Reviews

Loveless by Alice Oseman

HarperCollins, 2020. ISBN: 9780008244125.
(Age: Older adolescents - Adult) Brilliant in its explanation of love, captivating in a beautifully empathetic consideration of friendship and human relationships, Alice Oseman's new book reveals some of the ways in which human beings are different. In this emotive tale, Oseman focuses on the areas of love, loyalty, sexuality, friendship, support and kindness.
Having successfully been offered a place at University after completing her schooling, Georgia is assigned to share a room with a young woman whom she has not met before. Learning to adapt to such a situation prompts her to seek a considered understanding of who she is herself, and to ponder what drives her. When she joins a dramatic society, Georgia meets new people, and in this world of play-acting, she becomes aware of, and is deeply puzzled by, her notion of herself, in terms of what drives her, and in what loving friendship means to her.
When she finally discovers the reason for her inability to 'fall in love' or to desire a sexual relationship, she is stunned, initially. She is determined to come to terms with her diagnosis and is moved deeply when her dear friends pledge ongoing, loving support. Knowing that she is 'aromantic' and 'asexual', Georgia realizes that she had often felt intimidated, indeed throughout her adolescence, by her indifference to the idea of romance or strong sexual attraction to anyone else. The diagnosis finally enables her to face life with a new sense of who she is, and to think about what is important to her in this newly considered version of herself.
This compassionate story would be appropriate for older adolescent and adult readers.
Elizabeth Bondar

Pink! by Margaret Wild

Illus. by Judith Rossell. Working Title Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781460757499.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. When the little dinosaur is born, the last of the eggs, she is pink. Mum and Dad think her cute and adorable, beautiful and pretty and sweet. She basks in their love.
But as she grows she is not so impressed. Her favourite game is hide and seek, and how can she hide from all the other young dinosaurs when her colour does not blend in as theirs do, she is always obvious and so easily the first to be found. She is most annoyed. She complains to her Mother, now sitting on a new clutch of eggs, and Mum reminds her that it is hard to be different, but that no one else is as sweet and pretty as she. She complains that she wants to be brave and smart, but Mum rejoins that she should be happy with who she is.
One day the hide and seek game becomes very boisterous with all the young dinosaurs racing off to find new places to play. They stray far from home and as it gets darker, and begins to rain they take shelter in a cave while Pink climbs the hill to see if she can attract someone's attention, after all her pink colour will stand out.
All is happily resolved as the pink becomes a stand out colour to be noticed by the pterodactyl, who then report back to the parents and the lost group is found. Everyone is thrilled with Pink, she has been brave and smart, just like she wanted, while Mum's new offspring are just the ticket for her to lead around, playing hide and seek, with all their pink bodies partly hidden, but no one can tell which is which.
A charming tale of being happy with who you are, of accepting difference, this book will have many eager readers, encouraging children to be more inclusive, to be happy that they are different, because those differences are what makes us who we are.
And kids will just love looking at the dinosaurs and working out which is which.
Themes: Difference, Self image, Self awareness, Dinosaurs.
Fran Knight

Lightfall: The girl & the Galdurian by Tim Probert

The Helen Keller quote at the beginning of this beautifully illustrated graphic novel asserts “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light”. The Pig Wizard’s adopted daughter Bea and her irrepressible companion Cad take us on an adventure that is all about darkness, light and friendship. While Bea is out collecting ingredients for one of their potions she loses her footing high in a tree. Cad happens to be nearby and catches her as she falls. It seems he is on his way to see the Pig Wizard who might be able to translate a document in the language of the Galdurian, a race that was thought to have died out 500 years ago. Cad appears to be the last of his kind but is searching for others. When they get back to Bea’s home the Pig Wizard has disappeared and something sinister seems to be awakening. They find a note from the Wizard indicating he is looking for ‘The Seal of the Restless Sleeper” and that she should keep the jar of light safe at all times.

As they set out to find the Pig Wizard they face many challenges but with Bea’s courage and Cal’s optimism and great strength they endure what seems to be the first part of an epic journey. The world of Lightfall is in the vein of Lord of the Rings with warm coloured pastoral landscapes intertwined with cold dark sinister threats. Bea struggles with panic attacks and self-doubt but she bravely carries on while Cad refuses to believe his race is extinct and insists of looking at the bright side of things. Lightfall is a lovely story, which will appeal to lovers of fantasy. Well-paced, beautifully drawn and carefully constructed, look out for the next instalment. Teacher's notes are available.

Themes Friendship, Fantasy, Quests, Adventure.

Sue Speck

Nala the koala illus. by Penny Min Ferguson

Penguin Random House Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760898830.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Children will empathise with Nala, the little koala who has lost her home and will be thrilled to learn that the purchase of this book will help her and other animals to survive bushfires and other disasters. Royalties are donated to WIRES, (NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc.) an organisation that has been 'rescuing and caring for wildlife for over 30 years and is the largest wildlife rescue organisation in Australia.'
The illustrations show a sad little koala trudging along a path, swag on her back, flames in the distance. Nala the koala needs a new home and she tries out many places to live but none are suitable for her. The beach is too sandy, the street too smoky, a burrow too deep. She needs nooks for napping, gum leaves for gobbling and somewhere safe to play. At long last she finds a tree that feels like home, and there are people who arrive to help and work to replant the bush.
The narrative flows along smoothly and makes for a great read aloud. Bold black print and cute illustrations will also aid beginning readers who may want to have a go at reading for themselves.
The story shows the different types of homes that some bush animals need and the smoke that goes into the sky from some buildings is a subtle reminder of the problems that air pollution can bring to animals as well as people.
This is a timely book that will tug at the heartstrings and may encourage readers to seek out information about how they and their families could help to rescue wildlife. Lamont Books have teacher notes.
Pat Pledger

From snow to ash by Anthony Sharwood

Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9780733645280.
(Age: Senior Secondary) The Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) stretches 600km from Gippsland to Canberra, a five to seven week hike that few attempt in its entirety. Journalist Anthony Sharwood's Dad introduced him to hiking and skiing, developing a lifelong passion for the Australian Alpine region, and he helps the author place food drops along the trail. The decision to take time off to walk the track in the summer of 2019/20 was partly to immerse himself in this fragile ecosystem before it is lost forever, likening it to the Great Barrier Reef, but also to re-calibrate his life and find a way forward away from a working environment he was finding intolerable. The walk certainly proves challenging, soon after starting the author experiences hypothermia on the Baw Baw plateau and he later finds blood in his urine due to extreme activity, but this is part of the journey, "once in their career, every sports journalist should feel what an athlete feels . . .until you've made decisions under mental and physical duress - which is what high-level sport is all about - you're reviewing restaurants you have never eaten at." pg. 77. But along with stress he revels in the beauty all around him, the birds and animals, the plants found nowhere else and the changes in the species of trees as he ascends and descends through climate zones. He records the damage being done by feral deer and wild horses and of course the ever increasing number of bushfires. Along the way, other walkers share stories, food and equipment "trail angels" who seem to appear just when you need them and as quickly pass on, asking nothing in return. Occasionally mountain huts offer a break from camping out, huts that have their own stories, documented in Klaus Hueneke's book Huts of the high country. Infused with observations about the natural wonders of the track and self-conscious, sometimes jarringly glib, reflections on the author's own personal journey, we are nonetheless carried along, sharing his ups and downs. He claims he is not a serious hiker, "I'm just some guy from the suburbs impersonating one", maybe that is one of the strengths of the story; if he can do this then why not try a section of the trail ourselves and become advocates for its maintenance and preservation.
The book comes with a section reviewing the equipment the author took with him, a list of references and a small map. Senior students would find this a useful book for outdoor excursions.
Sue Speck

Not cute by Philip Bunting

Scholastic, 2020. ISBN: 9781760972387.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. The intriguing endpapers invite the reader to guess what the spotty lines are all about, and opening the book will be equally taken in by Quokka, maintaining that he is anything but cute. He stands on the left hand side of the first few double pages maintaining his rage at the ignominious label, trying to get other animals to see that he is not cute.
Dingo, Lizard, Eagle, Redback all cry out that word when they see him, impelling Quokka to don a disguise. Now the animals call out to warn Quokka, but he takes off the head gear to reveal just who the animal really is. But they are not afraid of him but the real crocodile behind him. He uses his new found uncuteness to ward the crocodile off, and he is pleases with himself, until . . .
Bunting's familiar block colour images of animals encourage readers to interact with the quokka as he dons various disguises to enhance his image and repel the cute tag. Readers will laugh out loud at Quokka's attempts to be scary or deadly or dangerous or majestic, anything except what he really is and marvel at the looks on the faces of the other animals as he tries the various disguises. Bunting's quirky sense of humour is infectious, entreating the readers to explore each page and the humour levelled at those who try to change their image.
A very funny look at a Quokka and his attempts to be seen as something different, the story has parallels to everyday life when trying to be something you are not. Many themes will be discussed, body image and perception being ones that will appeal to younger readers as they grapple with how they look and what others expect of them.
'The Stubborn listen to nobody's advice and become a victim of their own delusions' is a line from Aesop, quoted on the publication page, a fitting reminder that we should be happy with who and what we are.
Themes: Body image, Difference, Appearance, Perception.
Fran Knight

Broken rules and other stories by Barry Lee Thompson

Transit Lounge, 2020. ISBN: 9781925760552.
(Age: Adult) There are linking threads weaving through this collection of short stories, one story may be a character at a different time, or a minor character in one story may be the main focus of another, they all become familiar, and together shed light on the often lonely path of a young man and his gay sexual encounters. The writing brilliantly captures the minutiae of the people and their surroundings, often down and out, in the dark streets or the empty beach, revealing the suppressed thoughts and feelings, sometimes the caring but often the cruelties in relationships. Thompson is clearly an exceptional writer but for some readers the gaze may be a little cold and unrelenting in its focus, particularly in his portrayal of women. Others will enjoy connecting the stories and the light they shine on characters and relationships.
Helen Eddy

Finding Francois by Gus Gordon

Puffin, 2020. ISBN: 9780143794141.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Alice is happy living with her grandmother, making creme brulee, reading, writing lists and visiting the shops on the way to the park where they eat their lunch. Her friends are the shopkeepers: the fish seller, the baker, the cheesemaker and Miss Clement, the dressmaker. They all say hello when she passes but now and again, she longs for someone her own size to play with. She reads a book called, Message in a bottle, and acts upon the idea, throwing a bottle with a message inside into the River Seine.
It is picked up by Francois Poulin a lone child on an island where his father works the lighthouse. He responds to her message and a correspondence develops. But when her grandmother dies, Alice is bereft and sends no more messages. One day Miss Clement with whom she is now living comes across the letters and Alice tells her of her search for a friend. Without further ado, Miss Clement takes Alice to visit the island where they all enjoy themselves over a cup of tea and lemon muffins, promising a return day in Paris. This wonderful story of finding a friend will touch even the coldest heart. Two lone children finding they have things in common as well as things they like that are not shared, come together, promising to keep up their correspondence even though a long way apart.
The water colour and line illustrations are soft and delicious, reflecting the concerns felt by both children in their search for a friend. On some pages the story is given in postcard templates, while other pages play with the white spaces. Some pages surprise; opening onto a bleak wintry night on the lighthouse or showing the waves that buffet the island.
Paris lies at the heart of this inviting book: French words beg to be translated, French books ask to be read, French food needs further research and the buildings are there to be recognised and applauded.
I love the gentle humour of the book: the girl's name mirrored in the hats worn by Francois, while her first name conjures up images of falling down a hole in the ground, while his name, Poulin is the French word for a foal, perhaps a timorous person. The Parisian background is stunning, impelling the eyes to soak up every image: the houses, markets, shops, fashion, streets, rivers, the beautiful buildings along the Seine and the batobus humming along its surface. This French treat is ready to be savoured.
Themes: France, Friendship, Grief, Humour.
Fran Knight

100% Wolf by Jayne Lyons

Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781761040207. 231pp.
(Ages: 9 - 12) It is no surprise that 100% Wolf was made into a slapstick Australian animated film. The novel was originally published in 2008 but was republished in 2020 with the film's release. Freddy is a boy who lives in Farfang Castle with his traitorous uncle Sir Hotspur and his cousins Harriet and Chariot. They are all descendants of a nicer kind of werewolf called Fangen. When Freddy gets to the right age and on a full moon he is supposed to transform into a werewolf at a ceremony called a Transwolfation. Unfortunately this goes wrong and he becomes a poodle. His cousins make this permanent by attaching a moonstone to him and humiliating him with pink poodle styling. Freddy flees and makes friends with a noble stray but they end up in the Coldfax Dog Prison. This suits Sir Hotspur because Freddy's superior bloodline threatens his role as the Grand Growler and leader of the Fang Council. In prison Freddy is desperate to escape and alert the Fangen about his uncle. Another threat Freddy must deal with comes from Dr Cripps who is out to destroy the Fangen. There's a steady stream of more crazy events, a big reveal and Freddy and friends become heroes.
This is an over the top story with villainous characters and a semi interesting plot line when characters can't speak to each other in the same language of human, werewolf or dog. There's plenty of unsubtle bodily function humour and nudity designed to appeal to young readers. Freddy is a naive show-off who gradually shows more upright characteristics. The main message is really about being moral and brave in order to defeat the bad. It may be of interest to children who have watched the film and want a light funny read, bearing in mind it will differ from the film.
Jo Marshall

I love dad with the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Puffin, 2017. ISBN: 9780141374376.
(Age: 0+) Recommended. Lovers of The Very Hungry Caterpillar will be thrilled with this gorgeous version of Eric Carle's illustrations, showing how much a child loves Dad. Little children will be enthralled by the brightly coloured pictures and will have lots of fun finding the little caterpillar on each page. There are many details to hold the interest of a very young child, who will love the page where there are beetles and tiny little ants while the page showing the father seahorse and its baby is delightful.
It is a book that parents will be happy to read again and again, helping the young child to give a name to each of the dads and their babies and increasing their vocabularies. The narrative is brief and easy to read aloud and gives the opportunity for lots of discussion about why children love their dads. The situations are ones that will be familiar to children, who will delight in recognising the silly dad who acts like a gorilla, and the loving dad who is still cool even when the child is as prickly as a hedgehog.
This is a perfect book to read aloud on Father's Day and would make an ideal gift, especially for a new father.
Pat Pledger

You can't call an elephant in an emergency by Patricia Cleveland-Peck

Illus. by David Tazzyman. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781408880630.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Filled with an array of situations where an emergency worker is called for, this book, the third in the series, after You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus and You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger, will have readers, children and adults alike laughing out loud. The most unlikely of rescue attempts are presented as an elephant takes on the role of a firefighter, a sloth becomes a traffic cop, a chimp is a paramedic and a panda takes the controls of a fire fighting plane. Children will readily see the incongruity of these animals in situations totally inappropriate for them. The contrast between the very important emergency service workers' abilities and those of the animals provides a wonderful way of teaching children the work these people do. And how appropriate that this book has been published now, when younger children are exposed regularly to images on television of people in masks and scrubs. A most opportune book to discuss with classes and at home, the illustrations will be pored over by readers.
Of course you do not have lemmings in a helicopter rescue team: those who drop the person being rescued are outdone by the others that leap from the helicopter overhead.  And the hen that thinks she'd make a good police officer is so timid that the robber has a smile on his face as he runs away.
Each double page has a four line rhyming stanza outlining the inabilities of that particular animal for the job at hand, supported by wonderfully vivid illustrations which will entice readers to look more closely at the events being pictured.
Patricia Cleveland-Peck has published fourteen children's books as well as adult books and plays. She returned to the world of children's books with the bestselling You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus and You Can't Let an Elephant Drive a Digger which, together, have sold over 200,000 copies. David Tazzyman is the bestselling illustrator of the Mr Gum books, which have won a multitude of awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. David studied illustration at Manchester Metropolitan University. The elephant books are just two of his books published by Bloomsbury.
Fran Knight

The pony question by Jackie Merchant

Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651640. 255pp.
(Ages: 9 -13) Recommended. Twelve-year-old Essie lives a modest life with her mother Francesca in an Australian country town. They resettled there from the city after her father 'Shiny Steve' remarried. Essie is still recovering from glandular fever and feeling rather unloved by her father. Francesca restores old furniture for a living and this takes them to a clearance sale on a farm. They accidentally purchase a pony on its last legs. In her past life Essie was a successful winner of dressage events. However her father drugged her horse because it had injuries when he wanted Essie to go in the dressage finals. He was caught and this caused Essie to be banned from competitions. Essie's reputation was ruined and social media helped spread the message. As the new pony, Moxie, recovers with Essie's care it also develops some difficult behaviours but they also learn it had a successful past. Essie believes Moxie needs to be retrained but this is expensive. Her father has moved to Germany and offers little help, although he was once her mainstay. Fortunately Essie's friend and neighbours make up for it. Francesca has much sage advice, which helps Essie but as her self-confidence grows, she makes her own decisions.
This is a well-paced hopeful story. It is not just about a girl obsessed with horses, although the author's knowledge clearly adds to the believability. It is more nuanced than that, which makes it quite satisfying. The setting is well imagined and the characters all have their own interesting personalities. You feel it would be terrific to be part of this caring community. Essie is a very likeable girl with understandable self-doubts, a sharp assessor of other people's characters, yet considerate and with good values. Like Moxie, Essie is also getting a second chance at success as she becomes a teenager. The author weaves in values of appreciating what you have and calling out artificiality. In particular sustainable practices of reusing and remaking things is juxtaposed with our plastic throw-away society.
Jo Marshall

Roald Dahl: Shapes by Roald Dahl

Illus. by Quentin Blake. Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241439999.
(Age: 0-4) Highly recommended. What a fabulous way to help young children learn about different shapes. Quentin Blake's amusing illustrations will bring smiles to the faces of the children who have the joy of hearing this book read aloud to them. They will be engrossed in finding shapes right from the first page, where they encounter a circle and the words,
Good morning,
Enormous Crocodile!
The sun is in the sky!
With a combination of cut-outs, lift-the-flaps and touch-and-feel this is a superior board book for little hands and curious minds to explore. The shapes of a circle, diamond and triangle are shown first, each with its double page spread, giving children the opportunity to trace over the shape and then find the shape in the drawings. Then follows a double page spread that has many shapes, all which can be found by a touch and feel, and this is followed by a wonderful lift the flap square. Finally, a goodnight is given to the enormous crocodile, who is pictured against a black sky full of twinkling stars.
As always, the quirky, bright illustrations of Quentin Blake set against gorgeous colours, are superb, and children will want to return to this fun book again and again. What a memorable and fun way to learn shapes. This board book is a keeper!
Pat Pledger

Where we begin by Christie Nieman

Pan Macmillan Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781743535660.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Anna doesn't want anything to stand in the way of achieving her dream to become a doctor; she sets herself a strict study schedule, and Nassim her new boyfriend is understanding and supportive. But the secret Anna carries every day suddenly explodes when Nassim finally gets to meet her mother, Cathy, whose fierce alcohol-fuelled reaction to their relationship seems fired by racism.
Anna goes on the run; she tracks down the family that has always been hidden from her, her fragile grandmother, Bette, and severe grandfather, Hessel, living on an isolated run-down property in the shadow of a ruined Victorian mansion. But the mystery only deepens, as she gradually becomes aware of other secrets that have been kept hidden for so long.
Nieman's writing kept me enthralled, and while there are hints along the way that had me guessing, this is not a predictable story and the ultimate revelation is shocking. At the same time there is an authenticity to the characters and relationships - the tension between Anna and her mother goes very deep and is not something that is easily resolved. Other tensions of violence and intimidation are equally well described.
There is also a beautiful portrayal of the kind, caring, and exuberant Basil, the young Aboriginal boy, son of her mother's childhood friend Leonie. Growing closer to Leonie and Basil, Anna has to confront her own prejudices and lack of knowledge of the land and its original custodians. Learning from Basil, she builds an appreciation of the natural environment that surrounds her.
This novel draws together themes of alcoholism, abuse, racism, and violence, but it is not a dark book. It is not oppressive. It explores the values of friendship, the continuity of life in all things, and the connectedness of everyone and everything in the world. The ending is positive but also realistic, all threads are not completely tied up; Anna still has to find her way, but there are no more secrets and the circle of people around her are willing to give it a go. It is as the publisher says a "deeply compelling coming-of-age YA novel" that both teenagers and adults will enjoy reading.
Themes: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Alcoholism, Racism, Violence, Teenage pregnancy.
Helen Eddy

My best friend is a dragon: A lift-the-flap book by Rachael McLean

Penguin Workshop, 2020. ISBN: 9780593093993. board book, 14pp.
(Age: 0-3) Recommended. The bright colours of this sturdy lift-the- flap book will attract the attention of the young child who will be fascinated by the green and yellow dragon and the little child who rides it. What fun to have a dragon for a best friend, a friend who can help when things need doing. When it is too cold to play in the snow the dragon can melt a spot and when the child needs to make the tower tall, the dragon can help stack it high. He can light up a room, light a fire and unscrew a cookie jar lid - all very useful things for a best friend to do!
The lift-the-flaps are simple and suitable for very small fingers and are strongly attached to the page so should withstand some hard handling.
The illustrations are very cute and on each page are lots of small details that will be very appealing to little children. There is a yellow cat with a little beanie on its head, colourful birds fly across the sky and flowers and little animals abound in the grass, while fun slippers are under the bed and a robot toy can be seen on some pages.
Pat Pledger