Kirra the koala by Beverly Jatwani. Illus. by Sarah Demontererde
New Frontier, 2023. ISBN: 9781915167354. (Age:4+)
Ling loves cycling, but even more she loves her work at the koala sanctuary where she spends time during the school holidays. She refills water troughs, sweeps leaves, helps trim the bushes and best of all, feeds the baby koalas using a bottle. One evening on the way home her old rattly bike hits a bump in the road and buckles, sending her over the handlebars and into a soft bush by the side of the road. She takes her damaged bike home with her but they all decide it is beyond repair.
The next morning Ling receives an urgent call for help from the sanctuary. A bushfire nearby has left some kolas stranded and they are going out to rescue them. Ling is paired with Sam an older volunteer and together they find a small koala sheltering under a bush. They wrap her in the blanket and Ling aims to take her back to the sanctuary. Sam has other ideas: he wants to take the animal home as a pet. Ling is horrified, these animals are not pets, she remonstrates, it needs to be cared for by experts back at the sanctuary and there she might be reunited with her mother. Even when Sam offers her his shiny new bike, she does not alter her position. A few days later Ling sees Kirra reunited with her mother as they head back to the bush.
A story about integrity and remaining true to yourself is offered in this story of rescuing koalas, the fifth in the series, Together we can change the world.
A page of information about koala is given at the end of the book, alongside images of the others in the series. Teacher's notes are available.
Gregory Hemingway was the youngest son of the famous author Ernest Hemingway. Living with fame at close quarters is not always easy, and for Greg living up to his father’s high expectations and yet desperately desiring his love and attention was not always easy. And despite that, he seemed to surprise both himself and his father frequently with his talents and skills. Hemingway senior may have been a brilliant author, but his relationship skills did not lead to stable marriages or to warm and steady relationships with his children, but Greg was always trying to win over his father while walking a tightrope. The slow unfolding of life in the fractured family reveals the impacts of mental illness (manic depression) upon multiple generations. Greg battles his own descent into the black abyss and the wild swings of euphoria associated with manic depression, but the occasional rise of the desire to dress as a woman is his constant companion. This desire eventually leads to gender re-assignment surgery, and Greg’s life ends ironically with a heart attack, in a prison cell finally identifying as Gloria – living out his heart’s desire.
This is a novelised account of life within the Hemingway family sphere. It is never neat or pretty, and the narrative swings between different events and time zones in a non-linear way, but always painting further brushstrokes in the dark artistry of a family living with fame and dysfunction. Greg does not live a conventional life, with life with his mother a struggle and life in Cuba with his father and stepmother(s) far from ordinary. He would also reel between personal rage and a tough childhood with fists and bats swinging, to a more gentle, loving, and insecure expression of himself. He is never totally Greg or totally Gloria, so the world of the transgender individual does not fit a stereotypical path. His own relationships are also fraught, but mostly because of the instability of life with manic-depressive episodes and shock treatment. His career also catapults him into a variety of directions, as a mechanic, an author, and even working as a Doctor in rural Montana before mania descends, throwing him in completely different directions. There is nothing comfortable about this book and it does make for confronting reading, but at the same time it has been written masterfully and it both shines a light in dark, broken places and reveals truths that are usually hidden. This is definitely an adult biographical story written with a powerful narrative style, only recommended for mature readers who are intrigued by the Hemingway influence, twisted masculinity and the power of dysfunction. The book is well-written, but very distressing on many levels.
Themes Ernest Hemingway, Family dysfunction, Mental Illness - Manic depression, Gender dysphoria, Masculinity.
The 60th Anniversary of Dr. Seuss’s ABC is an absolute delight. Many parents and grandparents will remember reading and listening to Dr. Seuss’s stories and will welcome this edition for this generation of young children to enjoy. This is not a simple alphabet book, but one that combines extraordinarily humorous pictures with memorable rhymes. Right from the first page, the reader and listener will be engaged by the question posed in different fonts and colours:
BIG A little a What begins with A?
Turn the page to 'Aunt Annie’s alligator ….. A..a..A' .Then follows a stunning picture of Aunt Annie sitting on a throne like chair on a long green grinning alligator.
Each of the fifty-two letters, upper and lower case, appear on a double page spread with Dr Seuss’s signature pictures coloured in bright tones. I particularly love
Big L, little l Little Lola Lopp. Left leg. Lazy lion licks a lollopop.
Not only is this a fun book to read and chuckle over, it is also an amusing way for children to learn the alphabet and could appeal to reluctant readers. It is sure to be a favourite read aloud in the homes of lucky children who own it.
Themes Humour, Alphabet.
Pat Pledger
Music is in everything by Zuggy Marley. Illus. by Ag Jatkowska
Music is in everything will bring joy to young children, first experiencing Ziggy Marley’s lovely words in book form and then listening and singing along to the popular song that it is based on.
It will be a delightful experience for children to hear all the ways that music can be found – in the ocean, as the wind blows, in pots and pans and in a concert in the kitchen. Then they can make a rice shaker (instructions included on the back cover) and listen to raindrops falling on the ground. Laughing is a sound that spreads joy all around and a river is something to quietly listen to as it flows past. Birds and bees make music and families can have a concert with pots and pans and rice shakers.
The very cute, colourful illustrations by Ag Jatkowska bring the characters to life and the joy on the faces of everyone as they make music will leave readers feeling good and wanting to stop and listen to the music that surrounds them. The illustrations are ones that are memorable and portray how easy it is to make music from things that children can find easily in the home.
The catchy tune, too, is sure to remain in the minds of children who may find themselves humming along as they listen for sounds. The love and joy that music brings to the family and is shared by members of the neighbourhood is also a very positive aspect of the book.
I can see children really enjoying the book being read aloud, making their own musical instruments and having fun singing along to the lyrics. The book also provides inspiration to stop and listen carefully to the sounds that make music around us. This is a lovely story that will bring happiness to the reader.
Heavy by Dannika Patterson. illus. by Davilyn Lynch
Wombat Books, 2023. ISBN: 9781761111020. (Age:3+)
Using a rescue centre as a parallel for the burden women carry, this story promotes doing one thing at a time, so as not to be overwhelmed and burdened by tasks that women in particular take on. The word, multitasking is taken apart as the women in the rescue centre add another animal to the burdens they are carrying. The picture book makes a conscious effort to be anti-multitasking, promoting instead a calmer life, where all these things we take on are of little importance.
Heavy strives to be a positive children's picture book about women and girls who over generations and all levels of society are expected to do many things. The book earnestly promotes living a lighter life, where just one important thing is the focus of each day.
A family of very strong, positive women run the animal rescue centre, but even here they load themselves, carrying more animals than need be carried.
Nina is very aware of them carrying a polar bear or boa constrictor, and piling other things on as well. These burdens are with them all day, as they pick up children from school, do water aerobics, shop and care for the children at home. Nina sees them struggling, so decides to do something about it.
She invents a pile of burden saving devices to enable the animals to get around without being carried. Now everyone has more time to share with each other and pursue the important things in life, family.
1931 in Shanghai, the Nationalists and Communists are fighting for control of the city, while also attempting to fight off an invasion from Japan. Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but little did she know that the experiment that saved her would also radically change her - no longer able to sleep or age, she can also heal from any wound. Rosalind cannot die - essentially immortal. Turning her back on her traitorous past, she uses her abilities for her country - becoming an assassin, with the code name of Fortune. But now she's on a mission with a partner, trying to uncover a terror cell that is murdering Chinese residents in Shanghai. Problem is, she doesn't typically work with a partner, let alone posing as a married couple. Rosalind will work for the greater good though, while hiding her true identity. Looks like her assigned partner, Orion, also has an agenda of his own, so who knows if even she can unravel the mystery.
While written as the first in a new series called 'Foul Lady Fortune', the book actually takes place after another of Gong's popular series, 'These Violent Delights', becoming the 'Secret Shanghai' series when all put together. Readers do not have to have read the 'These Violent Delights' to enjoy Foul Lady Fortune, as it is its own story, though it does reference characters from the other series, and will in fact reveal the end to that series, so if readers are planning to read 'These Violent Delights', do not read Foul Lady Fortune first. The 511 page novel is a hefty read, but certainly worth it. Some readers may find themselves occasionally confused with character names or affiliations due to the Nationals, Communists and references to other parties, but perseverance in reading pays off. The majority of the book follows Rosalind's viewpoint, with occasional viewpoints from other characters, giving a well rounded story. While it is longer in text than the author Karen M. McManus, it would suit fans of her books.
A story about family and sibling cooperation that Middle primary children with brothers and sisters will relate to. Sisters, Rida and Midiya have two very different personalities, so sharing a room and getting on is not so easy for either of them. The older sibling Rida who is a quiet, studious girl, loves going to the library. So when the Librarian Mx Russell tells her the library is going to close because it needs upgrading after a flood, she is determined to help by joining the fundraising effort by drawing Mehndi designs on people’s hands. Her sister has other plans, in fact, she accidentally raises a great deal more money than her big sister by acting the clown and singing funny songs near her sister’s Mehndi stall. At first, Rida is angry but then she realises that whatever happens, all the money will help the library so they try to put their differences aside, and work together to make their efforts count to save the library.
The book is illustrated using a selection of full-page black-and-white pictures which serve to show the girls in action through the story. The pictures also show a character (the Librarian) who identifies as They, not him or her which is worth noting for teachers wanting a book that has this included. This book is published as part of the Bloomsbury Readers collection, this one being in the Dark Red band.
Themes Brothers and sisters, Libraries, Fundraising, Cooperation, Gender identity.
Gabrielle Anderson
Count the stars by Raelyn Caisley and Gabriel Evans
Maddie loves to watch the parallel shadows the blind makes on the wall in the morning. And she looks for symmetry in the flowers in the garden. She sees Dad making patterns with the bricks he is using to make a path, as he tells her about tessellations. After pulling the petals off a daisy she works out how many petals there are in the whole garden. Patterns are enticing, leading her to ponder the different ways of telling the time, or putting all the coins in small piles when Dad does the school lunches. She loves mathematics and her teacher often puts a star, sometimes two on her work, but she finds that she is the odd one out. When her neighbour’s children come over she wants to talk about circles and rectangles but they just want to play with the dolls and when they cook with Mum the two want to make decorations, but Maddie is interested in measuring the ingredients.
Usually this does not bother her, but lately she sees that others do not share her interest. One day, Dad announces that they are going to the observatory with the new girl, Priya and her mother. Here she is amazed at the use of mathematics as they talk of the speed of light and angles and degree and stars. Priya and Maddie are amazed at all they see, listening to Dad and Priya’s mother tell them about numbers. That night, Maddie sleeps soundly, dreaming of the stars and her new friend.
A charming story of finding a friend who is interested in the same things you find interesting, Count the stars will resonate with younger readers who think outside the square.
The story of the Trojan Wars told from the perspective of the women, is mesmerising. All the gods are there meddling in the affairs of the Greeks and Trojans with caprice and malevolence.
The story begins with Creusa waking in the middle fo the night to flames as Troy is sacked and burnt, its inhabitants slaughtered, the ploy of the Trojan horse successful. We hear of the Greek invasion through her eyes as she runs thorough the night trying, unsuccessfully, to find an escape route, but appalled by the sights she sees, the smoke and fire, the marauding soldiers and the fearful Trojans. It is a stunning introduction to the Trojan Wars, and we are in the thick of it as Troy falls, seeing the panic of the women.
From here we are taken across the seas to Greece and the decisions made with powerful consequences as Helen is brought back to Troy by Menelaus. Ten years of war ensues the Greeks occupying the beaches in front of the city, laying siege.
The muse Calliope narrates numerous stories from the perspective of the women involved in the Trojan War. She is speaking to a male who appears to be writing down some of the stories, and in between her tellings we hear from others: Cassandra, Hecuba, Andromeda amongst many as they try to survive the bloodshed. Goddesses and muses also get a voice in this wonderful story. The women in the main are victims of the gods and the male decision makers. But their stories are enticing, we know that their end will be bloody but are taken in with the background of the women, and how they coped with the intervention of the gods. We hear very little about Helen of Troy or the wars themselves, the horse, the killing of Hector, the voyages of Odysseus, the role of the decisions makers, but we hear of them in passing as they affect women’s lives. The men form a background, albeit decisive, to the women whose stories we hear.
So we see Penelope waiting the long ten years for the return of her husband, Odysseus. She has heard from poems and stories that the war has finished and expects his return but the stories also tell of his adventures in the seas between Ithaca and Troy where his voyage is interrupted by the capricious gods. She hears of his dalliance with women along the way, and talks of the pressure of the suitors eating her out of house and home as they try to win her over, but faithful Penelope keeps them at bay.
We are taken into the palace of Troy where the women watch the killing of Hector, his body dragged behind Achille’s chariot around the city, the women devastated watching from the walls. We hear of the three muses squabbling over a golden apple, and hear of their interference in lives for their own amusement.
All the intoxicating myths are there but told from a different perspective revitalise them, adding another layer of interest to an already thrilling saga.
I listened to an audio version read by the author, Natalie Haynes.
Themes Trojan Wars, Greek myths, Odyssey, Women.
Fran Knight
Willa and Woof: Let the games begin by Jacqueline Harvey
The fifth installment in a series for middle primary readers about a very imaginative 8-year-old girl called Willa and her large, albino wolf hound, Woof. The series by Jacqueline Harvey started with Mimi is Missing, followed by Birthday Business, Grandparents for Hire and Wedding Rescue.
The book opens with Willa training hard for a gymnastics competition in her backyard. She is new to this sport and is desperate to help her team win the competition that is coming up in a few weeks. In the meantime, the relationship between Sunset Views, a nursing home and Willa’s school continues to thrive with the help of Willa and her friend Tae. Willa and her dog regularly visit the nursing home now to provide the residents with animal interaction. When Willa arrives on this particular Monday Mr Babbar has had an idea for a new way to bring the children and the nursing home residents together. A Tournament of the Ages will provide activities that they can all participate in and provide some competition between the children and their older friends. However, an unfortunate accident threatens to disrupt all of Willa’s plans and good intentions but may ultimately lead her to make a new friend with an unlikely rival at school. These easy-to-read, adventurous stories, from the author of the Alice Miranda and Kensy and Max books, are perfect for those readers ready to tackle slightly longer novels. The characters will appeal to most children and will be positive role models for this age group.
Zoe Foster Blake’s creation, Fart, is exploring the wider world in this lift the flap book about all the different smells he encounters.
He first finds some garbage bins in the garden complete with a pigeon and a rat eating their fill. Opening the flap reveals some of the things you might expect to see in a garage bin. Smelly things! Over the page he spies people queued to buy an ice cream while something behind them is baking in the sun. Something very smelly!
He floats into a cafe where he rejects the pizza in the oven and spies his favourite, wonderful anchovies. Lovely and smelly!
On he goes to the house where two children are sitting on the sofa. Fart can smell their shoes and socks, as well as the popcorn they are eating. More delightful smells!
When Fart arrives at the rubbish dump, he is thrilled as it contains all the best smells in the world. Bliss!
This sturdy lift the flap book will get lots of use as younger readers will love talking about smells. They will easily recognise the smells depicted on each page, adding their own worst and favourite smells to the discussion. And of course with Fart as the main character in the book, lots of stories about smelly farts can be expected. So be prepared.
Themes Smells, Rubbish, Farts, Humour, Lift the flap.
Fran Knight
River to Bay: Victoria's Maritime History by Carole Wilkinson and Prue Pittock
As a person unfamiliar with Victoria’s early settlement, River to Bay: Victoria’s Maritime History, was an interesting read. This short history aimed primarily at Year 3, 4 and 5 students, gives a short but revealing insight into the history of Victoria’s early settlement. The information is respectful of the First Nations Peoples of the area and honest in its explanation of how they were treated and seemingly ‘tricked’ into giving away their land along the Birrarung.
Beginning with a contents page with a map of the area settled, the opening chapter shares information about the First Peoples of the area, where they lived and how they used the land. It also mentions that their Country was about to be invaded by ships carrying white people. Following on, the next chapter begins in 1802 and explains the men and ships that began arriving in the area including Matthew Flinders whose treatment of the Kulin men did not involve shooting them - rather he asked them to share a meal. After this the reader is taken through a timeline of settlement, which seems quite complicated in that there were a number of white people making claim to the land in the 1800’s. The book concludes in the present day where the Kulin Peoples were able to take back some land close to the Birrarung. On the final page is a glossary and index.
As this book is a maritime history it provides key information about the ships of the time, the changes in the industry, major milestones over the years such as ships carrying typhoid, the arrival of the Confederate vessel: the Shenandoah, the building of various docks and the infamous West Gate Bridge. A worthwhile resource for early Australian History especially for schools in Victoria.
Themes Exploration & Settlement of Victoria, First Nations People, First Contacts, Australian History, Maritime History.
Jonah and Dylan have antagonised each other from the moment they first met, however their friends think they would make an adorable couple and tease them relentlessly to this end. To put an end to the taunting, they decide to ‘fake date’ for three months and then stage a spectacular breakup that will silence their friends for good.
What a surprise; as they get to know each other the chemistry begins, despite their very different personalities and backgrounds. Jonah who works in a restaurant to support his two younger sisters, appears brash and confident, the life of every party, but this is a far cry from his home life with an alcoholic and often absent single-parent father. Dylan, well-off and outwardly successful in both studies and sport, is more reserved and reluctant to see his therapist to address issues with his estranged brother, panic attacks and PTSD.
Unfortunately, the voices of the two boys sound very similar and there is a lot of description and explanation that can be frustrating to plough through. Readers will also need to suspend disbelief to accept the on-going ‘fake date’ trope, the final extreme change in Jonah’s home life, and the boys’ happily-ever-after ending.
They Hate Each Other is an earnest attempt to address many of the issues facing young people today, and Woody prefaces the novel with a list of content warnings; alcoholism, neglect, underage drinking, PTSD and panic attacks, eating habits and body image, sexual harassment, physical abuse and explicit sexual language. All these are integral to the characters’ backstories and on-going issues, but add a line-up of characters encompassing pretty much the whole range of sexual-diversity and you have a story that often feels overly issues-based. A less contrived alternative might be Erik J. Brown’s Lose You to Find Me, if you don’t mind losing the ‘fake date’ plot.
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761067754. (Age:4+) Recommended.
A tribute to all those people who strive and don’t win, but keep on trying no matter what happens is given in this funny picture book about Lin and her involvement in her first sports' day. She is in the red team and so wears red shorts all through the day. She enters the sack race and the obstacle race, finding them difficult. She competes in the water balloon toss but finds it very hard. By then one child in the group has singled her out, calling her Last-Place Lin. But she keeps on trying. She is dragged through the mud in the tug of war, spits out dirt in the wheelbarrow race, gets all tangled up in the crab race, and despite her efforts still comes last. Again taunted by another member of the red team, a friend tells her not to worry. She still competes but when she drops the baton in the relay race, she takes herself away to hide.
But there is one last race to be involved in: the fun run. She needs to be encouraged to abandon her hiding place and she runs. She keeps going and finds that her name, Last-Place Lin becomes a mantra that helps one foot land after another. She sees others pass her but keeps on running. Eventually she realises that the noisy crowd is cheering her on. Elated, she runs on, and seeing the finishing line up ahead, strives to finish the race.
This is a positive story of encouragement and grit. Lin stands for never giving up, for finishing the race, for determination. This is a charming book to read aloud, encouraging the audience to empathise with the girl who always seems to come last, placing the mantle of never giving up on their shoulders.
Book number 3 in the Ratbags series by the very funny, Tim Harris will be warmly welcomed by the children who enjoy the action-packed pages of these books that are a mix between chapter books and graphic novels. Previous titles include Midnight Mischief and Naughty for Good.
The characters from the first 2 books are back – Jigsaw is still trying to be good; Onion still loves his food and Ripple can be quite smart when he wants to be. Fancy Rat is a new character from Book 2, and his expectations are always too high for the others around him.
In this story, the humans have had enough of the rats and are introducing tough new pest control measures. Rat traps are everywhere, and the rats need to be careful not to fall for the peanut butter traps. The rats have to work out a way to get past the cruel new rules and avoid being captured by the robot minks with laser beam eyes. Naturally, they band together with the most unlikely ally, Crackers the Cat, and work out how to rid the neighbourhood of their new enemies and continue their normal naughty lives in the city. Plenty of action-packed illustrations, speech bubbles, and hilarious text keep the reader engaged. A clue to the next story and a look at the next cover is given at the end of the story to keep young readers engaged, and ready for the next exciting book in this series.
