The beautiful and striking front cover of In My Garden will appeal to readers both young and old. This delightful picture book showcases the diversity of gardens from around the world and includes the following countries: Japan, America, Malawi, Iceland, New Zealand, Syria, Laos, Canada, Italy, Brazil and Australia. The front and back end papers, both different but sharing similarities, will provide a clue to the diverse worlds the reader will enter.
Each stunningly illustrated double page spread introduces a child by name and shares the plants and creatures they can see as well as a personal insight into their thoughts and feelings. The language used is reflective and lyrical and is perfectly complemented by the gorgeous water colour images. There is Aiko from Japan who “hears the sound of the sweetest nightingale hidden”, Ari from New Zealand “guards little blue penguins”, Freyja from Iceland “keeps watch through the night for Northern Lights’, Sami from Syria is remembering another garden away from where he now sees “the night sky lights up, fire against the hills”, and for Olivia from Australia “the billabong is her favourite place.”
This wonderful book will be a worthy addition to a home, school or public library. There is so much learning to be shared and discussion to be had around the variety of plants and creatures throughout the world. Teacher notes are available.
Themes Gardens, Nature, Diversity, Countries of the World, Children.
Kathryn Beilby
Roobee Roo: Fun in the sun! by Nico and Candy Robertson
Another in the highly entertaining series of board books about Roobee Roo and her magic pouch is presented in this book, Fun in the sun. Dressed in her beach swim wear which coves her arms and shoulders, Roobbee Roo asks the question about what is in her pouch which gives clues about where she is off to today. Astute young readers will open the flap and spy her beachwear, sun lotion along with a bucket and spade, all tucked neatly into her pouch, and know that we are headed for the beach.
She pops on her sun block and swimmers and puts a large floppy hat on her head. She makes big footprints in the sand and collects lots of found objects which she arranges from the smallest to the biggest. She sees her biggest treasures, Wes and Perri and greets them with a ‘g’day’. She shows them how to leap over the waves, Perri shows them how to pretend to be a fish, and the three build a sand village with a Roobee Roo mermaid.
A wonderful day a the beach is had by the three friends, the board book detailing what things happen at the beach and how they can enjoy themselves, doing a variety of things. The book gives older people the opportunity to talk about the preparations needed when going to the beach and what to watch out for and what is needed to protect themselves. Kids will love following Roobee Roo and her friends as they take the opportunity to take part in the activities that are part of going to the beach. An emphasis on Australian customs and language gives a familiar feel to the story. Information about the authors can be found here.
Themes Beach, Swim wear, Sun screen, Protection, Humour, Lift the flap.
Fran Knight
Lay your body down by Amy Suiter Clarke
Text Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922790460. (Age:Adult - young adult)
Noble Wife Journey is a 2011 blog from Messiah parish in a small town, Bower in Minnesota. The writer, Eve, applauds the teachings of Pastor Rick “women are created to serve, to be pure, to submit, to be a delight to their husbands.” p2. Eve exhorts readers to subscribe to the blog and learn the tenets as she prepares herself to be a Noble Wife. Shifting to the present, Del, Delilah, is having a hard time; her boyfriend calls off their relationship, her roommate wants her to move out and she learns that her first love, Lars Oback, has been shot dead. Del grew up in the Messiah church where her parents still attend and it is 6 years since she last saw Lars who married her friend Eve. She finds out about the death on social media where it is described as an accidental shooting but Del had a voicemail from Lars just four days earlier, which she left unanswered, he asked her to call him saying “you were right, I’m sorry” p10. The story shifts from the present, as Del returns to Messiah for the funeral, to excerpts from the Noble Wife blog from 2011 and to excerpts from Delilah’s diary starting back in 2012, piecing together Eve’s elevation and Del’s fall from grace in the church. Returning to Bower is difficult for Del, uncovering old wounds and since she left, the church has become more powerful. Eve became a popular influencer through her blog, Pastor Rick published related books and the church now owns many of the local businesses. Del misses the constant support and encouragement she had when she belonged to the church but it had failed her when she most needed it and she chose to leave, now she is back to find out the real story behind Lars’ death and confront her own demons.
I was a bit worried that this was going to be a tirade against the church but rather it illustrated how, when there is a lot to lose, an institution like Messiah church can become excellent at protecting itself. The author was able to show us how “church speak” can manipulate teachings from the bible to shut down debate and retain its power and influence. Significantly in this case, women must unquestioningly respect a man’s authority, submit to leadership and obey God’s will; the different messaging for men and women gives men, especially those in authority, significant power over women and girls and when the wrong man is given that power it corrupts. The plot was a bit thin and the ending a bit weak but I was happy to go along for the ride as the insights into the cult like church and the manipulation of those wanting to belong, have approval and a slice of that power was very well handled.
Themes murder, Cults, American ultra conservative Church.
Sue Speck
Roobee Roo: that's me! by Nico and Candy Robertson
The first in this new series of Lift the Flap books, called Roobee Roo: that’s me, has instant appeal for young children as it is a small, hand sized solidly constructed board book replete with bright colours and few words.
In That’s me, we are introduced to the most endearing of kangaroos, Roobee Roo, who tells us she has two big eyes, two big ears, two big feet and a magical pouch that fills up with new things every day. A sense of anticipation is built up as the days of the week roll by.
On Monday the pouch fills with crayons, and the flap is pulled down to reveal five crayons. On Tuesday the pouch fills with stories for reading at night, on Wednesday it fills with leaves and nuts collected from the bush, on Thursday she finds building blocks, on Friday it fills with snacks, on Saturday it fills with shakers to sing with and on Sunday a fluffy parrot.
Each day encourages children to talk about things which may be in the pouch, learning the days of the week as the story goes on. The things she finds in her pouch are things which can be discussed and talked about between the adult and the child, as some may be unfamiliar to the smaller reader.
And what fun they will have predicting what may be in the pouch the next day. Roobee Roo and her magical pouch is instantly recognised by toddlers who will be excited by the bright illustrations, emphasis on Australian flora and fauna, and that it is the first in a series. And there is a TV show.
New Frontier, 2023. ISBN: 9781922326713. (Age:9-12) Highly recommended.
Odelia and the Varmint is a whimsical adventure, full of quirks, surprises, and pirates. Odelia and her mother and infant brother live in Victorian London in near penury following the untimely death of Odelia’s father. Their difficult circumstances may be rescued if only Odelia’s mother’s Pirate adventure novel could be finished and published. Instead, the pirates from the pages of her book visit their house, causing mayhem and swashbuckling havoc. Pirate treasure would be nice, but instead the household becomes the target of a local thief and Odelia and Captain Blunderfuss, the rude, smelly and ‘vocabularily-twisted’ pirate, must rescue Odelia’s young brother from the clutches of a well-dressed thief.
The delight of this book is that fictional characters have managed to leap from the pages of a manuscript and into real life – the dream for every reader. That these characters are also strangely piratical and never tyrannical, and display extremely obnoxious personal hygiene traits, and possess a weird vocabulary that is intensely humorous, will delight young readers. Even though the central character is dealing with grief and difficult circumstances, there is a lightness to this story that is charming and reveals her resilience and determination. Her penchant for discovering word meanings (she was focussed on V words - hence the Varmint in the title) adds another peculiarity to the story and another ray of light. The setting in Victorian England is also a curiosity for children raised with modern tastes and expectations. This will be a story that charms. It is a gentle fantasy, with pirates, and would make a great shared story, but equally will be gobbled up by young readers aged 9-12.
Described as a ‘genre-bending novel’, The hummingbird effect presents four stories from different time periods, and only towards the end do we begin to make the connections. There are Lil and Peggy working at the Footscray meatworks in 1933, Hilda confined to aged care during Covid in 2020, La working in the WANT warehouse in 2031, and sisters Maz and Onyx collecting the pieces in a 2181 post-apocalyptic world. In between chapters, there is a conversation with an AI robot about what human innovations would need to be uninvented to ensure a better world. And then there is ‘Before Now Next’, a repeated poetic section that describes the continuous flow of the river of life.
There are themes that connect the four scenarios. In each there is the issue of exploitation of workers, the growth of capitalism and the dehumanising and relentless pressure to achieve more, in the meatworks factory, in the aged care home, in the Amazon-like warehouse, and even in the ‘Stewardship’ teams of the future. And in each time period, it is women who connect together to help and care for each other.
I found one of the most powerful scenes to be the brooding violence in Peggy and Jack’s relationship, that at any time the angry red cloud could envelop him, and his fury become uncontainable. Mildenhall’s writing puts you right in the scene and you feel Peggy’s anxiety and terror. For others, scenes that will resonate strongly will most likely be the containment of the Covid era, the isolation and loneliness. And then in the WANT warehouse, as in the factory, there is the oppressive workplace demands to continually up targets and outperform. There are so many situations in this book that people will readily identify with, not least being the sense of impending world disaster, a wish to turn back the climate change clock.
The ‘hummingbird effect’ is about events triggering other outcomes in wholly different fields. The AI discussions reveal how each innovation has positive and negative implications, and it is impossible to single out one responsible factor from the complex web of interactions that might lead to the end of the world. The suggestion is that the worst mistake is actually the human race itself.
This may all sound negative, but the uplifting aspect of the 2181 scenario is the friendship and support between the two sisters Maz and Onyx, the fellowship with other caring women, and the feeling of optimism when women work together. All in all, The hummingbird effect would be an excellent book club choice for thought-provoking discussion.
Themes Women, Future, Workers, Artificial intelligence, End of the world, Domestic violence, LGBQTI+.
Helen Eddy
Hello Twigs: Time to paint by Andrew McDonald & Ben Wood
Friends, Ziggy Twig, Red Twig and Stump love to watch Noodle Twig, the artist, paint. Creative Noodle wears the blue beetle as a hat and knows exactly what she wants to paint, she just needs her friends to assemble the materials. Stump helps by mashing up green grass, red berries and yellow leaves while Ziggy holds up a leaf canvas. Red Twig puts the paints together with a huge dollop of red claiming to have ‘equal' amounts. The only problem is that they have no blue paint. The inventive method of getting some of the blue sky involves acrobatics and a see saw but the result, while successful, is unexpected. Time to Paint, one of a Hello Twigs series, has just enough challenging vocabulary for beginning readers developing proficiency as well as for enjoyable reading aloud. The simple graphics and clean clear colours, fun storyline with jokes to be shared, make these a good addition to any school library.There are teachers notes and activities provided on the website.
Themes Friendship, Creativity, Problem solving.
Sue Speck
A curious daughter by Jules Van Mil
Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781761263767. (Age:16+)
In a prologue dated 1994 Melbourne we see Avril Montdidier-Meredith at her lawyers signing the papers to sell her fashion businesses. Next it is 1979 at Monagan Station Queensland where preparations are underway to celebrate Avril’s daughter, Joy Meredith’s 18th birthday. It is to be a big event at the outback station, attended by many relatives and friends including Joy’s best friend Scarlet and Hugo Lombardi who shows great interest in Joy, and they begin a relationship. Joy is not close to her mother but dotes on her grandfather Henry; when he has a heart attack and dies after the party she is devastated. Soon after the funeral Joy moves into a share house at Indooroopilly with Scarlet and begins to study veterinary science, work part time at a bar and further her relationship with Hugo. It is a busy life and Joy starts to have doubts about her relationship with Hugo, but she does look forward to the evenings when there are live bands at the pub, especially the band Around Midnight. The story follows Joy as she drifts through life following her own path, making her own decisions. There are challenges, but by any standards hers is a life of privilege and there are many choices open to her. This is a sequel to A Remarkable Woman which I haven’t read which must explain why there are so many characters who don’t seem to be part of this story, it also might explain why there is such a sketchy sense of place at the start and why Avril’s fashion business intrudes on Joy’s story.
This is a saga, true to the meaning of the word, a long and leisurely narrative, and will appeal to lovers of this genre and those looking for a sequel to Van Mil’s previous work.
Themes Romance, Rock band, Independence, Travel.
Sue Speck
Harriet's hungry worms by Samantha Smith. Illus. by Melissa Johns
EK Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781922539472. (Age:4+)
At Harriet's place it's her brother Fred's job to walk Walter the dog, and her sister Sally's job to look after the chooks. Harriet's job was to take care of the nine-hundred-and-eighty-three worms that live in in the big green box in a shady corner of the garden. Each day she fed them different scraps and waste that the family generated but after a whole week it seemed that they did nothing but eat and wriggle. And then Harriet spotted the tap at the back of the big green box and discovered something quite magical.
There have been some outstanding books helping our young readers understand how they, themselves, can contribute to looking after the environment released recently, and this is one of them. Back in the days of the dinosaurs when I was at school the only thing we learned about worms was that they were hermaphrodites (something I can still recall all these years on) but nothing about how essential they are to keeping the planet healthy and balanced, even helping to reduce methane gas production which is such a contributor to climate change. By writing an engaging story that will appeal to young readers as it takes the reader through worms' menu through the days of the week (a much healthier version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar) with a nod to alliteration as well as some essential worm facts and their foodie likes and dislikes, this is narrative non fiction that will inspire our children to investigate having their own worm farm either at home or at school, as well as understanding the concept of composting and generally giving Mother Nature a helping hand.
Ready-made farms are readily available and many councils offer rebates on their initial cost, although it is easy enough to build one, while there is plenty of advice and information available to ensure the farm is healthy and active. Teachers' notes linked to the Australian Curriculum also offer insight and information to help not only appreciate the story but also inspire the students to be more pro-active about being involved so they too, can feel they are contributing.
Roller-coaster romance in the face of terrible terror! Wren Wheeler begins the story as an American teen planning her future, quashing her fears, and travelling on a study tour to the UK. Her life, and the rest of the world, goes into freefall when a comet’s path is forecast to catastrophically destroy the earth. Fear overtakes the world. Wren’s accidental encounter with a young male member of the British Royalty gives her opportunity to see a way to return to the family she loves before the end of the world. (Note: This is not the Royal family we know, but a fictional representation – a brave author choice.) But first, does Wren also need to rescue the Prince?
This is such a whirlwind story. An impending apocalypse is perhaps the catalyst for action and romance to be compressed into a very short time span – a real roller coaster. This story catapults the reader into an ‘amazing race’ journey across Europe, in a chaotic and erratic attempt to find a solution to Wren’s problem – to find a way home to her family. Prince Theo, also separated from his Royal family, is in contrast trying to run away from obligation and expectation and stay far from his own family, but he also has the resources to help Wren, provided he can remain hidden from the world. The young teens also become unlikely romance partners in their separate quests, and there is romantic tension for much of their journey. As with all romance stories the road to love is marked by twists and turns and stretches of turbulence, and yet desires rise to the surface at the same time as the young teens are battling with their own inner battles. The overarching torment of the approaching ‘end of the world’ scenario, plus the complications of royal life, adds a complexity to this story that lifts it above most teen romance stories. Recommended for readers aged 14-18 years who enjoy romance and a fast-paced story.
Themes End of the world, Romance, Monarchy, Family relationships, Family expectations.
Award winning Australian writer of Afro-Caribbean descent, Maxine is well known for her books, amongst which. The Patchwork bike (2016) and 11 words for love (2022) are my favourites. And here is another to add to the list.
We know a place is revealed in the most amazingly muted colours across beautifully textured pages, each page a mix of the children and book characters, accompanied by sets of eyes peeing out at the reader. The children love going to the local bookshop, the bold little bookshop in Ballarat Street, on Saturday morning. When they come home they are accompanied by the characters they read about, and this week, Mum is happy for the trolls to go back to the bookshop, the bold little bookshop on Ballarat Street. No more pirates, or trolls or monsters or giants are welcome at home, she tells them. No wild things, she says and would prefer them to bring home books about flowers or origami. After they have helped with the chores, note Mum and Dad reading in the lounge while the children ‘help’, over the page we go with the children to the bookshop, characters peering at them from behind posts, down the lane, with eyes bulging out at them as they go. Kids will laugh at the attempts by Mum to keep the odd characters out of her home, and even more when the children say that she will forget this by next week, giving them the opportunity to bring more home. Kids will love recognising the book characters seen on the pages, and feel at one with the engaging images of bookshops throughout the book. Younger kids will see various things that happen in a bookshop: buying books, listening to a story, looking for a book on the shelves, reading alone.
A wonderfully funny homage to bookshops and their workers, the pages are awash with gentle humour and positive images of families and bookshops.
A clip of Maxine talking about poetry and performing her poem about Tick Tock can be viewed here.
Go to Youtube to find Maxine presenting a Ted Talk about herself. It tells you about her background and what she gained from libraries, and her perseverance in trying to get published. Teacher's notes are available frm the publisher.
Themes Libraries, Family, Bookshops, Books and reading.
Fran Knight
Pow Pow Pig Snow action by Anh Do. Illus. by Peter Cheong
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761068928. (Age:6-10) Recommended.
In this, the 5th installment of the Pow Pow Pig series, Anh Do treats his readers to a Christmas mystery complete with a Claus family drama and a lesson on judging people by their appearances. For those who haven't read the rest of the series (this reads fine as a stand-alone by the way, providing a brief but fabulous recap chapter) Pow Pow Pig and his mates (Chow Chow Chicken, Barry the Goat and Kung Fu Duck) are from the future and they are the only ones who can go back in time to save the world. In each book they are trying to get to the year 2030 in an effort to convince the rich animals to help the poor animals and avert the disastrous future, however, their time machine inevitably takes them to the wrong place and time.
In Snow Action they've landed at the North Pole in the year 2010. They can't do anything to save the world here but the time machine needs charging so they do a little exploring and discover a mystery that just has to be solved. Santa's sleigh and two of his reindeer have been stolen. Who could do such a thing and does this mean Christmas is ruined? Explosive and action-packed black and white illustrations by Peter Cheong take up most of every page and the action comes on thick and fast with plenty of dialogue and simple narration. There is a lovely and overt message about forgiveness and looking past appearances to see what really lies under the surface. The Pow Pow Pig series is a wholesome and fun series to put into the hands (or ears) of any young reader.
Themes Forgiveness, Christmas, Time travel, Mysteries.
Nicole Nelson
Mine! A story of not sharing by Klara Persson and Charlotte Ramol. Translated by Nichola Smalley
The subtitle highlights the theme of this book, especially as the cover picture shows Sally pushing a toilet into her wardrobe. Dealing with a perennial problem, that of keeping things for themselves, the book will instantly appeal to adults and teachers, older kids and younger, for whom sharing is a concern within their household or classroom.
Nico is coming to play for the afternoon, and Sally doesn’t want him to play with her squirrel, so Mum suggests she puts it into the wardrobe and play with it later. Sally then adds the train and the truck, the fish and the fishing rod. Then this and this, as she keeps giving Mum more things to put into the wardrobe. When Mum leaves the room, Sally keeps adding more. She even shovels her bed into the wardrobe. Then her favourite puppy picture. Not being content with this, she goes into the lounge and takes the TV, sofa and plants. Then the bathroom is cleared of its bath, wash basin and toilet. The wardrobe must be stuffed full, but Sally puts in the kitchen fridge and even Mum. When Nico turns up to play as well, he is packed away.
The startling illustrations will entreat the readers as they peruse the detail on each page, set against the backdrop of Sally’s bedroom and that wardrobe. The images underline the things found in each room, and readers will be amazed at what can be fitted into the wardrobe, thinking about the space inside the wardrobe and the size of each of the things she stores away. One double page will need to be turned around the see the effect of putting everything in the wardrobe, seeing the whole floor empty, comparing it with the double page later on showing all the goods as they spill out of the wardrobe.
When Sally hears lots of noise from inside the wardrobe, she is upset as they appear to be playing without her. She opens the door and all the contents spill out over the floor. And out of the muddle comes a solution to the problem. For now!
Pan Macmillan UK, 2022. ISBN: 9781529039474. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
The first book in the Edinburgh Nights series features 14 year old Ropa, a ghostalker. She has the ability to speak to ghosts and communicate messages from them to the living. After dropping out of school to look after her Gran and younger sister, Izwi, Ropa's work as a ghostalker is what keeps them alive. When Nicola, a dead mother, begs her to find her missing son Ollie, Ropa finds herself pursuing the mystery of what has happened to all the children who have disappeared. With her friend Joma giving her access to the magical texts in the Library of the Dead, the Secretary Sir Callendar giving her a sorcerous scarf, and a new best friend Priya Kapoor helping out, Ropa is soon on the dangerous trail of the evil criminals using the children.
Set in a post apocalyptic Edinburgh, the intrepid Roya, accompanied by her faithful fox companion, navigates the dark streets of the city and the dangers of Camelot, the tent city that has been set up for the homeless. Of Zimbadwean descent, Ropa is a strong, principled young girl who uses her mbira, an ancient African musical instrument to talk to the ghosts. The supporting cast of characters, her bestie Priya, Gram, younger sister and Jomo, as well as a range of villians, are all fleshed out fully and add depth to the story. And Ropa's witty asides lighten some of the dark and frightening events in the story.
I look forward to reading more in the Edinburgh Nights series, although people wanting a stand alone story will be happy with The Library of the Dead. Younger readers may enjoy Victoria Schwab's City of ghosts which is also set in Edinburgh.
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761180224. (Age:11-14) Highly recommended.
Award-winning author Rebecca Lim whose book, Tiger Daughter was the CBCA Book Of the Year Older Reader winner in 2022, has once again explored the journey of migration from China to Australia in Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky. In this deeply moving story two young Chinese children, thirteen-year-old Fu and his younger sister Pei, live through extreme hardship in a small village in rural Southern China in the 1950’s. The conditions the children and their mother Yun face after their father Ju vanishes to Australia are deeply disturbing and heartbreaking.
After the tragedy of losing their mother, the two children find strength and courage to make the long journey in search of their father, who in China had been a teacher and activist and was considered an enemy of the new government of Mao Zedong and his Collectives plans. With just a photo, a letter and a menu from a Chinese restaurant in Australia, the children must travel frightening distances trusting that the adults they encounter: Cadre Ling Wei, Sister Zeng, Miss Ewa, Kevin Stevenson and Bob Chen, will finally deliver them into the hands of their father.
The striking descriptions of Fu and Lei’s journey from Southern China to the bustling Hong Kong Harbour and city, and the experiences of living and travelling on the sampan are beautifully written and will bring these places and times alive for the reader. The depth of the characters with their back stories and tenacious zest for survival is powerful, in particular the stories of Cadre Ling Wei and Sister Zeng, whose life experiences are so different yet they have a such strong connection.
This book shares with the reader the plight of people in China in the 1950’s, their struggle to survive each day, their need for a safer and better life for their families and the risks they would take to achieve this. The story also highlights the racist and shameful ‘White Australia Policy’ and in the words of Rebecca Lim in her Author’s Note p. 292-293:
“At some point in our family trees, most of us came from somewhere other than here…This country was never white to begin with, and yet Australia persevered with an immigration policy that sought to ensure that, in Alfred Deakin’s words, the “yellow, the brown, and the copper coloured are to be forbidden to land anywhere.”
Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky is a compelling story that will engage and provide readers with a vivid glimpse ininto an historical time and place that may be unfamiliar and promote further discussion and research.
