Reviews

Big hug, little mouse by Lisa Kerr

Walker Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760651107. 32pp.
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Melbourne author/illustrator Lisa Kerr has added another charming picture book to her growing number of publications. Hugs galore feature in this book about the different types of hugs to be had. Millie has had a wealth of experience in sampling different hugs and relates them all in this book. Included are the l'm-happy-to-see-you hug, the I'm-Sorry hug and the Goodbye hug, to name a few. But when Millie loses her hug, how can she find it again. She becomes anxious and worried that her lost hug is nowhere to be found. But in asking some of her friends, she is hugged back into feeling better. A good hug is all that is needed.
This is a story about giving hugs, getting hugs and making sure the people that matter most to you know they're loved. It is about giving and receiving and the positive nature of hugs for both the giver and receiver, particularly when one is unhappy or anxious.
And Millie's world is populated with an array of different animals that children will search for within a richly illustrated world with plenty of detail to keep their minds actively engaged. Kerr's watercolour illustrations are a treat for younger readers, seeing themselves in Millie's bedroom getting ready for bed with her pyjamas and bed toys, hugged by her parents, smiling towards a good night's sleep. Contentment reigns.
I think this book would make a great read aloud, where everyone can practise their hugs and talk about the different types of hugs given and received. Themes: Mice, Love, Hugs.
Fran Knight

The Pupstars by Yvette Poshoglian

Illus. by Phil Judd. Puppy Diary book 3. Scholastic 2020. ISBN: 9781760662950.
(Age: 6 -8 years). In The Pupstars, Book 3 in the Puppy Diary series by Yvette Poshoglian, Archie and his friends are involved in the filming of a commercial at doggy daycare. The star is the world famous Dion the Bichon Frise who according to Archie is the biggest pupstar in the world.
At doggy daycare the puparazzi is hanging around trying to catch a glimpse of Dion but only see Archie of whom they are not very complimentary which offends Archie. Daycare is in turmoil and the playground has become a television wonderland and all of Archie's friends have been primped and cleaned to look very smart for their upcoming screen tests. Of course Archie has no idea of how to do a screen test but his forever wiggling tail is an instant hit with the camera crew.
Dion the pup-professional star is not quite how he seems on television and certainly suffers from a clear case of being spoilt. He is dismissive of the other pups and once again Archie is told how scruffy he looks and is to be put in the background of the shoot. The shoot does not go according to plan through a series of pup made mishaps and Dion sulks in his trailer. This is Archie's chance to be the star. However there is more mayhem in the daycare centre and Archie's friends come to the rescue.
When the opening diary entry begins with "You are never going to believe what happened to me today!" this perfect sizzling starts draws the young emerging reader in. The clever use of cartoon like images by Phil Judd to visually enhance the text gives the reader an extra opportunity to understand and follow the story. The author has imaginatively used puppy type language such as pawsitively, un-pup-ular, pupmergency, pawful to further engage the reader.
This is a fun easy to read book which will keep younger readers entertained and looking for other books in the series. Themes: Puppies, Diary entries, Movie Stars, TV Commercials, Friends, Doggy Daycare, Young Readers.
Kathryn Beilby

Danny Best: Watch this! by Jen Storer

Danny Best: Watch this! by Jen Storer
Illus. by Mitch Vane. ABC Books, 2020. ISBN: 9780733333361.
This is another of the humourous stories for boys to encourage reading for the disengaged. It has limited text, but maximum fart jokes, bum references, home-made sumo suits and silliness. Young boys will enjoy the naughtiness of the characters and the text, but adults will dislike the naughtiness! The book is divided into chapters which are anecdotal accounts of the bizarre life of Danny Best and his friends. At the end of each chapter there is a multiple choice quiz (a little like a comprehension test, but with more humour) and there is also a secret code that appears scattered through the text and amongst the illustrations.
Jen Storer has made a book with limited literary quality, but any author that can appeal to the disengaged reader has provided a service to those who promote reading. The illustrations in this book by Mitch Vane are quirky cartoons with backgrounds that look like a messy child's smudged notebook.
(Note: Name calling does occur as part of the first chapter, and 'Bumface' is tossed around at one point. If this is deemed problematic, then this book should be avoided). Themes: Short story; Humorous stories.
Carolyn Hull

Daring Delly: Country vs City by Matthew 'Delly' Dellavedova

Illus. by Nathalie Ortega. Scholastic Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781743832011. 144pp.
Highly recommended for Sports-interested readers aged 7-10. In the Daring Delly books we are introduced to a young Matthew Dellavedova. 'Delly' is now an accomplished NBA player in the USA, and a member of the Australian Boomers basketball team, so has considerable recognition factor in the basketball world. This book highlights the story of the young 'Delly' in his country junior team as they hone their skills and challenge themselves against a feted city basketball team with significantly more resources. This is a charming story of the need to work together and the drive to succeed in a young basketball player and his fellow team-mates. The mixed-gender team practises hard after a last-minute loss to develop their defensive skills and to improve their game skills. It highlights that losses can provide good opportunities to learn. And maybe success will come after practice when everyone is working together . . . even your local country community.
This is a charming sports-themed story and will definitely be enjoyed by young readers who love basketball. With naive cartoon-like illustrations (that also describe basketball terms in the text) this is a book that is easily read, but very enjoyable. With a short biography of Matthew Dellavedova at the end of the narrative and a double page Q and A, readers will also be introduced to the adult 'Delly' as well.
Themes: Basketball; Teamwork; Practise and determination
Carolyn Hull

Salvation Lost by Peter F. Hamilton

Salvation Sequence Book 2. Pan Macmillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781447281368. 896pp.
This is a book only for extreme devotees of Science Fiction who enjoy considering where the world and humanity might be heading in the 23rd Century. Combining astro-physics, space travel through portals, recreated earth-like geodomes, aliens, robotic-human hybrids as well as technology that defies description, there is a complication on every page that the author has managed to describe using a vocabulary that is technical, futuristic and extremely complex. With war looming with the Olyix, strategies and alliances must be created to save humanity and keep everything on a path to survival. Along the way there are strange relationships, medical advances that are extreme (including augmentations for sexual prowess), longevity that requires considerable enhancements and forces and powers that are entangled and complex.
This is not a book for the faint-hearted! Nor can I comfortably recommend it to anyone other than the Physics-engrossed Sci-fi fan who desires a book that crosses warfare with Space solutions into the future, and can grapple with explanations that would test their University Science knowledge. Despite that, it seems that there are people in the world who are clamouring for this kind of fiction, and Peter F. Hamilton is the master. Themes: Science Fiction; Speculative and futuristic fiction; Space travel; Robotics; Aliens; Alien Invasion.
Carolyn Hull

Ella at Eden: New Girl by Laura Sieveking

Scholastic Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781743834930.
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Ella nervously waits with her family at Eden College, her new boarding school. All of the Year 7's have arrived a day early to settle in. Fortunately Ella's best friend Zoe is also attending the school.
The girls and families are welcomed by the warm and friendly Headmistress, Mrs Sinclair. Once the families leave Ms Montgomery, the House Mistress and Vice Headmistress, who seems very different to the Principal, takes the students on a tour of the school. Regrettably Ella draws negative attention to herself after commenting on the portraits of past Head Mistresses and offending Saskia, another Year 7 girl who turns out to be that mean girl who makes life difficult for Ella. Ella is also a scholarship student and Saskia makes a point of drawing attention to this as often as possible.
Ella and Zoe share a dormitory with Grace, a bubbly girl who talks not stop and has trouble listening, and Violet who is quiet and secretive. The first few weeks in the school term are action packed for the four new students. They join extracurricular clubs, have a disaster in the Science Lab, are involved in the search for missing items plus deal with home sickness. Ella joins the school paper, the Eden Press, and writes an article about the missing items after interviewing the victims of the thefts. Eventually the surprise thief is uncovered and the girls find out a secret about Violet.
Throughout the book are emails from Ella to her sister Olivia which fill the reader with more information about daily life at the school as well as keeping the connection between the two sisters. Ella at Eden: New Girl is the first in the Ella at Eden series and will be a popular hit with middle primary readers. It is an enjoyable read that will keep fans of Ella and Olivia entertained and looking for the next book in the series. Themes: Girls, Friendship, New School, New Challenges, Boarding School, Reporter, Missing Items.
Kathryn Beilby

Dear parents by Gabbie Stroud

Allen and Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760875268.
(Age: 16+) Subtitled Letters from the teacher - Your children, their education, and how you can help. Gabby Stroud was a dedicated teacher for fifteen years. In Dear Parents, she shares her thoughts about education, parenting and the parent-teacher relationship with the parents of a year 5/6 class.
The text consists of a series of emails sent to parents at intervals during a school year, and organised into four, one-term chapters. Unlike the professional detachment which usually characterises teacher-parent communication, Gabby's emails are frank and revealing. She discloses the exhaustion that results from trying to meet the needs of her students, the demands of parents and the education system's expectations. She also manages to find time to parent her own children. Gabby's experiences provide evidence of the complexity of teaching as she copes with a multitude of commitments while catering for the learning needs of a class with diverse backgrounds and needs. Classroom experiences give rise to reflections about what she considers to be the negative impacts of the crowded curriculum and standardised testing, both of which she finds demoralising. Gabby's assertive responses to parents' comments, questions, criticisms and praise are based on her willingness to learn from experience and on her empathy for people of all ages and backgrounds. Her writing ranges from blunt descriptions of everyday life to candid observations about Australian schooling and perceptive insights into the nature of learning. Although the characters and setting are fictional, many teachers will identify with her longing for the 'Magic Moments' when students learn, as well as with her frustrations and weariness. Parents may find that her revelations help them to understand the challenging conditions in which teachers strive to encourage and enable learning. They may also realise why some dedicated teachers, including Gabby Stroud, have left the profession.
The author of Dear Parents is passionate about her vocation. She has drawn on her personal experiences as a teacher in order to raise fundamental questions about education in Australia.
Elizabeth Bor

The besties show and smell by Felice Arena

Illus. by Tom Jellett. Puffin Books, 2020. ISBN: 9781760890988. 80pp.
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Best of friends, Ruby and Oliver, sit next to each other at school, but when a relief teacher takes them for the day, things change, for the worse. He does not have a sense of humour and when he spies Oliver drawing him in an unsympathetic manner, separates the friends to opposite places in the classroom. But Mr Botham is called away, leaving the class on its own and Ruby rushes to the front of the room with her ukulele ready to present her show and tell, cancelled by Mr Botham at the start of the day. Oliver is worried that Mr Botham will return and be even more cross and watches the door. And then when Zac goes to the front of the room to show everyone how he makes rude noises with his armpit, he sees the teacher returning and organises everyone to sit back down and be quiet. But he is cross with Ruby because she initiated the behaviour and refuses to talk to her at break.
How the friends resolve their differences takes up the next several pages in this highly entertaining story. With easily recognised situations and characters, younger readers will love this series of books, involving events that happen everyday in classrooms, and with a neat finish, show children how readily disagreements can be resolved.
Jellett's funny illustrations add another level of humour to the proceedings, ensuring every child will recognise themselves in the classroom. And the addition of a short comic tale at the end along with some Bestie jokes, Ruby's song and instructions on making a loud noise with your armpit, readers will read this aloud to their friends, laughing all the while. A wonderful series which fills the niche between picture books and short chapter stories for younger readers, these books will be eagerly shared, while teachers will laugh out loud reading them to their class. Themes: Friendship, School, Show and tell.
Fran Knight

The salmon of knowledge by Celina Buckley

Women artists A to Z by Melanie LaBarge

Illus. by Caroline Corrigan. Penguin Random House Australia, 2020. ISBN: 9781760896317.
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Women artists A to Z by Melanie LaBarge is a remarkable look at a range of women artists from all walks of life. Some of the artists featured were familiar but most were unknown - Mirka Mora, Betye Saar, Helen Frankenthaler, Yayoi Kusama, Kay Sage, Georgia O'Keeffe, Agnes Martin, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Elizabeth Catlett, Judith Leyster, Leonora Carrington, Carmen Herrera, Edmonia Lewis, Maya Lin, Hilma af Klint, Maria Martinez, Gee's Bend quilters, Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, Lois Mailou Jones, Alice Neel, Helen Zughaib, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Dorothea Lange, Xenobia Bailey and Maria Sibylla Merian.
Each artist has a very different style and depending on the letter of the alphabet chosen relating to the artist, every double page tells a different story. For example, H is for Horse expresses the art of Jaune Quick-to-see Smith whose work challenges the treatment of Indigenous peoples in the USA. She often includes horses in the paintings hence the letter H. R is for Roots showcases Frida Kahlo and her small yet powerful images that were rooted in her Mexican identity.
On each page is a brief yet succinct explanation of the artist and their work. At the end of the book is more detailed information and questions relating to each artist. This would provide further discussion and research for teachers and students. The illustrations by Caroline Corrigan are simplistic in style and do justice to the simple text and as an introduction to a new artist for young students. However as I viewed each double page spread I strongly felt the need to research each artist to see their work as it is truly presented and was astonished by the wonderful selection of diverse cultures and mediums included in this book.
Women artists A to Z is fabulous way to introduce children to new, perhaps lesser known artists. There is a wealth of learning to be gained for both adults and children by reading and sharing the information in this book. Themes: Women artists, Diversity, Cultures, Art mediums.
Kathryn Beilby

We love you, Mr Panda by Steve Antony

Hodder, 2020. ISBN: 9781444927924.
(Age: 3) Recommended. Themes: Pandas, Love, Relationships, Friendship, Hugs, Mental health. Mr Panda is giving out free hugs and would love some in return but everyone seems to be too busy hugging someone else. Skunk says he wants a hug but he is talking to Croc. Elephant says he wants a hug but he is talking to Mouse. Mr Panda offers a hug to Sloth but he rejects the offer, saying that he can hug himself. Even a flock of sheep bypass him for the Ostrich.
Slowly he walks away, realising that no one wants his hugs, but as he nears the edge of the page voices call out, asking if he would like a hug. Now he says he would love a hug, and immediately all of his friends come along and hug him to pieces.
A charming tale of friendship, of telling people what you feel, of sharing your feelings with friends, this will encourage younger readers to articulate their thoughts, especially when they are feeling low.
Mr Panda offers himself to all of his friends, but it is only when he says the he would love a hug that they respond.
The funny illustrations parallel the text in showing a dejected Mr Panda come alive when his friends respond. Children will be sad along with Mr Panda when in the middle of the book, his face takes up the whole double page as he realises that no one wants his hugs. And then be happy with Mr Panda when the friends see how low he is and come running. Readers will love spotting the lemur and penguin who accompany Mr Panda on every page except the middle page, and laugh with Mr Panda as he hugs a variety of animals, contemplating perhaps what it would be like to hug a crocodile or an elephant or penguin.
This is the fifth in this series of books, and children will love finding these on the shelves to spot the similarities between them. Look out for Please, Mr Panda (2016), Thank you Mr Panda (2019), Goodnight, Mr Panda (2018) and I'll wait, Mr Panda (2016).
Fran Knight

Arabella and the magic pencil by Stephanie Ward and Shaney Hyde

Exisle, 2019. ISBN: 9781925820010. 32pp., hbk.
Arabella is the only child of a duke and duchess who allow her to have one wish granted every year. She has been given a pink puppy, a fair, even a fairy. But one thing she does not want is a baby brother but he comes along without her wishing. And Master Archibald Vermillion Remington XV (aka Avery) cause so much mayhem that although Arabella loves him as she should, she does not always like him. Her next wish is a magic pencil, one that can make everything she draws real. She has a lot of fun with it until the day she draws a magnificent garden party and Avery invites himself in. He ruins it for her, climbing the hill of honeycomb, skipping across the sparkles and wallowing in the whipped cream waterfall. Arabella pulls out her pencil and begins to use the other end of the pencil to rub things out. But then the illustrations change from bright summery colours, filling the pages with colour and interest, to ones that are drab and uninteresting now that her little brother has gone.
A true cautionary tale about wishes not being all they seem, children will ponder the fate of the unwished for sibling and think about their own siblings and how much they are part of their lives.
Fran Knight

Are you watching? by Vincent Ralph

Penguin, 2020. ISBN: 9780241367421. 371 pp.
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Fans of mystery thrillers will grab this riveting book, and like me, will probably read it in one sitting. Jess is a 17 year old young woman whose mother was murdered ten years before by the Magpie Man, a serial killer. Determined to find him, she goes on a reality YouTube series in an effort to uncover more clues about his identity and see if she can lure him out of hiding. Once a week she is filmed for a whole day and she uses this to reach a huge audience.
Ralph's use of short chapters with a new twist at the end of most of them is perfect to keep the reader involved and determined to read on as Jess's use of social media brings out many followers and not a few crazies. Red herrings are scattered throughout and the reader is left wondering just who the Magpie Man is, until the exciting conclusion of the book. The police appear to be totally bamboozled by what is going on, and disinclined to listen to Jess, even when it appears she is being threatened by the Magpie Man.
Jess is an engaging character, one who does not want to be a victim. She makes mistakes, and she doesn't know who to trust, but she is very determined to find the killer. With the popularity of reality shows like Big Brother, readers will easily grasp the notion of Jess reaching millions and see the consequences of the social media event, both good and bad.
Fans of Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One of Us Is Lying will be delighted to have another great thriller to read.
Pat Pledger

Ali Cross by James Patterson

Penguin Random House 2019. ISBN: 9781529119725. 309 pp., paperback.
(Age: young teens - young adults) Recommended. Ali Cross knows that when his friend Gabe Qualls goes missing that he must jump right into action to find him. But with each day that passes his odds seem to dwindle. Determination, intelligence, logic and persistence are all things he has inherited from his father Alex Cross, a brilliant DC detective who is facing his own troubles at the same time as his son. Following along both father and son and their investigations, we see if they can help each other solve the mystery of what happened to Gabe Qualls.
As a short novel this was a very intriguing story about crime, families and friendship. It also branches off from Patterson's adult fiction Alex Cross series, but Patterson does well to include the father in this without mention of any events that happen in his respective series. Instead the focus is mainly on his son and portrays more of his actions and personality as a father instead of a detective. Ali himself is also written in a way that portrays him as the spitting image of his father, the only thing he lacks though is his patience which gets him in a few spots of trouble throughout the story, but also helps him out a few as well.
I would recommend this to young teens/young adults interested in crime and suspense, as well as anyone looking to get into James Patterson's works also.
Kayla Raphael

Warrior of the wild by Tricia Levenseller

Palgrave USA, 2020. ISBN: 9781250233653.
(Age: 13+) Recommended. Fans of fantasy and survival stories are in for a treat with this easy to read, engaging story. Rasmira is the daughter of the village chief and when she fails her coming of age trial, she is banished to the Wild and given an impossible task: kill the god who demands a tribute each year from the surrounding villages, making it difficult for them to survive. No one else who has been banished has ever succeeded and she is expected to die.
Rasmira has been trained as a warrior and is strong and determined. When she meets two other boys, Soren and Iric, who have been banished, her grit and intelligence and emerging leadership skills come to the fore. Together they decide that they will complete their virtually impossible tasks and show the villagers their skills and the injustice of their exile. Initially Rasmira is depicted as a self-centred young woman who is very confident about her ability as a fighter but has little knowledge of the skills needed to lead. Her father's favouritism has led to her mother feeling left out and the village boys are not happy with the attention given to her as well. It is in the Wild that she comes to realise what skills are needed as a leader and begins to discover that valuing the abilities of Soren and Iric and their resulting teamwork is necessary if they are to succeed.
The story is written is a very easy to read style with the dialogue sounding almost modern. With its tones of a Viking type lifestyle, the emerging relationship between Rasmira and Soren and Iric's love for a village boy, it will appeal to a wide readership, and the fact that it is a stand-alone will make it an easy choice for readers who don't want to commit to a series. It was one of a 2020 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
Pat Pledger