Reviews

The things we promise by J.C Burke

Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN: 9781760290405
(Age: 15+) The Things We Promise describes the year of Gemma as she looks forward to her first school formal. Set in the 1990s this novel depicts the typical aspects of growing up as teenagers during this time period. Most notably is Gemma's obsession with going to the local pay phone box to call and catch-up with gossip from her friends (something the current generation of social media always connected teenagers might find different). Most notably and the main theme of the The Things We Promise is a personal recount of the AIDS epidemic which affected the early 1990s. This is described via Gemma's older brother who is gay and has been exposed to HIV. On this theme, the novel describes all the prejudices, discrimination and attitudes that were directed at Gemma and her family because Billy was homosexual and later HIV positive. In short, Gemma's problems with her friends, boyfriends and her formal dress become less of a priority as she deals with the social and emotional issues associated with HIV and AIDS. Later in the book, the themes are heavily associated with Gemma and her family's experience of terminal illness and ultimately grief.
The Things We Promise is easily related to other texts that feature similar themes of prejudice and discrimination, particularly those related to homophobia and AIDS and would be most suited to senior high school students. It is a great reflection on how far we have come to be more accepting of 'AIDS in the burbs.'
Adam Fitzgerald

The Catawampus Cat by Jason Carter Eaton

Ill. by Gus Gordon. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143785583
(Ages: 4-7) Highly recommended. Cats, change, perspective. The back cover helpfully informs us that the word 'catawampus' means to be askew or at an angle. A Google search confirms that it is indeed a word, albeit usually considered a North American colloquialism. Unsurprisingly then, The Catawampus Cat has been written by an American author. While not particularly well known in Australia, Jason Carter Eaton has previously produced a small number of children's books. Here he teams up with the incredibly talented Gus Gordon (writer and illustrator of the successful Herman and Rosie, among others.)
The town Catawampus Cat walks into is super busy every day, even on a Tuesday (!), but when people start to see and do things differently amazing things happen. Miss Reade, the town librarian, accidentally pulls a book about boatbuilding off the shelf . . . and off she goes on her new boating adventure. Bushy Brows Billiam discovers he can see better if he looks at just the right angle. Soon everyone in town is tilting their head and they are all 'happy and slanty and catawampus'. The ending, in which the Catawampus Cat straightens up and walks out of town, is incredibly funny and thought provoking. It is a great discussion starter about how the cat has again become the catawampus one.
With The Catawampus Cat Gus Gordon lives up to the high expectations Herman and Rosie fans are sure to have. From the story map on the endpapers showing the cat's journey around the town to the humourous, busy and eclectic multimedia pictures within, this book is a visual feast. Each page begs the eye to travel, explore and enjoy. Repeated readings are never boring either, as new elements are just waiting to be discovered. The writing is also a joy; it is witty, uncomplicated and devoid of unnecessary detail. The overarching message is about slowing down and noticing things; it emphasises how looking at things from a different perspective can open our eyes to new opportunities or ways of doing things. Young primary school children and teachers will love this, especially if they are fans of Herman and Rosie.
Nicole Nelson

I don't know what to call my cat by Simon Philip

Ill. by Ella Bailey. Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781471124129
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Cats, Family, Decision making. All readers will enjoy reading the covers of this inviting book, seeing the cats' names reflecting their attributes. I laughed out loud at Dali's moustache, Elton's eyes and Ziggy's scar, and readers will pick up the humour before they open the first page.
When a cat choses the protagonist as its owner, she has a lot of trouble finding a suitable name. She scrolls through many: Betty, Lorraine and Ethel and so on, until a visit to the vet shows her that she needs a boy's name. Then a similar scrolling through a number of boys' names occurs with the cat rejecting them with his bahviour. Readers will laugh out loud at the animal's antics, and sympathise when it appears to run away, doffing the clothes in which it has been dressed. Surprisingly the girl goes to the zoo, and selects an ape for her pet, but he destroys her house until the zoo keepers retrieve him.
When he disappears back to the zoo, her cat reappears resplendent with his name, Tricky on a plate around his neck. She is ecstatic and draws a line across the floor, delineating how they will now interreact with each other.
With detailed digital illustrations the relationships between the young girl and the animals will cause lots of laugh, as they work out their boundaries. Readers will have a great time finding the cat on the pages where he has run away, shouting out to the little girl where to find him.
As the children read this story they will assimilate information about how to look after a pet and some of the responsibilities in doing so.
Fran Knight

First Baby Days series

Toddler's world series

Hodder and Stoughton, 2017.
ABC. ISBN 9781526380029
123. ISBN 9781526380050
Animals. ISBN 9781526380036
Colours. ISBN 9781526380043
(Ages: 1-3) Recommended. Board books, concept books. Each of these bright, colourful board books has playful illustrations that toddlers will love to explore and big, interactive foldouts on their final page. Their simple format allows children to lead the exploration and encourages parent-child interaction. The books use toddler appropriate content to teach simple concepts and include things that toddlers love (balls, rockets, balloons, animals, vehicles, etc.). These are English publications so objects or things are not necessarily Australian (e.g., wood animals are badgers, hedgehogs, etc.) or are called something different (e.g., pepper instead of capsicum), but this doesn't greatly detract from their value. In Colours, ABC and Animals, which are separated into sections and have labelled pictures, toddlers will enjoy pointing out and naming things familiar to them. The counting book uses many number representations (figure, dots, number of items, written word, highlighted number in sequence), meaning children are exposed to number in its many forms.
The last foldout page in each of the books asks children to consolidate their learning (count how many, name the animals, etc.). All of the books are incredibly robust to withstand even the toughest toddler treatment.
Nicole Nelson

But then I came back by Estelle Laure

Orchard Books, 2017. ISBN 9781408342541
(Age: 14+) Recommended. Eden's life was all figured out - she was going to go to New York and dance with the Bolshoi, she was going to be a star!
After the accident however, all her plans are thrown into doubt. Having woken from a coma a month after falling into the river, Eden doesn't know whether she'll ever dance again. There goes fame, fortune, and college plans. Instead she is consumed by the depression of the displaced, and the mystery of her fellow coma girl, Jasmine, who she met on the 'other side'. Preoccupied by Jasmine and the mysterious black flowers, Eden finds herself neglecting her old life and her family in order to try and help this stranger come back. But is her determination solely because she feels close to the other girl, or because of the boy with the white roses and chocolate eyes? It seems that when everything is going so wrong, something has to be so right.
Sequel to This raging light, But then I came back can be read in addition or on its own. Intelligent and thoughtful, Estelle Laure (and Eden) make many literary references throughout the novel to the canon. It is a novel about recovery, discovery, and comfort with a pleasant possibility for what might be beyond the veil. A relatively easy read, the novel addressed issues surrounding family, depression, and future thinking. I would recommend this novel for students aged fourteen and up.
Kayla Gaskell, 21

Aquatica, a beginner's field guide by Lance Balchin

Five Mile Press, 2017. ISBN 9781760404147. Hardcover, 32 pages.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Dystopian fiction. Future settings. Environmental issues. Animals. Robots. Science fiction. Lance Belchin's Mechanica introduced a futuristic world where the extensive use of fossil fuels has poisoned and destroyed the atmosphere, the ecosystems and all of nature. The sea is now a sterile place, while the red sky is filled with atmospheric fires. In Aquatica, a beginner's field guide, we discover the fantastic range of robotic sea creatures that inhabit this desolate environment. These dangerous Aquatica pose a new threat to the enclaves of humans left in the world as their population rapidly grows in the underwater energy field known as the Hum. Here these creatures are able to communicate, talking, planning, plotting, and beginning to move stealthily closer to the human settlements.
Fifteen-year-old scientific genius Liberty Crisp sets out on her first voyage in the HMS 'Beagle' from the fortified island of Madagascar. She travels with her friendly Mechanica bat, Bert, across the deadly oceans of Asia gathering data, images and recording notes on the new frightening species of wild creatures. Some of these prove to be nonviolent, able to communicate with Liberty and the other humans on her ship.
Exquisitely detailed illustrations, display each mechanical creature; there is fluidity to their lines, an amazingly seamless combination of the robotic and realistic features. Each creature is identified by its scientific name, detailed description of movement, purpose, composition, communication mode, speed, power and location. The massive Watching Squid is a dangerous creature with its two lead tentacles able to deliver a massive electrical charge as it speeds through the ocean at 190 kilometres an hour, stunning and killing its prey. The iridescent turquoise Sentinel Pleumon has a symbiotic relationship with the Hunter Shark; it transmits attack information to the shark that protects this defenceless creature.
Balchin's Aquatica brings a deep environmental message: the impact of our misuse of fossil fuels, global warming, destruction of habitats and the animal populations, all have futuristic consequences. This beautifully detailed scientific guide, with its photorealistic technical illustrations is suited to readers from nine years of age up to ninety! This is an excellent resource for educators in the Upper Primary and Lower Secondary years across the curriculum in Science, Technology and Design, Environmental education and sustainability, Geography and Art - digital illustration.
Rhyllis Bignell

Welcome to Willowvale by Rebecca Johnson

Vet cadets bk 1. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143782711
(Age: 8-12) Recommended. Boarding School. Veterinary training. Animal husbandry. School life. Horse riding. Friendship. Science. Biology. Parasites. Willowvale Girls Academy offers a special Vet Cadet Program for Year 7 girls. New students Hannah, Abbey and Talika, all have different family backgrounds but they all have one thing in common, they love animals, especially horses. As they settle into boarding school life, these three girls learn to rely on each other, value each other's differences and work together to solve several mysteries.
Abbey, Hannah and Talika learn about caring for farm animals, raising lambs, shearing sheep, caring for their horses and collecting parasites for their Science lessons. Talika's fat pony Pudding has a mind of its own and both Abbey and Hannah's assistance is needed to teach riding and grooming skills. When a neighbour's aggressive dog chases Talika and her pony, Abbey's farm skills come in to help. The treasure hunt for parasites adds a quirky scientific dimension as the three friends explore a nearby dam and capture airborne insects and those living on cows and sheep. This knowledge and the use of specialised scientific equipment assist them on their journey to solving the mystery of the sheep attacks.
Rebecca Johnson's background as a science educator and her love of animals is evident in this new series for middle primary readers. Welcome to Willowvale is an exciting introduction and is just right for readers who enjoy reading information and scientific facts in a novel format with strong girl role models. Friendship, learning resilience and working together to solve problems are positive themes presented here.
Rhyllis Bignell

The princess and the frogs by Veronica Bartles

Ill. by Sara Palacios. Balzer and Bray, 2017. ISBN 9780062365910
Princess Cassandra had everything she could possibly want - hundreds of dresses, thousands of books and servants to bring her anything she wanted. She should have been the happiest princess in the world. But there was one thing she didn't have - she was lonely playing by herself and desperately wanted a best friend. In particular, she wanted a pet - one that would match her best dress, swim and jump and play all day and at night sit on her pillow and sing to her. So the Royal Pet Handler set off on a quest to find the perfect pet, but nothing was quite right. The mouse was too squeaky, the kitten refused to swim, the hippo wouldn't jump and none of them were green. The task seemed impossible until one day the Royal Pet Handler arrived with a frog. It seemed just perfect. It was able to swim, jump and play, AND it was green. But when Princess Cassandra put it on her pillow and kissed it goodnight, it turned into a prince!
"Princes aren't pets," she declared and banished it to the royal kitchens. So the Pet Handler went in search of another frog and the same thing happened. Again and again and again, until there were princes everywhere. Then one day, the princess found her own frog but the same thing happened, except this time the prince wanted to stay a frog. Will she ever get the perfect pet?
This is an hilarious take on the traditional Princess and the Frog story made even more so by the terrific pictures from Palacios who brings the characters to life through their facial expressions. Who would have thought there were so many different frogs?
A playful bedtime read that might make little ones think twice about kissing things goodnight!
Barbara Braxton

The most perfect snowman by Chris Britt

Balzer and Bray, 2016. ISBN 9780062377043
Built in the first flurry of winter snow, Drift was the loneliest of snowmen. With his stick arms, small mouth and coal eyes he stood forlorn and forgotten amongst the bare winter trees. He dreamed of having a smart scarf, warm gloves and a long orange carrot nose like the other snowmen so he could join in their banter, their fashion parades, snowball fights and other fun stuff. But he was too plain and different to be included, so his days were spent swooshing and sliding through the woods, stopping and standing in the shadows to watch the others at play.
Then one day some children gave Drift all that he wanted - a fluffy blue hat, warm mittens, a soft scarf and even a long orange carrot nose. Suddenly the other snowmen found him acceptable now that he had his new accessories and watched as he played all afternoon with his new friends. But that night a blizzard blew and Drift lost his smart new clothes and no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find them. All he had left were his scarf and his long orange carrot nose. Then he heard a tiny voice - a little bunny was lost in the snow, frightened and shivery cold. Drift knows he can save the bunny by wrapping it in his soft scarf and giving it his long orange carrot nose but can he bear to part with them? Can he go back to being that plain snowman with skinny stick eyes, a small nose and coal eyes?
This is a charming story about what it means to be 'perfect' and whether it is about looking a particular way or having the right things or whether it runs deeper than that. What is the meaning of the old adage 'Clothes maketh the man' and is it true? Are we more visible and therefore perhaps more powerful because of our external appearance?
It also raises the concepts of selfishness and selflessness and whether even giving just a little can make any difference. Do we need to be applauded and rewarded for doing something kind or should it be enough to know that we have made a difference? Do we have to be the person giving the boldest and brightest present at birthday parties or is it the phone call saying thank you afterwards that is most remembered?
The soft palette echo the gentleness of both the story and its message but this is more than just a story to welcome winter.
Barbara Braxton

Summer skin by Kirsty Eagar

Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781925266924
(Age: 16+) Recommended. Mature content. While this is not normally a book I would pick up and read, I was intrigued by the review on the cover, promising it to be the feminist love story all girls have been waiting for. This isn't wrong. Summer Skin dismisses the old damsel-in-distress and hero archetypes and instead replaces them with two very stubborn individuals who loath and love each other. It is a blunt and intelligent take on a love story, the kind of thing many teenage girls might want to look to when compared to other popular YA romances.
The story follows Jess in her third year of university in Queensland. Part of Unity college, she is out for revenge against the abhorrent Knights for the previous year's sweep (a challenge to be the first to bed a Unity girl). While Farren wants no further conflict between the colleges, Jess goes behind her back to initiate a Unity Sweep where the girl who brings the most humiliation to a Knight becomes named The Knight Rider. After a public announcement citing that any girl who sleeps with a Knight is a traitor to Unity, Jess soon finds herself questioning her own loyalty with the appearance of Blondie (Mitch Crawford). Mitch doesn't seem to know what he wants, other than to touch Jess. He refuses to kiss or sleep with her. It seems they each have a lot to learn about themselves and each other. Beginning with how to trust.
While this book has a strong physical focus, I would recommend for girls sixteen and up. It deals with issues surrounding consensual sex, making it an important discussion for teenagers who don't or won't listen.
Kayla Gaskell, (University student)

A fearsome beast and a dumpling feast by Yves Stening and Nigel Buchanan

(Age: 5-8) Recommended. Chinese New Year. Dumplings. Detectives. Clementine and Aksel are off to celebrate the Chinese New Year banquet at their cousin Ying's house in Chinatown. When their father is uncertain about the origins of the Chinese New Year, Clementine decides it is a case for the Dinner Detectives to solve and Ying gives them the history of the brave little girl in a red dress who scared away the fearsome Nian. From that day on, people wore red every New Year in honour of the little girl. The children then watch the dragon dance and find out that the dragon is what brings good luck for the New Year. Then they are off to Ying's house where they eat dumplings and discover that Dr Zhang Zhongjing first made them to keep the villagers warm and stop their ears from freezing off.
Children will be fascinated by the two stories centering on Chinese New Year and will love to try the recipes for Aunt Lily's dumplings that is at the end of the story. There is also an opportunity for readers to put their own dumpling recipes up here and perhaps they could think of some white food other than white bread, white rice and potatoes that Aksel could eat.
The illustrations by Nigel Buchanan are bright and cheerful, giving a clear picture of the decorations for Chinese New Year with the red lanterns, fire crackers and the red dragon. The Nian is a fearsome creature with large white teeth and a huge yellow eye but readers will be reassured by the brave confident look on the face of the little girl in red, who is able to scare the beast away by staring it down. The domesticity of the New Year banquet, with the little bowls, chopsticks, large fish and steaming dumplings adds to the narrative.
This is the first in the Dinner Detectives series, and readers will want to follow their future adventures to uncover the origins or pasta and sandwiches. Teacher's notes are available.
Pat Pledger

Ambulance, Ambulance! by Sally Sutton

Ill. by Brian Lovelock. Walker Books, 2017. ISBN 9781925126303
(Age: 3-5) Recommended. New Zealand author Sally Sutton's popular picture books focus on introducing transport and industry to youngsters. Ambulance, Ambulance is the new addition to her previous publications Roadworks, Demolition and Construction. Her rhyming story, printed in bold text is fun to read aloud, with the noise of the ambulance sirens, the clonk of the doors and honk of the horn.
The ambulance crew race to the site of a bike accident, down a busy street, lights flashing, ready to help an injured boy. He has fallen off his bike and broken his leg. With the splint on, he is transported up the grassy slope and into the ambulance. The police and fire crew are also on the scene to direct the traffic and assist the other rider. The loud 'nee nar nee nar' of the siren sounds out as they rush down the freeway back into the city. After leaving the young lad in the emergency room, the crew take a minute to rest before they are called out again.
Brian Lovelock's bold saturated watercolours enhance Sally Sutton's informative text. His creative use of different perspectives engages the reader. The eye is drawn into each scene, delineated by vivid blocks of colour - grass green, sky blue, the bird's eye view of the blue freeway and the red and white of the ambulance.
Ambulance, Ambulance is a great resource for a Junior Primary unit on our community helpers, for Geography when exploring our urban environment and as an informative text for English.
Rhyllis Bignell

LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: The Awesome Guide by Calvin Scott

DK Children, 2017. ISBN 9780241280393
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Sure to appeal to LEGO fans, The Awesome Guide is just that. It gives details of all the super heroes, their origins and the two cities, Metropolis and Gotham City that dominate the world of DC Comics super heroes. Then there is information about the planet Krypton, the superpowers possessed by the heroes and their secret identities, vehicles and weapons. Of special fun will be the section where readers can answer a quiz to find out 'Who is your alter ego?', 'hero, friend, ordinary bystander or, gulp, villain!'
The villains found in the comics are not omitted either. There is a section based on their identities, skills and weaponry and readers can do a quiz to find out how bad they are.
Each of the sections are illustrated in a double page spread, vividly featuring the LEGO hero or apparatus, and many having small blocks of information showing a Bick-sized fact and a Stat Scan. There is a Table of Contents, a list of the LEGO sets and an index. There is also a Wonder Woman exclusive mini figure contained in the cover.
Although the reading level is definitely for an older audience, this book and especially the action figure contained in it will appeal to Lego fans who are much younger and who will appreciate an adult reading sections to them.
This would be an ideal gift for any child who enjoys Lego and superheroes.
Pat Pledger

The Blue Cat by Ursula Dubosarsky

Allen and Unwin, 2017. ISBN 9781760292294
(Age: 11-14) Recommended. Themes: World War II; Childhood; Mystery; Australian War History. The Blue Cat is an interesting novelised confluence with the historical investigation of childhood life in Sydney during the time of war-time attacks on Australia, combined with some primary sources of the time and an ethereal mystery. Just as the blue cat seems to live a life of its own, the novel weaves between the 'legs' of the historical sources and the innocence of the main character, Columba and her friend Hilda. They encounter a rather unusual character, Ellery, who attends their school but is mysterious and isolated from them because he only seems to speak German. To some extent Dubosarsky has created a faintly mysterious and strange attempt to create understanding between children from both sides of the conflict. The dream-like finale may add a degree of confusion for a young reader, but a slightly older reader may be able to see the potential for interpretation. The voice of Columba has a delicate naive quality (akin to the narrator in John Boyne's The Boy in Striped Pyjamas, but perhaps with more understanding), but the enigmatic influence of the aloof and voiceless Ellery adds a degree of sophistication to the story-line. Is he real or just a reminder of those who suffer because of war? Initially this appears to be a book for younger readers - the youthful naive quality supports this - but because it is not straightforward in its resolution this makes the recommended reader slightly older.
Recommended for the thoughtful reader aged 11 - 14 years.
Carolyn Hull