A trio of bears, mum, dad and junior, get their porridge ready for breakfast, but the honey pots are all empty. They leave their house and head for the bee hive in the tree. Here they gobble up all the honey from the hive, provoking the anger of the bees. Meanwhile Goldilocks has entered their house.
She pushes aside two bowls of porridge because they are too hot, then gobbles up the third, smaller bowl of porridge. Leaving upturned bowls and trails of porridge across the table, sdhe goes into the cosy den, and finding one chair too soft and the other offering a protruding spring, she selects the step stool as her seat to sit back and enjoy a book. Things become very messed up in the den as well. Then she sleepily goes upstairs to the bedroom, where she rejects the first bed as too heavily covered in blankets, the second is too high but the third with its array of teddy bears suited her well, and she falls asleep.
The bears meanwhile are headed quickly for home followed by a crowd of angry bees. They notice footsteps leading inside, and find someone has been in their house, eaten their porridge and made a mess both in the kitchen and the den. They eventually find her in the bedroom, where they berate her for stealing into their house and stealing their porridge, leaving a mess. Partway through the telling off a loud humming can be heard. The bees which have equally had their house invaded and the honey stolen are looking for the thieves.
A fun story for children, those who know the Goldilocks story will be as equally enchanted as those who do not, but all will understand the moral of the tale, ’do unto others …’
Lovely rhyming verse will provoke readers to predict the rhyming words, and the use of many puns and word play on the word bear will bring smiles to their faces.
The illustrations are wonderful, showing the bears in all their moods, and Goldilocks and her knowing smile, and three way tale will entertain the readers. Detail on each page is fascinating and will provoke lots of discussions about honey and hives and bears as well as stepping on other people’s toes.
Themes Bears, Honey, Incursion, Humour.
Fran Knight
Genie Snail by Bethany Loveridge. Illus. by Chris Kennett
Little Book Press, 2026. ISBN: 9781923141445. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
Many young children dream of finding a genie to make their wishes come true. In Genie Snail the young main character feels he has struck it lucky when he finds a dirty snail shell which he rubs clean and lo and behold with a PIFF! POOF! PUFF! out pops a very colourful Genie Snail.
But all is not what it seems. There are rules for this particular genie:
Rub a genie’s shell and they’re in your debt. But wishes must rhyme with the genie you get.
Of course, the recipient of the wishes does not read the fine print and concocts some quite incredible wishes. However, Genie Snail offers lots of suggestions such as deep-fried fish tail, scrambled eggs a la quail, a lifetime’s supply of leafy kale, a mouldy toenail, a wedding veil, a rattail. All of these suggestions only frustrate the boy, who insists that nothing cool rhymes with snail. Until… the genie casually mentions a whale - and suddenly a very clever wish begins to entail!
The loud, bold and colourful illustrations - full of expressive faces and playful humour - are a visual treat that will delight and entertain readers. This is an enjoyable book to read aloud, offering a clever learning moment with words ending in 'ail' and 'ale', and a fun classroom opportunity at the end for even more rhyming discussion and another genie story.
A gripping political thriller, Lessons in power follows The ruling class, the first in The Fixer series. Tess Kendrick is again helping students make problems disappear; this time she is determined to see her classmate Emilia win her campaign for student council, even though her friend Henry is also running. Power is important for the students at Hardwicke School, all part of Washington’s political elite, and Tess faces some high stakes while running the campaign. Then she becomes embroiled in a game with even higher stakes, when there is an assassination attempt on the President. A series of dangerous events follow, with Tess trying to keep her classmates safe while unravelling events of national importance.
Lessons in Power is a suspenseful thriller that has many surprising twists and turns. Shocking betrayals, murder and unanticipated feats of courage had me gasping for breath with Barnes upping the thrills as the story progresses. Tess, and her friends Vivvie, Asher, Henry and Emilia find themselves in a believable. terrifying situation at school, and the reader doesn’t know if Tess will survive. Who can she trust? What is really going on?
Although first published in 2016 as The Long Game, Lessons in power is scary in how relevant the political machinations and power plays it features seems to be today. A must read for anyone interested in political thrillers or an exhilarating story.
Themes Thriller, Murder, Politics, Washington D.C..
Alissa Paine (Lady Alissa) and her friend Tari narrowly avoid capture when washing the Hunter’s mark from the door of their latest victim. Marge, the outlawed Wielder along with her magical spector (power) was their friend destroyed by the Hunters – the monarchy’s sanctioned death squad in Vereen, the capital of Daradon. There’s even a Copycat squad searching for Wielders to make matters worse.
The nice thing about narrator protagonists is that we know immediately that Alissa is secretly a Wielder herself (on her mother’s side) and only her father Lord Heron Paine and a couple of close friends - namely Garret (himself a Hunter) – know the truth. So begins the age old tale of the establishment (Wholeborns) against the threat of the ‘others’ (Wielders) originally from across the strait in Ansora – the Western Continent.
The persecution of ‘talented’ people, is the central theme of this thriller set in a medieval fantasy world of status, castles and dungeons. Think again! In Alissa’s first season at court, the escalation of Wielder executions makes court particularly thorny for Alissa - kidnapped, rescued, betrothed, betrayed, imprisoned, finally exiled - whilst fighting the level of corruption necessary to normalise sustained systemic discrimination.
Each puzzle piece is foreshadowed brilliantly and resolved with admirable skill. Alissa’s survival is a strip tease to unfrock the scars of both personal and population manipulation. She is devastated to learn her own father was complicit and it seems nearly every character in the book has a backstory of personal vendettas and motivations - even mousy Perla is thankfully not who she seems.
Who fails and who triumphs? A sociogram of the characters to complement the author’s map of the physical landscape would have been useful! Every historic secret pieces together a perfect resolution to this plot. Highly recommended for readers of high Fantasy and Thrillers. 406p.
Themes High Fantasy, Corruption, Intrigue, Suspense, Discrimination, Belonging.
Deborah Robins
Kep barna: Water creatures by Jayden Boundry & Tyrown Waigana
Kep Barna: Water creatures is a board book with first words describing sea creatures in both English and the Noongar language of the southwestern Australian first peoples. The book introduces seventeen sea creatures. Each new page depicts a new sea creature with an illustration in the centre of the page with the name of the creature underneath in both Noongah and English. Each creature is accurately represented with clear, dark outlines and soft, natural colourings for little people by Tyrown Waigana, a Wardanadi Noongar from South-west cape country and an Ait Koedhal (Torres Strait Islander) multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer.
Author Jayden Boundry is Wadjak Balardong Noongar and Badimaya Yamatji and a qualified Noongar language LOTE teacher. This is the third book by Jayden Boundry and Tyrown Waigana and the second board book in the new Barna series. Published by Fremantle Press, the easy to hold 15x15cm, 9 page board book is printed by Leo paper products Ltd, Guangdong, China to the highest sustainability and product safety standards.
It is important and respectful to learn to pronounce the Noongar words correctly. An audio recording of Jayden Boundry's voice providing a pronunciation guide is available online and can be easily accessed through the QR code in the back of the book. This reader would have preferred if the pronunciations in the audio were introduced in the same order that the creatures were presented in the book, to assist the reader. The QR code leads to downloadable activity sheets, videos and other teaching activities relating to Kep Barna: Water Creatures and other books that introduce Noongah words for animals and other first words.
It is valuable for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children alike to connect at a young age with Indigenous language. Kep Barna: Water Creatures and its accompanying important online resources is recommended for babies, toddlers and preschoolers/for teachers and parents. Teacher's resources are available.
Themes Sea creatures, Dual language Noongar /English first words.
Stormbeast is another thrilling instalment in the action-packed Boy vs Beast series. This junior novel has high energy and is perfectly suited to readers emerging into independent reading. With its engaging mix of short chapters, large easy-to-read font, intermittent black and white illustrations, and the exciting addition of a few graphic style panels in later chapters, this book provides strong visual support while maintaining momentum and suspense.
The story follows Kai, a courageous young hero tasked with battling dangerous beasts to keep Earth safe. Assisted by his loyal and highly capable dogbot, BC, they must once again defend the borders from invasion. However, this time the challenge is far greater. The beasts are evolving, combining powers and abilities to become more destructive and unpredictable than ever before.
When Kai faces the terrifying Stormegadon, he quickly realises this is no ordinary opponent. With thunder crashing and lightning strikes, Kai finds himself in one of his most difficult battles yet. Relying on quick thinking, strategy and problem-solving skills to determine what tools he needs to survive the encounter, can he conquer the beast?
The tension builds energetically as readers follow Kai’s race against time to try to defend the borders before this beast can break through. The gaming style element of earning points adds extra excitement, encouraging readers to consider whether Kai’s bravery and decisions will be enough to secure victory, or whether the beast will prove too powerful to defeat.
One of the novel’s strengths lies in its engagement and easy to read style. The layout, illustrations and action plot make it highly appealing and exciting. Themes of perseverance, courage, resilience and adaptive thinking are woven throughout the adventure without slowing the pace.
Stormbeast is an energetic, high-interest read that blends sci-fi action with visual storytelling. Young readers will be left eagerly wondering what new beasts, powers and challenges await in the next instalment to keep Earth safe.
Themes Sci-Fi, Action, Robots, Beasts, Problem Solving.
I love me is a happy, bouncy book to share with small children and babies. It teaches the all important belief in yourself and the ability to love yourself for the unique person that you are. In simple rhyming , repeating phrases, the text teaches the child to love their different body parts, the things that their body can do and the feelings that they have. The book commences with "I love me!" and ends with, "I love, love, love me!" A hypothetical is presented... "If I was tall as a tree with worms for hair and clouds for arms and grass for feet, ..." Arguably, with this being an imaginative situation, perhaps it should read "If I were..." This reader understands authorial choice but also respectfully questions grammar usage - while understanding that the choice was probably deliberate.
Author Sally Morgan, known and acclaimed for her autobiography My place has collaborated with artist Ambelin Kwaymullina to produce this striking little board book for little people. At 15x15cm this board book is perfect for little hands. It is made with strong board of good quality.
Two children (a boy and a girl) bounce through the pages accompanied by a delightful little dog. I love me encourages children to love themselves for who they are through a simple, buoyant first person narrative accompanied by vibrantly colourful and happy illustrations. The rhyming pattern is fun and lends itself to interaction... "Tap, tap, tap, I love the way my hands clap...Thump, thump, thump I love the way my legs jump."
The building of self esteem in children is vital. I love me is a lovely book to share for fun shared reading times together and for imparting an important message. It is a book that will make everybody smile and probably will inspire a lot of happy activity.
Themes Loving yourself, Accepting your own uniqueness.
Wendy Jeffrey
My country by Ezekiel Kwaymullina and Sally Morgan
The gorgeous book My country, listed as a CBCA Picture Books Notable Book and a CBCA Early Childhood Notable Book in 2012, has been republished in a new, small (19.5x19.5cm) hardback format that is just perfect for small hands. Author of many books, including The two-hearted numbat, Ezekiel Kwaymullin and illustrator Sally Morgan (of the acclaimed My place) are both from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Their collaboration with My Country has resulted in this beautiful book.
The text flows beautifully with a phrase/page:..."sing the earth's song"..."fly with the red desert wind"..."ride the whispering wind". These are action sequences and on each double page spread there is an illustration of a child doing just whatever the phrase suggests. The phrase sits in the middle of the left page of each double page spread (usually white font on a purple background). The illustrations flow whimsically too. They are detailed and seem to be a hybrid combination of Indigeous artwork in the detail and vibrant colours but including western styles of simple, happy children and clouds and suns et al with smiley faces. The little bird that accompanies the child on the journey has a Leunig look about him! The artwork is created with ink, coloured pencils and digital colouring. The book design by Fremantle based author and artist Tracey Gibbs and Perth based graphic designer and illustrator Rebecca Mills is deserving of attention because their work significantly augments the already considerable appeal of the work of the text and illustrations.
Dreamy and whimsical, My country, is an outstanding Australian contribution to the genre of world wide whimsical, mythical, spiritual, illustrated old, old tales of creation that spring from all cultures where life and creation is firmly rooted in the earth. Children love immersion in places they call home and places far, far away. Immersion in magical tales that are illustrated with beautiful pictures of the natural world bring a comforting sense of the eternal presence and continuum of past, present and future implicit in the text and illustrations. My country is one of those books that has an effect on the reader that imparts a love for country and a sense of belonging. Books from other cultures like The lights that dance in the night (2022) by Yuval Zommer which is about the Aurora Borealis are recommended to read in tandem in order for children to marvel even more about the awesome variety in our world. While My Country deals with the red desert dust, the hiding sun, the whispering wind, the moonlight, the lightning clouds and the moonlight tide, The lights that dance in the night has snow, reindeer and the northern lights. Books like these exude wonder and joy and an understanding that we, like all creatures, can bask in the mystery and the beauty. My country is a celebration of our Australian country and a cosy story to read together. As Good reading say, it is..." a book that should be in every home" because it is.." a beautiful celebration of our country".
A missing daughter. Suspected of plotting a terror attack in the US. A father arrested. Police storm Heathrow Airport to bring him in for questioning about his daughter. A terrifying connection. In Florida, a mother discovers a link between her son and the missing girl, fearing they have been radicalised. Hunted. On the run from the authorities, the two parents are thrown together to find their children before the FBI does and more lives are lost. Amazon
This is Mukherjee’s first stand-alone novel, after the Wyndham and Banerjee series and it is a tense thriller that is difficult to put down. It is told through the eyes of Sajid, the father of Aliyah, the girl who has been seen with the young woman accused of bombing LA shopping mall, Greg, a young ex-solider who has been radicalised and whose mother Carrie is desperate to find him, and FBI Special Agent Shreya Mistry whose expertise is shunned by her boss. The reader follows Sajid and Carrie from London to Canada, across the border into the US and then on a hair-raising chase across the country to save their children before the FBI finds them. As the investigation unfolds, the reader is taken into a world of terrorism, political manipulation, racism, lies and brainwashing; a scenario that feels very credible, and the imminent presidential election makes the suspense even more unbearable. There are some unexpected twists in the story and the desperation of the parents is heart-rending.
Hunted is highly recommended, well deserving of the accolades that it has been given.
Canadian writer, Melissa Poett, enjoys writing in the fantasy/dystopian genre. The enemy's daughter is a reimagining of the medieval romantic legend of Tristan and Isolde in terms of forbidden love and the taking of potions/pain on behalf of the other. The romantic protagonists in The enemy's daughter are named Tristan and Isadora - close enough! Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet also strongly comes to mind.
In the Acknowledgements found at the end of the book, Poett thanks her publishers for advising her to change the setting from a post apocalyptic world to a dystopian world. Thus The enemy's daughter is set in a world (more specifically - a time) that is twenty seven years after the world cataclysm in a new world where people have found areas where the earth is safe enough to live. These people have developed lifestyles apart from each other and are not really aware of each other, staying strictly within their boundaries for safety's sake. Stories are told about the outsiders. The enemy's daughter focuses on the people who live in the Five Clans with our heroine, Isadora, a herbal healer in the Hanook Clan. Their lifestyle seems medieval in its primitive technology, housing, medicine and social structure with women having no power at all. Of course, our hero, Tristan, is immediate heir to the leadership of Kingsland, a far more sophisticated survivor group, who have, in the same timespan, managed to create a far more enlightened society.
The fantasy map illustration in the endpapers (which we have come to expect in fantasy books) was hand drawn by London-based freelance illustrator Nicolette Caven. The detailed map features the republic, surrounded by the Badlands and including Kingsland that is separated from The Clans by a forest.
The story begins with the murder of Tristan's father by Isadora's clan and with Tristan saving Isadora's life. In the process of saving her, they become forever linked by a powerful magic bond. Naturally, Isadora is going to be drawn away from her clansmen and attracted to Tristan and she is going to suffer all sorts of conflicting loyalties is she not? Of course there is a jealous boyfriend. Of course Isadora is gorgeous and powerful and being daughter of the head of a Clan she is about to be married off as a political pawn. Their developing and passionate love is of course going to be verboten. Though terrible peril ensues, Tristan and Isadora's love and "connection" remains more powerful than the peril, underpinned by the magical bond which must be read about to be understood.
Poett delights in the slow burn of passion. Who cannot read on with sentences like..."My teacherous heart flutters"..."It is intoxicating..." Both of our protagonists have allegiance and duty. Both want peace. Theirs is a powerful passion. Can their opposing loyalties be reconciled? Poett places the action within fantastic settings. The characters are well rounded and most importantly true to each other. The storyline is circular and plays out according to good (not dark) romance rules. The ending is unnecessarily long-winded. Not every knot has to be tied and things don't have to be too perfect. Sometimes to leave the reader with a bit of mystery is a good thing - to know where to end...
Poett handles the heightened passion and slow burn of romance well. The romance is emotionally and physically intense but remains within the boundaries of propriety which makes The enemy's daughter age-appropriate for Middle and High school age students - another enemies-to-lovers romance.
Themes Romance, Coming of age, Enemies-to-lovers, Allegiance, Treachery, Dystopia.
Wendy Jeffrey
Ludicrous legends: Myths with a twist by Jol Temple and David Conley
Ludicrous Legends: Myths with a Twist is the first instalment of a new series, and a cleverly crafted champion. Combining the talents of author Jol Temple and illustrator David Conley, this wildly entertaining junior novel ingeniously blends history and humour in a hybrid text of narrative and graphic. Perfect for young readers with an interest in mythology - or those who simply love a good laugh - this book transforms well-known Greek myths into something fresh, accessible and thoroughly amusing.
The story follows school boy, Hector – who loves myths - and his loyal best friend, Hylo - who just happens to be a centaur - as they prepare for an important test on Greek mythology, set by their teacher Mr Socrates. This forms the narrative thread of the book, but it is far from any ordinary study session. As Hector and Hylo recap, readers are taken on a ‘dip’ dive into the facts and comical reinterpretations on famous legends, such as Hercules, the Trojan Horse and Minotaur.
Temple masterfully intersperses bite-sized historical facts, making learning feel effortless, ensuring readers absorb genuine historical knowledge while being completely captivated. This balance of fact and fiction is one of the novel’s greatest strengths; entwining education and entertainment.
Conley’s illustrations elevate the reading experience even further. The cartoons and graphic panels add an extra layer of enjoyment with visual humour and action that perfectly complement Temple’s comedic tone.
The humour is constant and playful, yet beneath the comedy lies a genuine appreciation for mythology and storytelling. Young readers not only come away laughing but also with a stronger understanding of Greek myths; even testing their knowledge at the very end by taking a snippet of Mr Socrate’s Legendary test.
Short, sharp and fabulously fun, Ludicrous Legends: Myths with a Twist is an excellent choice for middle-primary readers and an exciting launch to a series that promises many more hilarious historical adventures ahead.
Rose has lived for many years in Australia, but England is the country of her birth. At a time of change in her life after failed marriages and the end of her political career, she is drawn to investigate Tom - her first love. Wanting to fill in details and to find answers to why their relationship disintegrated and to see what Tom has done with his life since she left, she returns to Rye in England. There she discovers she is too late to find answers from Tom, but his mother, Dora, also a former politician, becomes a lifeline, a confidante and a friend. Their friendship almost magically cements itself and Dora even asks Rose to write her biography. This journey into another life has many twists and Rose not only uncovers truths long hidden but also starts to assess her own life’s path.
Written from the perspective of many different characters in Dora and Rose’s life, and through letters and communication between Rose and her close Australian friend and former work colleague, Chris, the story delves into the nature of friendship and love. With hints of discussion about feminism and the power struggles within relationships, and even political life, this is essentially a reflective journey into the lives of two women who have loved and lost and have given themselves an opportunity to explore their own histories. This is an adult story, the nature of female friendships, and shame and grief are explored and insights into the changing nature of the world are possible. The cover of this book almost automatically has a feminine mystique and English country garden-feel, and the book will definitely appeal to adult female readers.
Miss Horrid is the meanest teacher at Plonkton Primary. She forces her class to do all manner of awful tasks, she could even be the meanest teacher in the whole world! When Miss Horrid cancels the Fun Park excursion, it’s the last straw for Class 5H. Led by the industrious 10-year-old Hazel and her breakdancing pal Aki, the students plan to rid themselves of the school’s meanest teacher. With the help of Hazel’s next door neighbor, the trio build an AI controlled robo-teacher, using bits of junk from around the house and throwing a dress on it for good measure. Initially the students embrace this new teacher but soon the AI powered robot begins to spiral out of control and decides to take over the world!!
What follows is a brilliantly engaging story about evil teachers, a principal with no backbone and a group of students who are facing the consequences of their actions (in the form of a robot with major dictator tendencies).
No teacher wants to read about an evil teacher making their students unhappy all the time, but this book was a joy to read, funny, silly and with a great outcome, thankfully! I loved that the students weren’t all stereotypes and in fact all had quirks that made them relatable and engaging. Miss Horrid is truly unlikeable so readers will understand the need and want of the students to find a solution.
This will be a favourite on bookshelves as readers share it with their friends, it would be good as a read aloud but the illustrations and “Bonus Bits” lend itself more to being an independent read.
Behind the Screens by Dr Niraj Lal. Illus. by Aska
University of Queensland Press, 2026. ISBN: 9780702268946. (Age:9 – older readers) Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to have been sent this handy smaller-sized book to review by University of Queensland Press. As an older Australian there is so much I am not aware of regarding the workings of the internet, and how it influences so much of what happens in our daily life.
Behind the Screens is authored by Dr. Niraj Lal, an ANU Visiting Fellow and the host of the ABC’s kids’ podcast Imagine This. This important book is brought to life by comic artist Aska, whose engaging illustrations complement the direct, accessible writing and add a playful visual layer throughout.
Set out as a traditional non-fiction text and opening with a Contents page, the book’s chapters can be dipped into as needed, yet they also flow naturally from one to the next. The chapters present information in clear, accessible segments, with generous white space and key terms highlighted in blue, while humorous graphic images help break up the text and keep readers interested.
Some of the constructive information considered by the author includes facts about:
· Data and metadata · The ‘addiction’ to mobile phone checking · The dopamine connection to mobile phone usage · Targeted advertising following you from site to site · Social media influencing public opinion more than traditional media ever did, as well as the role influencers play · Friendship issues, social skills · Online trends rippling into politics, shopping, and even community life · Mental Health is also thoughtfully considered with strategies offered in order to support those who maybe needing it including a Family Tech agreement · How to protect yourself online
This valuable and highly recommended book deserves a place in every home and classroom. It gently reveals what happens behind the scenes of the powerful internet, offering insights that are both timely and important. While much of the factual content may already be familiar to younger readers, its deeper implications are something they and the adults in their lives may not yet have paused to consider.
A wonderful resource for both teachers and parents, offering an ideal starting point for meaningful and perhaps necessary conversations about the internet.
Judith Rossell, most well-known for the Stella Montgomery series, has had an illustrating or writing hand in just about every children's book category (picture books, chapter books, novels for older children, non-fiction, even maze books). Whole page black-and-white illustrations, along with comic strips on many pages and short chunks make this an approachable and appealing chapter book in which the pictures and the text have equal footing. Readers will delight in the hilarity of Spud and Snowball's antics, cleverly illustrated by Rossen.
Spud and Snowball are a funny pair, each with one defining characteristic. Spud likes hatching cheeky plans and Snowball likes eating anything and everything. Cat lovers will get a special kick out of seeing what cats left alone inside might get up to during the day when nobody is home! In this, the first in a new series, the two cats are doing what they do every day (laying on the couch watching television) when an advertisement comes on for Fancy Fish food. A few minutes later the internet shopping is done and not long after that their package arrives. But, it isn't cat food, it's a fancy fish named Sir Mimsy Waffle Poffle Foffington. In fact, the fancy fish they just took delivery of is the most famous opera singer in the world! He expects butlers and fancy snacks and Spud and Snowball try very hard to please him but they aren't impressed. "Can we eat him now?" says Snowball.
Fans of the Fox and Rabbit, Ollie and Bea and Narwhal and Jelly series will adore this.
