This visually stunning picture book is one to read by children and adults of all ages. The deeply thoughtful and compelling story about the loneliness felt firstly by the house and then the young child, shares unspoken moments that many readers may feel when all seems lost and hopeless.
The large, mystical house believes there is more to life than being isolated and alone. It magically releases itself from its foundations and travels through the dark and stormy sky to find what is missing. Happening upon a young girl whose own feelings of loneliness reach out to house; a strong shared connection is ready to be created. House anchors itself to the earth and the child finds comfort and safety in its beautiful quirky rooms.
The lyrical prose is full of descriptive imagery and the spacing and movement of words across the pages add to the imaginative quality of the story. The astonishing illustrations in dark tones for the journey and vibrant colour when the young girl is safely cocooned in and exploring this wondrous place, perfectly complement the text and add their own deep layers to this delightful narrative.
For parents, carers, teachers and librarians this is an exquisite story to share and discuss with children who may be struggling with deep feelings of loneliness. It is a story full of hope that friendship and connection can be found in unexpected ways. Teaching notes and a teaching activity are available from the publisher.
Well-known author/illustrator Jennifer Cossins has added to her impressive collection of books with another fascinating look at animals. This time though, the animals mentioned are some of the record holders in their category with some very unusual habits. There is the biggest category which include the blue whale, elephant, ostrich as well as the goliath beetle which is the world’s heaviest insect. The slowest moving category mentions the sloth, the Gila monster and the slowest of all, the sea anemone which rarely moves but if it does it is one cm per hour!
There are so many more interesting record holders included. Some of these are the most epic migrations, the most venomous, the strongest bite, the most babies, the fastest wingbeats and the very interesting, most unusual mating ritual with the bowerbird mentioned.
This is an engaging book to pour over with so many varied creatures and their quirky behaviours discussed. The muted colour palette changes for each page with the text well-spaced amongst the labelled beautifully drawn illustrations of the chosen creatures. There is a contents page at the beginning along with an introduction and a glossary at the end.
Another wonderful addition to a home, school or public library. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Extraordinary Animals, Facts, Habitats.
Kathryn Beilby
Brave Kahu & the Porangi magpie by Shelley Burne-Field
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781991006608. (Age:9+) Recommended.
For her first children's fiction book, Shelley Burne-Field from Te Matau-a-Maui (Hawke's Bay) in New Zealand, wanted to write an adventure story in the vein of the classic Watership Down, that included love, hope, danger, birth and death. She says, "Kids can handle that sort of information. It is part of their lives and so we should talk about it. The best authors who write the best books don't dumb down their readers or take them for idiots." Her idea for this story came from watching a hawk get attacked by a small group of magpies and this is essentially the crux of the story - a flock of magpies have killed Poto's mother and are now threatening the harmony of the valley where her hawke family live. Adding to the drama is the prophecy of an impending earthquake and resulting flood that is going to hit the valley in just three days.
The bird's eye view of the world, combined with Burne-Field's poetic language and rich description make this an absolute joy to read. Tangible and relatable sibling relationships and feelings make the characters come to life to the point that you almost forget you are taking on the viewpoint of a bird rather than a human (if it wasn't for the obvious bird behaviours!). If you don't come away from this book watching birds and trying to work out their internal monologue and their backstory it would be surprising, as the author paints such rich and complex lives for these characters. There are no perfect prototypes here - everyone is flawed and troubled to some degree. There is also a lot of drama, both within the family group as well as violent fighting between the birds and other animals.
The use of Te Reo Maori language is fantastic but it is quite heavily used and it's often not possible to pick up the meaning of the word from the context clues alone. Reliance on flipping back to the Glossary is a reality of reading this, so it becomes quite a complex read, hence the slightly older age recommendation. Even the word 'autism' is given in Maori, used in reference to Poto's brother Ari.
Overall, this is a beautifully written story full of heavy drama. While not one for the lover of light-hearted tales, this will be enthralling for those who can handle a more serious read and who can cope with the constant language switch up. It also makes a good read aloud, but due to the constant need for translation probably more suited to a one or one than a class novel. Teacher's notes and activity notes are available from the publisher.
Themes Birds, Adventure, Family.
Nicole Nelson
Stand proud by Nicho Hynes, Marlee Silva. Illus. by Blak Douglas
This powerful story about Rugby League star Nicho Hynes shares an important message about identity and feeling comfortable in oneself. Nicho grew up knowing he had an Aboriginal mother who was one of the Stolen Generation but Nicho struggled with his own understanding of what this meant. He was continually belittled by other non-Aboriginal people as he did not have the same colouring. Yet when he sees Bruce representing his culture on Harmony Day, he is drawn to find out more and take part in traditional dancing. He feels a connection.
Over time Nicho learns more about his family and his past and finds acceptance with his people and cultural identity. Nicho learns he is a Wiradjuri man with a strong community who embrace him with arms wide open. He is a ‘loud, proud blackfella’ and continues to fulfil this saying that his mother instilled in him.
The striking illustrations in bold, vibrant colour add to the engagement of the story and enrich the narrative. For young children who are struggling with cultural and own self-acceptance this is an important book to share and discuss.
Themes First Nations people, Identity, Family, Rugby League, Culture, Stolen Generation, Connection.
Kathryn Beilby
Taronga presents: Night owls by Kristin Darell. Illus. by Laura Wood
The fourth and final book in the Taronga Presents series written by author Kristin Darell is called Night Owls and showcases the zoo in the evening. It’s the Christmas school holidays and Sophia and Ollie are back volunteering at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. For their first job of the day as volunteers they are tasked with solving a Treasure Trek activity in one hour, where cryptic animal clues lead them to name each of the four mystery animals. This trek takes them all over the zoo and finally to the habitat of JR, a long-beaked echidna more than 50 years old. The children are worried JR is missing but they find out he is in another enclosure and may come out during the evening to go back to his usual home. Sophia and Ollie ask to stay and help out at night with moving JR and happily they are given permission by their parents to do so.
Once Taronga Zoo closes for the day, it becomes a different place. Sophia and Ollie are amazed at the noise of the animals, the sunset and the thrill of joining in and helping with the “Roar and Snore” tour. They wander around with torches that glow red in order to not distress the animals. Ollie finds the night walk a touch scary but with the help of Sophia he copes well.
The thoughtful illustrations spread throughout give more context to the story for those readers who appreciate visual clues. The Treasure Trek quiz is a clever way of sharing animal facts with readers as is Ollie’s Fun Fact File in the final pages. This book would be wonderful hook for teachers to read to students when Information Report writing is focused on during the school year. There are so many different animals discussed and facts given that students could research further and build upon their knowledge.
Themes Taronga Zoo, Animals, Volunteers, Friendship, Night Walks.
Kathryn Beilby
Taronga presents: Baby boom by Kristin Darell. Illus. by Laura Wood
The third book in the Taronga Presents series written by author Kristin Darell has the title Baby Boom. Best friends Ollie and Sophia are now fully trained Taronga Zoo volunteers and undertake lots of jobs throughout the day where they are interacting with the zoo animals. At all times they are under supervision from adult zookeepers who trust Sophie and Ollie to do the right thing and listen to their instructions.
In this story there is a real baby boom at the zoo and the children are fortunate to observe some of the newest additions. These include three baby Sumatran tiger cubs, meerkat pups, a surprise kangaroo joey, bearded dragon offspring, chimpanzee baby and a pygmy hippo calf. They also are able to help feed and look after a baby wombat that has no mother. For Sophia there is a bit of an uncomfortable moment when she has to share Ollie with his younger sister Katy, but eventually she is able to work through her feelings and all is sorted out.
Throughout this book are delightful illustrations that provide valuable visual images to further engage readers. There are facts cleverly interwoven through the narrative and quite a few puns add a touch of humour. Ollie’s Fun Fact File in the final pages of the book are an added bonus.
This series would be a wonderful classroom read aloud for junior to middle primary children.
The Imagineer by Christopher Cheng and Lucia Masciullo
National Library of Australia, 2021. ISBN: 9780642279682. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Penny loves to build things: she draws up plans, gather bits and pieces and builds. In her tiny apartment, she has built a spaceship with interstellar communications, and a submarine to explore the deep oceans. She plans and builds then takes things apart to try again. One day she visits her grandpa who lives a long way away in a vey big house. Penny is delighted and tries out the things she finds in his rooms. She tries the harmonium while he peddles, she turns the handle of the butter churn. Grandpa tells her that everything has a purpose, and when she discovers his shed, stacked full of purposeful things, she is flabbergasted. She takes a close look at all the things before her, convinced that she will be able to build something very useful for her grandpa, and she does.
This beautiful book delights in encouraging the imaginations of the readers, with pages full of fascinating bits and pieces which can be found in old sheds. Children will be full of awe at the things they have heard about, and take a cue from the book to try to adapt things for themselves.
Masciullo’s wonderful pencil and watercolour illustrations will capture the reader’s attention as their eyes peruse the wondrous array of old things, now no longer in use, but which could still be repurposed. They will be amazed at the old things in the shed roof, or in Grandpa’s house, and delight at the planning that makes place to make something useful out of the old stuff.
The fold out drawing of the gizmo that Penny makes will keep children amused as they work out just what Penny and Grandpa used to make the machine. I loved the fold out image of the machine built to help Grandpa, and the way Penny’s ideas are pegged to a clothesline across the pages.
At the end of the book are a number of pages devoted to the things that an imagineer can use, and two pages giving details about some of the old things spotted in the rooms. And the endppapers too hold interest for those who would like to see more of Penny’s plans. This wonderful book not only encourages reusing things, but also highlights the relationship between a child and her grandfather, and her willingness to try something new, to repurpose things found in the house.
Penguin Random House, 2024. ISBN: 9781761342257. (Age:9-14) Highly recommended.
For Oliver Wormwood the calling to a profession in his magical world is layered with uncertainty and the pressures of family expectations. His anxiety does not easily disappear once he takes on the role as 113th Library Assistant, and then almost immediately replaces the Librarian in difficult circumstances. This Library is not a boring, quiet place of dust and dullness, but it contains the wonders and dangers of knowledge. And some of this knowledge is extremely dangerous. Oliver finds a new friend, some helpful cats and eventually works out ways to protect the library from threats internal and external.
This is a wonderful, whimsical, magical, radical and risky adventure that will appeal to all who love libraries and the treasures hidden within. There are magical elements, coming-to-maturity moments, overcoming fear and threat, and the wonders of a world that is a mystery. I loved this joyful step inside a different world and will be looking forward to another library adventure from Stuart Wilson with Oliver Wormwood as Librarian, restricting, cataloguing and controlling the books and those who seek to exploit knowledge. This is the kind of book that fantasy and book lovers will appreciate. For avid readers aged 9-14 this will be a loved journey of discovery. It has a few elements of the Harry Potter sorting hats, but the location in the world of words and books is a different kind of magic.
Alice Oehr, author of Off to the Market and Artichoke to Zucchini, has written a third book all about home gardening. It is spring and families are off to the local nursery to spend their time searching for the most suitable vegetable plants, herbs, fruit trees and flowers to create a sustainable home garden.
This trip is very organised and the family has enough boxes and bags to carry their purchases in. They have prepared the garden beds so just need advice from the experts at the nursery about what to buy. Each expert provides them with some excellent ideas and the family listens carefully. They purchase plenty of veggie seedlings, seeds, herbs, fruit trees, berry bushes and flowers. Added to the list is a bag of manure, seaweed spray, secateurs, hat, gloves, pea straw, and some pots. What an amazing collection ready for family time in the garden.
This delightful book is full of bright and vibrant illustrations with fluoro orange adding an engaging pop of colour. As well as the narrative, the book also provides wonderful facts about plants, how to grow and use them, as well as helpful environmental tips. The glorious cover and delightful endpapers will entice readers to find out more.
Themes Plants, Nursery, Home Gardening, Family, Diversity, Sustainability.
Kathryn Beilby
Imagine a time by Penny Harrison and Jennifer Goldsmith
New Frontier, 2024. ISBN: 9781922326966. (Age:3+) Recommended.
A stunningly illustrated book shows what can happen if everything stops, promotes the idea of being slow, of slowing down, of not taking things for granted. The Slow Movement grew out of the Slow Food Movement as well as a battle in Rome in 1986 to stop a MacDonald’s opening.
This book epitomises the Slow Movement as it prompts children’s imaginations to think about what could be achieved when things slow down.
The first double page shows a very crowded street of people with quizzical looks on their faces as things just stop. We are asked to imagine if the world’s maps begin to fade, and all the ships sail into the harbours the trains and buses stop running and return to their stations. All the people now will be forced to slow down and forget hurrying, and bustling, and forget all about fast.
When everything slows down, things happen. Nature unfurls, calmly, sending its green tendrils over the buildings, having flowers bloom in the most unexpected of places.
An idyllic world where animals go safely through the empty streets, where once shy sea animals return to the shore, where honey drips from hives in the trees, fewer people crowd the beaches, shows the children what a slow world means.
Changes have occurred but with their new knowledge, a slower world is there for all to enjoy. Beautiful pencil and watercolour images fill the pages, showing things we may have missed in our efforts to keep ahead of everyone else. Ethereal images of forests and creatures, the moon and the fields show readers what they are missing.`
Wow! The Ledge is a gripping thriller that kept me guessing right up to the end. When human remains are uncovered in a Victorian forest, old secrets are about to be unveiled. A group of three friends, now adults, begin to worry about what the police might uncover. In 1999 four teenagers had a tight friendship, vowing to be blood brothers. It was after 16-year-old Aaron had run away from home that his three best friends were pulled into his misery with terrible consequences.
The Ledge is told in a dual timeline narrative from the point of view of one of the friends in the present and in 1999 from the diary of Justin Smith, another friend. White seamlessly brings the past and present into play. Gradually the events of the past come alive and mesh with what is happening in the small town as the police investigate what had happened to the body that was lying at the bottom of the Ledge, deep in the forest. I found myself holding my breath trying to work out the sequence of events, what the friends were covering up and what the police were uncovering. And the final twist was breathtaking, and one that I didn’t see coming. To reveal more would spoil the suspense.
The Ledge was not easy to put down and will thrill readers who love psychological mysteries set in rural Australia.
Themes Psychological thriller, Murder, Country towns.
Three thieves decide to dig a tunnel to rob a bank. They go to a class where they learn about digging tunnels. But Thief 1 takes notes, Thief Two sleeps and Thief Three simply does not understand the lessons being taught. Undeterred they begin to dig. But they come out in the middle of a symphony orchestra, where Thief Three shows his ability with the violin. They dig again, this time turning up in a boxing ring, where their black belts come in very handy. So they dig again and again, hoping to strike the bank but coming up in the oddest of places, bypassing the likes of a dinosaur, The Titanic, the other side of the world, Japan, until Thief Three cries "Enough!".
He suggests to the others that finding a treasure may be a metaphor for something they already have in their hearts. The other two dismiss this as corny but, as they keep digging, come to realise that perhaps what he said is right and, as they are sick of digging, go home. At home they find many of the friends they have met along the way and share a meal with them, finding real treasure in the company of friends doing things together.
In this book, the three are taken on a journey, looking for treasure and realising that the real treasure is already there in their grasp. The real treasure is the friendships and connections people make and the coming together to maintain those friendships. Readers will understand that a metaphor is a word that stands for something else, as the word treasure and searching for treasure is a metaphor for friendship.
The text is augmented with wonderfull illustrations, full of life, humour and colour. The three thieves stare out at the readers, using only their eyes to show us what they are feeling, their striped t-shirts a signature on each page. Each page is different, intriguing the reader as they search for clues about the trio and their quest. At the end they find their treasure, a host of friends, dining with them at their table, friends they have met on their journey, which reprises the story for the reader.
Children will love the friends they meet along the way, and the various places they find themselves. Children will laugh out loud at the things they pass by in their dig, and find pleasure in the idea of making friends. And some will talk about the results of digs around the world, and what has resulted from these digs.
By the end of chapter one, readers will already be loving Eloise Byrne, the central character and narrator in Leanne Egan's first novel Lover Birds. Eloise is a natural and funny narrator. The reader is privy to Eloise's inner dialogue. She is an overtalkative, overthinking and not thinking enough, getting it all wrong and then kicking herself kind of girl. She is delightful and clumsy and full of raw and honest emotions and the reader cannot help but be on her side and anxious about what muddle she is going to get into next. And the muddles are usually social/emotional and big!
An interesting aside is that the author, Leanne Egan, grew up in Liverpool so there is a real authenticity and importance of setting in terms of the way setting talks into identity and classism. Egan writes into this space with great perceptiveness in the construction of the story of Eloise Byrne and her friends (Liverpool locals) and the unsettling arrival of Isobel Williams from London into their midst. Immediately conflict emerges between Isobel and Eloise. Egan presents an unflinching portrayal of the rawness and misreadings that go on with initial and unexpected attraction at sixth form age. This is a true coming of age novel. Eloise in all her clumsiness and in her capacity to be "insufferable" has great mentors in her mother and her teacher, Mrs Price. To keep her mind still and focused to achieve her academic levels, Mrs Price suggests that Isobel might be a good tutor for Eloise and that Isobel would benefit in some way from time spent with Eloise. Although both are initially resistant, they also are attracted to each other and the old enemies-to-lovers romance is begun.
This book is recommended for any neuro-divergent student as they may find themselves within the pages and in doing that find comfort and help. "When your brain works a little differently, you don't get much choice when it comes to letting yourself get distracted. You're working harder than any of your neurotypical classmates." says Mrs Price to Eloise. Eloise describes her mind as having... "389428201 tabs open and 17 of them playing on audio".
As Eloise and Isobel study and tour the sights of Liverpool together a growing but indecipherable, unknown attraction develops between them. There is an intensity in looks and touch and honest perplexity from Eloise as she wonders increasingly and especially in the LBGTQ+ section of a bookshop whether Isobel is preparing to come out and what the feelings that she herself is experiencing are. Later when considering "coming out" ..."I'm not coming out as gay, or bi,or whatever. I'm not in any rush to pin it down. I'm just coming out as...someone whose fallen for a girl".
Lover Birds is a warm and funny (sometimes laugh out loud) addition to a teen's suggested reading list of books on queer fiction and neurodiversity. It is particularly insightful on ADHD. Teenage girl friendships and first romance in all the varieties that present in a High School is skilfully and perceptively portrayed by Egan through the sassy and unflinchingly honest eyes of Eloise Byrne.
A charming tale of the position a pet holds within the family, Alfie the kind is a wonderful character, one that kids will admire and love as they read of his plight. He loves his family, joining Millie in her bed when it is cold, lying on the floor and rolling around to scratch his back, leaning out of the car window when they go on drives. When they get to the park, he loves chasing the squawking galahs, but when the magpies appear, he slinks away pretending that he has not seen them. He feels he is not brave. There are things at home he avoids as well: the vacuum, the wheelbarrow and the pool cause him to feel afraid. But one day when the lawn is being mowed, he notices a snake in the grass and barks at it alerting his dad to the danger, as well as making the snake go away. But still he does not feel brave. Readers by now will be identifying with the dog, knowing how he feels but encouraging him to feel better about himself.
And his next adventure does just that. The family is not worried that he feels less than brave. They all have fun with their lovely dog, and when Uncle Benny visits with his bouncy dog, Freddo. All goes well. The next day is Sunday and the family goes for a walk in the park. There were other families in the park, and Alfie noticed that one little boy had moved further away for his family and was crying. Alfie wanted to help, but it meant crossing the lake to get to the lad. He plunged in despite his fear of the water, and got himself over to the boy. The boy’s father thanked the family and said that Alfie must be a very kind dog.
At dinner that night, they all agreed that while Alfie may not be the bravest or the most clever of dogs, he is kind. And that is the best trait to have.
Simon Howe’s iilustrations show us a loving caring family, loving, caring for, playing with their dog Alfie. Love pervades each page as we see a family working together, the looks on their faces showing their closeness with each other and Alfie. I love the way Howe gets so many different feelings from the children and the dog, by showing different sized eyes or the placement of the eyebrows, or mouth, and especially Alfie’s tongue. The feeling of reaching out to pat Alfie’s head shows how realistic the animal has been drawn.
This lovely story is a longer read and kids will love sharing it with each other, as they envisage Alfie as their own dog, and work out what kindness looks like everyday.
Richard Harris OAM recently became Lieutenant Governor of South Australia.adding another accolade to his cave rescue in Thailand, his daytime job as an anaesthetist and children’s author.
Themes Dogs, Family, Bravery, Kindness.
Fran Knight
Chloe's Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte and Michelle Lee
The Lunar New Year is in sight and in this charming picture book we are given a taste of what Chinese families do in their preparation for that event. First the house must be cleaned to rid the place of the old, making room for the new year filled with good luck. Old shoes must be thrown out along with clothes that are no longer used. Red lanterns are strung around the rooms, and plates of oranges put out for good luck. Auntie comes to make Goodluck fish and turnip cakes, always a popular New Year treat. More people arrive and make a hot pot, always enjoyed at New Year. As the family sits together for the New Year feast, all the things they have made come out. And during the evening some food is left at A-má’s shrine, to include a relative who has died.
A lovely story of inclusion at New Year, this story showcases a family and all the customs they follow at this important day. It is a story of coming together, of cooking together, of remembering special recipes only cooked once a year, of getting together to eat the special meal, and an inclusion of people who have died. I found this book fascinating in its breadth, each page has few words but these contain a wealth of information and the lovely illustrations reflect the warmth of home and family. Each page offers a different use of white space, and shows differing images to look at, ensuring the reader is engaged, and will think about what they are seeing.
A page at the end of the book gives more detail about the Lunar New Year, and the recipe for one of the dishes Chloe’s family enjoys: Fortune Cake.
