So intriguing! Johansson’s latest book is described as a ‘surreal thriller’; I would add an extra adjective, ‘surreal psychological thriller’. It explores themes of surveillance, stalking, voyeurism, memory and dreams, and references neo-noir films such as Michael Haneke’s Cache or Hidden (2005), David Lynch’s mystery Mulholland Drive (2001), and of course, Brian de Palma’s erotic thriller Body Double (1984), all films with endings that are ‘open to interpretation’. Even the writing style often seems like the directions in a film script “I take the metro … I stamp my ticket … I stand in the clattering train, I listen to the chiming of the doors. I hold on to a leather strap.” The two protagonists, Naomi and Laura, even talk about the kind of film that interests them, films about ‘paranoid women’, "Women who live alone. Women who are stalked. Women who are driven mad. And women who are murdered". Reading this in the first chapter, the reader has intimations about the direction of the novel.
The first time the women meet is in a department store café, after Naomi discovers she has accidently taken someone else’s coat, a coat very similar to her own. When she goes back to return it, she is struck by Laura’s appearance: her vague look, her unnaturally pale eyes and brown lipsticked lips. But Naomi is drawn to her nonetheless and further coincidental meetings lead to Laura moving into Naomi’s place. Then Naomi goes to work each day while Laura waits for her at home.
Another strand of the novel is the first-person narration of a woman transcribing tapes for a ghostwriter: the recollections of various women wanting their lives to be recorded and made into books. She listens and records their every word, their silences, their tears, no matter how convoluted the accounts, everything is taken down, for the ghostwriter to craft into a ‘story of a life’. Snippets from the recordings are included in the text; they may be random memories or something more significant. The unnamed person is so absorbed in listening and transcribing that she feels like she is disappearing; she can’t remember her own life. The reader becomes aware that those transcribed records are important, little threads are picked up and woven into something else.
Johansson’s novel is such an intriguing and clever piece of work, building an atmosphere of discomfort and creepiness, exploring ideas of self, identity, doppelgangers, and body doubles. The threads come together in an increasingly disturbing way. The final unravelling, like the arthouse films it references, with its lingering last image, is ‘open to interpretation’.
Hanna Johansson has been awarded two prestigious literary distinctions in Sweden for Body Double: the Albert Bonnier Scholarship 2025, and a Samfundet De Nio prize. We are fortunate that Scribe’s publication of Kira Josefsson’s translation now makes this strange and compelling thriller available to a wider audience.
Which Way to the Future, the third and final instalment in the imaginative Which Way to Anywhere series, by Cressida Cowell, brings readers back into a world of magic, adventure and family teamwork. This fast-paced novel continues the extraordinary journey of the O’Hero-Smith children, as they travel through magical passageways, and it is certainly a winner for its fans.
The novel launches straight into the action, and I highly recommend that readers begin with the previous books in the series before diving into this one. Major events and discoveries from previous stories shape this adventure, and without that background it can be a little tricky to immediately understand all the characters, relationships, magical developments and scenarios.
In this novel, Izzabird is desperate to uncover her own magical gift, especially as everyone else continues to grow more confident in using their own powers. Banned from using their magic for the weekend, due to a visit by a non magical family member, the children feel they have no other choice but to jump into action when they receive a message for help from Horrizabel.
The O’Hero-Smith children once again find themselves on a dangerous mission; but unbeknownst to them, their beloved little sister, Annipeck, is also in grave danger of disappearing from their lives forever. Can the siblings work together as they face terrifying beasts, tricky obstacles and dangerous enemies and will Izzabird finally discover her magical powers and be able to put them to use?
Drawn into another thrilling journey through the Which Way, encountering bounty hunters, magical creatures and time-twisting adventures around every corner, the fast-paced tension is enthralling. With black-and-white illustrations to add extra energy and engagement to the story, loyal readers who have followed the O’Hero-Smith family adventures will be page turning till the very end.
With its exciting blend of magic, time travel, danger and heart, Which Way to the Future delivers a thrilling conclusion to the trilogy. Fans of the series will find plenty to enjoy, and this magical finale is a huge success.
Themes Magic, Time travel, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Problem Solving, Collaboration.
Michelle O'Connell
The Phoenix Five by Sandi Phoenix, Christopher Phoenix & Monica Millgate. Illus. by Katherine Appleby
Little Steps, 2025. ISBN: 9781922833457. (Age:0+) Recommended for educators and children from 3+.
Down by the coast, where the river meets the sea, there’s a secret meeting place beneath an old gum tree Join the Phoenix Five as they discover the power of friendship, the joy of accomplishment, and the beauty of dreaming together.
On first read, this was just another cute Australian rhyming story, with a positive message about working together. The illustrations are appealing and engaging with lots of white backgrounds to draw the eye to the characters, and the rhyming text is easy to comprehend. Each of the five characters is introduced individually, along with a list of their strengths. It is apparent that they are close friends despite (or maybe because of) their differences. Younger children would enjoy the story as well as the search for the sixth character, a tiny frog, on every page.
On reaching the end of the story, discovering the Educator Notes, and realising the connection to my tertiary studies in sociology…Maslow’s hierarchy of needs…the book seemed to develop a greater depth. With emotional literacy having become part of the curriculum, rather than merely something teachers may include incidentally, this book can take its place as a vital resource. As stated in the notes, it can be used as “a tool for teaching children about their needs through an idea called ‘Needs Literacy’.”
In my previous role as teacher librarian, this is a title I would certainly have purchased for my collection, knowing it has a place in multiple curriculum areas.
In the vein of the Ollie and Bea and Narwhal and Jelly series, Super Friends is the second in this junior graphic novel series that explores friendships in a fun, environmental and approachable way. Lots of humorous puns, full-colour graphics and a story told entirely in short bursts of simple dialogue make these perfect for newly independent readers who are still attached to illustration-heavy chapter books. Queenie is 'almost a queen bee' and Kenneth is a bumblebee, meaning they have different ideas on pollination techniques.
This title consists of three short connected stories, although the chapter breaks are hard to discern and separated with short interlude pieces titled The Delicate Art of Pollination, which could leave the reader confused, as these are better signposted than the stories themselves. The characters, including some other minor friends, are individual and lovable and there is lots of funny banter and humorous illustrations.
While this will draw children's attention to the natural world and some bee information is woven throughout the story, this is mainly a fun story, rather than being educational. Even 'The Art of Pollination' interludes between the chapters are jokey, rather than factual.
Murder on North Terrace, the second in The Petticoat Police Mystery series, following The death of Dora Black is another engrossing mystery set in Adelaide in 1917. Miss Kate Cocks and Ethel Bromley are again embroiled in a murder, this time the death of a board governor of the Art Gallery, whose body has been found under a controversial painting. Ethel, with her strong ties to Adelaide’s elite society, is seconded to the Detective Branch, where her knowledge of the key suspects is useful. Meanwhile Kate is left pounding the beat, following up on a terrible assault on a young girl, who was found unconscious in the parklands.
The historical background was what made this book stand out for me. Kate Cocks is a real character and it is fascinating following her as she pursues her goal of looking after women and children in Adelaide. Through her eyes the reader becomes aware of all the work that women do for the wartime effort, the maimed returned soldiers and their drinking, and Anderson even incorporates some real events that Cocks was involved in, noting these in her afterword. She uses the fictional Ethel’s life and connections to highlight the difference in the classes, the power that the wealthy Adelaide leaders have, while the poor struggle to feed themselves.
Anderson leads the reader through the steps of the two investigations, showing society’s different attitudes to the murder of a prominent member of society, which attracts media attention and multiple police resources to solve it, while the rape of a young, poor girl is left to Kate Cocks alone to follow the clues, while facing danger on the dark streets of Adelaide. Kate and Ethel are triumphant in their investigations and justice is obtained in a surprising conclusion.
Murder on North Terrace can be read as a stand-alone and is sure to be enjoyed by readers who want a well-researched historical novel, with the added benefit of two mysteries to solve.
Themes Murder, Police, Adelaide - History.
Pat Pledger
The firefly crown by Yxavel Magno Diño
Bloomsbury, 2026. ISBN: 9781547615162.
The firefly crown, in a nutshell, is a story about a small girl who learns to control an unusual power and after many challenges and life-threatening trials, wins a comfortable living for her poor, hard-working parents whilst simultaneously finding the ability to follow her dream in life. This narrative is a blend of several overlapping tropes: the wonder child, the fool's journey (the underestimated child), the zero-to-hero underdog and the prodigal hero (returning home with newfound wealth). Whenever a small, unassuming, central protagonist has to battle great odds to come through in the end, we all love to identify and cheer them on. Yumi (our central character), belonging in this category, incrementally discovers extraordinary powers, navigates different worlds, battles frightening physical and social situations but never loses sight of her humble beginnings and the love of her parents.
Yumi must learn to wield her insect power. She struggles to harness the power of the cricket. The empire is attacked by a swarm of undead bugs which turn everything they touch into decay. Only the firefly crown can save it but when that is stolen the hordes threaten. All of the sorcerers (who are insects of some kind) are called to the coronation of the princess. Yumi is blamed for the loss of the crown. At great peril and with the help of friends she attempts to save the empire.
The firefly crown is action packed. This reader senses that The firefly crown lends itself more to the manga /graphic novel style rather than continuous prose. The prose, at times, is slightly clunky with some mismatched action/word timing. This means that occasionally passages have to be reread for sense. A graphic novel version would improve reading flow and ease of understanding by adding visual support to the text in a style that could be very closely associated with manga.
Nevertheless, Yumi is an engaging heroine. Her friendship group works as they collaborate to defeat evil. The play with anthropomorphism with spider soldiers being half human/half spider and other insects exhibiting dual behaviours and emotions is interesting. Imagine riding on a spider and running up walls and upside down across ceilings. This is the kind of action that occurs.
Author Yxavel Magno Dino is of Filipino heritage and... "writes stories about her Filipino heritage and its fantastical folklore." The firefly crown certainly fits this description and as suggested by Booklist, The firefly crown is "...reminiscent of the darker-themed Miyazaki films..." certainly not as sweet as My neighbour Totoro - perhaps more like Princess Mononoke in that there is intense action and some violence. The trope of the small and unassuming character coming into their own, protecting family and realms and helping good win over evil comes through. This idea supports children to realise that they can have agency too and that there are other children out there who can sometimes feel undervalued but can and might do very surprising things (for the universal good) when they come of age.
Themes Family, Friendship, Courage, Filipino mythology, Adventure/fantasy, Insectoids, The underdog.
Hagtale is described as a ‘Macbeth origin story’, but the reference only gradually becomes apparent. O’Reilly weaves together two stories, one set in 1354, about a monk on a quest to retrieve the records of Scottish royal lineage from a distant ruined abbey, and the other of a strange wolf-girl Wulva, raised by witches 300 years earlier. The separate stories are told in alternating chapters until the connection is revealed at the end.
In essence the book is about human induced climate change. The three witches mould the feral child to become accepted in the human realm; she will charm the fierce Lord Macbeth and foster his ambition to become king. Their motive is to bring about war and the destruction of the human race, allowing the natural world to rise up again.
But not all humans are evil. The parallel story of the monk Rowan shows him to be a gentle thoughtful man in tune with the natural world in direct contrast to the rigidly pious and inconsiderate Brother Kenneth who unfortunately is his appointed travel companion. Having survived the plague, Rowan enjoys anew the peaceful rambles alongside his mare Hestia, contemplating the wondrous world God has created.
O’Reilly’s rich descriptive writing brings to life all the sights and sounds of nature, the tranquil countryside, the sparkling river waters, the night sounds, the forest spreading its roots. As a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, she challenges writers to engage in eco-aware writing, and to explore different kinds of narrative techniques or strategies to contribute to ‘a shift in consciousness’ and encourage a more sustainable way of living. Her website includes videos about fiction and climate writing, offering prompts to budding writers to build writing skills and contribute to making a difference.
Thus her book Hagtale is an unusual mix of genres. It is presented partly as historical fiction, partly fantasy. Drawing on the Shakespearen tale, it includes the three witches and their bubbling pot, and adds ‘something other’, a feral wolf-child, and a yew-tree forest that moves. The two time-separated storylines of Wulva and Brother Rowan run alongside each other with short chapters that keep the reader engaged. The title ‘Hagtale’ with its permutations of dark fable and oral storytelling is perfect. This is a book that should appeal to a variety of readers.
This 15th hardcover edition of the award-winning book in the Light series, Lighthouse Girl, is based on the true story of Fay Howe and shares fascinating archival material throughout. In this engaging narrative nonfiction text, Fay plays a small but important role in early days of Australia’s involvement in World War One.
Fay is a young girl living on Breaksea Island where her father is the lighthouse keeper. The Australian troops entering the war for the first time in mass numbers stop in Albany to take on water and coal before heading overseas. Fay watches from a distance as the troop ships pass by and connects with some young soldiers by using Semaphore Flags. She records the messages the soldiers have for their families and sends them off by telegraph. She also writes to some of the boys overseas and from letters and postcards sent to her, she learns about the brutal war taking place in a world away from her.
Through Fay’s journal writing we read her personal thoughts, about her daily life and how they survive on the island. Life is tough for Fay and as she grows older, her loneliness comes through with the letters from overseas, especially from her friend Charlie, providing a lifeline for her.
The inclusion of factual documents such as notes, postcards, newspaper articles, sepia photographs, and Brian Simmonds’ striking charcoal illustrations enriches the narrative, allowing the book to convey an important chapter of Australian history in a format that is both visually engaging and textually varied.
Lighthouse Girl would be a wonderful addition to a primary classroom or school library war genre collection. It is not a difficult read and the interesting articles/photos will provide a depth of factual background information for studies on WW1.
Which middle schoolers don't adore theme parks? Better yet, who doesn’t like an underdog to succeed despite never being truly included by a single other person - other than the unconditional love of his own family?
Enter Bob. Bob is a contender in his own way for the sublime protagonist contest of children’s literature – think of Diamond in George McDonald’s At the Back of the North Wind or Charlie made famous by Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Bob is continually knocked down until we readers can no longer bear his misery. He hasn't once experienced the exhilaration of the local theme park before he is banned for life.
At his lowest point, of course there’s a breakthrough driven by those who know him best. The Grubb family band together to build a theme park in Grandpa’s scrap yard behind the house. Soon they are joined by school chums, whose own status and opportunities have also been stifled. The villains are the anointed town millionaire and current theme park owner, Arthur Happey and his equally obnoxious granddaughter and school bully, Maisie.
Luckily in his loneliness, Bob drew dozens of blueprints for theme park rides and it is from this creative resource and a bottomless well of resilience that "Bob Land" quickly takes shape. Along the way, the neighbouring Happey World owned by the Happey family and priced beyond the reach of working families, becomes so threatened and vindictive they try to destroy Bob’s dream – several times in fact. However Bob has the uncanny ability to flip any situation and soldier on, which only frustrates greedy Arthur Happey more. There’s never a dull moment with sabotage, kidnapping, impersonation, a royal visit and an old family secret brought to light.
Scrapbooked by letters, tickets, cartoons and several illustrations, Benona Fernades Corbalan provides visual information of plans, action objects and the characters themselves. Bob has an inexhaustible well of thrilling theme park ride designs. Not only is Matt Lucas’ dialogue believable but he’s left space for readers to design their own rides. Phil & Linda (Bob's parents), Miss Taneja, Laszlo, Jayden and Jordan and Max the dog; all have specific skills and endless work ethic to co-create Bob Land. Will it be enough to negotiate a truce with the Happey dynasty. This story has everything middle schoolers relish. 218p.
Maz (Mary) is rushing to finish a birthday card for her friend, Anthony. She and Summer are going to his beach party and Summer’s Dad let her sleep over. They’ve bought Anthony a Frisbee and can’t wait to give it to him. Keema Mitaru, Jazarah, Anthony and their parents are also waiting for the leisurely birthday party at the beach. It begins with building sandcastles until Aunty Shay’s dog, Firecracker, knocks their best one over. Is the gangly dog disgraced or forgiven? When it’s time to break out the hallowed Frisbee it’s no surprise that Maz makes the game a team sport, after all Mary Fowler is set to grow into one of Australia’s fastest rising sporting legends. After a misjudged throw, nobody can save the Frisbee from becoming more plastic flotsam out at sea…how will the game and the celebration continue?
Penguin describes the titles in this new Mary Fowler series pitched at readers aged 5-9 yrs as “A vibrant new series from football star Mary Fowler about friendship, sport and fun”. The large juvenile font and greyscale illustrations by Cate James of Beach Party are coloured in our hearts and minds by the words of a handful of young friends, who are learning to cooperate to maximize fun and belonging.
Author, Jasmin McGaughey with Mary, has penned this bright breezy 87 page adventure. Penguin appended a page of information about Mary Fowler’s origins and national soccer debut with the Mathildas. Beach Party launched alongside the book Mary’s Game, assures readers there are more stories to come in this new lower grade Mary Fowler series! Lower primary school students are sure relate to Mary Fowler’s own childhood – real or imagined. Highly recommended. 87p.
Themes Mary Fowler, Birthdays, Friendship, Sport, Teams, Safety.
Set in the 1970s, Lilly and Jane are two curious, smart young girls, who are devastated by the early death of their inspiring feminist mother. Lily’s grief turns inward, she is thoughtful and quiet, whilst her brilliant mathematically gifted sister Jane seizes every experience, determined to live however she wants. The two sisters are very close, sharing everything, but their lives take very different paths. Lily seeks love and stability while Jane defies all conventions and takes to casual relationships, alcohol and drugs.
For Lily the boy she falls in love with as a teenager seems to be the perfect partner, the person she would marry and spend her life with. They understand the burden of grief each carries: Lily mourns the death of a mother who meant everything to her; the boy feels the loss of a mother who tearfully hugged him as a child then walked away forever. Loss and love unites the two teenagers. He reassuringly tells her ‘We’ll be okay’.
That is the plan, until one terrible night, a horrible event changes everything. The boy’s future, his career aspirations, all his dreams are destroyed, and Lily carries the guilt for what happened.
Curtis’ novel explores various dichotomies: the contention of science and faith, the two sisters’ contrasting reactions to grief, the hopefulness of first love and comfort of later love. She explores the question: can the human heart hold both things at the same time? The two girls have grown up immersed in both scientific thought and Catholicism; Lily and Jane love each other and completely understand each other’s separate choices; Lily yearns for the boy she loves but also loves Marshall, the man she later comes to marry. And then there is also the question of grief and responsibility. How much can one carry responsibility for other people’s actions? Can guilt find a way to forgiveness and redemption?
Despite the fateful events that impact Lily’s life, Curtis’s novel is a romance replete with compassion and kindness. There is sympathy even for the supposed ‘villain’ of the story, and enduring sorrow for the people who die. There is no real cruelty, just the mistakes that people make, and the best thing people can do is forgive and care for one another.
Wow! Dan Brown has written another epic tale that twists mystery, mystical ideas, myths, the CIA and danger, with the scientific investigation of the brain and the nature of consciousness. This is a journey that will have your own brain exploding with the exploration of your own thinking about the nature of life, death, ESP, end-of-life experiences and the power of thought itself. This mind-blowing tale is set in the intriguing environment of Prague’s historical buildings and amongst the quirks of Czech culture (cosplay-like costumes of mythical creatures eg Golem (note - not Tolkien’s iteration) are routinely seen in the streets). Main characters, Dr. Katherine Solomon, an American researcher who investigates human consciousness and Professor Robert Langdon, her academic friend (and possible romantic partner) whose area of interest crosses into religion, mythology, symbolism and metaphysics, together are thrust into an intriguing but dangerous mystery when the impending release of Katherine’s next book somehow creates impossible dilemmas amongst the Intelligence community. The loss of a manuscript is the entry point into a world of scientific investigation and fear about the release of ideas that might impact the equilibrium of the world. Death and disaster follow. Investigation of consciousness seems to be more than just a scientific or philosophical inquiry.
This action-adventure with espionage and embassy officials intertwined with scientific investigation into the ‘impossible’ world of consciousness and thought transfer (and possibly Human-to-Machine - H2M intelligence) is a murky adventure. One character has a unique capacity to think wisely and widely, utilising eidetic memory to remember what few can perceive, and acts more like an uber-intelligent spy than an academic. The dangers everyone faces are the result of a world engaged in fear and the desire to weaponise even the power of thought. At first I found this book uncomfortable and was slow to connect to the strange mix of book thievery and hacking and the ideas of the nature of consciousness, but the pace and intensity of the danger soon created an intensely powerful dramatic pull and interest that was compelling. This is a book for adult readers and thinkers. It is written with intellectual power and appropriate intrigue that will make you consider ideas about the nature of life itself, the soul and identity, the morality of warfare and weaponry, and will probably resonate long after the last page.
Amanda, Lucia (Lu) and Mai have been anticipating the Year Three Class Bake-off as a team. After all they are best friends and co-founders of the Dolphin Club. But Ms Tran has stipulated teams of cooking duos and three is a crowd. Amanda is paired with Eve and urgent club meetings are convened after school to try to persuade Ms Tran to approve a trio.
Using an array of texts and mediums such as math paper, notes, recipes, drawings and signs; our expansive young narrator explores her problem, her conflicting motivations and loyalties, so openly - thanks to her creators, author Carol Vass and illustrator Heidi Cooper Smith.
Will a potentially winning recipe and a seriously competitive partner tempt Amanda to risk friendships or will her decision help the classmates appreciate that new creative teams will never endanger true friendship?
“…As I read the recipe, my heart skipped with excitement. It sounded delicious. And before I knew it, I realised I really wanted to make Orange Dream Bars with Eve.”
Ten chapters punctuate only 62 pages to conform to Vass and Wombat Books’ winning algorithm for the Amanda Commander series. Other titles in the series are: The Purple Initiation, The Pinky Promise, The Yellow Dress, The Blues Day Tuesday and The Green-Eyed Monster.
Lower primary students will keep returning to these easy to read ‘scrapbooks’ by a heroine whose nickname is neurologically satisfying.
Silver Brook: Yumna and the golden horse by Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Hodder, 2026. ISBN: 9781444934625. (Age:10+)
Sudanese born and raised in Australia, author and activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has published five books and has an abiding interest in racism. Two novels You must be Layla and Listen Layla appeal to a similar age-group to Silverbrook:Yumna and the golden horse with Listen Layla being longlisted for Book of the Year by the Children's Book Council of Australia.
Thirteen year old Yumna is the heroine of Silverbrook: Yumna and the golden horse. She lives in a quiet English town where nothing happens. Her mother has (mysteriously) gone and Yumna lives with her sad father. Yumna has two friends - the "athletic and beautiful Sadeeqa" and the "sassy and charming Nafisa". By contrast, Yumna is described as "small and stocky"...spending "most of her time buried in books and avoiding conversations with strangers". Yumna's friends disappear into the forest without her and when she follows them she discovers that they have magic skills including dealing with the elements and transforming into a mythical beast (golden horse). In addition Sadeeqa's brother Kareem goes missing and a couple called the Maidstones appear in the village seeming to Yumna to be too nice and too helpful to be true. Yumna feels left out and inadequate by comparison. However Yumna's greatest wish is to become a detective and she discovers her own skills as the story progresses.
Silverbrook: Yumna and the golden horse is an interesting book because it depicts life for a thirteen year old girl in a Muslim home, living in a small country town as a new immigrant. Readers see the daily prayer rituals of the father and how the day is punctuated by prayer times. Yumna and her friends wear abayas and sprinklings of common Arabic statements, exclamations, endearments and other speech fragments are scattered throughout the text. Yumna frequently exclaims to herself in Arabic and when in the deepest trouble she prays to Allah for guidance...and receives her answer. The jinn of Arabian and Muslim mythology appear in animal form to possess one of the young people.
Mystery, magic, community, environmental and commercial interests collide in the small town and there is plenty of danger and possibility of destruction. How will it be resolved? Who will understand the whole picture in time with secrets unravelling left, right and centre? Will anybody be able to read the problem and pull the community together? Spoiler - it will not be the adults who save the town...
Yumna and the golden horse is the first in the middle-grade fantasy adventure Silverbrook series. Thus, at the end, Yumna has many questions but the driving question will be the subject of subsequent books. Those who enjoy empowering middle grade fantasy such as Amari and the night brothers by B.B. Alston and the Wings of fire series by Tui Sutherland would enjoy Silverbrook: Yumna and the golden horse as these books offer empowerment and diversity along with magical animal and fantasy elements.
Themes Activism, Muslim home and prayer life, Community, Friendship, Muslim and Arabic mythology.
Wendy Jeffrey
Bluey: Bath book by Bluey
Penguin, 2026. ISBN: 9781761357213. (Age:Suitable for all ages :)) Recommended.
Bluey: Bath Book is based on the well known and loved Australian TV series Bluey. Manufactured..." to the highest possible standards, in accordance with Australasian toy safety standards", Bluey: Bath Book, as with all products for use with young children, is recommended to be used with adult supervision. Of course, Bluey Bath Book is plastic and waterproof. No one would leave a child alone in a bath - however safety information comes with the product. First published by Puffin books, an imprint of Penguin Random House in 2026, Bluey Bath Book was printed and bound in China.
Bluey is, of course, a Blue Heeler- a quintessentially Australian iconic sheepdog. In Australia there is nothing more Australian than a Heeler called Blue. What a wackadoo story wraps itself around this Bluey though! Bluey and her little Red Heeler sister Bingo, are in the bath and they have set up the bath as a Burger shop. Their first customer is Dad... a genial, good natured, bigger, male version of Bluey. In an imaginative and playful story we see Bluey taking on the role of taking orders while Bingo is the chef in the background. Bluey shows initiative, creativity and a can-do attitude when Dad runs out of money by quickly turning the burger shop into a bank. A ridiculous number of burgers are ordered. Dad runs out of money and ends up having to work in the bath shop to pay for all his burgers.
Wackadoo - this book is a lot of fun, full of the Bluey images we all know. There's lots of energy and opportunities for playacting. Ideal for babies, toddlers and preschoolers, Bluey: Bath Book is a wonderful addition to the Bluey book collections that already include picture, activity, board and colouring books and the ever popular TV series. Everyday situations are depicted where the characters overcome problems either by themselves or with the help of a loving parent/adult. Psychologists have found that Bluey books touch on important aspects of resilience including trusting relationships, emotional regulation, problem solving, empathy and more.
That is why Bluey: Bath Book is recommended... besides the fact that it is a lot of fun too!
