A wriggling rabbit leaps out at the readers and inside they follow their antics as they show their whiskers wriggling, then their ears, and how they wriggle on the chair and wriggle with the toy bear. Readers will have joined in with the zany movements by now, transported by Starling’s illustrations of just how wriggly the rabbit is. With a bright cheeky smile, they wriggle round and round, wriggle on the ground, while a change of pace sees them joggle and juggle, as they bobble in the boat, and ride the wobbly car. A change of words again sees them with their squiggly kite, and higgledy piggledy toys, and each change of words will be sure to keep the readers on their toes, listening intently to the rhythm and sounds of the new words if read aloud, and trying them out for themselves while reading alone. As their feet beat out a tune, they can’t stop wriggling, giggling, popping and hopping. But they say, they must stop otherwise they will burst. And so they do.
Children will adore reading about the wriggling rabbit, copying their antics as they read through the book, saying the words out loud, predicting the rhymes as they read, listening to the way it is read to them, and perhaps creating a video to match the words.
The exuberance of the text and movement in the illustrations will appeal to all those kids who cannot sit still and those who who would live to be spontaneous.
The infectious words will be said over and over agin, children trying them out, working out what they mean, enjoying the humour in their depiction by Robert Starling. His illustrations are deceptively simple, showing the rabbit in various poses across the pages, making use of the white space to frame what the rabbit is doing. Colour pops up sparingly, giving it an impact and a wow when it appears, as with the balloons, and the toys and the socks. I love the last few pages with the rabbit wriggling across the white background, finally lying down exhausted, hopefully ready to sleep.
A wonderful story for the classroom or home where a wriggling child can be exercised into some down time.
Themes Activity, Wriggling, Humour.
Fran Knight
Festivals! by Jane Bingham and Mariona Cabassa
HarperCollins, 2023. ISBN: 9781803702902.
Festivals are times for fun and excitement, bring communities together to celebrate and commemorate. And there are many books about the most common that are held in different cultures, religions and societies so that most students have a basic knowledge of a lot of them, particularly those that are important to their school populations.
But what sets this book aside apart from its vibrant presentation is that the festivals themselves are collated not by date or purpose but by action. So there are collections of those where throwing things like gumboots and tomatoes gathered together under the heading SPLAT!; others collected under headings such as Boo!, Crackle! and Parade!, even Splosh!
Amidst the eye-catching illustrations, only two or three festivals are featured and there is just the basic information about them, but this is expanded a little in pages at the back, making this an ideal text for young readers. Who wouldn't want to find out more about a festival that features giant ice castles that sparkle, or one that has a parade of giants or even one wear everyone wears a mask? And then, just in case you missed something there are look-and-find pages that encourage the readers to go back and find particular celebrations.
Time and again throughout my reviews I have said that Usborne really know what makes an interesting, engaging non fiction book and this one is no exception. And, as usual there are Quicklinks to investigate individual festivals further but for me, the power of the book is the similarities in the way that we express joy and delight as we remember and recall, and that in itself, brings communities together as much as any individual focus.
Despite being surrounded by mountains of rock and cacti, the boy prefers to sit inside and experience the world through the screen of his tablet. He fears going far from his home because he has heard the coyotes howling at night and the village dogs barking.
But then he goes to stay with his grandpa in a place far away, much more isolated than even his tiny village, but it still has internet coverage and so his tablet remains his friend. Until the night a coyote steals the bag with it inside, and in his search for it Chico's life changes in ways he will never imagine...
Set in the Valle de los Sirios in the Sonoran Desert in Baja California, Mexico, Jeannie Baker's magnificent and magical collage artwork brings to life an environment that shows that the desert is not necessarily the barren, desolate, lifeless place we envisage but one which is rich in flora and fauna and history. While the landscape she portrays is a specific part of the Mexican desert, nevertheless she raises the possibility that this could be a desert anywhere, just as rich in biodiversity if only we took the time to look and appreciate.
In her notes, she refers to "nature-deficit disorder," where children are indifferent to their natural surroundings because they are isolated from it and ignorant about it, and thus they are likely to fear what they don't know, and what they fear, they will destroy. So this book has a much wider application than just introducing the reader to the wonders of a particular piece of this planet. Even the juxtaposition of the words in the title is significant as it evokes two totally different images in the mind at the same time, neither necessarily as compatible as the title suggests, and those who are familiar with the author's work know that there will be many layers to explore in both text and illustration. For while it is the story of the boy's individual growth as he learns to love the environment and those feelings of wonder and protectiveness follow him home - the lizard unseen on the rock at the beginning becomes a thing of fascination at the end - it could also be the stories of many who are given the chance to experience Nature at her best in the raw and in the wild first-hand. How many city kids have never seen a dark sky glistening with stars because the city lights keep them in permanent twilight? How many country kids have never felt the sea foam tickle their toes or been in awe of the power of the waves crashing on the rocks?
There are so many books for young readers that focus on sustainability and the need to protect the environment, but this is a masterpiece that shows them just what it is they are protecting. And if not here, then where?
It is nearly seven years since we were gifted Circle, and the wonder and beauty of Desert Jungle has been worth the wait.
Themes Deserts, Sustainability.
Barbara Braxton
We didn't think it through by Gary Lonesborough
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781760526931. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Jamie is heading for trouble. He’s a ‘taken away’ Aboriginal kid living with his Aunty and Uncle. He’s angry that his parents have never sent for him, despite his mother’s promise, and he is drifting along with his mates, Dally and Lenny, not really caring about schoolwork, getting into drink and drug parties. Things really go wrong when one night, he and his mates decide to get revenge on the local bully, Mark Cassidy, by taking his precious car for a joy ride. A police chase leads to things really spinning out of control.
Lonesborough says he has based this story on his experiences working with Aboriginal youth in juvenile detention: ‘children locked up and isolated and told they are criminals’. Jamie’s experience of the ‘dark place’, is written with a hammer of words, like poetry without rhyme, hitting with power and emotion. We recognise the brutality and the fear, and also the boredom and mindlessness. Poetry becomes an outlet for Jamie for the feelings that have been pent up too long.
This book, coming after the award-winning ‘The boy from the Mish’, deals with similar issues of alcohol abuse, racism, police violence and aggression, but is much harder hitting. However there are lighter moments, of past memories, and kind people around Jamie, ready to support him; he just needs to step up and make the right decision.
The title ‘We didn’t think it through’ sums up Jamie’s path into trouble, and is a statement that’s easy to empathise with. Pick up the book and start to read and the story will grab you. It’s a great one for YA readers, and highly recommended for school libraries.
University of Queensland Press, 2023. ISBN: 9780702266256. (Age:Young adult) Recommended.
Mahmoud Jafarzadeh (Moud) lives with his father in Los Angeles and is in a gay relationship with Shane Waters whose podcast, "Down with America?" hosts debates on current issues. Nothing risky or special for 17 year-olds in 2019 but when his dad Saeed tells him they are to travel to Iran as his grandfather is ill with cancer the boys have to adjust their social media communications as homosexuality is illegal in Iran. Confident, authoritative Shane has a lot to say about Iran but for Moud it is a chance to connect with family and culture missing in his life. The narrative shifts to Tehran in 1978 when Saeed was 17 and an engineering student. He risks everything to attend student protests against the brutal regime of the U.S. supported Shah. He sees a girl there, Shirin, and instantly falls in love, they meet up again at a nightclub but when the next student demonstration is violently crushed, Saeed is sent away by his father to the US for safety. The third thread of the narrative goes back to 1939 in Los Angeles where 17 year-old Bobby lives with his mother and stepfather Willie. They form the Reeves Trio performing in clubs and bars around Hollywood hoping Bobby’s good looks and talent will be noticed. When his mother gets him a screentest Bobby’s main worry is that he is passionately in love with his friend Vicente; homosexuality is illegal and would violate his contract. Three generations of this family suffer loss and experience injustice, corruption and poverty that is not confined to one country. Through family bonds, food, music and poetry father, son and grandfather work their way through their stories: “It is impossible to build a future when you don’t know the truth about your past” p176. Moud, Saeed and Bobby have to learn to live in the moment “not holding on to the past. Not consumed by the future” p328 and at the same time realise that love is built on time and trust. Using the three voices of similar aged boys Abdi Nazemian explores father son relationships and the importance of love and community. The beautiful descriptions of how Persian culture suffuses Iranian lives, especially the mouth-watering traditional foods and the quotes from poetry strongly contrast with life in Los Angeles. There are also some lessons about gay history and Iranian politics that help to reinforce the main messages of love, support and community. I did think that the character of Baba (Bobby) was amazingly spry for someone suffering from terminal cancer who was a teenager in 1949 and the ending was a bit contrived but by then I was willing to be in the moment and enjoy the book. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Belonging, Iran, Love, Family.
Sue Speck
Spring rolls and Vegemite sandwiches by Pho Yann. Illus. by Annelies Billeter
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922358639. (Age:5-10)
Clearly influenced by the author's own experiences, Spring Rolls and Vegemite Sandwiches is a celebration of food and how it brings people together. Like the author, the young Kim Tran in the story was born in a refugee camp in Thailand before coming to Australia. Kim and her best friend Amy are ten years old. The story compares and contrasts the two families before showing the passing of a week with a specific focus on food, zigzagging between the lives of Kim and Amy. Kim's life is filled with Vietnamese food such as banh mi and goi cuon (rice paper rolls) and involves shopping for fresh coriander while Amy's family indulge in 'taco Tuesday' and bake Anzac biscuits. They are both having birthday parties soon so celebration foods are also compared. Food brings these friends and their families together, particularly on Sunday when they eat together.
While this might resonate with many kids who grow up feeling that their food culture is a bit different to most I can't help but feel that this is a little heavy-handed on stereotypes considering the melting-pot of diversity we mostly find ourselves in these days. Amy's pork roast, meat pie, chocolate crackle existence seems hard to swallow, as does the cliche of Kim's parents owning a noodle restaurant. Sentences like 'Every morning we get off the bus and meet at the school gates and show each other our school lunches' are difficult to believe. There is also an obvious mistake in one of the illustrations, wherein the text reads that Amy is ordering an apple juice but her lunch bag says 'strawberry milk'. This is a nice concept and would have been brilliant twenty years ago but, unfortunately, it just doesn't seem meaningful in the current climate.
Themes Friendship, Food, Culture.
Nicole Nelson
Banjo, the Woylie with bounce by Aleesah Darlison. Illus. by Mel Matthews
Puffin, 2022. ISBN: 9781760899257.
For most of his short life, Banjo the woylie has stayed safe with his mum in her pouch or her nest but as he gets a little older, he ventures out at night in search of food for this little woylie likes two things above all others - mushrooms and bouncing! But there are those like foxes and feral cats who like woylies just as much and when one startles Banjo, he bounces off ... only to find himself far from home and his mum with no more bounce left in him. And it seems worse is yet to come because he is tempted by the sweet smell of fresh fruit and finds himself caught in a trap!
Before Europeans settled Australia, the woylie, also known as the brush-tailed bettong was found over much of Southern Australia but now they are classified nationally as endangered and even presumed extinct in New South Wales, mostly due to predation by foxes and feral cats. So this addition to the Endangered Animal Series which focuses on our lesser-known indigenous creatures that are threatened, at the very least, and which includes Poppy, the Punk Turtle,Coco, the fish with hands and Rusty the Rainbow Bird, highlights the plight of these tiny creatures bringing their stories to younger audiences who are just beginning to understand that there is a wider world around them.
As with the others, this one also features bright, bold illustrations which catch the eye immediately and a story written in simple but accurate vocabulary which respects the young reader's intelligence, and which is supported by fact boxes that offer more information. Perfect for those with an interest in the natural world and who are looking to find out more. At the same time, its format is also the perfect model for older students to base a story and an investigation of another little-known creature of their own. Start by asking , "What would Aleesah Darlison and Mel Mathews have needed to know before they could begin one of these books?" An opportunity for meaningful research as well as those who prefer writing fiction and those who prefer writing non fiction and those who prefer illustrating to collaborate.
Alice’s Shoe written by Julie Thorndyke tells the story of Alice Mary Betteridge (14 February 1901 – 1 September 1966) who was an Australian woman known as the first deafblind child to be educated in this country. Born in Sawyer’s Gully, NSW, Alice became deafblind at the age of two after a childhood illness.
The opening pages of this beautifully illustrated picture book with expressive and lyrical language, showcase the sounds and colours of the farm and surrounding forests experienced by a very young Alice: the green world of cedar forests, the golden world at sunrise, the crimson world at sunset, the noisy brown world of her brothers. One night though Alice falls ill with a fever. When she wakes everything is different for Alice. Sounds are muffled and images are dull. Alice is diagnosed in Sydney as deafblind and her mother takes her to the Deaf and Blind School at Darlinghurst where she is told to return when Alice is older. Back at home, Alice learns to rely on her sense of touch. In particular she loves the feel of textures beneath her feet and struggles to keep on her shoes.
At the age of seven, Alice returns to Sydney to begin at the Darlinghurst School. She is far away from what she knows and in particular cannot adjust to wearing shoes. Miss Reid, her teacher, makes four signs on Alice’s hand over and over again which Alice soon realises spells shoe. This is the first word Alice learns to finger sign and her learning begins. Alice masters the deafblind alphabet and then to read and write in Braille.
The striking illustrations by Jennifer Harrison in soft muted hues are full of detail and in perfect harmony with the era of the story. The sepia toned endpapers showcase important aspects of the Alice’s life journey. The author has thoughtfully included the Deafblind Alphabet and UEB uncontracted (grade1) Braille symbols. This gentle story is a joy to read and one that may encourage further research on Alice Mary Betteridge and deafblindness.
Riz Chester has highly tuned senses and notices things that most people don't, such as the brand of cheese being changed in the tuckshop lunches, the 10gram change in the size of the packets of chips, and the differences between identical twins Sabrina and Jenny. She keeps a note of the differences in her Weird Stuff Log because when she mentions them, people look at her funny.
But when she feels the difference in a $10 note that she is handed as change in a shop, she can't help but say something and so, sets in place an intriguing story of investigation that demonstrates the value of planning, thinking logically and recording what you discover in an organised way.
This is the first in a new series for newly independent readers - the second, The Fingerprint Code is due in November - that features ordinary kids working together to solve a puzzle using nothing but smart, logical thinking. No super powers, fantastic friends or timeslips so it will appeal to those who prefer to stay in the here and now.
With all the regular structures and strategies that support young readers, this is a series that will not only promote reading but with its back pages focusing on the what, why and how of forensics, might also inspire students to at least be more observant and appreciate the value of the research process, if not pursue a science career. One to earmark to get all the episodes.
Barbara Braxton
The little hardware shop by Hazel Lekkas. Illus. by Dasha Riley
Little Steps, 2022. ISBN: 9781922833983. (Age:5+) Recommended.
First time author, Hazel Lekkas, has written a picture story book based on her parents’ years as owners of a hardware shop in the multi-cultural western suburbs of Melbourne. Each page shares the journey of an elderly man who tells his story across the years as he remembers how the hardware shop and its hardware were so important. The story begins with his birth and what was needed to prepare for his arrival, his early years, childhood, teenage years, adulthood, owning his own home, starting a family, and finally becoming a grandfather.
Every page has black and white line drawings with bright flashes of colour until the final double page where the hardware shop is revealed in full colour. The accessible text flows well and the author has cleverly labelled many of the hardware items in both English and one of the 18 languages spoken in the author’s suburb where she grew up: Maltese, Ukrainian, Chinese, Arabic, Croatian, Italian, German, Somali, French, Macedonian, Polish, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Greek, Spanish, Samoan, Armenian and Danish.
This is a simple, yet important book to share with young students as it highlights the diverse culture to be found in Australian schools and public libraries.
Themes Multicultural, Diverse Languages, Hardware, Family, Time passing.
Kathryn Beilby
I am, you are by Ashley Harris Whaley. Illus. by Ananya Rao-Middleton
I Am, You Are is a powerful, newly released book written and illustrated by two disabled people who are also disability activists. This book aims to encourage important discussion and foster growing understanding of the term disability.
Beginning with the statement ‘We are all different’, the book discusses differences, how diverse all people are, and that disability is part of that diversity. The pages following are devoted to the question ‘What is disability?’ and give a range of examples as well as information about seen and unseen disabilities, examples of how diverse disability is and introduces the term neurodivergent. There are further pages dedicated to ableism: how it is found everywhere and how wrong it is to make assumptions. There is discussion around accessibility, inclusivity, limitations, adaptation and innovation with the excellent examples given providing an opportunity for greater understanding.
Encouraging the use of respect, thoughtfulness and consideration in relation to disabled people are shared with ideas for adults and children to act accordingly. There are many key points to come out of the book but two that resonated are that it is important to ask disabled people how they would like to be described and that so much can be learnt from each other’s differences.
This book is presented in bright bold colours with diverse characters showing a number of differing disabilities. There are images, text boxes, speech bubbles, highlighted text, and easily accessible information which will allow children to read it independently. In the final pages there is a glossary as well as three questions to prompt discussion and a note for adults. I Am, You Are is a perfect resource to start a significant conversation around disability beginning in the early primary years through to older primary/early high school years.
It's school photo day and, unlike Australia where students are encouraged to wear school uniform, Faizah wears a special red dress that belonged first to Mama and then handed down to her older sister, Asiya. Faizah adores the dress because of the kindness of family that has been woven into the fabric over time. To complete the picture, Asiya does Faizah's hair in a special style and Faizah pins Asiya's hijab with a special, sparkly pin.
When they get to school Faizah finds she matches with her friend Sophie, who is wearing a dress with red roses and a huge red sash. When their teacher, Ms. Ramirez, asks the class to imagine the kind of world they want and to draw it, while others want an ice cream world or a unicorn world, Faizah draws a kind world, and Sophie draws a superhero world. Then, throughout the day, they use their superpowers to make the world kinder, helping other kids by doing little things that seem little but mean much at the time, and brightening their days. By the time it is their turn for photos, everyone in class is smiling.
But when it's time for sibling photos, Faizah is upset when she sees that she and Asiya don't match, unlike all the other sibling pairs. She is in her special red dress, and looks nothing like Asiya. Can her friends find a way to help?
We first met Asiya and Faizah in The Proudest Blue and this story is another charming celebration of family and friendship woven together through the strong thread of helping others not only being just what you do, but that kindness can come in many forms, and does not need acknowledgement or reward. Being kind is an end in itself - it should never be accompanied by a "what's in it for me?" motive.
In The Proudest Blue, Mama advised her daughters, "Don't carry around the hurtful words that others say. Drop them. They are not yours to keep. They belong only to those who said them." And in this story she tells them, "My kind, beautiful girls. Remember, you are strong and smart. You can do and be anything!" - again, wise words that should resonate with everyone, regardless of their ancestry or beliefs.
There are comprehensive teachers' notes available to support the book, but for littlies it might just be enough to explore Faizah's main point - a kind world is one where there is always a friend nearby to help each other - and let them share stories of how a friend has helped them or vice versa, to emphasise the point that kindnesses can be small, almost unnoticeable deeds and can permeate every minute of the day. Because, despite the subtitle of the book being "A Story of Hijab and Friendship" kindness is not restricted or limited by anything. It is universal.
Queer, autistic student, Waverly, has gained her place in a prestigious private school by way of scholarship and maintains that place by undertaking tutoring jobs and relying on the generosity of the dean. At a minimum cost of $10,000 per ticket, she has only ever been able to dream of attending the school’s extravagant annual masquerade ball.
That is, until the most popular girl in school asks Waverly to secretly attend the ball in her place. This is an offer too good to refuse, especially as Waverly’s ex-girlfriend will be there. And so begins a night of excitement, lies, confusion, murder, fear and action. What should have been a fun dance quickly turns into an absolute nightmare when the powers-that-be take charge during a devastating blackout event in a claustrophobic maze of a warehouse.
This novel demonstrates the huge advantage of those with power and privilege. The private school set is populated by wealthy white families, and it is immediately clear that Waverly and her friends represent the minorities: queer, autistic, disabled, Asian, orphaned, black. They are the outsiders who must band together to survive this crazy night.
With common themes of romance, high schoolers and unexplained crime, fans of One of us is lying will enjoy this fast-paced thriller/mystery. There is a lot to keep track of, and I raced through it as I couldn’t bring myself to stop in the middle of all the action. And, although there may be a point at which it all becomes a bit far-fetched, by then I was invested in the characters and on an exciting ride from start to finish. It is ultimately a battle of good vs evil, and about making the right choices no matter what the expectations of you might be.
Jen Wilde is a queer, disabled Australian author living in the US. Their author bio says “they write unapologetically queer stories about unlikely heroes, awkward romantics and chosen families”. This information is absolutely accurate regarding This is the way the world ends, and it will not disappoint YA readers.
Themes Identity, LGBTQIA+, Privilege & Power, Social Media, Autism.
Kylie Grant
Wake up Lionel! by Sian Turner. Illus. by Rebecca Cool
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922833907. (Age:3+) Recommended.
Poor old Lionel walks in his sleep and on his Granny’s farm this causes some hilarity. Readers will laugh out loud at the sight of Lionel wandering around the farm in his pyjamas, clutching Ted. First he tries to sit on the rocking chair, but finds this is the cat’s sleeping place so he must find somewhere else. Next he finds the dog and tries to share his bed, then rebuffed he goes outside to the stable, where he snuggles into the horse’s hay. The horse says neigh and so he moves on to the pigsty. Again he must move and he finds the henhouse.
Ted becomes hooked up in the wire so must be freed before the pair perch on the roost with the hens.
Leaving the henhouse he is followed by the animals he has shared a bed with and as he goes back to his own bed, the others do the same. They stay a little while then leave Lionel to his own bed, where he is woken by Gran at 7 o’clock with a sunrise.
Black outlined, bold and colourful illustrations cover each page. Readers will be drawn to the images of the animals, recognising each in their turn, and learn the name of each shelter the animal inhabits. Images of the farm will also draw their attention, and the detail shown of the animals and their sounds will entreat readers to say them out loud. Reading the book aloud to a young audience will see them joining in, repeating the sounds made and predicting the rhyming word at the end of each pair of rhyming lines.
A laugh out loud story which begs the reader to be involved, this tale of the animals’ attempts to wake Lionel will be a read it again picture book.
Themes Read aloud, Animals, Sleepwalking, Farm life.
When 12-year-old coding whiz Zoey goes from home-schooled by her software-programmer parents to real school where there are teachers and other students, in an attempt to fit in, she develops an app called the Cool Code with a cute pink llama avatar called C.C. that she hopes will tell her everything from what to say to what to wear based on pop culture algorithms she's uploaded. But although C.C. may be cute, it's also bossy and starts to give her ridiculous advice, such as running against her new friend Daniel in the school election, and things get awkward. With a few upgrades and a bit of debugging from the coding club, the app actually works - Zoey gets really popular . . . and gets her pulled in all kinds of directions, including away from her real friends.
Even though the new school year is some months away, nevertheless enrolments are open and for many students about to make the transition from primary to high school. the anxiety is starting to grow as they grapple with the changes involved, particularly the aspect of meeting and making new friends at a time in their lives when social acceptance and peer pressure is starting to dominate relationships. So while this is a path well-trod in many stories by numerous authors, nevertheless each one has a place to help reassure those about to embark on a similar journey. It's graphic novel format means it is one to be read individually, but that same format could be the hook that gets the reluctant reader in.
One to add to a display on the theme, including the CBCA shortlisted August and Jones, that might allay the fears of some and also spark conversations about what is concerning them most and how to prepare to overcome that. At the very least, it will demonstrate that their worries are common and shared, and that, in itself, can help.
Themes Mobile apps, Computer programming, Friendship.
