Reviews

Sleepy Sheepy and the sheepover by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Illus. by Pete Oswald

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The big day for Sleepy Sheep’s first sleepover comes around. Sleepy is very excited and packs a little more than he needs. His backpack is stuffed full, his overnight case bulges, but off he goes off to his grandparents’ place, and his two favourite people. After his parents leave he feels a little sad, but cannot say why. Things feel very different and when he goes to bed, he finds his pjs do not match and the blankets are scratchy, and he cannot fall asleep. His grandparents sit with him watching TV and they fall asleep.

They bring out an old book that his father loved as a child, and they read it to Sleepy, munching on his favourite biscuits and dancing to the beat of the music. After all that exercise and stories and food, Sleepy is tucked into his bed with all the toys he brought with him for company. The blankets were still a little scratchy but being tucked in tightly makes him feel right at home.

In rhyming lines, the story will gather readers as they see what happens on an overnight stay. Many children will have been on a sleepover and be able to share their experiences, and for the ones who have not yet slept somewhere else, the story will ease any concerns they may have. Bouncy and full of wit and charm, the story outlines Sleepy’s initial concerns which result in him taking a few too many things with him for his sleepover. The pjs not matching does little to calm his unease.

All the things he is concerned about are very minor, but in some children’s eyes could be immense, and feed their feeling of unease at being away from home.

Readers will enjoy seeing Sleepy pack his overnight bag, wondering what they would take along to a sleepover, at the same time as laughing at what Sleepy packs. Children will enjoy predicting the rhyming words as they read along with an adult reader. They will also offer suggestions as to what Sleepy can do to allay his concerns, and what the grandparents could do to help him feel at ease.

Charming illustrations by California based illustrator, Oswald, will catch children’s imaginations seeing the image of the sheep at centre stage. Details on each page ground Sleepy and readers will love looking at the detail of city life.

New York based Cummins has written an assortment of books, The hungry lion appearing in 2016.

This is a terrific read aloud for bedtime, or any time.

Themes Verse, Read aloud, Sheep, Sleeping, Bedtime, Humour.

Fran Knight

Kimberley Kickers: Jy goes for gold by Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler with Jy Farrar and Samantha Campbell

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Jy Goes for Gold is the first book in the Kimberley Kickers series about First Nations football players from both the AFL and AFLW who were born in the Kimberley in Western Australia. Gold Coast Suns star Jy Farrar is the first person showcased and his story is full of family, fun and football. 

From the very beginning of this fast-paced story, the reader will be immersed in football. Written as a first person narrative, the reader has a ‘front row’ view of Jy describing his footy kicks, passages of play and his winning goals. All of this as a young person growing up with family on Country in the Kimberley. His closeness to his family and extended relations and their importance to his early life are evident throughout his story. There is always friendly competition and rivalry between cousins but their bonds are unbreakable.

Jy eventually moves onto boarding school where his two older brothers are, and his separation from his home Country is always in the background. He completes his schooling and graduates, and it is while he is back home again and playing local footy, his coach and his cousin, realise Jy has talent that can take him to the AFL draft and ultimately, the Gold Coast Suns.

Shared throughout this story are vivid details of life in the Kimberley, significant references to traditional and cultural places and beliefs, the importance of respecting Country, and the encouragement of family to believe that it is possible to achieve great things.

For those middle grade readers who find reading a long novel challenging, this engaging book, with images throughout, onomatopoeia, highlighted key words as well as abundant white space, may be one that will appeal to someone who loves sport and footy. The second book in the series about AFLW player Krstel Petrevski will be released in 2025. Teacher's notes are available.

Themes Kimberly WA, First Nations Culture, Community, Australian Rules Football, Family, Country, Biography.

Kathryn Beilby

The skin I'm in by Steph Tisdell

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Indigenous comedian Steph Tisdell is well known for her stand-up comedy acts and her roles in Australian television. Her latest venture into writing YA fiction is another winner, presenting strong characters and nuanced situations that expose unresolved cultural issues in Australia. Seventeen-year-old Layla has been the good studious girl at school, but when her troubled cousin Marley is invited into her home, she suddenly has to face questions about her Aboriginality. How much does she really know of her culture and history? Marley has lived on Country, he calls her a coconut, and is scornful of the school’s superficial attempts to include an Aboriginal perspective. Layla finds herself questioning the attitudes of her school friends and her teachers, but also more importantly questioning her own values and ambitions.

Tisdell’s authentic writing style absolutely captures the teenage voice and makes it easy for the reader to identify with Layla and the problems she faces, with changing friendship loyalties, racist and silently complicit attitudes, tokenistic attitudes to Aboriginal inclusion, all added to the usual adolescent insecurities.

Some of the pages directly address the reader, questioning why it is that the Aboriginal person has to take on the role of explaining the history and trauma; why can’t people do the hard work themselves? Layla attends a Dreaming camp and becomes stronger and more confident in her culture, but that doesn’t mean that she has to recite it to others. It is for everybody to educate themselves.

A highlight of the book is the insight we are given into the Aboriginal kinship system where extended family members will take on the care and support of a child who needs it, rather than the official foster situation. Layla’s mother brings her nephew Marley into their family, giving him the care and attention he needs, and when a traumatic situation arises, they are all there to help him. Living with Marley and learning what he has gone through strengthens Layla’s commitment to make a difference for her people.

There are content warnings with this novel: sexual content, a suicide attempt, drug use, intergenerational trauma and racism. Tisdell is blunt and tells it like it is, the same way she does in her stand-up shows. But a mature YA reader will surely appreciate the honesty, and the opportunity to grapple with questions that need attention and discussion.

There are reading notes available on the Pan Macmillan site and the opportunity to win a class set of The skin I’m in (closing date 10 September 2024).

Themes Identity, Aboriginal culture, Kinship, Intergenerational trauma, Racism.

Helen Eddy

Taronga presents: Party animals by Kristin Darell. Illus. by Laura Wood

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Birthdays are always special but for Ollie and Sophia this one is extra special. It’s Ollie’s birthday and he has asked Sophia to share it with him at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Ollie’s dad Max has driven them to the zoo for the day and as they are Taronga Zoo volunteers they have special-access passes to go wherever they are allowed. They have bikes organised for them and can ride all around the various habitats. As they are cycling along, Sophia and Ollie name the collective nouns for each group of animals they see; dazzle of zebras, mob of meerkats, conspiracy of lemurs, tower of giraffes (when standing still), journey of giraffes (when moving), crash of rhinos, coalition of cheetahs, memory of elephants and a bloat of hippos.

Sophia and Ollie are able to watch the vets working on a cheetah through the glass windows at the hospital and later on, a wedge-tailed eagle who has been injured. They also take part in an echidna enrichment where a first time failure leads to a successful second try and a valuable lesson for Sophia. During their time at the zoo, Sophia has been feeling quite anxious as her gift for Ollie has yet to arrive. She is distracted and keeps checking back with the office and Ollie is feeling disappointed. Sophia realises that her presence is really only the gift he wants and later apologises for her distraction.

One of Ollie’s birthday surprises includes a private feeding of the giraffe that loves carrots. But the biggest surprise of all is staying overnight at the Zoofari Lodge where they are able to observe the animals on the savannah and join a Sunrise Safari in the morning.  For Ollie and Sophia this has been a memorable weekend for many reasons and when Sophia’s gift finally arrives, it is another wonderful surprise for Ollie.

Party Animals as well as the first book in the series, Poo at the Zoo, would make engaging class novels as the stories are highly entertaining, and shared throughout are so many valuable teaching moments that educators could expand on. The interesting facts presented all through each story as well as Ollie’s Fun Fact File could also lead to further research and discussion.

Themes Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Animals, Volunteers, Friendship, Birthday Surprises, Family.

Kathryn Beilby

Not for the faint of heart by Lex Croucher

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A knowledge of the ancient folkloric tale of Robin Hood is important background to the reading of Not for the faint of heart. Author Lex Croucher takes the reader back into the world of Sherwood Forest, rewriting the old tale from a queer, romantic and comedic stance that is nuanced and not without significant attention to values and causes. It makes for an unusual and thought-provoking read which offers a different to the mainstream (although not unheard-of) interpretation of the well-known characters.

Not for the faint of heart is set in the same Sherwood Forest, seemingly very little changed from the story we know in that it's still a land of deep dark forest and impoverished villages with hovels made of turf and medieval market towns with the wealthy living in castles. It's still a land where the divide between rich and poor is immensely unjust. The issues of social and economic injustice have not improved since Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham's day. Not for the faint of heart is set two generations into the future with the main characters being the descendants of the original characters - the grandchildren. 

Mariel is a newly blooded captain of the Merry Men, grand-daughter of Robin Hood and Maid Marion and keen to do anything she can to win the favour of her harsh and critical father. Her father, the Commander of the Merry Men has a very powerful influence over her understandings of leadership style. Since the beginning of his command, the woods have been unhappy and at war. Impoverished villagers have lost faith in the Merry Men being able to help them as in Robin Hood's day and the Merry Men themselves are not so merry but rather fighting amongst themselves. Mariel's arch-enemy is the grandson of the Sheriff of Nottingham of Robin Hood's day so the hostility has passed down unchanged through the generations. The delightful Clem, village healer, is kidnapped by Mariel's motley group of Merry Men and so begins an adventure, the forging of friendships and romances and a fight for their lives and the life of the greenwood.  Clem is cheerful and hilarious. Her humour seems to be indefatigable and resistant to any horror. 'She prided herself on her commitment to the absurd'. Gradually she has a huge impact on her kidnappers resulting in a questioning of values, change and resultant new directions.

Lex Croucher paints the blossoming of young love with delicate and sensitive strokes. The dialogue between the characters is on point, befitting an action adventure story with character descriptions and action sequences that are so visually vivid, one can imagine Not for the faint of heart being made into a movie. Often hilarious, the humour flows from Clem, whose pithy remarks provide a commentary on the action.  

This is a clever book, offering delightful word choreography and entertainment along with deeper messages on a number of themes including what is good governance and friendship in the face of peril. Recommended for the capable young adult reader.

Themes Governance, Social justice values, Intergenerational leadership and change, Queer romance, Camaraderie.

Wendy Jeffrey

Taronga presents: Poo at the Zoo by Kristin Darell. Illus. by Laura Wood

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A new series by author Kristin Darell will provide younger middle grade readers with a fabulous insight into the daily life of animals, keepers and volunteers at Taronga Zoo. In this first book in the series, Poo at the Zoo, readers are introduced to Sophia and Ollie who are beginning their first week as Volunteers-in-Training run over two weeks of the school holidays. Both children have a parent who works at the zoo whom readers are introduced to along the way plus we meet the keepers who will train the children. The excitement of the children to begin their training is contagious. They are nervous but enthusiastic and desperate to be able to learn all they need to know to join the adult keepers on their jobs.

First off they are given the news that this week they will be working collecting poo. This does not enthral them at all but they know they have to start somewhere. Their first opportunity is to work with Keeper Sam who looks after the koala habitats. The children are expected to count up the number of poos and record them each day. They also need to feel the poo to find out if it is the right consistency. Sophia and Ollie are not initially impressed but when they realise the poo smells like eucalyptus, their job becomes much easier. After counting and recording, the children shovel up the poo and then take it to be shared amongst other animals for a number of reasons. Throughout the week they collect, count and measure other types of animal poo with sometimes some hilarious results. For Sophia and Ollie the week goes past very quickly and they have learnt so much. They are given the opportunity to share their knowledge and talk to some young children and as a result receive an unexpected surprise.

This engaging story will be enjoyed by those who love zoos and animals. There are facts cleverly shared throughout the story and at the end is ‘Ollie’s Fun Fact File’ with even more information.

Themes Taronga Zoo, Animals, Volunteers, Friends, Family, Training, Facts.

Kathryn Beilby

Dot! Scribble! Go! by Herve Tullet

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Good fun will be had following the guidelines in this very different drawing book. It encourages young children to use their drawing full of dots, scribbles, and colour to make images. Armed with a hand and the finger too, stars can become dots and between the dots colour can be added.

Then something can circle the dots or make lines between them, and children will be on their way to make a beautiful drawing. Then some scribbles appear and the child is encouraged to make some scribbles too. Scribbles can be anything and use lots of colours. Out of these scribbles, a form may appear and filled with scribbles will look most attractive.

This easy to follow guide to drawing will attract younger readers to give it a go,  to try something they may not have tried before, to see that whatever they do will end up as an image, a picture.

A sturdy cover ensures the book will be useful when armed with paper, crayons, pens and water nearby, while the pages inside can be marked but wiped almost clean. Kids will love using their imaginations with this book, and parents and teachers will use the models it provides. Energetic, full of charm and wit, the book encourages playing with scribbles, dots and colours, thinking outside the norm, trying something for themselves.

The last pages are a fold out image of what the dots, scribbles, lines and colour could achieve.

Themes Drawing, Colour, Humour.

Fran Knight

South with the seabirds by Jess McGeachin

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Well-known author/illustrator Jess McGeachin’s latest non-fiction book is a fascinating story about four female scientists who visited Macquarie Island in 1959. As a young girl, Mary Gillham was enthralled by sea birds and spent hours sketching them. She grew up to be a naturalist and travelled all around the world studying strange plants and animals. Mary was desperate to visit Macquarie Island but in that time Antarctica was seen as not a place for women. However, three other women from overseas were hoping to go and finally it happened.

Travelling with Mary were Isobel Bennett, Hope Macpherson and Susan Ingham. They set sail on the icebreaking ship Thala Dan and travelled for five days in calm and rough weather. They were followed by seabirds which are gloriously illustrated and labelled across a striking blue sea, until they came ‘to an island at the edge of the world.’ They were here at last. Once they had landed they studied the kelp, the rockpools, the seabirds, seals, penguins, wild plants and animals. Their research was so important to the future of the island which was added to the World Heritage List in 1997, was declared pest free in 2014, and in 2023 the marine park surrounding the island was tripled in size.

South with the Seabirds is a captivating story about the achievements of four strong and passionate scientists who have lakes named after them on the island. Jess McGeachin has told an incredible story, full of facts as well as stunning drawings of the bird, plant and animal life. The endpapers show a clearly labelled map of Macquarie Island and there is a timeline showing the history of the island as well as further information about the female scientists and tips for young naturalists.

This book provides a wonderful opportunity for educators and their students for further research into Macquarie Island and its environment and/or the four amazing scientists who provide such vital information.

Themes Scientists, Women, Macquarie Island, Research, Natural Environments.

Kathryn Beilby

Mural by Stephen Downes

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On opening this pretty, beautifully produced book the reader is confronted by endpapers showing an engraving of the sinister standing stones at Carnac followed by an unsettling quote from Thomas Bernhard’s story Reunion about parents destroying their children; so, when the story starts with an account of Harry Ellis arriving in Australia in 1875 we are already off balance. “I want to tell you about the things that leap into my bedlam of a mind” says “D” who has been asked by psychiatrist Dr Reynolds to write down his thoughts after being incarcerated again for unspecified crimes, “my movements are as predictably reciprocal as a piston”, hinting at the sexual and repetitive nature of his crimes. D wants to talk about obsession, in his case malice, but through two examples of obsessives who have found a benign compulsion to save them from becoming like him. The first of these is Harry (Havelock) Ellis whose life story, is summed up as a lonely, bush loving boy, who “read more than he lived” and “made sex his life’s work” p. 23 (he became an expert in the psychology of sex)). The second is Napier Waller, the famous Australian artist whose murals adorn many buildings in Melbourne. Along the way D reflects on the Pre-Raphaelites, the mosaics in the Basilica di San Vitale, the influence of the standing stones of Carnac and a patricide in Tasmania, always through the lens of his own preoccupations about parents and children, repressed sexuality and the idea that small things build up until the last straw results in action. The tone is arch, detached and egocentric as D reveals more of himself though what interests him. Peppered throughout the book are unremarkable supporting photos which seem to illustrate D’s assertion of the past as “fuzzy, conflated slides…compressed for easier viewing” p. 171. I was disappointed in the ending, but this is a fascinating little book, and while there is an undercurrent of sex there is never anything explicit or offensive. Given the interest in true crime, mental health and unusual perspectives on Australian history I could see this as a senior school winner, worthy of closer reading.

Themes Mental health, Obsession, Sexuality, Art, Psychology.

Sue Speck

The grown-up's guide to picture books by Lara Cain Gray. Illus. by Lorena Carrington and Timothy Ide

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Every so often, a book is published that will deeply engage the reader from first glance and will continue to offer the opportunity to browse time and time again. The Grown-Up's Guide to Picture Books is one such book. It is a refreshingly detailed and supportive look at the mechanics of picture book writing for authors, illustrators, educators, book reviewers and critics, new writers, children and interested adults. Commencing with a page of testimonials from some well-known identities from the book industry including Andrea Rowe, Anne James, Jules Faber and Peter Carnavas, there is then a meaningful introduction, followed by the thoughtful, well-answered question, 'What is a picture book?'

Set out in alphabetical order, beginning with A is for Animals and ending with Z is Zeitgeist, a German word meaning ‘spirit of the time’ where it describes the common beliefs of an era, this wonderful book is full of fascinating ideas, structures, useful tips, and so much more. There is the opportunity to further explore the striking images accompanying the text with some probing talking points and questions, to extend and encourage participation from the reader. For example, in the chapter H is for Heroes, the question is asked ‘What does this illustrated page tell us about different kinds of heroes?’ The image shows a large drawing of an older person surrounded by a few tiny brightly coloured superheroes and a notorious Australian icon in the corner. The chapter, Y is for Yucky Stuff, is one that may divide some readers but perhaps this is an apt and fitting comment, '…gross-out humour provides a dash of small-scale rebellion. Children delight in the squirming faces of teachers, parents, and librarians…'

This is a quote from the chapter J is for Joy, and with the recent debate regarding literacy skills of children in Australia, it is vital that we strive to encourage a love of reading, '…reading purely for pleasure has significant benefits for comprehension …vocabulary extension…skills in critical analysis, general knowledge…confidence as a reader…interpreting a scenario from the illustrations alone (visual literacy) are important elements of reading. Allowing kids to explore a picture book for the fun of it…helps change their perception of reading from a chore to joy.' p28

As an adult reviewer of picture books, The Grown-Up's Guide to Picture Books is an invaluable resource that I will use time and time again. A must-have for those who love picture books, who write and illustrate picture books, who are looking to write their own picture books, or those who read and share picture books with others.

Themes Picture Book Mechanics, Storytelling, Illustrations, Themes, Activities, Resource text.

Kathryn Beilby

Bowerbird blues by Aura Parker

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Bowerbird flies over Sydney, watching from on high, looking for all things blue. He collects buttons and plastic forks, blue pegs, straws, feathers, and toothbrushes. He has eaten, his wings are strong, but something is missing. He flies up into the blue which he loves, looking for something but he is not sure what it is. He flies out over the blue sea, still looking. And he dives down into the cold blue, until he gasps. He wakes up the next morning surrounded by his blue things. He makes patterns of the things in his collection. He puts them in rows of eight and four, and two then one. And then he weaves: small threads, sticks and leaves, woven together to make his nest. But still, something is missing. And surprisingly it isn’t blue. His partner is dull in colour, but the pair sweep up into the blue, flying together, sharing, cuddling, loving. The two make their home in the nest he has built, surrounded by the blue things he collected to attract his mate.

A stunning picture book to share with children or a class, encouraging them to find out more about this bird, listing the things they see in his nest. Children could see what they could collect that is blue, within the garden or schoolyard, and could list all the things they find, making a bowerbird nest themselves.

Parker’s text gives more information than it seems at first glance, building up an image of this bird for the readers. Then looking at the watercolour illustrations will teach them lots more as they see where the little bird goes in his search for blue.

The endpapers build an image of Sydney housing where the bowerbird often finds his blue bits, and parks where the bowerbird builds his nest. Each page is a tableau of blue, designed to give the readers a solid idea of this little bird and his quest. And an extra fun thing to do, is to find all the things listed on the first and last pages of the book. Kids will love this puzzle and compete with each other to find the blue things.

The book was the 2024 National Simultaneous Storytime book. This link will take you to a reading of the story by Ozzie. And this site shows children about the bowerbird. And a talk by the author can be found here.

Themes Bowerbird, Blue, Nests, Behaviour.

Fran Knight

The wonder of little things by Vince Copley with Lea McInerney

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This new edition of Vince Copley's autobiography, edited for young readers, provides a personal account of what it was like as a young boy to grow up under the constant restrictions of the Aboriginal Protection Act. As a young kid on Point Pearce mission the fun was rousing around with siblings in a pedal car, lollies from the shop, catching rabbits, and hugs from aunties, but later as he grew older he became aware of categorisations of ‘full-blood’, ‘half-caste’, etc., things his mother told him to ignore, because ‘You’re as good as anybody else’.

Vince chose to go to St Francis school for Aboriginal boys, at a time before it became a place to send stolen children. It became a haven for him when his mother died, ‘another kind of family’. The bonds that united those boys held strong in later years when they encountered racist slurs. The call on the football field to ‘go back to your tree’ became a joke amongst the boys as they joked about ‘which is my tree’. Humour became a weapon of self-protection.

There were appalling moments in his life, like when his brother Colin died from infection after being turned away from the Maitland hospital which didn’t treat Aboriginal people. Vince himself was turned away from Ardrossan and Maitland hospitals before being treated at the Wallaroo government hospital for appendicitis. The harrowing significance of those events only sank in later.

Overall, Vince’s story is of the simple things that made up a good life despite adversity and racism. Thankfully there were so many good people that offered friendship, and a place to stay when he needed it. He seemed to have a natural understanding that resentment and anger would only give himself pain. Instead he responded with a happy open heart that connected with the right people.

Vince Copley became a champion footballer and a premiership-winning coach. The path was often difficult but his innate optimism and good cheer always held him up, so that looking back, he can revel in ‘the wonder of little things’. It is a very inspiring, uplifting life story of overcoming hardships and working with others to make things better.

This edition of Vince’s story is highly recommended for young readers. Older readers would be encouraged to read the more detailed The wonder of little things (2022). Lea McInerney has developed a blog that contains recordings of Vince talking, his history, Papa Joe and Grandfather Barney, historical archives, and much more.

Themes Aboriginal people, Ngadjuri, Boys’ home, Resilience, Racism, Friendship, Football.

Helen Eddy

The wonder of little things by Vince Copley with Lea McInerney

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Vince Copley speaks to all of us in his clear, unequivocal voice. His mother told him ‘always remember you’re as good as anybody else’ and this, amongst other truths, was the mainstay of his life.

Vince Copley died in January 2022. He was a man for whom life was full of the wonder of little things as he took what happened in his stride, making the most of opportunities presented to him. A strong mother with a robust work ethic helped cement early attitudes which he held dear.        

Born Vincent Warrior in 1936 at Point Pearce on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, his father died of TB when Vince was one year old. Vince’s mother later remarried and the family moved to Leigh Creek then Alice Springs in search of work. Vince began using his mother’s partner’s name, Copley. In Alice Springs he met a group of boys when they came home for summer holidays from St Francis House, a home for Aboriginal boys in Semaphore where they lived in term time, attending local schools. Vince was accepted at St Francis House when he was eleven and lived with a group of other young men destined to become well known for their activism, among them Charlie Perkins, John Moriarty and Gordon Briscoe who became equally well known for their sporting prowess.

Set up by the Anglican Church, St Francis House was run by people who supported young men from Aboriginal communities, helping them through school, on the sporting field and on to work. On leaving the home in 1952, Vince worked in a variety of areas, first as an  apprentice boiler maker, then for a time as a professional AFL footballer in Melbourne. Homesick, he came back to the Yorke Peninsula where he worked stacking grain, finding firm friends on a farm near Curramulka, working in the area, eventually successfully coaching the local football team to four premierships, and meeting Brenda Thomas, the woman who would become his wife and mother to their two children. 

But his life also reflects the injustices under which Aboriginal people lived: at a town in New South Wales where he went to pick up a grain elevator for the farm, he and his Aboriginal companions were ignored by locals when asking directions; he had to apply to go to Point Pearce to see his family; women refused to dance with him, and he needed to apply for an exemption to move about his own country. That he was not counted in Australia’s census until the 1967 Referendum, nor allowed to vote, and had no rights as a citizen is a stain for all of us to share. Vince presents this as part of the background of his life, with equanimity, armed with his mother’s sage advice that he is as good as anyone else. But the racist nature of the communities in which he moved is there for all to see. And his life story brings other events to the fore, events instrumental in changing attitudes leading to the referendum in 1967. The catalogue of protests, events and marches form a chronology of the Aboriginal rights movement in the mid twentieth century to now and Vince was directly involved with many of them. He was both a participant and a witness to so many changes inherent in making a positive difference to Aboriginal people in Australia.

This memoir is an important catalogue of those changes from one man who was both involved and an astute observer. And his observations will sit with the readers for a long time after the book is finished. 

Talking with Lea McInerney over countless cups of tea, Vince said that Reconciliation meant black and white walking together, and this mantra shines through. 

The whole book is a fascinating insight into the life of one man but also the strength of the movement for Aboriginal rights. The Tent Embassy figures prominently, while Charlie Perkins and Doug Nicholls amongst others, influenced Vince’s life prodigiously, involving him in an array of government departments set up to address the injustice doled out to Aboriginal people. During the bicentennial celebrations, a source of great disgruntlement to many, Charlie organised a cricket team to tour England, replicating the one sent in 1836. Forty good players had to be whittled down to just thirteen so Vince took another team to New Zealand so as not to disappoint the cricketers. 

This little story tells lots about this man, making sure people are included, finding a way to satisfy those who may be left out, solving a problem with aplomb. 

In the last section of the book is a timeline of Australia’s history from the first years of Aboriginal occupation, the exploration by people from overseas, European settlement, conflict, the South Australia Act and the early contact with Aboriginal people in SA. The timeline shows the history of SA highlighting Aboriginal people and the effects that government policies have had on them since 1836.

I heartily recommend this highly readable book, it is a wonderful memoir of a man working for the advancement of Aboriginal people, a life well lived and documented with grace. Lea McInerney has developed a blog that contains recordings of Vince talking, his history, Papa Joe and Grandfather Barney, historical archives, and much more.

Themes Aboriginal people, Glanville House, Ngadjuri, Racism, Yorke Peninsula, Tent Embassy.

Fran Knight

Into the Labyrinth by John Bierce

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Easy to read fantasy with great setting and relatable characters, Into the Labyrinth, the first in the Mage Errant series, is likely to appeal to readers who enjoy books set in academia with the bonus of a great library. Hugh of Emblin is a shy student, with no self-confidence. Bullied by the son of a noble, he is friendless and believes that he is worthless, unable to perform even the simplest of spells. When he is chosen by a Librarian mage to be his  apprentice, life changes for him and he gradually becomes friends with the other two apprentices, Sabae and Talia.

The world building was fascinating. The Great Library with its floating shelves and strange Index and the idea of Hugh having a warded room to himself will thrill readers who like libraries as a main feature in their fantasy. The world of the labyrinth below Skyhold is frightening and the demons and monsters, traps and tunnels are vividly described.

Bierce gradually expands his story with the four young people beginning to gain confidence in their magical ability and starting to believe in themselves. Their trial in the Labyrinth is action packed, each bringing their unique skills to fight off the monsters and get out of the traps hidden in the tunnels.

Into the Labyrinth is a quick and enjoyable read with likeable characters, a unique world and plenty of action. Readers will want to follow Hugh and his friends in their next adventure, Jewel of the Endless Erg, and those who like books set in academies may enjoy the more demanding Scholomance series by Naomi Novik. 

Themes Magic, Libraries, Coming of age.

Pat Pledger

The glass horse of Venice by Arnold Zable. Illus. by Anita Lester

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Each day when Claudia runs to school in Venice, she stops at the shop of the glassblower. She peers at the animals made of glass: the swans and giraffes, lions and elephant, but her eyes are always drawn to the horse, especially the winged horse. The glass animals fill the canals and building around her. One day the glassblower offers her a gift, and tells her that the horse has broken wings, but one day, if she cares for it, she will find its secret. She takes the wingless horse and places it on her windowsill where she ignores it, wanting a winged horse in its place.

One day the rain comes, and water overlaps the canals and finds its way under the doors of their apartment.

The horse calls her, but she ignores it.

The water keeps rising so the family packs its goods and moves to another apartment away from Venice. Claudia misses Venice and the glassblower. She finds her wingless horse and places it in the light. Its wings grow and she is able to climb upon its back. They fly over Venice as she calls to Pegasus to fly. She sees the city she loves and flies into the night before returning to her home with the wingless horse on her windowsill.

An enchanting book of an imaginative journey as Claudia learns to believe the impossible. The story of Pegasus parallels the story of this book and children will love finding out about that story and its similarities and differences. They will soar with Claudia as she sits on the horse’s back. In the morning the wingless horse sits happily on the windowsill waiting for another nighttime excursion.

Illustrations by Anita Lester are amazing, bringing Venice to life as children pore over the detail of the people, the steps, bridges, boats, buildings and red tiled roofs. Looking at them begs the reader to enter Venice on foot, prowling around its waterways.

But the aerial view is stunning, and readers will cheer along with Claudia as she see her beloved city on the back of the winged horse. Children will marvel at the images of the glass animals, especially the winged horse as it takes Claudia on her longed-for ride.

Themes Venice, Horses, Imagination, Flood, Pegasus.

Fran Knight