Reviews

Tropical Terry by Jarvis

Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406378627
(Ages: 3-6) Themes: Fish, Appearance. Coral Reef City is filled with some of the most colourful and fabulous fish of the ocean. A flurry of action words ("dashing, flashing, swirled") echo the movement of the sea seen in the illustrations, which feature minimal background detail comprised of white line drawings and speckled shades of matte blue, making the fish and colourful coral stand out. All of the pages are double page spreads to give the full panoramic experience of the sea. Poor Terry . . . in the midst of such a vibrant world he is plain blue and a very average fishy shape. He does have two great friends, Cilla the crab and Steve the sea snail, but as much as he loves playing with them (he is really good at hide-a-fish), he longs to be part of the tropical fish crew (they call him "Terry the DULL fish" and are definitely not interested in his silly games). After fancying himself up with colourful bits and bobs, Terry is finally able to join the popular gang, but when they run into a spot of bother, it's Terry's hiding skills that save the day. After this Terry realises that standing out isn't always great and starts to take pride in what makes him unique and special. The illustrations are beautiful but as a whole the book is let down a little by the text which lacks suspense and drama, especially when read aloud. In addition, while the story attempts to show that brains are superior to beauty it doesn't do this in a way that will be obvious to a very young audience.
Nicole Nelson

I Love You Dino-Daddy by Mark Sperring

Ill. by Sam Lloyd. Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408893449
(Ages: 3-6) Themes: Fathers, Rhyming book. As a republication of a 2015 title, initially published as "Dino-Daddy", this puffy hardcover book has a shiny foil title that somehow makes it seem cheap at first glance. However, on opening it contains first-rate illustrations (the cover illustration is overshadowed by the glittery text and stars) and a rather lovely rhyming text. The dinosaur family are a beautiful vibrant green with rich facial expressions and oodles of energy. The pictures are imbued with a sense of fun, chaos and craziness that many kids will identify with as how it feels to hang out with dad. Hands-on, rough and tumble play, silly magic tricks and jokes on dad when he falls asleep on the couch are all accounted for. This is gender stereotypical, with dad being the fun, slightly irresponsible parent, but entertaining nonetheless (and you could always swap Daddy for Mummy when reading). The simple, rhyming text reads aloud well ("And though he has a list of jobs he has to dino-do, he always seems to find the time to play a game . . . or two!") and the humorous illustrations do a lot of the talking. A great Father's Day gift or read aloud that celebrates time spent together.
Nicole Nelson

Master of stillness, Jeffrey Smart by Barry Pearce

Wakefield Press, Revised edition, 2018. ISBN 9781743053393.
(Age: Senior secondary - Adult) Highly recommended. Non-fiction. "Master of stillness" is the perfect title for this beautiful book which through its collection of photographic images traces the evolution of the art of Jeffrey Smart, born in Adelaide then eventually resident of Italy for 5 decades. The artworks are grouped by locations - Adelaide, Sydney, Rome and Tuscany - but if when you read Rome and Tuscany you expect images of ancient architecture, villas and rolling hills, you'll be surprised to see here modern landscapes of fences, roads, and concrete slabs, for it is Smart's fascination with lines, planes and shapes that dominate his work.
He wrote, "people often think concrete structures ugly... But the play of light on the precast slabs, the mystery of the building is beautiful to me."
They are 'still' paintings, quiet, the human figure mostly a minor point, an intersection of lines, or an indicator of scale. Clearly Smart had a mastery of the human form, seen most impressively in, 'Wine carriers', 'On the roof, Taylor Square' and 'Morning practice, Baia' but usually the human figure is strangely lonely in the urban landscape, the human element even ominously lonely with the depiction of the empty pram on the beach in 'Holiday resort' and 'Approaching storm by railway'.
Turning the pages of this book, it is fascinating to trace the development of the artist's discovery of beauty in lines, textures and shapes, from the early examples of still life, to the buildings and fences, roads and bridges, leading to his last and ultimate work 'Labyrinth', with the portrait of H.G. Wells, a small figure placed in the maze of straight stone walls with shadows making triangles amid the rectangular shapes.
This book is a wonderful celebration of a great Australian artist - it is a book to treasure, and deserves a place in the art section of every library.
Helen Eddy

Clash of the keepers by Mitchell Starc and Tiffany Malins

Ill. by Philip Bunting. Mighty Mitch book 3. Scholastic, 2018, ISBN 9781742769158
(Age: 8-10) Themes: Cricket. Sportsmanship. Australian international cricketer Mitchell Starc continues his popular Mighty Mitch series in Clash of the keepers. Suffering a loss to Marshall Spark is quite a blow to young Mitchell; he is shocked to lose the cricket-keeping contest. Mitchell determines to turn the tables around. The story begins with the Wander Hill Wombats on the way to a special coaching clinic, with his dad driving and annoying Oli singing over fifty-eight verses of the same song. At the name-tag table Mitchell accidentally takes Marshall Spark's tag, and this meeting comes back to make problems for Mitch all day. Marshall becomes his arch-enemy and a fierce competitor.
When Marshall arrives on Saturday to join Mitch's team, things go from bad to worse, when Mitchell's normal wicketkeeping position and his gold gloves are taken over by Marshall. There's plenty of action, drama and some great cricketing tips provided. Young Mitchell's decision to make Marshall looks stupid makes problems for the rest of the team. Backfiring pranks played by both boys add to the fun of the story.
Mitchell Starc's own memories of his early days, his encouragement of young players, lots of statistics and encouragement of sportsmanship are relatable elements in this junior novel.
This is a popular genre now, across many Australian sports and the books are proving popular with sporting fans. Philip Bunting's very simple cartoons show the team's cricketing skills and the results of the different pranks. Clash of the keepers is one for fans from 8-10 years.
Rhyllis Bignell

What will I do when I grow up? by Margherita Borin

Berbay Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780994384157
What will I do when I grow up by Margherita Borin is a picture book that as the title suggests, discusses a variety of careers people can do when they grow up. It centres around the high street of a town (or the Main Street as we know it in Australia) and focusses on a Chef, Builder, Scientist, Teacher and an Artist.
Each vocation is explained in a simple way, in respect to what the person may do, what instruments or equipment they may use and other things that may be involved with the job. Each section also ends with the question 'Would you like to be a... when you grow up" leaving it open for discussion with the reader.
Each of the jobs also has multiple pages of illustrations showing areas within the workplace and the actual equipment that may be used. For example - the chef section shows a kitchen, chef's uniform, utensils (knives, pots and pans, scales, blenders, mixers and graters to name a few), and a whole page of raw and cooked ingredients. The builder shows a work site, machinery and building equipment.
When reading this with my kids it was a good tool to talk about what they knew about these jobs and if they liked any of them. We also spent a lot of time looking at all the different pictures, naming them and how they can be used. Obviously there are a lot more jobs in the world than these 5 but it is a good introduction to the idea of a career and also an understanding of what adults do and who is behind many of the things we love i.e. How was our house built? Who cooks our dinner at a restaurant? How can we cure diseases and learn about the world? Who will we meet at school? We give it 3.5 out of 5.
Lauren Fountain

The silver sea by children from the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne with Alison Lester and Jane Godwin

Melbourne with Alison Lester and Jane Godwin
Affirm Press, 2018. ISBN 9781925584745
"Let's go down to The Silver Sea,
Come on, I'll hold your hand."
Take a journey with two little children as they explore what is beneath the waves in this magical adventure created by young people at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne with Australian authors Alison Lester and Jane Godwin.
Inspired by a multi-storey aquarium that was once part of the RCH environment, and created during a series of drawing workshops with the young patients, this is a stunning collaboration that features the rhythmical lullaby-like text of Lester and Godwin and the distinctive artwork of children that can never be replicated by adults. From splashing with the dolphins and seals in the waves to deep down in the indigo depths and back home again through diving shearwaters, the vast array of sealife is brought to life through the eyes and hands of the children.
Little ones will be inspired to create their own images of what they might see if they were able to go on an adventure like the children in the story, while older readers might like to investigate some of the creatures that they encounter. There is nothing quite so entrancing as seeing a leafy sea dragon in amongst the seaweed - an enduring memory of my scuba diving days - and wanting to know more about them!
All proceeds from the book's sales go to the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, making an extra reason for ensuring this utterly charming story is in your collection.
Barbara Braxton

Monsters by Anna Fienberg

Ill. by Kim Gamble and Stephen Axelsen. Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760293369
(Age: 5+) Highly recommended. Themes: Monsters, Fear, Confidence, Friendship. This beautifully presented picture book will have readers enthralled at the everyday things: plants, furniture, curtains, even a clothesline, that harbour a monster or two. They are peeping out from every corner of each page, scaring poor Tildy witless. She sees them when she goes to sleep, when she wakes, when she walks down the garden path.
They make her feel scared, and her parents try to comfort her without success.
At school a new boy called Hendrik sits next to her and draws monsters instead of listening in class. Tildy is eager, he is unafraid of the monsters, telling her he kills them with his sword.
Later he asks her to come and play and stay overnight in his tent in the backyard. Tildy is pleased to go but when night comes around she becomes fearful and wants to go home. When she tells him that she wants to go, he is upset saying that he thought they were friends. She tells him why she does not wish to stay. Hendrik knows just what to do, and he draws her monster, helping her defuse her fear.
This lovely book about confronting your fears and sharing them with others, will be a treat to read out loud in class, encouraging children to look closely at the wonderfully descriptive illustrations.
Kim Gamble, who has illustrated many of Fienberg's books, died during the development of this book and the finishing was taken on by Stephen Axelsen, illustrator and friend. The finished product is stunning, with monsters peering out from every corner of the page. Fans will relish the touches of Tashi in this book dedicated to the memory of one of Australia's finest illustrators, Kim Gamble.
Fran Knight

The New Kid : Unpopular me by James O'Loghlin

Pan Macmillan, 2018. ISBN 9781760554255
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. "The New Kid Unpopular Me" is a hilarious story about being the new kid in school. If it can go wrong it will! Sam is 11 and has just moved to Canberra with his family. He has already been targeted by the class bully, has only made one friend who is pretty unpopular and his mum keeps buying him rather embarrassing clothing. Sam is lonely. He won't admit it and he wants to be a good friend to his only new friend Gary. Sam decides he has to make Gary more popular to help himself become more popular. Will it happen during the school camp? Will fireworks be a good idea? Could the school play help Sam become more popular?
"The New Kid Unpopular Me" is a fun read with several embarrassing moments along the way. Sam's mum is just as embarrassing in the situations Sam finds himself in. Readers who have been to a new school will relate to the exaggerations in the story telling. It would be a great read aloud for the classroom thanks to its easy to read and descriptive text. The situations Sam gets himself into are also good for discussing feelings during the Child Protection Curriculum. It is highly recommended for independent reader aged 9+.
Kylie Kempster

Bab Sharkey and The Animal Mummies: The weird beard by Andrew Hansen and Jessica Roberts

Bab Sharkey and the Animal Mummies Book 1. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781760650001
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Themes: Ancient Egypt, Humour, Time travel, Adventure. Award-winning Australian comedian Andrew Hansen, best known for "The Chaser", has teamed up with his wife, designer Jessica Roberts, to create this series of funny books, beginning with Bab and his exploration of Ancient Egypt.
This is a time travel with a difference, as our hero, twelve-year-old Bab Sharkey picks up a beard in the Egyptian desert, which attaches to his face. He is transported back in time and is now the pharaoh with some very odd powers. Bab befriends some unusual beings, a pair of undead animals wrapped in bandages called Scaler the Fish Mummy and Prong the Ibis Mummy. But the previous owner of the Beard, the ancient and evil sorceress the Unpharaoh, wants her beard back. While having the time of his life in Ancient Egypt, Bab learns more about his amazing place and it is all there for middle to upper readers who have a distinctly wacky sense of humour, and love a fast paced story served up with fun, tongues lodged firmly in cheeks, set against a fascinating background.
Fran Knight

The hole by Kerry Brown

Ill. by Lucia Masciullo. ABC Books, 2018. ISBN 9780733335235
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Animals, Problem solving. Walking through the woods, a squirrel comes upon a hole on the path way she is using. Peering in she falls, and clings onto the top of the hole, hoping that she has not woken the beast that lives below. An ostrich passing by offers to help, and peering into the hole, becomes stuck as well. Then three small monkeys happen by and soon all five are hanging from the top of the hole.
Told in rhyming stanzas, full of alliteration, repetition and fun, the verses will be a treat read out loud, inviting listeners to predict the last lines of each couplet, and learning when some o the repeated words will appear, and so say them along with the reader. The use of the word, 'Then ...' at the end of some of the pages will appeal to the readers as they are asked to predict what will happen over the page.
The soft illustrations depict all the animals with affection, and the looks on their faces will appeal to the young readers, underlining the concern abut what lies beneath.
A field mouse happens by and also gives a hand, especially when the monster below stirs. The whole troupe hears its scritching sound and as it gets closer, so the readers will sit up and take notice. A wonderful resolution occurs, an they all sit down to eat what was in the squirrel's basket.
With some nods to fairy tales, the story will be a wonderful read aloud and engage children in developing ideas around problem solving.
Fran Knight

The coldest girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Changing gear by Scot Gardner

Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760631468
(Age: 14+) Highly recommended. Themes: Journeys. Road trip. Western Victoria. Merrick tosses in his final weeks of school, just before his year twelve exams, to take off on his beloved motorbike and see what happens. Seemingly with no particular aim to begin with, he finds more than he expected, walking side by side with a homeless man, a tramp who has plied the roads for over thirty years.
I love the story on the road, but found the early interaction with his peers heavy going, as he seemed so out of touch with them, a watcher rather than one of the group. Once on the road this persona falls away and he is able to breathe the fresh air, see the horizon and just ride. That is until his chain breaks, out on a dirt road miles from Dimboola. But Merrick has made some bad choices: leaving behind his wallet, not taking essentials like matches and toilet paper and not taking anything to repair his bike. So finding the philosophical old man tramping between the towns, offering advice, helping with things like how to clean your bottom without loo paper, is serendipitous, leading Merrick to understand just how and why he is here.
Based partly on Gardner's own motorbike trip around Australia, meeting a man who formed the basis of Merrick, enjoying the freedom of the open road, this story reflects the journey of many, that of finding out where they belong in a confusing world.
The banter between Merrick and Victor exposes the eighteen year old to the reader, and they will see his ideas about who he is and his place in the world develop as he travels further from home.
Gardner writes stories that reveal the stress of boys growing up to be young men, confused at what life offers, unsure of where they fit in with other people, particularly girls, often putting on a brave face, but in this case, having that mask questioned by an old man, one who has seen everything in his years on the road.
Fran Knight

My life and other failed experiments by Tristan Bancks and Gus Gordon

Tom Weekly Book 6. Penguin, 2018. ISBN 9780143781615
(Age: 8-11) Recommended. Themes: Pets. Brothers and sisters. Humour. What's next for Tom Weekly, his sister torturing his guinea pig, taking on the most annoying ice-cream man and dealing with a killer possum attack? Tom has a new motto 'never give up, never give in' and he's determined to survive the crazy situations he encounters. Tristan Bancks continues to raise the bar for Tom whose goals include eating a car and most importantly getting your parents off social media - there's photos of baby poo!
Older sister Tanya dangles Tom's guinea pig out of his open window demanding all his birthday money for Gus's safe return, and Tom needs to take quick action. A quick pull on his bedroom rug sees Tanya fall, land in the compost bin and unfortunately Gus poops pellets in her mouth. That's just the first of many laugh out loud incidents. In 'Razorblade Fruitcake' there are fruitcake frisbees, and Tom is chased by a mad woman in a hot-pink granny cart. He won't be helping his Nan again anytime soon. Tom's personal problems are aired in 'Buttman', his Mum says 'his bum makes unpleasant odours on a far too regular basis.' Tom's solutions involve either a total butt removal or inventing a chemical freshener 'Buttfresh' that will sell to millions of people and save the world from the methane emissions of cows. Tom's Santa suit experience and unfortunate candy cane regurgitation end this novel with a reality check for this relatable character, no special Christmas kiss for him!
My life and other failed experiments is a hilarious novel. Bancks includes humour, jokes, cartoons, gross body anecdotes, weird facts and lists of thought-provoking questions such as 'Who would you rather be?' Gus Gordon's cartoons add to the fun and craziness that is Tom Bank's life. This extremely popular series is perfect for middle primary readers and for a class read aloud novel.
Rhyllis Bignell

Scaredy Cat by Heather Gallagher and Anil Tortop

New Frontier, 2018. ISBN 9781925594171
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Pets.
"Have you seen my Scaredy Cat?
He's afraid of this and afraid of that!"
Scaredy Cat's gorgeous covers decorated with shiny hearts and a cute little girl with just a hint of her missing pet are delightful drawcards. Heather Gallagher's fun rhyming refrain is a perfect picture book to share with toddlers and pre-schoolers, and they'll soon join in responding to the rhymes and discovering where scaredy cat is hiding! Take time to observe the scene from the tower, as each of these characters appear throughout this delightful story.
Scaredy Cat's afraid of many things: bees, trees and Granny's super-duper sneeze, muck and quacking ducks. Luckily for this loved pet, the little girl is 'brave like this and BRAVE like that!' She's there to rescue her friend from all the dangerous situations, the sights, the smells and the sounds. Her brave actions rid the beach of pirates and then her karate skills remove the creeping crooks. With a final unexpected twist, she is reunited with her Scaredy Cat.
Anil Tortop's gorgeous digital illustrations provide the visual clues that perfectly underpin Gallagher's rhyming story. His bright palette of colours and designs sweeps across the endpapers and is creatively utilised in each fun scene. Heather Gallagher's sense of rhyme and rhythm and her understanding of the special bond of a child and her pet makes this a joyful story, one to be shared over and over again.
Rhyllis Bignell

Antidote to a curse by James Cristina

Transit Lounge, 2018. ISBN 9781925760033
(Age: Adult) Following a sexual encounter Silvio Portelli finds himself increasingly drawn to the Bosnian immigrant Zlatko, whilst waiting to learn the results of his test for HIV. Portelli wants to write, and the mystery of Zlatko's life may be his story. Chapters of his Melbourne cafe meetings with Zlatko are interwoven with dream passages that seem to predict the unravelling story of what happened in Bosnia Herzegovina.
The characters take hold of the author and he follows where they lead. The novel itself is a reflection on the art of writing - Portelli tells Zlatko that he has no plot outline, he does not know where the story will go; but his dreams take hold of him and bring it together. The reader has to trust and follow along too. It is nevertheless a well crafted novel.
It makes for an interesting, at times challenging, read - I felt I needed to know more of the history of the Bosnian war. Some relevant works are acknowledged at the end of the novel and could make for further reading for those who are interested.
Helen Eddy