Reviews

Dotty Detective: The paw print puzzle by Clara Vulliamy

HarperCollins, 2016. ISBN 9780008132453
(Age: Beginning independent readers) Inspired by their favourite television character Fred Fantastic, Ace Detective, Dotty and her best friend Beans have formed the Join The Dots Detective Agency. They have special badges that they wear underneath their coat collars so they don't blow their cover and are ably assisted by Dotty's dog McClusky to solve mysteries that seem to occur. They are guided by Fred Fantastic's tenets of :
1. Stay Frosty. Always be on the lookout.
2. Follow That Hunch. If you've got a funny feeling you may be onto something important.
3. Use Your Noodle. Think.
4. A Light Bulb Moment. A sudden genius idea.
5. Get Proof. You must have the evidence before you can solve your case.
6. Jeepers Creepers. Use your Peepers.
In this episode they set out to solve the strange noises that Dotty hears in her hallway at night. When she opens her door and can't see anything she is almost convinced to believe in ghosts and that her house is haunted. But by using the clues, conveyed through secret notes written in invisible writing, they are able to identify what is really going on . . .
This is a series that is perfect for the newly independent reader with its layout, illustrations, larger font, shorter chapters and humour. The pace is rapid and the use of a variety of fonts highlights key ideas and actions without the need for a host of words. Girls will relate to her feisty nature but boys will also find the situations familiar and appealing. Others in the series are The Midnight Mystery, and The Lost Puppy.
A worthwhile new series to get for those who are beginning their independent reading journey.
Barbara Braxton

Tilly's reef adventure by Rhonda Garward

National Library of Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780642279088
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Reef, Sea animals, Fish, Turtles, Great Barrier Reef, Pollution, Lift the flap book. Tilly a small green turtle has against the odds made it to the sea on the east coast of Australia where she learns to survive amongst the other animals. Through her eyes we see the array of coral which makes up the reef and the plethora of animals which make it their home. Dodging the lizards and seabirds ready to make a feast of the new hatchlings, she must make it past the whales waiting for a feast. Diving down into the clear water on the reef, she finds smaller animals that bear no danger but there are larger ones which do pose a danger to someone her size. She must learn to recognise these and avoid them. But one day she is trapped by a plastic bag which catches around her and she is washed up onto the beach amongst a lot of other litter.
It is here that the point of the book is made crystal clear. The little green turtle is helpless, the plastic around her makes her a rudderless piece of flotsam drifting with the waves, and once on the beach she is stranded, ready to be picked up by any predator. In this story, the humans come to her rescue, putting her back in the sea. But unknown numbers of sea creatures are killed in this way every day, and the book offers the opportunity for class to discuss this world wide problem and what can be done about it.
At the end of the book are several pages giving information that classes will find useful: one double page outlines Tilly and her friends in the sea in more detail, while the next double page illustrates all the fish seen on the reef, and the following several pages show readers what is being done on the reef by scientists bent on saving the heritage site for future generations.
A most informative and lively book, the illustrations will add to the interest shown by young readers with their bright colours and detailed drawings. Lifting the flap always adds interest to an information book and this is no different, but an index would have helped younger readers look things up and practice their research skills.
The animals all have anthropomorphic qualities which detracted from the flow of information for me, but I am sure young readers will not be as picky: they will enjoy every page, the information and illustrations alike, learning much about the reef and its inhabitants the more they read and look at the intricate and detailed pictures.
Fran Knight

The last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

Orion, 2017. ISBN 9781473218130
(Age: 14+)Fantasy. In a well-written and well-constructed narrative, Ciccarelli draws us into the interconnected lives of the royal family, the slaves, the cousins and the dragons. This world resembles our world in its jealousies, love, family feuds, its enmity towards those outside 'our' world.
We are plunged into the intimate world of Asha, the Iskari, whose recent action, slaying a dragon, must be concealed, as should the burn she bears as a result of her killing this dragon. Controlled yet passionate, beautiful and unattainable, she is in a state of fear, of tension and of anxiety about what she has done, in her transgression, and what she must do to both cover this up and be ready for the next stage in her life.
These characters are drawn so finely, their world so rich in detail, the presence of the dragons as willful, strong aggressors that must be tamed or silenced, that we conceive of this world as possible. Not unlike our world, this world is full of envy, of family disruption and jealousy, of the normal human frailties and love, of honour and betrayal. It is a good read for those who love a story that rings so true and that lifts us out of our world for a brief time, to both puzzle and entertain us.
Liz Bondar

Build the Dragon by Dugald Steer

Once upon a small rhinoceros by Meg McKinlay

Ill. by Leila Rudge. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925126709
(Age: 3-8) Highly recommended. Themes: Determination, Adventure. This tale is whimsical and gentle with soft, pencil illustrations in muted colours that suit the style of the book perfectly. It is about a rhinoceros named Lila who isn't content with just doing rhinoceros things. She sees the boats that sail past on the river, bringing with them exotic sights, sounds and smells and she dreams of seeing the world beyond the mud and grass and trees that she calls home. But the mud and grass and trees are everything a rhinoceros could need says another rhinoceros. Lila agrees. It is. But still she dreams. Finally, one day, she builds a boat.
Lila, with her human-like upright stance, contented smile and rosy cheeks is such a likeable character. She is determined and adventurous and absolutely refuses to be discouraged from her mission, regardless of her lack of knowledge or experience. "You can't row. Or steer. Or read a map" one rhino says. "I know" says Lila. "You'll get lost" says another. "Perhaps" she says, as she sails off around the bend wearing the bright orange life jacket she found in the mud.
When reading this aloud it feels like you have to say the mouth-twisting word rhinoceros or the even more gymnastic word rhinoceroses one too many times, but this is minor critique for what is a really rather perfect picture book. The illustrations of Lila's travels are stunning, bringing to life little worlds that Lila marvels in: the depths of the ocean, the rainforest and the city. The page containing people from different cultures and walks of life is a great discussion point. When Lila returns home most of the rhinoceroses are content to hear her stories and then continue with their normal lives. But in one rhinoceros, even smaller than herself, she finds a similar dreamer.
This tale emphasises that you don't have to be big (or male) to step outside of your comfort zone and to be an explorer and a pioneer. Lila dreams and works hard to bring her dreams to fruition. She has no help and no encouragement, but it doesn't deter her.
This isn't a unique story line for a picture book but it is a particularly good one. Inspirational for young and old, male and female.
Nicole Nelson

I'm just no good at rhyming: and other nonsense for mischievous kids and immature grown-ups by Chris Harris

Ill. by Lane Smith. Macmillan, 2017. ISBN 9781509881048
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Poetry. Humour. Word play. Read aloud. Fun. Rhyming. Poetry books often linger on shelves but this one will not. All it needs is someone to read out one of the poems to an eager class, and the book will be taken away. An astute teacher will see the possibilities of using such a book in the classroom, as many of the poems present a template on which children can invent further poems.
Many are just nonsensical, sure to elicit laughter from the delighted listeners, some have marvelous word play, inviting children to add their own piece of nonsense, while others describe a very recognisable situation. Whatever poem found when opening this large book, children will be intrigued, offering rhyming words, working out just what the poet means, trying them out for themselves.
The poem of the title will grab them as the poem lives up to its title, having non-rhyming words at the end of each stanza, impelling listeners to call out their own rhyming words. But when the poet says he is good at metre, spelling and timing, children will learn what these are as they read. Others like 'The hungry giraffe' are simply fun, inviting children to learn the short poem and laugh out loud at the preposterous rhyme in the last line, modeling the use of this poem as a template for their own work, using made-up words to complete the rhyme.
There are poems about bad words, and farms, animals and going out on a Saturday night, poems about families and cities, snails and teachers, all designed to make people laugh out loud and read them over again.
'Under my dragon's wing', for example, encourages children to find something that makes them feel safe, and use the metre of this poem to write their own.
Nonsense poems abound, such as 'The incredible story of day the glistening city of San Fransisco was saved from destruction by a lowly snail', or 'Alphabet book' (by the laziest artist in the world)
while some may be about a topic which encourages discussion like 'The loser's cheer' (and also a laugh!) and others are much longer, like 'The shortest anaconda in the world', which reveals some startling rhyming words.
The illustrations by award winning artist, Lane Smith, add to the fun of the poems, often poking fun at the theme while adding to the story. I love his doorman and the giraffe, while many other drawings made me laugh out loud.
There is an index (good luck with that) and an outdex along with short biographies of the two people responsible for the book.
I can imagine groups of children reading these out to each other, giggling away at the outrageous rhymes and funny illustrations while teachers will use them for classroom poetry readings and modeling creative writing.
Fran Knight

Wolf children by Paul Dowswell

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408858516
(Age: 13+) It is July 1945, Hitler's Third Reich has fallen, and Berlin is in ruins. Living on the edge of survival in the cellar of an abandoned hospital, Otto and his ragtag gang of kids have banded together in the desperate, bombed-out city. The war may be over, but danger lurks in the shadows of the wreckage.
Caught between invading armies, ruthless gangs and the constant threat of starvation, Otto and his friends must learn to stay alive.
But the Nazi regime left psychological wounds that are slow to heal: rifts arise in their little group and terrible secrets surface when a sinister figure emerges from the darkness.
Dowsell has created a masterpiece that draws on themes such as searching for the truth, friendship and survival against the odds. After living through the horrors of war, the children are now trying to find a life that resembles some sort of normalcy in Russian-occupied Berlin. There are a number of strong characters in the book, none more so than Ulrich. He is in constant turmoil between the brainwashing he received in the Hitler Youth and the reality of how he is now forced to live. Ulrich still clings to the ideology of the 'Master Race' but, in reality he is beginning to question this.
This is definitely a YA novel as it tackles some issues that would not be suitable for readers younger than 13. It would be a positive addition to the library collection on World War 2, particularly as it exposes experiences of children on all sides.
Kathryn Schumacher

The princess in black: Three smashing adventures by Shannon and Dean Hale

Ill. by LeUyen Pham. Candlewick Press, 2017. ISBN 9780763697778
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Humour. Monsters. Adventure. Superheroes. Getting a monster to return underground where it belongs is not a task allocated to a pretty Princess in Pink, Magnolia, replete with tinkering glass slippers and a tiara. But it is just the right task for the Princess in Black, her alter ego, who can change her clothes in an instant, and leap onto her charger, a few minutes before a unicorn in the paddock calmly chewing the grass. But things do not have quite the same ring as a superhero, for the princess must change into her new guise in the broom closet, slide down a channel built into the castle walls to meet her horse outside the castle walls. Once on the go, she meets up with the goat boy, Duff, trying to protect his goats from the blue monster which has appeared above ground. It cannot remember just why it should not go outside the underground cave where it belongs but soon recalls the reason when the Princess in Back forces a reminder. While she is away the nosey Duchess Wigtower snoops around her castle, adding another layer to the story, with humorous results. The illustrations add to the story, splitting up the text for newer readers, and adding a level of visual literacy that is inviting and fun.
This series turns around the idea of superheroes, with Princess Magnolia changing from her pink outfit to the black to defeat her enemies. The princess in black is the first in the series, followed by The Princess in black and the perfect princess party and The Princess in black and the hungry bunny horde while at the back of the book there are pictures of several more in the series.
Each is funny, adventurous and involving. They will appeal to younger new confident readers.
Fran Knight

Fluke by Lesley Gibbes and Michelle Dawson

Working Title Press, 2017. ISBN 9781921504891
Under the shadow of the great harbour bridge a little southern right whale is born. For weeks it stays and plays with its mother getting stronger for the long journey south to the Antarctic waters, delighting the people of Sydney who hadn't seen a pair like this for many years. But one day a ferry's motor startles Fluke and he dives deep to the bottom of the water where it is dark and murky and he can no longer hear his mother calling.
The people of Sydney begin an anxious search for him knowing that without her protection he will be easy prey for a shark...
Based on actual events, this is a charming story illustrated in a palette as soft and gentle as both the text and the events themselves. Like the humpbacks that are so prevalent down the Humpback Highway at the moment, southern right whales - so-called because early whalers believed them to be the 'right' whale to catch because they were large, slow-moving, rich in oil and blubber and floated when they were killed - were hunted almost to extinction in the early 20th century and so the appearance of mum and bub in the harbour brought both joy and hope. The endpapers provide a thumbnail sketch of these wonderful creatures, adding an extra dimension to the book.
Now that whale-hunting has taken on a whole new meaning and with seeing a whale in the wild on many bucket lists making it a sustainable tourist industry for many little coastal towns, learning about them through stories like Fluke can only bring a greater awareness and help to guarantee their revival and survival. The whalers were an important part of our coastal history and settlement, making them an important part of the history curriculum but unlike a generation ago, their activities can now be scrutinised through several lenses as students discuss and debate the 'rightness' of their endeavours. The use of books like Fluke would bring another perspective to a webquest.
Teachers' notes are available
Loved it.
Barbara Braxton

Discovery Globe: Build-Your-Own Globe Kit by Leon Gray

Ill. by Sarah Edmonds. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781406378474
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Geography, Globes, Exploration. A beautifully designed and constructed model of a world globe comes complete with a book, A world explorer's guide, which will give many happy and profitable hours of fun for any avid model maker or person who is interested in the world and Geography.
The explorer's guide is what the reader will find when the sturdy box is first opened and on reading will discover many topics including information about the earth, its biomes, water, natural wonders, animals, megacities, sports and arts just to mention a few in the easy to follow Contents page. Instructions are given how to use The explorer's guide and how to make the globe. The globe itself is made out of sturdy cardboard and will spin around. Adult assistance will probably be needed when constructing the globe but it is well worth spending the time to make it as it opens the doors to much new and interesting information from natural wonders to famous people and the book can then be used to find further information.
Children will enjoy making the globe and spending time with a helpful adult, learning lots of new information and skills along the way. This would make a wonderful gift for the curious child and any adult who enjoys model making will love it as well.
Pat Pledger

Don't let go by Michel Bussi

Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2018. ISBN 9781474601795
(Age: secondary to adult) Recommended. Themes: Crime fiction, Reunion, Murder, Tourism. Don't you love new settings for crime fiction? Set on an island east of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, Reunion is a multi racial department of France, once home to many French, lured there by tax concessions, as well as Indian, Muslim, African and Creole inhabitants.
Martial is on holidays with his second wife, Liane and their daughter, Sophie, but suddenly, Liane disappears. Everyone has seen her walk through the lobby to the elevator in the up market resort, but when Martial goes looking for her, she is nowhere to be found. Theories abound, but the Chief Inspector, Aja Purvi, focusses on the husband whose behaviour is odd to say the least. When she finds that his son died in suspicious circumstances ten years before, things begin to escalate, especially when Martial takes off with his young daughter in tow. A police hunt ensues, made more impossible for Purvi by the arrival of her superior from Saint-Denis, wanting to put his stamp on the investigation. Her off sider, Christos further complicates things when he tells his partner of the investigation and she becomes involved, unravelling a thread which leads to her death.
A police chase over parts of the island sees Martial planning his escape with precision, even down to the arrival of a temperature inversion bringing fog across the mountains, giving him protection form spying eyes.
But not all is at it seems, as the narrative is told from several perspectives, and Bussi keeps us guessing all the while with clues as to what is actually going on.
I found the background to this cat and mouse story fascinating. Reunion is not a place I had known about so to read about it as the setting of this story held my interest, and had me checking Wikipedia for more information.
Bussi puts in translations of some of the often used words for people according to their backgrounds, and a map at the start is a guide to identifying the places spoken of, although I sourced a more detailed map on the Internet.
This is a translation, which may explain some of the awkward expressions, but the characters are fully developed and interesting, while the main story with its peaks and valleys is easily addictive.
Fran Knight

The girl with the lost smile by Miranda Hart

Ill. by Kate Hindley. Hachette, 2017. ISBN 9781444941364
(Age: 8+) Recommended. "Chloe Long has lost her smile. She's looked everywhere for it. (Under her pillow. Under her bed. Under her nose. Obviously.) She's tried everything to bring it back. (Her favourite cake. Her favourite gran. Her favourite joke. Obviously.) But nothing seems to be working!
Until one night, something utterly magical happens - and Chloe finds herself on an adventure that is out of this world . . . "
Miranda Hart (you may be familiar with her from Call the Midwife), has constructed a book that is certain to make you laugh and cry at the same time. She takes us on a magical, adventurous journey that celebrates the imagination and the strength of true friendship. Although the book is quite long (361 pages), the text is fairly spaced out and reasonably large.
There are still so many messages that can be taken away from this book. Chloe, the main character, struggles with her own issues, allowing herself to escape to her 'magic land' where she battles 'shadow bandits'. I believe this actually parallels with Chloe fighting her own inner thoughts and worries. I think the author may have quite cleverly intertwined some of her own childhood memories into the storyline.
I can see children aged eight and up loving this heart-warming book which has such a positive message. An added bonus are the gorgeous illustrations by the very talented Kate Hindley interspersed throughout the story. A welcome addition to the fantasy collection that will very quickly become a favourite for many.
Kathryn Schumacher

Laugh your head off again and again! : more funny stories for all kinds of kids by Andy Griffiths et al

Pan Macmillan Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781760553197
(Age: 8+) This contains stories by Andy Griffiths, R A Spratt, Alex Ratt, John Marsden, Deborah Abela, Tony Wilson, Meredith Costain, Alan Brough and Tristan Bancks. These authors' stories will make you laugh your head off again and again! A scary shower, three twisty little pigs, a choose your own adventure, a Halloween chicken, a demonic clown, an unexpected gift, terrible twins, a famous dancing dog and a running race like no other equals one hilarious book.
What is not to like about this book! With its neon orange cover and lime green writing, the cover is sure to attract the attention of many. This book contains nine stories by some of Australia's most talented and loved children's authors.
At the end of the book I really like the biography about each author and what they find funny. It will give the readers an insight into the lives of the authors they love. With the psychedelic lime green illustrations throughout the book they will certainly attract the attention of the reader.
This will make a welcome addition to the humour or short story section of the library and I think students from 8 years old and up would love to read it. I also think it would make a fantastic read aloud and I look forward to doing this with my students.
Kathryn Schumacher

The secrets we share by Nova Weetman

UQP, 2017. ISBN 9780702259784
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Themes: High school. Friendship. Depression. Fire. Beginning high school in the coming weeks, Clem and her friends Ellie and Bridge are concerned about what to wear, who they will share classes with and how they will cope with year seven in such a different place. They spend time together in these last few days, Ellie coming in as a new friend and so altering the long term relationship between Bridge and Clem, while finding that the two girls will be in the same home group, while Clem is by herself, puts a further wedge between them. But Clem has a secret. Her mother, Sarah, suffering from depression has returned home after some months in care. They live in a tiny flat, waiting for their new house to be built replacing their home which was burnt down twelve months before after Mum left a candle burning.
Sarah's return means a recollection of past events, a change to the easygoing single parent her father had become, a tension filling the flat that was not there before.
Upstairs, Maggie has become a fast friend, one to whom Clem can turn for help, but now she has her nephew, Matt staying, and he has a secret too. Matt and Clem find common ground, Matt is a roofhopper and introduces Clem into his world, while Clem runs when things become too hard to unravel, pounding away until she can forget her fears.
Insight into the effects of depression on a family is well presented as Clem must deal with the very real anxiety of having an ill parent, one who is prickly but trying hard to repair their relationship. The situation is well handled, exposing the tension on all sides, the fear they all have that things will not go as well as they hope, exploring the relationship Clem has with her friends, who are kept in the dark.
A sequel to the 2017 CBCA Notable listed book, The secrets we keep (2016) this novel will be eagerly read by those following Clem's story and those taking it up as a stand alone novel. It is an involving story, taking the reader down unexpected roads.
Fran Knight

Burke and Wills : The triumph and tragedy of Australia's most famous explorers by Peter Fitzsimons

Hachette Australia, 2017. ISBN 9780733634109
(Age: Senior Secondary) Recommended. Supported by a research team, Peter Fitzsimons has delved into the historical records related to the Victorian Exploring Expedition that left Melbourne with enthusiastic crowds and high hopes on 20th August 1860. The early chapters of the book reveal a deeply flawed leader, Robert O'Hara Burke, with no navigation or exploration experience and an impetuous nature. The expedition was supplied with 20 tons of equipment 6 wagons, 23 horses and 26 camels, but much of the equipment was useless and had to be abandoned on the journey north. Eventually the food supply began to fail, there was insufficient knowledge to be able to live off the land and local Aboriginal offers of help were spurned. With William Wills as navigator, John King, and Charley Gray, Burke decided to make a dash from their depot on Coopers Creek to the Gulf coast. The difficulties of the journey slowed the exhausted party down and they returned to the inadequate supply depot, just a few hours too late. Only King survived with the help of the local Aboriginal people.
The 700 page book explores the impetus for the expedition and also examines the repercussions, including the search party, a Royal Commission and Victoria's first State funeral. There have been a number of earlier accounts of the tragic story but in his own inimitable way, Peter Fitzsimmons brings the voices of the participants to the fore in this version. The maps, photographs, and drawings provide a valuable accompaniment to the story.
Paul Pledger