The Wordy Book is an intriguing and surprising publication, both in its simplicity and complexity. Author/illustrator Julie Paschkis has created striking art works, some containing collages of words, or words used creatively as a response to deeper questioning. Each double page spread of vibrant and decorative paintings offers a glimpse into a world of words or thoughts of where words might take the reader. Words, both familiar and unfamiliar, are spread randomly over some pages, are shaped in the form of the artwork or act as stand-alone cryptic questions. Two thought-provoking examples are: ‘Is the word in the world or is the world in the word?’ and ‘What tells me more - an if or an or?’
The colourful and diverse art works will provide endless stimulation and discussion. Art enthusiasts, and teachers and students of art, will be drawn to the possibilities of reflecting on the images in this book. The final dramatic circular artwork, in hues of blue and green, asks the question: ‘When does the end turn into a beginning?’ There are so many ways this imaginative book could be used in a classroom. The possibilities are limitless.
A wonderfully positive story of being yourself, is presented by storyteller Carl Merrison and educator, Hakea Hustler. Together they have produced a story ostensibly about boots and how you feel when wearing them, but offering far far more, as the wearer comes to realise that he does not need these boots to feel confident and self assured.
The narrator saves his coins and orders the boots that must come by air to his community. He is proud to tell the postman that he saved up for these boots that are just the right colour and with spokes on the bottom, making him feel just great. Putting them on, he must put aside the snipes from others. His sister thinks he is getting above himself, the teacher wants him to wear school shoes, the policeman questions where he got them. But he repels the negative comments, saying how much better he jumps with them, how he can find a partner to do things with, and brush away the blues with them on his feet. They make him feel deadly. At football practice, he can run faster, kick the best torpedo, be active and healthy.
But there are down times with these boots: he feels he is between two worlds, he cannot feel the sand between his toes and must take them off when he goes swimming. Coming out of the creek he finds his wonderful boots have disappeared and sets off to find them. He talks to his grandfather who tells him that he does not need the boots, after all he did all those things before he bought the boots. Being too deadly was not about the boots, too deadly was him all along. A positive and empowering story about finding yourself amongst all the stuff we seem to hold dear will speak to many kids for whom the acquisition of goods takes up their time. This story shows them that they are strong powerful people who do not need outside things to make them feel confident.
Campbell’s illustrations take us to the community where this family lives, showing us the beautiful outback landscapes accessible by air. The vistas are panoramic and detailed, giving an insight into how different life in his community is compared to many reading the book.
Author Carl Merrison is a Jaru/Kija man from the Halls Creek area and worked with Hakea Hustler an educator with a commitment to Indigenous learning and empowerment, on the Honour book, Black Cockatoo (2018).
Samantha Campbell lives in Darwin and is descended from the Dagoman people from Katherine and illustrated Alfred’s War (2018).
Science writer for children, Chris Ferrie, has written a non-fiction picture book for children that gives a simple introduction and explanation of how we came to be here. This is not an easy concept for children and adults to grasp but this small brightly illustrated book will be a very handy visual resource in explaining or answering questions about the concept of how the universe began and the theory of evolution.
The book uses the words first and then on a number of double page spreads connecting two different concepts. These concepts begin with first the quark and then the particle and end with first the particle and then the quark. In between are the steps of how this process evolved. At the end of the book each of the concepts is explained in more detail which is definitely an added and necessary addition to help support the learning and understanding of this process for young children.
Themes Scientific Theories, Evolution, Beginning of life, Physics.
Kathryn Beilby
Eyes on flies by Bryan Lessard
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781760986629. (Age:8+) Highly recommended.
When we think of flies, we think of annoying disease-spreading pests, especially in the Australian summer. Dr Bryan Lessard, aka Bry the Fly Guy, is an award-winning Australian entomologist and science communicator who has written an entertaining and visually stunning book… all about flies! The beautiful bright orange glossy cover, striking photographs, labelled images and diagrams and clearly presented facts, will change your opinion of these much-maligned insects. The double spread contents page shows the information presented in six parts with each part having several chapters beginning with Part One ‘Introducing the Amazing Fly’ and the final section, Part Six, called ‘Fly-ing into the Future’.
One of the most concerning facts for many humans presented early in the book is that without flies there would be no chocolate! The midge fly pollinates the cocoa plant that gives us chocolate. For those fruit lovers, hover flies are one species of fly that pollinates mangoes, blueberries, strawberries and avocadoes. The interesting facts in this book are endless. The blow fly has helped to solve crimes with the maggots providing vital clues for forensic entomologists. The Antarctic midge fly survives for nine moths being frozen solid.
This book is a truly revealing and wondrous read. So much to learn and to ponder over. The diagrams and photos are of a very high quality and complement the text perfectly. An important addition to home, school or public library. A great read.
Themes Flies, Humour, Facts, Scientists, Insects.
Kathryn Beilby
Wave Breaker by Anh Do
Allen & Unwin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761065613. (Age:9+) Recommended.
Skydragon: Wave Breaker written by Anh Do is the fifth book in this popular series for middle grade readers. Amber and her carer Irene, still searching for Firefighter who may be Amber’s brother Reggie, are returning to Sennam but have landed in Spring Bay and found that their flight has been cancelled. This is the perfect opportunity for them both to relax and enjoy the sunshine and a beach holiday. However, Amber is drawn into yet another dangerous mystery when she meets a young boy called Eden who is worried the resident dolphins are missing. Amber is on high alert as she feels something is not quite right in Spring Bay and her suspicions are confirmed when she finds thousands of dead insects on the beach. She and Irene investigate, and this leads to further risks and Amber has to call on her insect powers to help solve the mystery for the town. Running parallel to this story is Firefighter’s story. He is on the run but unselfishly saves some people from a fire and he is exposed on media channels. Amber also has been exposed and Agent Ferris gets wind of both. He is hot on their trail. But whom will he try to capture first? Book Six is coming soon.
Themes Insects, Beach, Sea Creatures, Conflict, Danger, Mystery, Evil.
Karen M. McManus, author of the very popular One of us is lying and other mysteries, continues to draw in her readers with her latest mystery thriller, scattering numerous red herrings throughout the book. These keep the reader glued to the page, eagerly trying to work out who murdered Mr Larkin, Brynn’s favourite teacher.
The story is told from the viewpoint of two engaging teens, Brynn and Tripp. Brynn is returning to Saint Ambrose School after an absence of four years. She has just been given an internship in a true crime show and is determined to discover who murdered Mr Larkin. Tripp was once her best friend and with his friends Charlotte and Shane discovered the body of the teacher. The killer was never identified, the police finally putting the murderer down to somebody passing through, but Brynn has always believed that there was something to be uncovered. However, she (and the reader), are amazed at the secrets that she uncovers as she investigates.
The narrative flows along at a fast pace, as Brynn probes into the motives of all the people who could be involved. Her chapters concentrate on motives and opportunity. Tripp is a vital key to solving the mystery, and his narratives show his family background and what was happening at the time, giving an insight into his motivation while keeping the reader guessing.
McManus does not disappoint with Nothing more to tell. The pace is fast, the interlocking mysteries are well developed, and Brynn and Tripp are very likeable characters. Readers of her other mysteries will love this one, and fans of The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson, or A good girl's guide to murder by Holly Jackson will welcome another great mystery.
Themes Murder, True crime,Thriller.
Pat Pledger
Against all odds. Young Readers' Edition by Craig Challen and Richard Harris
When a Thai boys’ soccer team becomes trapped within a cave system by rising waters, the Thai rescue needs experienced cave divers to facilitate their rescue. Experienced Australian Cave divers, Craig Challen and Richard Harris, become part of the team that works against the odds and the elements to bring the boys out alive.This is their story. Craig Challen is a retired Veterinarian from Western Australia, Richard Harris is an Anaesthetist in a South Australian Hospital, and they both are well-respected and experienced members of the Cave-diving fraternity. It is their medical expertise that makes them so vital in this risky rescue as the boys must be protected from panic and drowning as they are extracted through narrow underwater channels and through difficult underground terrain. At every stage of the rescue they must also consider what might happen if even one of the boys dies during their rescue procedure.
Even knowing the result was a success, the chronicle of the rescue is exciting and adrenaline charged. The Australian lead participants in the rescue were just part of a team and their humility is evident in this account. But the pressure of taking a medical risk in anaesthetising the boys before taking them out of the cave system is also made very plain. I really loved this real-life adventure. Having just finished listening to the Adult/Mature audiobook version of this book, I read this Young Reader’s edition wondering what might have been omitted. I was delighted to discover that the Young Reader’s edition has lost none of the excitement and tension of the original book and none of the important detail. It retains the tension and implies the psychological strength of the rescued boys and their rescuers. I would be happy to recommend this memoir to readers aged 13 -18 who are impressed by the drama of cave exploration and are interested in a factual account of a significant rescue story.
Wild bush days by Penny Harrison and Virginia Gray
Midnight Sun Publishing, 2022. ISBN: 9780987380906. (Age:4+) Recommended.
I love anything about Australia’s past and to read a book about an unknown bushranger and a woman at that, working in the twentieth century is amazing. Jessie Hickman worked as a cattle duffer and thief in what is now the Wollemi National Park part of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. Born in 1890, she trained as a circus performer, her horse riding skills well known and this riding ability stood her in good stead when she and her husband took to the hills.
Two children in this picture book walk over her trail through the hills, over brook and stream, through the craggy hills, searching for the cave where she held out. In lines begging to to be read aloud, we follow the children as they see the sights associated with Jessie, and her search for freedom.
The story winds its way around the hills, the children following her whispers, balancing on the logs over the creek just like Jessie did with her tightrope act, or threading their way through the undergrowth, the bracken grabbing at their knees. They hear her urge them forward, hear the hooves of the horses, aware that she is watching from the shadows.
Forgotten in history, she is now being given a place as two books and a picture book have been produced about her.
More information which will intrigue readers of all ages can be found here and here.
The sites carry photographs of Jessie and the cave in which she hid, the teapot now residing in a museum.
Themes Bushrangers, Australia - history, Women, Circus, Wollemi National Park (NSW), Adventure.
Another in the Dinosaur Roar series is sure to please young children. This time the Ankylosaurus is featured. The embossed cover picture of Dinosaur Bash! will have instant appeal with its brown, raised scales, similar to that of a crocodile, and golden claws, while the rhyming story is good to read aloud.The Ankylosaurus is called Dinosaur Bash because he had a large club on his tail that he loves to swing around. This doesn't help him to make friends as he is always smashing it down and frightening other dinosaurs away. It is not until Dinosaur Roar tells him to take care that he learns how to make friends.
The illustrations are cute and will appeal to the pre-school audience. All the dinosaurs are coloured in vivid shades, set against a white background. Their cute faces are very appealing and readers will recognise some of the dinosaurs that feature in other books in the series like Dinosaur Whizz!
A double page spread of facts about the Ankylosaurus at the end of the book will give young children some fascinating facts about this dinosaur. This is a great series for everyone who is fascinated by the lives of dinosaurs.
A joyous evocation of what country means to First Nations people is presented in this colourful, vibrant two language picture book. With Dharug and English alongside each other, the opportunity is given for younger readers to learn some language, and be educated as to its importance in Australia.
The opportunity is here for discussions about why both languages are presented and readers may question why so little First Nations languages have been seen since European settlement.
Award-winning creator of Baby Business (2019) and Cooee Mittigar(2019), Jasmine Seymour has produced a stunning bilingual story of healing and belonging.
Told in English and Dharug, Open Your Heart to Country is a visual account of re-connection to Country from a First Nations perspective. Returning home means revitalisation, being surrounded by the healing properties of country, being educated by all that is seen and heard, and being immersed in the language of the people who live there. Each brings a sense of belonging and underscores the importance of country to First Nations people.
With exquisite illustrations using mixed media, printmaking and digital collage, each page holds a fascination for eager eyes checking out the detail and evocation of country. I love the overlay of flora and fauna found on the land, the bright bottlebrush and white flannel flowers, the parrots, butterflies and fish. And I love the range of landscapes shown to the readers, as well as the array of things people do when they are there. People are not static, but involved, learning and passing on knowledge.
At the end of book the text is given in both languages alongside each other, as well as an explanation of why language is so important and why Dharag people who are from the Sydney Harbour area are working hard to bring it back to life. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Aboriginal themes, Sydney Harbour, Dharug, Belonging, Aboriginal language.
Fran Knight
A semi-definitive list of worst nightmares by Krystal Sutherland
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761048777. (Age:Adolescent, Young adult) Recommended.
Not usually a fan of magical realism, I was thoroughly engaged by Sutherland’s portrayal of a team of four quirky friends and their seriously dysfunctional families. This is an outrageously over-the-top romp through teenage angst, family dynamics, love and other relationships, while also tackling the seriousness of mental illness, anxiety, suicide, compulsive behaviours and physical abuse and neglect. If this sounds over-whelming, the endearingly eccentric characters of 17 year old twins Esther and Eugene and their friends Jonah and Hephzibah keep the novel uplifting and light.
Esther has long been convinced that her family is cursed by Death, so she has compiled a semi-definitive list of 50 fears that she must avoid, but when her primary-school crush, Jonah, reappears, he forces her to tackle each fear head-on, in a series of wild adventures.
These adventures, involving geese, lobsters, moths, abandoned buildings, graveyards, small spaces and lightening, to name a few, are the backdrop to Esther and Jonah’s rekindled relationship, as well as the tender care that Esther displays towards Eugene as he succumbs to his own demons. They also enable Esther to reflect on the ambivalence that she feels towards her neglectful, gambling mother, and her father who has effectively deserted the family, consumed by his own fear.
Although the conclusion felt a little rushed and contrived, Sutherland has managed the extraordinary feat of delivering a series of rollicking escapades that seamlessly address a variety of mental health issues. In the final chapters, Esther practices a number of techniques to address her fears and anxiety, which Sutherland, in her Notes, says have been invaluable to her personally, and the book could be an effective springboard to discussions about the importance of speaking out about, and seeking help for, mental health issues.
Little Book Press, 2021. ISBN: 9780645027099. (Age:0-12 months) Recommended.
From the platypus on the front cover to the fairy penguin at the end, this little book of Australian animals and their offspring is sure to be a constantly shared experience between babies and their parents and siblings. Seven animals including an emu, koala, ringtail possum and barking gecko are shown in detail and their correct names given, while their young are all represented in a detailed drawing alongside the correct word used to describe the offspring giving readers a range of chicks and joeys, as well as a hatchling and a puggle.
Children will love viewing the black and white illustrations, seeing the detail clearly laid out for them. The contrast makes the features of each animal clear and unequivocal helping younger children to see exactly what thee animals look like.
The last double page presents the seven offspring with their correct names, prompting families to recall the name of the parent of each.
This series of little board books, easy for small hands to accommodate, are sturdy enough for lots of holding, grabbing and sometimes rough treatment. The use of black and white makes it easier for young eyes to assimilate the differences, unheeded by background and clutter. They can concentrate on the shapes presented.
Several other books in black and white have been published by Little Book Press: Sing, My first shapes, My every day shoes and My food shapes.
Raising Literacy Australia is a non profit organisation which promotes literacy and more about the group can be found here.
They encourages people to read, sing, talk and play everyday because literacy in the early years matters.
More about Little Book Press, their aims and range of publications can be found on the website.
Themes Board book, Australian animals, Babies, Baby animals, Literacy.
Fran Knight
A reluctant witch's guide to magic by Shivaun Plozza
Penguin, 2022. ISBN: 9781761043994. (Age:9-12)
Willa is working at a mill in the town of Bad Faith on the Isle of Dreary. She is on her own, since her parents were stolen by a Clouds-away curse which turned them into clouds. Willa believes it was her fault. Bad Faith lies between two covens of warring witches, Irontongue and Silverclaw. Many of their warring spells are landing on Bad Faith and resulting in mayhem for the town’s people. For example, it rains frogs, fisheyes, and snot. Supposedly Bad Faith citizens are not witches, nor do they want anything to do with witches and magic. However, amidst all the mayhem Willa is identified as a witch, although she doesn’t believe this herself. She must go and live in a castle with the royal family and be tutored in magic. Then she needs to decide on which coven to join or else she will explode! Suddenly people start losing their voices and monster Jumbles appear, which are hideous mixtures of various animals. Willa starts realizing that she is a witch but doesn’t fit the Silverclaw or Irontongue mold. Once it is proven that Willa isn’t responsible for some of these disasters, she tries to figure out who is the rogue witch wreaking all this havoc. She also has to learn how to tame her magic.
Readers need to hang on for a wild ride in this story. Shivaun Plozza has devised many creative devices, bizarre characters, and a frenetic plot. There is a theme of being true to yourself which was imparted to Willa by the healer and keeps Willa on track. “If a swan can’t quack like a duck, is it the swan’s fault?” Also, Willa has some trusted good and honest friends who support each other survive the out-of-control magic. It is certainly light and entertaining and no doubt will really appeal to confident middle year readers who love fantasy.
Another thrilling episode in the lives of Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac from twice winning CWA Gold dagger author Michael Robotham is sure to be a favourite with readers of dark mysteries. Cyrus is called to Nottingham to a crime scene, a man is dead and his daughter Maya, is missing. Then another woman is abducted. While this is happening Cyrus is dealing with his brother Elias who murdered their parents. Cyrus has been asked to look after Elias as he is released from a secure psychiatric hospital, and this raises many issues from the past. Evie is trying to behave in a normal way but her past comes back to haunt her.
This is a very exciting book with tense scenes, but it is the psychological aspects of the novel that stayed with me. It is told from the point of view of Cyrus and Evie in alternating chapters giving details about what is happening from two points of view. Cyrus and his struggles to forgive Elias for killing his parents and his fears for the mental well-being of Elias are a focus of the story and left me wondering how he could cope. Evie too has flashbacks to her horrible childhood and must hide her ability to tell whether someone is lying, in an attempt to appear normal.
Supporting characters, including Mitch, a man accused of murder, are well fleshed out and the mysteries surrounding the two missing women are gripping. Robotham always manages to keep the suspense alive, and the final denouement is terrifying but a satisfying conclusion in the last chapter takes the edge off the tension and will leave readers waiting for the next instalment in the lives of Cyrus and Evie.
Winner of the 2021 Banjo Prize for Fiction, The whispering is an Australian rural noir that grabs the reader’s attention right from the beginning. Its plot is original and there are many surprising twists and turns to keep any lover of the mystery genre glued to the page.
Callum Haffenden returns to Granite Creek Far North Queensland when he hears that a local Lachie Briggs has gone missing in the rainforest. He joins in the search, uncovering long buried secrets. Two girls went missing lost seventeen years apart, the body of 2-year-old Amelia never found, and Callum, once an award-winning investigative journalist is determined to uncover the past.
The landscape that Lando describes is dark and foreboding. The rainforest drips with rain and thick vegetation that clutch at anyone who moves away from the paths. There is a strange whisper from the forest that lures people to the treacherous boulders and the threat of a cyclone makes everything worse. Children chant rhymes and wear bracelets with little bells attached to them to drown out the eerie whispers, and Callum is reminded of the belief that many townspeople have that The whispering wild will take your child if you dare to look away ...
Callum has experienced the danger of the boulders for himself, having a leg caught in a crevice and now wears a prosthetic, making it even more difficult for him to face the peril of the rainforest. Lando strews red herrings across the path of the reader in this complex multilayered story, moving from one suspect to another with the culmination of some surprising revelations at the book’s stunning conclusion.
Readers who have enjoyed books by Jane Harper and Christian White or Wake by Shelley Burr and The wrong woman by J.P. Pomare are likely to enjoy The whispering.
