Reviews

Baby's first jailbreak by Jim Whalley

Illus. by Stephen Collins. Bloomsbury, 2019. ISBN: 9781408891810.
(Ages 4+) Highly Recommended. Themes: Animals, Babies. Baby Frank is back. A hilarious follow-up to Baby's first bank heist, this wonderful rhyming story, is full of mischief and cute animals. It is so much fun to read aloud, the illustrations are brilliant, with lots of little details for young readers to spot.
Can Frank and the animals convince the visitors that they belong right where they are? The answer is both yes and no. But what happens finally, you'll have to discover, by getting your flippers, trunks, or other appropriate appendages on a copy of this chuckle-worthy book.
The storyline is great, as it gently introduces the downsides of performing animals, without coming across in a preachy form.
I have to say, this is one of the funniest picture book series, in recent years, with high hopes for more instalments of the adventures of 'Baby Frank'.
Donna Isgar

Petal and the really hard riddle by Kathryn England

Illus. by David Allan. Christmas Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780648194545.
(Age: 6-8) Themes: Fairy tales. Katherine England's beginning chapter book is based on the Rumpelstiltskin folk tale, one of the less familiar fairy stories. She follows the similar plot lines, reworking the ideas and introducing the cunning twin brother Riddlestiltskin who's up to the same old trickery as his brother.
Petal's father can't help boasting about his daughter, she is clever, grows the most gigantic pumpkins and can even juggle fiery torches hopping on one foot. Of course, when he boasts about Petal's ability to spin straw into gold, things come unstuck. The greedy king summons the girl and locks her in a room with a bundle of straw and a spinning wheel. Poor Petal is unsure about what to do next, when a little bearded man climbs in through the castle window.
He promises to fulfil the king's commands if Petal can answer all his tricky riddles. Luckily Petal has read 'The Giant Book of Riddles' from cover to cover.
David Allan's black and white sketches add liveliness to this easy to read chapter book. Katherine England's ending brings a new interpretation to this fairy story, one which adds a fun conclusion. Petal and the really hard riddle is an easy story tale for young readers.
Rhyllis Bignell

Where the river runs gold by Sita Brahmachari

Orion, 2019. ISBN: 9781510105416. 340p; p/b.
Shifa has to protect herself and her brother Themba as she finds out the unfortunate truth about her parentage and the controlling government she lives under in a world supposedly ravaged by an incredible storm. Characters are deep and well developed, with even the seemingly most antagonistic characters having a human side to them. The treatment of Themba's implicit neuro-divergence is fairly respectful. The plot is largely character-based at first, focusing on interactions in an oppressive society, but pivots to a sort of thriller action with escapes and secrets towards the end, in a way that is interesting and doesn't feel jarring, but the conclusion does feel a bit rushed and insubstantial.
The novel tackles a variety of themes, and handles them largely well. There is examination of the expression of creative freedom under an oppressive government as people struggle under ARK's 'freedom farms'. The populace is controlled through complete isolation from and lies about a better outside world, but people fight back with stories and artwork. Treatment of people with neuro-divergence and mental illness is also looked at, as Themba struggles to cope on the oppressive farms and everyone tries to deal with the old lady on the farm. At the core of the plot though, is environmentalism, with the world presumed to be after a mass extinction event and the protection of what natural life remains.
The novel takes place in the fictional 'Kairos Lands' with a vaguely futuristic technology level after recovering from a cataclysm. The setting is well established with some interesting, but not too intrusive, world building.
Vincent Hermann

George and the great brain swappery by Cal Wilson

Illus. by Sarah Davis. Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742762760.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. The Pepperton family are back in the follow-up to George and the great bum stampede, another humorous story by comedian, Cal Wilson.
The Peppertons are a quirky, energetic family. Mum is Professor Pippa Pepperton, an Inventor Extraordinaire. She is always making wacky inventions, so life for the Peppertons is never dull or ordinary.
This is a tale of Mum's newest wacky invention, a 'Brain Swapping Machine', its name giving an indication of the potential for causing havoc. When the machine is stolen by one of George's classmates, and taken on an excursion to the zoo, it's complete mayhem, as the animals and visitors, start behaving rather strangely. This is a tale about chaos.
This is a fun book for young readers, with creative interaction of text and illustrations, interesting fonts and the use of space. This is especially helpful for new readers, who may feel daunted by a full page of text.
Once again, great illustrations by Sarah Davis, that really add extra humor to the story.
Donna Isgar

Pig the tourist by Aaron Blabey

Scholastic, 2019. ISBN: 9781742994123.
(Ages: 3-8) Recommended. Themes: Rhyming story, Travel, Humourous story. Pig the pug is back and this time he's off on a worldly vacation. But he's causing trouble at every destination, with poor Trevor standing by unimpressed and at times distraught. The little details in the illustrations are sure to make kids and their grownups giggle; from Pig's doctoring of Trevor's passport on the endpapers to farting in his first class airplane seat, this is Pig as we know and love him. He is larger than life and more inappropriate and naughty than ever before. He hijacks a hot dog cart in New York, wees on a polar bear in the Arctic, knocks the head of a Sphinx in Egypt and lampoons koalas in Australia. And that's just for a start. 'Unbridled and vast was his need to offend. But every wild party must come to an end . . . Yes, if you treat locals with little regard, they'll come back to bite you . . . ' Yes, Pig meets an unfortunate end again. The rhyming and perfectly rhythmic text is rich and with that melancholic tone unique to Blabey's Pig stories. Lovers of Pig's previous escapades will be fans of his travel antics and Piranhas don't eat bananas fans will love to see the role the piranhas play in Pig's eventual comeuppance.
Nicole Nelson

Meet me at the intersection ed. by by Rebecca Lim and Ambelin Kwaymullina

Mika and Max by Laura Bloom

Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781760651145.
(Age: 10-14) Highly recommended. Themes: Friendships; Neuro-atypical characters; Puberty; Coming-of-age. Mika is 13 years old. Her life is changing, her view of herself is shifting and there are pressures at home and in all areas of her life. Some of those pressures are the ones she puts on herself, but life seems to be getting harder and her family do not seem to help. Knowing who she is and even what she should wear, and the way she should behave and where she fits is causing her internal angst. Then she is expected to go to a music festival with her parents and stay with a family that she does not know! But on this weekend away she meets Max, a 10 year old who is non-verbal and on the Autism Spectrum. The festival presents opportunities for her to begin to show some independence, but her connection with Max shows her that friendship sometimes happens, even when you don't expect it. The link they forge though puts them into danger, but ultimately this is a story of discovery that goes beyond the stressful circumstances.
I was delighted that this story was able to reveal a window into the world of the family with a neuro-atypical child. The struggles and joys were there, but the realities were also exposed. Mika's family life was more typical, but it too showed that we can sometimes distress each other without meaning to. Her emotional growth was given a boost by connecting with the younger boy, Max. The drama within the coming-of-age story was compelling and quite exciting. This will be a book to recommend to young pre-teen and early teen readers; it is not difficult or long, but there is a gentle pathos that is appealing. Laura Bloom's own family circumstances have given her opportunity to create characters that are real and believable. Teacher's notes are available.
Carolyn Hull

The old lie by Claire G. Coleman

Hachette, 2019. ISBN: 9780733640841.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Themes: Dystopia, Science fiction, End of the world, Refugees, Biological warfare, Dispossession, Stolen Generations. With excerpts from Wilfred Owen's poems as epigraph for the first chapter, and descriptions of soldiers struggling amid mud, barbed wire and corpses, the reader would be forgiven in initially thinking this novel is set in the trenches of World War 1, however, reading on, we discover that the action is taking place 'far from Country, trapped on a planet light years from Earth', and the soldier we have been reading about, Corporal Shane Daniels, is actually a woman (an Aboriginal woman), fighting a battle to protect the Earth and other planets of the Federation against attacks from the alien Conglomeration forces. The fearless and dashing fighter pilot, Romeo, with a reputation of being caught out in other people's beds, is also a woman - a clever reversal of stereotypes by the author Claire G. Coleman. Shane Daniels and Romeo are caught in a battle fought around space stations overrun with refugees, human and non-human, from planets in the Federation.
Other characters are on-the-run escapee, Jimmy; a strange malnourished waif, Itta; Walker, struggling alone in a desert somewhere; and Williams, a surgeon imprisoned in a laboratory cell. How their lives are connected is not revealed until the end. The common thread is the turmoil that has overtaken the Universe, the violence and suffering as beings are pitted against each other, the stampede of people fleeing danger, spaceships pitted in battle with space stations, and no safe haven anywhere. As we read on we gradually become aware of parallels with the current situation of refugees fleeing danger around the world, the use of biological warfare, past atomic testing on Aboriginal lands, Aboriginal soldiers denied recognition and rights on return from war, and children stolen from their parents. Coleman has found a highly original way to present themes from Australian history in a science fiction format that will engage readers who like that kind of exciting action drama.
Helen Eddy

Jinxed! The Curious Curse of Cora Bell by Rebecca McRitchie

Illus. by Sharon O'Connor. Angus and Robertson, 2019. ISBN: 9781460757642.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Cora lives an ordinary life with her friend, Dot. Each day she leaves her house in the wall and goes out collecting bits and bobs, returning each night to share her finds with Dot who is no longer as agile. One day Dot asks her to find shoe polish and so Cora spends all day searching the city of Urt, running from scavengers and trappers and finally just as she loses hope she finds a tin of shoe polish and a wooden box. Cora opens the box and sets off a chain of events that lead her on a wild and magical journey away from Urt with the help of two fairies, Tick and Tock.
Cora's journey takes her to many magical lands as she attempts to escape from a furious warlock and a Jinx, find out who and what she is and discover where Dot is. Together with her fairy friends, Cora meets hobgoblins, trolls and many magical beings, some of whom are willing to help her, as she tries to escape the warlock and the Jinx and find herself.
This book is an easy read for competent younger readers with adventures, a couple of mild scary scenes, (but nothing that will lead to nightmares) and a great story line. The author has created a story that children will want to believe in and want to visit. Cora's backstory and the journey she takes in this book encourages children to think beyond themselves, wonder what life would be like if you didn't know who you were or where you fit and to imagine what life would be like if like Cora, you could only remember waking up with one eye and Dot looking after you.
My one gripe about the book is that it ends with "to be continued" which is also how the author ended her first book, Whimsy and Woe. I feel this is an unnecessary addition to the story as I felt that the characters had reached a conclusion. I look forward to reading more about Cora's adventures but felt that this made the story feel unfinished.
Mhairi Alcorn

I am so clever by Mario Ramos

Gecko Press, 2019. ISBN: 9781776572496.
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Fairy Tales, Red Riding Hood, Wolves. In a turned about version of Red Riding Hood, we have a wolf who thinks he is very clever, being outsmarted by the girl in the red cloak.
The story begins in the usual way with Red Riding Hood taking a basket of goodies to an ailing grandma on the other side of the woods. The wolf convinces her to tarry, picking flowers for grandma, while he scurries off to the house to eat her up and be ready for the little girl as dessert.
With Grandma nowhere to be seen, the wolf puts on her nightgown, taking her place in bed, ready to eat the girl when she appears. But first he must wipe away his paw prints from the doorway and when he goes outside to do this, the door slams and shuts him out.
He encounters the woodsman searching for his glasss, and spies the bears, three little pigs, a prince looking for Sleeping Beauty and seven dwarves off for a shower. He sees Red Riding Hood and tries to accost her but falls flat on his face, his feet tripping over the long nightogown, so breaking his teeth and leaving him with egg on his face. He is shamefaced, not eating the two people he expected to eat that day. Too clever for his own good.
This engrossing version of Red Riding Hood will have readers recalling other versions and telling their own stories about the characters met during the reading. I do like the inclusion of the other tales as background to the wolf's meanderings in the woods, and love the turn about of the original story. The illustrations will appeal to the readers, especially watching closely the various expressions on the wolf's face as he changes from a confident and clever wolf to one despairing, embarrassed wolf at the end.
Translated from Le Plus Malin (2011) I turned the page expecting a little more.
Fran Knight

The Astrid Notes by Taryn Bashford

Pan MacMillan, 2019. ISBN: 9781760552213. 337p; p/b.
As Astrid Bell, classical singer, secret pop songwriter, grapples with career-threatening stage fright, and Jacob Skalicky, Indie singer, loses his bandmates to a fatal accident, their paths intertwine as they help each other overcome their fear of falling into a forgettable life. The novel is massively character-driven, so having relatable leads is important, and Bashford fleshes them out perfectly. The consistent switches of perspective help highlight their different ways of seeing the same world. Some more minor characters are less fleshed out, as comes with a lack of 'screen-time', but even that can enhance the point sometimes, as you feel like you don't know anything about Jacob's absentee parents, just like him. It also seems that some other characters may be fleshed out more in a previous novel, without this one depending at all on having read it. This depth of character allows the novel's plot to flourish, as the reader is gripped by characters coping with their tumultuous lives.
The novel juggles its three themes of loss, parentage and ambition effortlessly, weaving them into each other to become more than the sum of its parts. The dual perspectives of the novel's leads allows for multiple valid takes on each, so it never fells like the reader is being judged for how they see things, but still allowing them to open their minds.
The story is set in modern-day Sydney, which isn't anything special - but that's exactly what's right to help the leader better relate to the characters and plot.
Vincent Hermann

Mermaid Holidays: Magic Pearl by Delphine Davis and Adele K. Thomas

Puffin, 2019. ISBN: 9780143796497.
(Ages 6-8) Theme: Fantasy. Mermaid Holidays continues in the latest addition to the new series by Delphine Davis. This time, the story is told from Willow Waves' perspective, as she hosts a sleep-over for her friends, where they make necklaces.
This is the second book in the series.  It is aimed at the same audience as the first book, for both new and returning readers, as we get to see Turtleton and the adventures through Willow's perspective. It is a story of friendship and working together, yet, at the same time, learning and growing as an individual to find a solution to the problem that Willow advertently causes.
It is enjoyable to see how the author has created the characters and stories to be fun, yet teaching young readers about responsibility in a fun, subtle way.
Ideal for students keen to dive into chapter books, it is a bit wordier than Billie B Brown or an Ella and Olivia, with pages swimming with fun illustrations to break up the text. The characters in the story are full of expression.
Donna Isgar

Oi duck-billed platypus! by Kes Gray

Oi duck-billed platypus! by Kes Gray
Illus. by Jeff Field. Hodder Children's Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781444937336. pbk.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Animals, Verse, Word play, Alliteration, Humour. Following on from the success of the zany fun filled humour of the "Oi" books (Oi Frog (2014) Oi Dog (2016), and Oi Cat (2017)) this paperback version follows a slightly different variation as the frog finds it difficult to find a rhyme for some of the animals that appear before him, waiting to be seated. What do you rhyme with a duck billed platypus or a hippopotamus, an ostrich or a meerkat. Frog, cat and dog are puzzled and platypus is not very patient, reminding the trio that he is waiting, as he points out the queue behind him of other animals also waiting for their rhyme before being seated.
Eventually the Frog asks for their first names and they find it much easier to use their first names rather than their second to find a rhyme that fits. So Dolly the duck-billed platypus sits on a brolly, Kate kookaburra sits on a gate and Lemony lobster sits on an anemone. Everyone is satisfied, the alliterative names of the animals used to make a nice rhyming seat until a kangaroo happens to come along, with the fearful name, Amelia Esmerelda Honeydew HigginbottomPinkleponk-Johnson. The resolution will have children trying vainly to find a rhyme and like frog, telling the kangaroo to sit where she likes.
Full of humour, reflected in the appealing illustrations, the tale will bring laughter from all readers, recognising the alliteration and how it teams with the animal's name, seeing the rhyme that frog comes up with, perhaps offering an alternative, all the while looking closely at the expressions on the faces to see what a quandary frog is in. In a class emphasis could be the word play, rhyme and alliteration, while discussion with younger readers about first and last names would be appropriate.
All readers will love looking out for the seat of each of the animals and delight in the end papers with Field's platypus panorama.
Fran Knight

Playing with collage by Jeannie Baker

Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781406378665.
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Themes: Collage, Arts and crafts, Invention, Recycled materials. The front cover invites the readers to look more closely at the image, working out what it is made of and what it could be. For those who know Jeannie Baker's work, the background knowledge that she plays with collected items from nature will stand them in good stead as they scan the cover. But those who do not know her work, and there can be only be a handful, then this will be an eye popping read.
Aimed at a younger audience, but with enough information and instructional images to appeal to anyone with an interest in art, Playing with Collage is a joy to read.
Each chapter involves a double page of information with illustrative photographs, allowing the reader to see just how her work is done, as she gives the most basic of instructions that will make every reader believe that they can do it too, even someone new to the field.
After the introduction, three more double pages talk about Tools, Tips and Playing with Materials. After these the book is divided into four parts, each dealing with a different aspect of collecting materials. The first is Paper which encourages readers to collect all sorts of paper, then play around with it, making different shapes and images. This is followed by Out in Nature, where she shows the readers the sorts of things they can collect when out in the field. Again, On the beach shows a range of things that can be collected while beach walking, and the last section, In the Kitchen showcases the sorts of things that are right under our noses.
Baker goes on to discuss Translucency encouraging the reader, as always, to try it out for themselves, and the last section shows a variety of found materials and asks the reader to guess what materials she has used in her egg box collage.
And this then is the aim of this beautiful book. Readers will be so entranced that they will go out and try her techniques for themselves, marvelling at her work, seeing her work with fresh eyes.
Readers familiar with her work will be astounded at the range of materials she collects to use in her collages and look more closely at the books when they come across them. For others this book will initiate collection and storage then experimentation as they try out some of the techniques she espouses.
This is a beautiful read from every point of view: an instruction manual, an art book, a book espousing the art of collage, a peep into Baker's talents, an inducement to re-look at Baker's other books.
Fran Knight

The little wave by Pip Harry

UQP Books, ISBN: 9780702260476.
(Age: 8-13) Highly recommended. Verse novel. Themes: Friendship, Pen pals, Surfing, Courage, Bullying, Families, Grief. What a wonderful heart-warming story this is! Pip Harry has written a verse story for younger children which will become a favourite. When a Manly school decides to host a country class for a visit to the seaside, the children involved all face challenges. Noah loves to surf, but doesn't know how to stop his friend from bullying him. Lottie lives with her grief stricken father who hoards enormous amounts of junk and Jack is a great cricketer, but often doesn't turn up to school and has family problems.
The free verse structure of the novel works really well and would make for a great read aloud or class novel. The story, told in the voices of the three main characters, flows along beautifully and the reader gets to know each of them really well and can easily identify with the problems that they are facing and the emotions that their challenging lives bring. The letters that each send expand on their lives and likes. I particularly liked the letters between Lottie and the teacher, Miss Waites who shows her that it is OK to be totally engrossed in something, (bugs in Lottie's case). Both Miss Waites and the teacher Mr M are warm, friendly, caring people who make a difference in their students' lives and other parents and carers are portrayed compassionately and in depth.
The contrast of the setting of the beach and surfing in Manly to Mullin, the tiny country town where Jack lives, is vividly described. Noah's love of surfing, the beach and the sand and city life is quite different to the swimming hole where Jack goes, and small town life. Themes of bullying, dysfunctional family life and friendship problems are deftly handled and will be easily recognised by children.
There is much to like in this memorable book, which would be wonderful as a Literature Circle or class novel. Teacher's notes are available.
Pat Pledger