Reviews

The League of Llamas: The Golden Llama by Aleesah Darlison

Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760894160. 118pp.
(Age: Year 3-6) How many gags can you make about llamas in a James Bond style llama spy adventure? Lots!
Phillipe Llamar LOL (League of Llamas Agent 0011) uses SPIT (Space Precision Initial Test) technology to try to thwart the enemy badgers, in particular General Bottomburp.
He is aided by fellow agent Lloyd Llamanator and meets a mysterious lady llama dressed in a red gown (llama in red).
No prob-llama! Except Lloyd is obsessed with eating and Phillipe loves to constantly look at his beautiful fringe.
Phillipe's assignment is to retrieve the prestigious 'Golden Llama' statue taken by General Bottomburp and he must use all of his highly skilled techniques and equipment, while driving around in his llamaborghini.
This is a fun, humorous 118 page novel about secret llama agents and their exploits. The text is interspersed with drawings and these stories will appeal to students in years 3-6.
The League of Llama series has a second title in print Llama possible and 2 more novels are coming soon, Undercover Llamas and Rogue Llama.
Darlison's previous books include picture fiction Little meerkat and Emerald, the green turtle's tale and novels, Running from the tiger and Ash Rover: Keeper of the Phoenix.
This would be a fun addition to any school library.
A short book trailer is available.
Jane Moore

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin

Picador, 2020. ISBN: 9781529014273. 329pp.
(Age: Adult - Adolescent) This is an interesting novel told through more than one voice, and from a differing focus, as Alexis Schaitkin takes us through many years of wondering why and how a young woman on a Caribbean island may have died many years ago. The voices are different, and we realise that each is telling what is known to them, or just what they will reveal, some wondering, puzzled and still, many years later, very interested in just what happened to Alison.
There were many who believed that she was murdered, but the police could not arrest anyone, having insufficient evidence as to the truth of the stories that they were told by those who may have been involved in her death. Was it an accident or was she deliberately killed and, if so, why? We are left to ponder this question throughout our reading of the novel and we learn much about her family, friends, and acquaintances as the stories are told, some in the first person and others in the third person. The language is lyrical at times and clearly descriptive of the place and time, Schaitkin drawing us into the narrative and holding our attention.
This is a novel that is appropriate for both adult and adolescent readers, its language richly descriptive, its narrative both complex and enigmatic, its focus both challenging and absorbing.
Elizabeth Bondar

Only mostly devastated by Sophie Gonzales

Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9781444956481.
This is a powerful story of adolescence with its joy and its pressures, its highs and its lows. Sophie Gonzales draws us into the lives of the characters, evoking our empathy for them in their adolescence, their journey through school and their hopes for the future. Gonzales presents the world from the point of view of an adolescent whose feelings are complex and whose choices are determined by his recognition of who he is, and his definition as homosexual, presented in an utterly captivating, evocative and candid narrative. Portraying so vividly the joys and the disappointments of the lives of teenagers, Gonzales paints a vivid picture of the interactions of adolescents, with other adolescents, their teachers and the adults who are part of their lives, particularly with their parents. Her focus is on their questioning of the values that they discover, both good and not so good, describing, vividly, their fear of failure, in school, relationships and life. Yet she tempers this more serious aspect of adolescence with the excitement that lies at the heart of this time of change in their lives, based so much in their changing body, point of view and hope for the future. Gonzales focuses on young people's quest to find their path, while maintaining their own identity, evoking our empathy and enabling us to see how we all have to face the necessity of making choices, of listening and observing the world, and choosing to spend time with people who enable us to be true to ourselves. Choice is at the heart of this novel, seen so vividly in the attraction of the young male protagonist to another male, where Gonzales describes the description of the glow that envelops us when we first realize that we are captivated by some one else. When Ollie falls in love with Will, he is stunned. Through beautifully described reactions, thoughts and interactions, we see how this narrative raises questions about what it is to be human, about how to handle the dawning of alternative sexuality, Gonzales drawing us in with her focus on the right to be different, and ultimately so gently describing the indescribable joy that humans experience when they share the joy of love. This is a moving and powerful story of the joy and the ache of adolescence, of the fear that one won't be good enough in so many ways, and of the dread of failure, in school, work and mostly deeply felt, in relationships. Deftly drawn, these characters are alive and real, with their emotions so clearly understandable and their lives so beautifully described. Concerning the sexual attraction of the same gender, Gonzales' describes society's responses to same sex interaction, gently and realistically showing how we can accept and be proud of our inborn drives. Themes: Homosexuality, Cancer, Dating.
Elizabeth Bondar

Meet the Planets by Caryl Hart

Illus. by Bethan Woollvin. Bloomsbury, 2020. ISBN: 9781408892985. 32pp.
(Age: 3-6) Highly recommended. Blast off in a rocket to meet all the planets in the solar system, including Pluto the dwarf planet. In rhyming couplets, Caryl Hart has provided readers with a fun and informative book that is very enjoyable and which describes each planet and its characteristics.
Children will enjoy the rhymes which read aloud very well and they will have fun joining in and learning about each of the planets. Starting off with an introduction to the sun (I'm friendly but don't get too close now / or I'll frizzle you up to a fry!), the small child accompanied by a dog, zooms around meeting each planet in turn: speedy Mercury, Venus covered in fierce spitting volcanoes, Earth and its silver Moon, Mars covered in rust-coloured dust, Jupiter the biggest of planets, Saturn with its sparkly rings, freezing Uranus, ice giant Neptune and little dwarf planet Pluto.
Set against a black background, the planets are illustrated with wide eyes giving each a distinct character and the vivid colours also match the characteristics of the planets. I loved the illustration for Mercury, with colours streaming behind its grey and white face, making it easy to remember that it is the fast planet. Jupiter, vivid in yellow and orange, hugs its moon Ganymede and is huge, taking up a whole page. The end papers show the planets revolving around the sun in order. They are a perfect complement to the clever text and will really appeal to young children.
This book is a memorable and unique way to introduce children to the planets and will be enjoyed by all who read it. Themes: Astronomy, Planets, Rockets, STEM.
Pat Pledger

BumbleBunnies : The Balloon by Graeme Base

BumbleBunnies book 4. Angus and Robertson, 2020. ISBN: 9781460754030. 24pp.
(Age: 2-6) Highly recommended. Young children will be thrilled to read about the latest adventure of the Bumblebunnies in their yellow and black striped super hero suits and masks. Wuffle the puppy, Lou the kitten and Billington the duck are relaxing in the garden after all of the noise of the birthday party next door when a large pink balloon floats over the fence. The trio are frightened that it is going to burst and race off to find a place to hide, but the Bumblebunnies fly to the rescue.
As always Base's illustrations are exquisite. The suburban backyard is one that will be recognised with its flower gardens and wooden fence. The roses, lilies and iris in the backyard are beautifully detailed while each of the characters has a distinct personality that the young reader will be able to identify with. I loved the look of horror on the face of Billington the duck when he can't find anywhere to hide and then laughed as he stuck his head in the water in the pond. Of course he couldn't see or hear the others call out as the Bumblebunnies fly overhead.
The narrative is great to read aloud and the short sentences and pictures illustrating what is happening on the page would help the beginning reader work out the words and action. Young readers would also have fun coming up with ways that the Bumblebunnies could stop the balloon from bursting. And of course they will love the fact that they know who the Bumblebunnies are, while Wuffle, Lou and Billington remain ignorant of their identity.
This is a series that will become a favourite, with each book reading as a stand-alone. Themes: Problem solving, Super heroes.
Pat Pledger

The Republic of Birds by Jessica Miller

Text, 2020. ISBN: 9781922268044. 304pp.
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. I am a fan of fairy tales and folklore and was immediately drawn in by this imaginative and exciting tale of Baba Yaga, magic and maps. Olga is fascinated by the work of cartographers and loves to research their old maps and books. She longs to be a map maker but being a girl, this is denied to her. Nevertheless when her family is banished to the edge of the kingdom and her sister Mira is kidnapped by the bird army she decides to go into the Republic of Birds in an attempt to rescue her. But first she must learn about her magical ability to see into maps.
As the story progressed I was gripped by the story of the Baba Yaga, their magical abilities and most of all, the houses that they lived in and which moved around on chicken legs. Olga is not so thrilled to find that she is a Baba Yaga, as they are banished in her country, but she uses the skills she learns to go on an exciting adventure in search of her sister.
Descriptions of icy terrain, mountains and most of all the birds who inhabit the Republic of Birds are fascinating and make Olga's journey even more interesting as she battles difficult terrain and fierce birds to make her way to Mira, who is imprisoned in a cage and must dance for the queen of the birds.
Olga has always felt second best in her talented family, especially as Mira is a wonderful dancer, but her skills as a reader of maps and cartographer are what help her on her journey to find Mira and she realises that what she has is unique even if it is not as easily recognisable as the more overt skills of her family.
Readers will enjoy the richness of the folklore behind the story and helped by a map at the beginning of the book will be dragged into the adventures of Olga as she struggles across a difficult landscape. They may also enjoy Vasilisa the wise: and other tales of brave young women by Kate Forsyth. Teaching notes are available.
Pat Pledger

Mum's elephant by Maureen Jipyilya Nampijinpa O'Keefe

Illus. by Christina Booth. Magabala Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781925936728. pbk., 32 pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. The image of the mother lying with her back to the reader, clutching her teapot remains with me. It is a powerful reminder of just how lonely people can be despite what is going on around them. In her hand she clutches an old aluminium teapot, shaped in her children's eyes, like an elephant, a remnant perhaps of days gone by but one she still uses when her friends and family drop in to share a cup of tea on the rug outside in the sun.
Maureen Jipyilya Nampijinpa O'Keefe, a Kaytetye-Walpriri woman from the Northern Territory was reminded of her mother after finding a teapot in a secondhand shop. She wrote this story, brimming with love and understanding of her mother's life, revealing their lives on an outstation a long way from any town or city. Here the children play together, eating damper and jam for breakfast. Mum likes to clean the teapot, keeping it shiny, and has harsh words to say if anyone picks it up by the trunk, or takes it from the shelf as a plaything. Sometimes she sits all alone on her rug, talking to the elephant, telling it stories, and sometimes she shuns her family. But when she has visitors, especially the ladies dressed in their finery, afternoon tea is to be had, with the teapot in pride of place.
This beautiful story tells of life lived far from many of our students' lives in urban Australia: it tells of remoteness and how people live with that remoteness, it reveals the life of a sad woman, clutching the familiar to her, we see family life, the strength of the community, the routines of the day. And all is beautifully illustrated by Christian Booth, a Tasmanian artist with a feel for the environment which radiates from this book. The sweep of the orange sandy background, the few trees and sparing amenities is depicted, while the community's lives are lived on rugs on the red earth. Here the children play, the adults meet and drink tea and Mum finds refuge with her elephant. Booth's illustrations of the Aboriginal community are glorious: happy and poignant, boisterous and contemplative, revealing past memories and lives lived today. The sweep of colour draws the eye to all the details she offers, slyly revealing the teapot a small piece at a time, until it is all revealed. Themes: Aboriginal themes, Aboriginal life, Outback Australia, Depression.
Fran Knight

Will the Wonderkid: Treasure hunter of the Australian outback by Stephanie Owen Reeder

Heritage Heroes. NLA Publishing, 2020. ISBN: 9780642279521. 132pp.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. In the summer of 1914-1915, 15-year-old Will Hutchison travelled with his father and a small party of men looking for gold in South Australia, travelling through some of the most inhospitable land, at the hottest time of the year, during the worst recorded drought.
We meet Will at the Adelaide Railway Station as he boards the train to begin his journey to Hergott Springs, now known as Marree.
The true tale of Will's arduous journey has been skilfully told by Stephanie Owen Reeder, bringing the reader along on the expedition, experiencing the heat, flies and the desperate search for water.
Will and the men use camels to travel and rarely meet any other people along the way. It is obvious how perilous their journey is, and the author compares their expedition to previous explorers, Leichardt, Sturt, Giles and Burke and Wills, some who perished crossing the continent.
Although the men did not discover gold, young Will found opals and discovered what is now Coober Pedy opal fields.
This beautifully crafted book describes Will's adventures through story, excerpts of information, old photographs, drawings and paintings.
This is the fifth title in the award winning Heritage Heroes series.
At the time of writing, the author currently has Trouble in the surf in the CBCA Notables for 2020.
I highly recommend this book to any school library.
Jane Moore

Evie and Pog: Take off! by Tania McCartney

Angus and Robertson, 2020. ISBN: 9781460757932.
In a series of three stories we are introduced to Evie, a six-year-old who likes knitting, jumping, and books and cake; her companion is Pog, the pug who likes to drink tea and read the newspaper. The stories and characters are a little bit strange and their actions involve messiness, mishaps and chaos. They could confuse the targeted beginner readers rather than entertain them.
The quirkiness that McCartney has incorporated into the storylines is sometimes so bizarre that it left me scratching my head. Logical connections seem to have been abandoned from time to time, so that paragraphs jump and ideas are scattered, a ploy that may not help younger readers. The illustrations though are cute and well presented in naive style. Themes: Friendship, Animals.
Carolyn Hull

Fantastically great women who saved the planet by Kate Pankhurst

Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781408899298. 32pp.
(Age: All) Highly recommended. Readers will be engrossed as they follow the achievements of women who broke barriers in promoting scientific ideas and helping to preserve the natural environment. Many were unknown to me and it was wonderful to read about their achievements and even more to read the positive suggestions at the back of the book asking how the reader will speak up for our planet.
The first two pages name the women written about in the book, with small illustrations of them and the next page contains a general introduction about the women and how "they sowed seeds of change in others and inspired them to see they had the power to save the planet too . . . " The women chosen for the book come from many countries and nationalities and from many backgrounds, starting with Eugenie Clark who researched sharks and inspired others to learn about the oceans and respect marine life. Ingeborg Beling from Germany studied bees showing how the study of insects can lead to understanding nature. Eileen Kampakuta Brown and Eileen Wani Wingfield campaigned against a nuclear waste dump close to Woomera in South Australia, while poor women in India formed the Chipko Movement to save trees by hugging them and stopping the loggers. I was intrigued with the information about Maria Telkes who "became known as the Sun Queen for her solar-powered ideas" and loved the information about Isatou Geesay who led the movement to recycle plastic bags into things that could be sold.
Each woman is given a double page spread of information, interspersed with quirky illustrations and speech bubbles that grab the reader's attention and make them want to read more about the work that the woman did and what she achieved. This is a book that may on first look appeal to younger readers, but people of all ages will find it fascinating. Themes: Women - Biography, STEM, Activism.
Pat Pledger

In the key of code by Aimee Lucido

Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781406389333. 416pp.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. There is nothing ordinary about this wonderful prose poetry book, it is an enjoyable and original narrative, written in poetic style, about a young girl who is trying to find her place in the world. Emmy has moved with her parents to California from Wisconsin. Her father is pursuing his dream as a pianist with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, her mother is an opera singer (currently working in a not-so-perfect job to support the family) and Emmy knows that she will never be a performer; fear has overtaken her in the past. Starting at her new school reminds her that she does not fit and is not like others around her, and although she is 'fine', it is very difficult being a solo student. By accident and providentially she ends up in the Computer coding elective and eventually discovers a friend in the musically gifted, Abigail. In this class with the amazing Ms Delaney she discovers the language of Java and the poetry of code and joy of performing on the computer keyboard. Abigail and Emmy are both attempting to find where they fit; music and code floats around them as they grapple with friendship and their future directions. Ms Delaney leads them with directions in Java that provide joy, but she has her own struggles to contend with. The joy of new friends, new pathways and the wonders of code make this a novel and poetic journey that is worthy of investigation.
Aimee Lucido acknowledges Kwame Alexander as editor in her post-word at the end of the book, and it is evident that the prose-poetry narrative writing fraternity has another writer of quality. The weaving of code language through this book is deftly managed - there is an inherent poetry in the alternate language, and it is beautiful and musical as it threads through the storyline. I hope young readers see the wonderful and unique style features of this story, as well as being drawn into the development of Emmy and Abigail as they find their place and develop their talents with independence and flair. They too become performers worthy of applause. At the conclusion of the book there are clear explanations of the Java coding terms and musical terms in use throughout the book. Teacher's notes are available.
Highly recommended for lovers of coding and readers aged 12+. Themes: Friendship; Fitting in; Identity; Music; Coding.
Carolyn Hull

Brother moon by Maree McCarthy Yoelu

Illus. by Samantha Fry. Magabala Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781925936827. hbk., 32pp.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. This homage to the moon and all of its forms throughout the month, is told by an older man telling his great grandson of the environment in which they live. The story teaches the boy not to be frightened of the night as the moon shines enough light for him to see. Through his story he tells the boy how the moon is connected to country, the land of his birth.
It is a powerful and enthralling story of connection, of what the environment brings to the people, of how the moon's phases direct the people to the best times to hunt and fish.
Maree is a Wadjigany woman from the Daly Rover region of the Northern Territory, and the narrator of her story is her grandfather, Limam (Harry Morgan) a well respected elder statesman within his people, a storyteller and leader of his community. His story of the importance of the environment will resonate with younger people, alerted to the ravages our environment is subjected to each year. They will absorb the underlying themes of caring about and for the environment and in particular, look at the moon in all of its variety.
Liman tells his great grandson that he never fears the night as his brother is always there to guide him. When he looks in the mangroves for periwinkles the light of the moon is reflected in the crocodile eyes, warning him of danger, and even when the light is only half what it was, it is enough to see a snake.
Samantha Fry, descended from the Dagiman people of Katherine in the Northern Territory uses her skills with coloured pencils to create a book of night time images, where, despite the hour, detail can be seen using the light of the moon. Readers will love finding treasure hidden on each page and marvel at the phases of the moon overhead, learning as does the boy, not to fear the night but use the moon's light to see. Themes: Environment, Aboriginal themes, Aboriginal storytelling, Moon, Connection.
Fran Knight

Emergency Rescue Angel by Cate Whittle

Llama impossible by Aleesah Darlison

League of Llamas book 2. Illus. by Simon Greiner. Penguin Random House, 2020. ISBN: 9781760894184. 144pp.
(Age: 7-12) Recommended. This book takes off and runs away with the reader straight away. It's a quick read. Grab it and read aloud. Children (aged 7-12) will love it.
Aleesah Darlison obviously loves to play with words. Words trip and dance off her page to delight the young wordsmith reader. Random words and phrases are highlighted in a darker thicker font throughout for emphasis and just for fun too.
At around the age of ten children begin to love to play with the nuances of language, with jokes, puns and double meanings. The wacky llama detectives, clunking around with their hooves on top of trains and smashing through walls leaving llama shape holes are the stuff of good old wisecracking, smarty pants fun. LOL, LOL this book is lots of laughs.
Memories of the dialogue and action of old detective movies come to mind when reading League of Llamas. The laid back wisecracking monotone dialogue is at times reminiscent of Get Smart. The tricky llama detective action includes a wild train ride, solving a bank robbery and a diamond heist and getting into plenty of sticky situations along the way. The League of Llamas (top agents) operate under Mama Llama who just could be somewhat similar to M in James Bond movies. Darlison makes funny connections all the way through to delight the reader.
Such a play on words! The author has a field day with onomatopoeia, turns of phrase, alliteration, lots of action and spirited jabs of tongue in the cheek repartee between the characters as they pursue the guilty parties.
This is a quick read - easy to pick up and share to delight as a read aloud or to entice the reluctant reader to realise that reading and language can be a hoot. Not everything in the world has to be serious and children, if we want them to read, must get a good giggle out of a book now and then.
League of Llamas : Llama Impossible hits the mark!
Wendy Jeffrey

Bugs in danger by Mark Kurlansky

Illus. by Jia Liu. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781547600854.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Subtitled Our Vanishing Bees, Butterflies, and Beetles. Imagine reading a book by an author who is knowledgeable about a specialised subject and so skilled at writing, that learning while you read is a pleasure. Mark Kurlansky is such an author and the insects that are disappearing from our world are his subject.
Bugs in Danger is an informative and interesting exploration of the lives of insects, their interaction with humans over the ages, and the predators, pesticides and habitat destruction that threaten their existence. Throughout the text, Kurlansky emphasises the role played by insects in the survival of life on earth. The book is divided into five parts, each one dealing with a class of insects. The final chapter, 'What Can I Do?' suggests simple but effective strategies that people of all ages can use to save these tiny creatures. Humorous chapter headings add to the pleasure of reading the text, without detracting from its serious purpose. Despite his conversational writing style, Kurlansky uses scientific terms, explaining them clearly so that readers do not feel overwhelmed by expert knowledge. Similarly, the author weaves aspects of the work of scientists, including Charles Darwin, into the exposition. Although the book is largely concerned with insects in the United States, it includes references to species from around the world. Occasional text boxes provide additional information and statistics, while Jia Liu's drawings in shades of grey illustrate different species or help to explain insect behaviour. A bibliography, which has been divided into titles for younger and older readers, and a comprehensive index ensure that the book is a useful source of information.
Bugs in Danger is not only an enjoyable and rewarding book. It also provides a thought-provoking insight into what might be lost if insects disappeared.
Elizabeth Bor