and smashed and even caught on fire a little bit, but still - HE KEPT ON GOING!' The other trucks then realise that they can only learn new skills if they stick at it: 'a little Elbow Grease goes a long way!'
There are many speech bubbles showing the dialogue of the trucks, which highlight their individual personalities, but these are disjointed from the main text and make the pages very busy. Apart from one page the story can be read and understood very well without them so they seem a completely unnecessary addition, especially in this board book format aimed at younger children. In addition, some people may be uncomfortable with how Elbow Grease calls the other trucks 'jalopies', a word which many children may be unfamiliar with, but is clearly meant as an insult. Additionally, it is hard to preach not to stereotype and to broaden your skills when you have stereotyped your characters by name, appearance and behaviour. There is a nice message about persistence though and young kids who like monster trucks will love the illustrations and the action.
Nicole Nelson

Moonfish by Graeme Base

Puffin Books, 2019. ISBN: 9780143791409.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: China, Fable, Family, Dragons, Power. A stunning modern fable using Chinese symbolism, paralleling stories of foundlings, this story by Graeme Base is luminous in its depiction of growing up as an outsider. The wondrous illustrations encapsulate the story, wrapping it in the most detailed landscapes of life above and beneath the sea overlaid with the warmth of family.
An elderly couple finds a foundling fish and raise it as their own. He is bullied at school because he is different and leaves to find a place where he belongs. He asks those he meets: a frog, a dragonfly and a group of eels, concluding that they do not know either and he decides to head back home. When he reaches places that are familiar, he is relieved, but he sees herons overhead. With that he turns into a dragon, the ancient Chinese symbol of good luck for those worthy enough to deserve it, and reaches out of the water towards the birds, scaring them off forever. Now his family is at peace, and never need fear the heron again, and he is home.
The ethereal world beneath the water's surface is simply awe inspiring. Shades of blues and greens permeate each page. A panda like fish hides in the background on several pages; we spy Chinese symbols and buildings, lanterns and bridges, Chinese script on the blackboard, the frog sits on a wonderful seat, a tea set behind him. The dream world Base creates is meticulous in its detail and interest, creating a world that begs to be discovered and examined.
Base has produced a timely fable about family, of belonging, of the kindness of strangers, of standing up for yourself, of finding your place. I kept on reading and looking, gleaning more of the dream like world he has created, pondering the creatures drawn, the background against which they live. The yin and yang symbols on the endpapers entwine the dragon and the fish, each dependent on the other, playing a part in the peace the dragon has wrought to his world.
Fran Knight

The weekend by Charlotte Wood

Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781760292010.
(Age: Senior secondary to adult) Highly recommended. Themes: Age, Friendship, Death, Interaction. Four women, friends for over four decades, rocked by the death of one of their group, Sylvie, are on the way to her beach house, the scene of so many wonderful weekends, to ready it for sale. As they make their way to the coast each is apprehensive, concerned that Sylvie was the one who held them together, worried that the weekend will be a disaster, seeing them go their own separate ways after their long years of friendship.
Jude a former restaurateur is first to arrive. She gets to work immediately with her rubber gloves and bin bags, bemoaning the lateness of the other two, expecting on past experience that she will be left with most of the work.
It is Christmas, and the group always spent this time together, Jude waiting a call from her long term lover, trapped elsewhere with his own wife and children for Christmas.
Adele, a once well known actor, arrives by train. Out of work and in her seventies she is hoping that some money will miraculously appear in the bank account and steels herself to ask one of her friends for a loan to tide her over.
Wendy arrives in her battered broken down car, exhausted after waiting several hours for roadside assist to get her back on the road. She has her ancient dog, Finn with her, a gift from Sylvie and in its frightened state waiting in the car, has weed over Wendy's lap. Jude is appalled at the dog's inclusion and insists it stay outside.
The day does not start well, and Jude allocates each a room to clear out. Full plastic bags go down the travelator on the side of the house, to be dumped on the road below. Memories stall their work.
Breaking for coffee at a local cafe, they bump into a rival actor, Sonia and her producer, Joe Gillespie, and when these two arrive at the beach house the next day for Christmas drinks, tempers flare. Old wounds surface between the two older actors, the producer mischievously provoking the two women, while Wendy and Jude become protective of their old friend, but heat and tension, fuelled by champagne, sees truths said which cannot be unsaid.
This is a wonderful read reflecting the delicate bonds of friendship, the lies we tell ourselves and others, the events which can so easily unravel friendship, but equally put it on a stronger footing.
The three women are forced to face their futures, forced to reassess their friendship, and the part Sylvie played in their lives. It is told with humour that will make the reader laugh out loud, recognising basic truths about relationships, told with a sharpness that comes from critical observation.
Fran Knight

Guinness World Records 2020

Guinness World Records Ltd., 2019. ISBN: 9781912286812.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: Records. Once again the Guinness World Records team has brought together a fabulous collection of fascinating, weird and wonderful records with something for everyone. In 11 chapters, including Sports, arts and Media, Planet Earth, Animals, Robots, Tech and engineering, the book explores different records in many locations.
Dipping in (as one does) I was immediately taken by a photo of the youngest player, male or female, to score a double century in international cricket - 17 year old NZ player, Amelia Kerr. Then after a quick glance at the back cover which had lots of subjects listed, thought I would have a look at Fortnite, which my grandson loves. A perusal of the index, brought me to two pages of information that is sure to engage any aficionados of the game. Leaving that, I skipped back to the Table of Contents and decided to have a look at Planet Earth which was divided into geographical regions and perusing Oceania discovered a gorgeous photo of The Great Barrier Reef (longest reef) and one of the Daintree Rainforest (oldest tropical rainforest). Then flicking through, a photo of the farthest arrow shot using the feet caught my attention (Brittany Walsh, 12,31m).
As always, the Guinness World Records 2020 is beautifully presented, with outstanding photography and interesting and well-presented information about a huge range of records. It is a book that has a contents page and index to easily find information, but also begs the reader just to flick through and enjoy the experience of discovering new and interesting things that have made it into the records.
It is a must have for a school library and would make a great gift for any family to share.
Pat Pledger

Weirdomania by Anh Do

Weirdo 13. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742997933.
(Age: 7-10) Recommended. Themes: Humour, Wrestling, Careers. Anh Do has done it again with this fabulous, fun 13th adventure featuring the Do family. Great illustrations and a catchy theme are sure to engage any reader who want to relax and have a laugh. In this episode of the family's life, Weir Do is determined to win tickets to see The Block, the coolest wrestler in the business. His family can't afford the tickets but he has a chance of winning some by designing the funniest costume for Funny Friday at school. Can he succeed?
As always, both the narrative and the illustrations are hilarious and kids who are fans of this series will be thrilled to see another one available. Children new to the fun drawings and characters will have no difficulty picking up the story and will be keen to find others about the Do family. Some different careers are explored as parents come to school to explain where they work, and much fun surrounds wrestling, The Block the champion, and the identity of The Human Torna-Do.
This is a very humorous addition to the series, one that all children (and adults, like me) will enjoy.
Pat Pledger

Ask Hercules Quick by Ursula Dubosarsky

This is how we change the ending by Vikki Wakefield

Text, 2019. ISBN: 9781922268136.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Survival, Persistence, Coming of age. Wow! This has to be my favourite YA book of 2019, thanks to Wakefield's wonderful talent of bringing alive a vulnerable character in 16 year old Nate McKee who is doing his best to stay a good person in terrible circumstances. His only refuge from a violent father is hanging out at the local youth centre, and when its closure is threatened, doesn't know what he will do without this one safe place outside of school. He fills a note book with things he can't say aloud and when his words are put up as graffiti by Tash, he realises that he may be able to fight back and make a difference, and that he does have allies and friends.
Wakefield's descriptions of Nate's home life are vivid and compelling. He has to look after his very difficult twin half-brothers and watch while Dec, his abusive father, puts down Nance his young partner. His mother had left many years before and even though she has reached out to see him again she doesn't seem to be a person who he can rely on and his best friend Merrick has left school and is becoming reckless. At school there is one bright patch, a teacher who has left an elite private school, in the hope of making a difference.
It's not often that you finish a book with tears in your eyes because of the heart-wrenching effect of great writing, but even on a second read, I still had tears in my eyes, grateful for the chance to have read about such a gutsy character as Nate, and the few outstanding adults who helped him on the way to breaking a vicious cycle.
This is a must have for every high school library and public library and would be a perfect class novel to study or literature circle book to discuss. Teacher's notes are available.
Pat Pledger

Surface tension by Meg McKinlay

Walker Books, 2011, 2019. ISBN: 9781760650483.
(Age: 9+) Recommended. This is a very welcome reprint of the award winning book first published in 2011 and still relevant today and a must have for any library. Here is the review of the original: 'The day that I was born, they drowned my town' and so begins Cassie's story of life in her town and the mystery that she uncovers in the lake. Cassie has to swim six laps every day because she was born prematurely and has to build up her lung function. One day after finding another disgusting band-aid in the town's pool she goes to the lake to swim instead. There she meets up with Liam, a boy who has a tragic past, and as the water recedes in the lake because of the drought, they discover that it hides a sinister secret.
I was fascinated by this story and in particular, its setting of a drowned lake during a drought. I once taught near a reservoir whose waters had covered a valley similar to the one in Cassie's story and found the idea of preserving old headstones and the history of the place excited students. It is intriguing to imagine just what tragedies and mysteries have been submerged in the murky depths. What is the secret that Cass and Liam uncover? Has someone been murdered? How will they prove what has happened if the lake is flooded once more?
McKinlay has written a wonderful mystery that kept me guessing to the end. She has scattered clues throughout the book for the more astute reader, but I was still unsure of what exactly had happened right to the stunning conclusion - a wonderful thing for a mystery writer to achieve.
In addition to the suspense, McKinlay has grouped together a range of characters and family situations that also give depth to the story. Readers will identify with Cass, who has to work so hard physically to have a normal life, and with Liam, where a family tragedy has left his father mentally ill and difficult to deal with. The author's writing is a winning combination of vivid descriptions of life in a country town during a drought, the thrill of swimming in dangerous water and the excitement of uncovering a puzzle.
This is an engrossing story that will be enjoyed by both boys and girls in upper primary school and also has enough substance for young teens. After reading this excellent introduction to the mystery genre, I can imagine readers going on to seek out other books by this author and to devour other mysteries. Teacher's notes are available.
Pat Pledger

Cleo and Rob by Helen Brown

Illus. by Phoebe Morris. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN: 9781988547350
(Age: 5-12 years) Highly recommended. Themes: Families, Pets, Death, Grief. Helen Brown has written a very poignant story about the death of Sam and how his younger brother Rob deals with the loss. Helen Brown's family experienced this terrible tragedy and her picture book deals sensitively and carefully with bereavement and grief. The illustrations by Phoebe Morris show both detail and feeling and complement the story beautifully.
Sam is wanting a kitten for his birthday and finally convinces his mother to let him have one. The kitten is not ready to leave his own mother yet and the boys will need to wait until the end of the holidays. While they are waiting Sam dies tragically and Rob is left bereft and unable to cope with the loss. The kitten is brought to the house at the end of the holidays as planned and Rob finds the solace he has been searching for.
On researching Helen Brown further, I discovered her adult book version simply titled Cleo, is a best-seller and is currently being made into a motion picture. She was asked numerous times for a similar book to help support grieving families and younger children and decided to write Cleo and Rob through the eyes of her six year old son.
I believe this picture book is a worthwhile addition to any school and public library. It offers support for those struggling with grief and provides hope after a terrible tragedy.
Kathryn Beilby