Reviews

Wombat warriors by Samantha Wheeler

UQP, 2017. ISBN 9780702259586
(Age: 8-12) Highly recommended. Conservation. Wombats. Confidence. Mouse (real name, Minnie) is a young girl who needs to stay with her Aunt Evie for an extended period in rural South Australia while her parents are overseas. Mouse reflects her name in that she is shy and lacking confidence and the thought of going to a new school fills her with fear. Anxieties are set aside when Mouse discovers that Aunt Evie shares her house with a rather affectionate Wombat and a curious duck. Living in a rural environment, Mouse soon discovers that local farmers do not share her enthusiasm for the friendly wombats. A new friend who also shares her passion for wombats and a school project that gives her a reason to explore ways that wombats can co-exist with their human neighbours creates the 'Wombat Warriors'. Even in the face of opposition, Mouse's concern for the safety of her friend and for the threatened wombats gives her reason to speak out and make a difference.
There is enough adventure and emotional growth in this story to make it interesting on a number of levels, and will appeal to animal lovers and those concerned about environmental issues as well.
Carolyn Hull

Baby Band by Diane Jackson Hill

Ill. by Giuseppe Poli. New Frontier Publishing, 2017. ISBN 9781925059779
(Age: 3-5) Ukulele playing author Diane Jackson Hill's new picture book Baby Band celebrates the power of music, its ability to create moods and emotions and bring a community together. Giuseppe Poli's charming pen, ink and watercolour illustrations support the emotional tones of the simple text.
In an apartment block, the residents live separate lives; they never interact, share a meal or notice each other's activities. On the front endpapers, each one engages with the park musicians, singers and dancers individually, while a pregnant mother rests alone on a bench. Everything changes when the baby arrives in apartment 8A, this little one cries all the time, day and night. Mum tries everything to stop the loud wailing, to no avail. Everyone on level 8 is annoyed and nobody stops by to help. Time passes and the little boy discovers the pots and pans, he laughs as he clangs the lid and saucepan together. His noises cause the grandma next door to scream, the teenager in 8C to dance and stomp and slowly through the apartments, the music brings the place to life. Doors are flung open and everyone hoots and hustles their way to the rooftop. Where did the baby go? Is he somewhere safe and quiet? The final endpapers show everyone singing, dancing and celebrating the joy of music together at the park bandstand.
Baby Band is a pleasing story, one that looks at the importance of music in people's lives, as it brings a community together, celebrating diversity and making the world a better place.
Rhyllis Bignell

Welcome home, Harley by Jess Black

Little paws series. Random House, 2017. ISBN 9780143781776
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Dogs. Guide dogs. One in a series called Little paws, this is a collaboration between Random and Guide Dogs Association of Australia, bringing short easily read stories about dogs to life for the newly independent reader. In this title, Lexie and Tom go to the information session with their parents. Here they learn all about the aims of the training schedule and what is expected of them as trainers. The two are very excited when they meet their dog, Harley, and learn why the dog was named. Given a carrier, food, bowls and collars the family sets off home to introduce the dog to their family home. Here it will stay, gaining valuable training in what it means to be in a family and given a wide variety of experiences. After a few hiccups in which the children learn as much as the dog about being in a family, they settle down to training the dog both at home and at preschool. Easy to read, short, with some illustrations, these will appeal enormously to the early reader and they will learn a lot along the way about guide dogs, having a dog in the family and the responsibility and care of an animal.
For more about these books see the Guide Dogs Blog.
Fran Knight

Somewhere else by Gus Gordon

Viking, 2016. ISBN 9780670078851
Some birds fly north; some birds fly south; some birds take the bus ... but George Laurent doesn't go anywhere. It seems he is too busy baking his scrumptious pastries to be able to explore the world. Even when his world-travelling customers try to tempt him with descriptions of a sunrise over the Andes, or Paris by night, even the Alaskan tundra in autumn, George always has an excuse - even the ironing is more important!!
But come the bleak, cold days when all his feathered friends have disappeared to warmer parts and George is left alone, his only remaining friend Pascal Lombard drops in looking for somewhere warm for winter. He is puzzled that George has not gone with the others, and slowly he manages to eke out the truth - George Laurent, baker extraordinaire, does not know how to fly. When it was flying lesson day all those years ago he had been doing something else and since then he had just made excuses not to - even though he really would have liked to have been able to go somewhere else. Pascal, who believes he has a knack for solving tricky problems, is determined to teach George how to fly but it is not until they see a picture in a newspaper...
This is an engaging tale which will resonate with many children - having a zillion reasons for not doing something you can't but are expected to be able to do. As a teacher I was a master at detecting avoidance behaviour because I lived it at home with my son, so as soon as I started reading I knew there was an underlying issue. But astute readers may well pick it up in the clues in the amazing illustrations which use a variety of media, particularly collage. From the carefully selected advertisements of old styles of luggage on the endpapers, Gus Gordon has skilfully used pieces of print from all sorts of sources to add depth, mystery and humour to the exquisite illustrations. Every time you read it there is more to peruse and ponder.
Time to get out the atlas and discover the places that George's friends went and maybe even investigate the concept of animal (and human) migration. Why are they always on the move? We can tell the seasons where I live by the variety of birdlife that is present so perhaps it's time to do an inventory of the local birdlife over time - perfect real-life context for data collection and interpretation. Or perhaps a physiological investigation into how most birds fly but some can't and how this has been translated into human flight. Then there is the philosophical question about "no place like home" as George and Pascal discover something familiar is missing from their travels. Some children might even learn from George and seek help to find pathways around their own difficulties.
I love picture books that seem to be written for one age group but with some consideration can transcend all ages, offering the prefect reason to return to them again and again apart from just being an absorbing story. A CBCA Notable for 2017, I was surprised this did not make the shortlist.
Barbara Braxton

How to bee by Bren MacDibble

Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760294335
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Bees, Dystopian fiction, Poverty. Peony just wants to be a bee. She sees the others fall from the branches of the fruit trees where they pollinate the flowers, and knows the foreman will want two replacements the next day. Only ten years old, she is quick and nimble, and she is thrilled to be able to help her grandfather in keeping their little family fed. But her mother arrives from the city with promises of better times if Peony will only come with her. She struggles and runs away, but is eventually recaptured and once in the city, sees her mother's life for what it really is, a menial servant to the rich.
This is an eye popping addition to the genre looking at where our society is going. The huge gap between the haves and have nots is wider than ever, with one simply slaves to the other, with no power, money or housing, while the use of pesticides has wiped out the bee population and so flowers must be pollinated manually by the farm workers, the lowest of the low. These people live in sheds on the properties with no hope for ever making a better life for themselves. But for Peony this is where her heart lies, with her family.
Peony learns her new role in the city but yearns for home. In becoming friendly with the housebound daughter of her employers, she agrees to teach her to be brave, while Ez will show her how to leave the city. Together the two plot Peony's escape, Ez becoming more confident as each day goes by.
When Peony finally escapes she must hitch a ride in a truck returning to Goulburn Valley, and then must walk thirty kilometres to their farm.
Her tenacity shines through, her strength of character and purpose draw her on to reach her goal, and with a new friendship and a change in the life of bees, finds that the future looks bright.
This charming story with the determined Peony at its heart will enthrall middle school readers.
Fran Knight

Little Witch: Secrets and Spells by Aleesah Darlison

Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781925520101
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Courtney is going to be stuck in Mixton Bay for her summer holidays. She won't have any friends, TV or pizza as her parents redecorate and ready her unknown grandmother's house for sale. Courtney might not be happy but the trip is also hard on her Dad. He hadn't seen or spoken to Delia, his mother, for a very long time and didn't even attend her funeral.
As Courtney explores the house, she discovers a box labelled with her name. Inside is a spell book, her grandmother's spell book. Courtney is now more excited to be in Mixton Bay and meeting 12 year old surfer, Justice, also helps. Thanks to Justice's friendship with her grandmother, Courtney starts to learn more and more about Delia including the fact that she was a witch and helped people. Throw in a talking cat and Courtney never wants to leave. Now, she just needs to get her Dad to believe and then persuade him and her Mum to stay.
Secrets and Spells is set somewhere in an Australian beachside community. It has just enough intrigue to keep readers reading, giving just a small taste of magic with some funny results. The text is descriptive and easy to read and a great introduction to this first book in a new series. It is highly recommended for readers aged 8+ and will appeal to girls.
Kylie Kempster

The Beast of Hushing Wood by Gabrielle Wang

Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143309178
(Age: 9-12) Recommended. Threads of magical fantasy, Eastern mysticism and mythology weave their magic in this lyrical narrative written and illustrated by Gabrielle Wang.
Ziggy Truegood is a spirited and imaginative eleven-year-old girl who has an elemental connection to the world around her. She lives with her mother in a house surrounded by the dark forest of Hushing Wood. While the townsfolk fear the evil they perceive lurks amongst the thousand-year-old trees, Ziggy enjoys the forest's sensory beauty, finding comfort in the whisper of the stretching branches, the earthy smells and familiar pebbly trails.
Haunted by premonitions of a huge silver beast drowning her on her twelfth birthday, Ziggy seeks guidance to understand her frightening dreams. With the help of her Grandpa Truegood, mute Big Bobby Little and her friend Petal, Ziggy looks for answers. Ziggy's fear increases when she notices a silver animal lurking in the woods at night. Who can unlock the mysteries of why she can see spirit animals and why has the forest become a fearful place?
When strangers Raffi Tazi and his grandfather arrive in town, wearing different clothes, speaking a different language, the townsfolk are concerned. With the aid of a little jade bottle, guidance from her grandfather and the help of her friends, Ziggy rises to meet the challenges her birthday brings.
Gabrielle Wang's imaginative fable, is filled with beautifully crafted descriptions, richly detailed settings and characters that face real issues - a family breakup, physical differences, the feeling of alienation and bullying. The Beast of Hushing Wood is complemented by Wang's intriguing watercolour illustrations of small detailed elements and lively scenes. This novel is just right for dedicated readers who enjoy fables and tales of magical realism.
Rhyllis Bignell

The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson

Ill. by Helen Oxenbury. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780141363820
(Age: 3-6) Recommended. Something is hiding in poor Rabbit's burrow, scaring the forest animals. The creature hiding inside announces 'I'm the Giant Jumperee and I'm scary as can be!' Each of Rabbit's friends offers to help remove the intruder. When Cat slinks up to burrow ready to pounce, he is greeted by the creature's taunting remark - 'I'll squash you like a flea!' Bear offers to knock him down with his big paw however, he is told 'I'll sting you like a bee!' This mysterious animal certainly knows which buttons to press to scare each one away. Mummy Frog stands at the each of the burrow, arms akimbo, eyes wide open, determined to sort out the problem. She's not concerned and challenges the Giant Jumperee to appear on the count of three! Out jumps her Baby Frog, happy to have scared all the animals. Mummy Frog is not amused while Elephant, Rabbit, Bear and Cat lay back in the green grass, laughing at the trick played by the little frog.
Donaldson's uncomplicated story uses rhyme and repetition to delight the young audience. Oxenbury's colourful paintings are delightful; they show the range of emotions each animal feels as the Great Jumperee defeats them. This gentle story is just right for predicting the outcome and engaging a Preschool or kindergarten class.
Rhyllis Bignell

The blue cat by Ursula Dubosarsky

Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760292294
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. World War Two, Refugees, School, Family. This beautifully written story of the dislocation of children through war reveals a young girl, Columba, intrigued by the new boy in her school, Ellery, a refugee from Europe who cannot speak. She and her friend, Hilda befriend the lonely boy and the three search Sydney's Luna Park for a lost cat. It is 1942, the Japanese are to the north and rumours about what is going on and what will happen frighten them. First Singapore falls, then Darwin is bombed, each adding a new level of fear within the families and with their teachers. Hilda is a master at passing on the most amazing of stories, insisting they are true. Small things occur in the background, blacking out windows, cars driving without their lights on, water rationing, while pages in the book are devoted to advertisements and government orders and instructions, offering the reader a taste of what life was like during war in Australia.
But the blue cat is like a shadow behind them all, first coming ashore and following the neighbour home, disappearing during the air raid drill and seen by the American soldiers near the shore. The cat parallels the story of Ellery the refugee. Fear stalks them all, and losing Ellery at Luna Park is a trigger for Columba's imagination to soar. She experiences what has happened to Ellery and his family and she when taken home remains in bed for some days. Then the boy, like the cat disappears.
Dubosarsky's silken prose wraps itself around the reader, touching them with the haunted innocence of children, hearing adult concerns but not understanding the adult words. The fear of encroaching war touches them all. And the readers, like the children, see things in episodes, episodes that touch their lives, then move on, people that are there and then not, incidents that loom large, but then fade away.
As with all Dubosarsky's books the background is impeccably portrayed and on her website are links and images of the research behind her book.
Fran Knight

The catawampus cat by Jason Carter Eaton

Ill. by Gus Gordon. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143785583
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Cats, Animals, Humour, Difference. An out of alignment cat enters the picture. It leans to one side, and strolls crookedly into the town. As it makes its way through the streets it has a powerful effect on those around it. There are people everywhere. Mr Grouse the grocer tries to straighten the cat. He and his wife haven't spoken nicely for years, but in looking at the cat's lean they notice their lost wedding ring under one of the fruit barrows, and all is put right between them. Bob Long the hairdresser is cutting hair. Looking at the lean of the cat causes him to cut the woman's fringe on an angle, but she loves it. A house painter busy at his boring work watches the cat walk by so putting a zigzag stripe of paint across the mayor's house. But he loves it. Many other things happen which the cat initiates from his askew point of view, encouraging the population of the town to see things differently, to do things differently, to take chances. I love the librarian who takes the wrong book off the shelf, one about building a boat, and then takes to the seas.
The population decides that being catawampus is a good way to be, and set about hanging their town to be out of alignment, while the mayor calls the Tuesday that the cat appeared, a special day each year to celebrate.
The humour in the story is replicated and augmented by the hilarious illustrations. The bemused cat appears on every page, sprinkling his magic on the populace, encouraging them to see things differently, while the endpapers show his journey through the town.
A wonderful story to talk about with early readers, touching on the acceptance of change, of looking at things differently, of seeing things from another's perspective.
And I was surprised to learn that catawampus is an actual word, and worth looking up.
Fran Knight

Sorry to disrupt the peace Patty Yumi Cottrell

Text, 2017. ISBN 9781925498431
(Age: Senior secondary) Recommended. Helen Moran, the first person narrator in this first novel by Patty Yumi Cottrell, lives in a shared apartment in New York. She has a part-time job caring for troubled young people and sees herself as an organised and functioning member of society. However, there are signs that her life is not as controlled as she suggests. As proof of her competency she presents a pamphlet that she wrote purporting to give advice on how to survive in New York. The advice includes stealing, lying and distorting the facts. When her uncle rings with the news that her adoptive brother has committed suicide Helen decides to return to her adoptive parents to investigate his death. Her parents are astounded and uneasy to see her, an odd reaction, it seems. The reader begins to understand that Helen is not what she believes herself to be. As she reminisces about her upbringing she reveals to the reader a difficult and friendless childhood. In her home in Milwaukee her behaviour indicates both euphoria and depression as she swings from mood to mood in her search for information. There is black humour in her extreme actions; she puts the funeral flowers in buckets containing bleach, she eats all the cake intended for the wake, on the way to the funeral, in the car in which her brother killed himself, she gets a flat tyre and has to walk, so missing the funeral. She interrogates her brother's friends in search of clues about his decision to kill himself, but ultimately it is the document that he has left on his computer that gives her answers, and gives the readers more evidence about Helen herself. Her brother felt that he could be of most use to the world by donating his organs; he suggested in his document that he believes Helen to have undiagnosed bipolar disorder. His reasons for dying are not totally convincing but his understanding of his sister seems accurate. Despite her possible disorder Helen is a perceptive commentator on her adoptive parents' lives and the values of both her home town and those she associates with in New York. It is also possible to see the novel as a discussion on the difficulties of being Korean adoptees, in this case their adopting parents offering charity but not a lot of love, it seems. The book is written in deceptively simple prose and so is a quick read but offers rewards to a more sustained look. It does discuss suicide and the difficulties faced by those with mental differences so perhaps should be recommended with care.
Recommended for senior students.
Jenny Hamilton

Zombie Swap by Zack Zombie

Diary of a Minecraft Zombie bk. 4. Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9780986444166
(Age: 7+) This popular fan fiction series is presented as Zombie's diary and in this junior novel, he has swapped bodies with his friend Steve the Villager. This sets the scene for much awkwardness at school and home, for many new and difficult situations and of course, plenty of gross humour. Zombie discovers what it is like to be a human; there are problems with wearing clothes, using the SHA-WUR, what is SO-AP and how to use a TA-WOOL. Zombies normally do not spend a lot of time cleaning their bodies, they have holes in their faces and bodies and love to smell and be filthy.
Human school is a very scary place, Steve is a very popular guy and Zombie finds it hard to fit in, andn know what to do, what to say and how to act. His normal life is opposite. Steve has to live with the Zombies, Creepers, Skeletons and Slimes of Minecraft, and try to fit in as well. There are plenty of difficult situations for Zombie, luckily, Steve's friend Alex is there to guide him through the pitfalls. He even competes in the PVP Death Match Tournament with his new human friend Eli, and together they learn how to rely on each other and defeat the other team.
Zombie Swap is another humorous addition to the series, just right for Minecraft fans who enjoy reading about their favourite characters and their zany lives.
Rhyllis Bignell

Rose Ravensthorpe Investigates: Black Cats and Butlers by Janine Beacham

The dragon with a chocolate heart by Stephanie Burgis

Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408880319
(Age: 9-12) Highly recommended. The dragon with a chocolate heart is a wonderfully woven fantasy adventure that should come with a warning - needs to be read while drinking hot chocolate and sampling a large box of delicious chocolates! Stephanie Burgis combines the world of dragons, the forces of magic and brings a feisty hero to life. She sets her novel in traditional old world town - Drachenburg - where chocolate houses vie for royal favour.
Aventurine is a young dragon desperate to escape her boring family life. When she leaves her family caverns filled with golden treasure to search for her own dinner, the young dragon is tempted by a cup of sweet smelling hot cocoa from a mysterious food mage. In an instant, she changes from a colourful scaly dragon into a wingless human girl. Aventurine learns to adapt to her human body and sets off down the mountain into town. She meets scoundrels and townsfolk out for their own good and runs away from the first couple who just want an unpaid servant.
After some twists and turns, she meets young Silke who help her with suitable clothing and she finds a job as apprentice chocolatier at the Chocolate Heart. Her passion for chocolate and her love of finding the perfect flavours is beneficial for the business.
Burgis writes a rich and engaging fantasy narrative, filled with delicious sweet descriptions and cups of special hot chocolate to delight the royal family. Her setting amongst the delights and dramas of life in Drachenburg with all the behind-the-scenes details of the chocolate shop, the secret recipes, spicy touches, and the well-rounded characters add to the warmth of the story. How can the feisty young girl save the town from the attacking dragons who happen to be her own family?
The dragon with a chocolate heart explores the themes of acceptance, courage, resilience and making the right choices, a wonderful story for fantasy fans and just right for Middle Primary students.
Rhyllis Bignell

Maisy goes swimming by Lucy Cousins

Walker, 2017. ISBN 9781406374049.
(Ages: 3-5) Illustrator and author Lucy Cousins first created her Maisy Mouse character in 1990 and her picture books continue to be much loved family favourites to share with youngsters all over the world.
Walker Books have published the delightful interactive story of Maisy goes swimming as a 25th anniversary celebration. Now a new generation of toddlers can help Maisy get ready for swimming at the pool. The young mouse is dressed for winter in many layers of clothes and she needs to put on her bathing suit. First, her blue hat and scarf come off, next her big brown boots and red coat. Each spread show the ever-patient mouse waiting for our help, as we lift, slide and open the sturdy flaps. Next comes more colourful layers, grey cardigan, green trousers, until at last we pull down her orange bloomers! At last, it is time for Maisy's colourful striped swimsuit and she is ready for the pool.
Maisy goes swimming is an entertaining book to share with a young child, to prepare them for swimming lesson and to stimulate their engagement with picture books, developing their pre-reading and motor skills.
Rhyllis Bignell