Gigantic the blue whale does not live up to his name. He is much smaller than his brother, Titan and his friends Colossus and Hulk. They deride him for his lack of size and tell him to make friends with Myrtle, the turtle. This he does and they hang out together, doing lots of swims and dives, Gigantic doing a marvellous tail spin. Titan’s friends are impressed and say so, so Titan not to be outdone, attempts one as well. His friends call out that he cannot do it in the bay as it is too shallow. But he takes no heed. And he gets stuck.
Gigantic comes to his rescue. He gets all of the small fish to form a line and together they pull Titan out of his predicament.
Now all the fish, large and small are friends, because it matters not how big you are, the thing that matters is the size of your heart.
This is a wonderful positive look at relationships between siblings and friends, particularly peers of different ages. Titan, Colossus and Hulk all deride and tease Gigantic because of his lack of size. Their bullying of Gigantic will be readily recognised by all readers who are able to spot it and call it out. Older readers and adults will be able to guide the students into discussions about why this is bullying and what the results are for the bullied. In this book all ends happily as Gigantic is able to show his heart is much bigger than those round him. He ignores the taunts, able to be friendly with Myrtle despite the comments by the others.
You can watch a reading of the first part of the book by the author here.
And take note of the wonderful illustrations. Readers will love spying the little animals hidden in the seaweed forests, and the bigger ones as well. The shades of blue intrigued me giving different aspects of the sea in the tale. And the endpapers are equally enthralling, including a QR code link to Rob Bidduph’s lessons on drawing the whale, which I am sure every reader will try.
Escape from Mr Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein
Random House, 2015. ISBN: 9780857988232. (Age:10-13) Highly recommended.
This is an outstanding entertaining exploration, adventure and escape from a library, incorporating games playing, puzzle decoding, interpretation of the Dewey system and friendship dilemmas. It is like playing a computer game in your head! I have recommended this to the able readers in Primary school – Year 4+, who have all loved the story. It quotes many great authors and books that children can aspire to read, and some that adults may have read. Once I got going, I couldn’t stop until the conundrum of how to escape the Library came to an end. Highly recommended for readers aged 10-13 and will be much loved by Librarians for the honour it gives to libraries and the wealth of treasure that can be found therein. Once a reader discovers the quirky style and worlds of Chris Grabenstein’s adventures, they will be wanting more.
Themes Public libraries, Books and reading, Games.
A beautiful book about the Australian bush will entice young readers to learn more of their surroundings and why hollows are so important. In rhyming pairs of lines Gullan tells the story of one hollow, a mere scratch in the side of a tree when a branch falls, then increasing in size as smaller animals then larger ones make it their home.
First to arrive are the longhorn beetles, who eat away at the hole, then fly away. Next the skinks make it their home, and when the weather subsides, they all leave.
The hole has now doubled in size and welcomes some yellow bellied bats. Here they can fly out and hunt, safe from cats. They then fly off. The hollow has increased in size, ready for new occupants. A pair of crimson rosellas move in, and make their nest. But when a third comes along, they must seek out something bigger. The now large hollow accommodates a brush tailed possum and her joey. They will leave when the joey is too large for the hollow, but there are many more animals waiting for a place to call home.
The panorama of animals shown in this book will reinforce the idea to younger readers about the importance of a home, in this case a tree hollow, to the animals. It can be a place to feed, a place to rest, somewhere to raise offspring, a place to nest or rest, and a place for shelter from the weather and other animals.
Wonderful illustrations by Suzanne Houghton grace the book, showing our stunning trees, magnificent array of animals and birds, and closeups of the hollow that is central to the lives of so many animals. I loved watching the increasing size of the hole, and the different animals calling it home.
At the end of the book is a page of information about tree hollows and over the page is a double page reprising information about all the animals depicted. An informative glossary rounds of this informative, elegant presentation of something in our environment which we see everyday but have little understanding of. Until now! Teacher notes are available.
Themes Australian flora and fauna, Tree hollows, Home, Animal behaviour.
Fran Knight
Why worry Wally? by Rick Foster and Jackie Case
Rick Foster, 2020. ISBN: 9780646810966.
As soon as Wally wakes up in the morning, his mind starts working overtime about all the things that might go wrong that day from eating too much breakfast to monkeys falling from the trees. He is a perpetual worrier, getting so anxious and uptight about what might happen that he is unable to enjoy what does.
Children's anxiety is a growing mental health issue and is in fact, becoming such an issue that it is at last getting the recognition it requires. So much so, that, since its inception in 1991, the phone counselling service Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) has responded to 8, 500 000 contacts from kids who just need someone to listen. And while there have been a number of picture books written and shared to help children manage their anxiety, this one offers suggestions such as eating healthy food and having fun as well as encouraging positive self-talk as a pathway forward. As well, the author has developed an incursion to complement a school's well-being program aimed at those up to Year 4 that helps children understand that everyone feels worries and concerns at some time and there are strategies they can learn to help them manage them, even when they become overwhelming, particularly being able to start a conversation with a trusted adult.
With its soft-palette graphics and rhyming text, Wally's predicament may well resonate with a number of students but the positive and inspiring message that offers acknowledgement of the issues rather than their dismissal, and encourages them to look for help rather than feeling they have to go it alone, they are also offered hope. While there was a strong focus on kids' well-being after their isolation during the lockdowns of the pandemic, as life returns to normal, we cannot let this concern diminish. So any stories and programs that shine a spotlight on the problem that might help just one kid make a positive difference to their lives or build awareness in the adults around them are an essential part of any mindfulness programs and library collections.
Nerra’s great grandmother Nana Mirrin, has recently gone back into her Dreaming and before she passed she gave to Nerra an old wooden box containing ancient sacred artefacts. Now the custodian of the box as is the third generation custom, Nerra must wait for the box to reveal its special contents when the time is right.
When that time comes Nerra finds she is now responsible for precious items that once belonged to her Ancestors: a headdress/armband, giant shark tooth, polished abalone shell, clapsticks (Daal Kalk), woven dill bag (bilang-bilang) and a dress made of possum fur. Each of these artefacts have a feeling of power radiating from them and it is the Daal Kalk that send Nerra swirling into her first adventure.
Landing by her favourite tree, Wurrun Nhanboo, a manna gum tree, Nerra meets and converses with a koala, Kurrburra who becomes her animal spirit guide. She realises that while she is still on her own Country she feels she has been transported back in time and soon learns from Karr’karook, the Keeper of Clean Sand and Clean Water, that she has travelled through Deep Time to the Dreaming. Due to the continuous fall of rain, it appears something has happened to Bineal and Pirnbial, the Keepers of the Rainbow who have not appeared to ease the rain. Nerra has been chosen by the Ancestors to help find Bineal and Pirnbial and what caused them to disappear.
Karr’karook and Nerra begin their search and find Pirnbial deep in a churning whirpool. Once rescued Pirnbial reveals that she and Bineal were captured by “The Devour'ena” who are trying to steal the Creation Powers of the Dreaming. The three search for Bineal, and a terrible battle ensues. With help from Kurrburra Nerra finds the Daal Kalk and calls on the cleverman, Bobbinary for help. Will Nerra be able to find the strength to help solve the danger the Country and its people are in?
The Broken Rainbow, the first in the Nerra: Deep Time Traveller Series is an entertaining and exciting read. Full of visual imagery, adventure, danger and a wondrous battle scene, it also shares the language and cultural traditions of the Boonwurrung people of coastal Melbourne. The illustrations spread throughout are an extra bonus that add to the engagement of the story. An excellent class novel choice.
Themes First Nations Stories, Dreaming, Boonwurrung people, Country, Traditional Culture, Adventure, Responsibility, Trust, Bravery.
Kathryn Beilby
Not-so-little Red Riding Hood by Michael Rosen. Illus. by David Melling
A wonderful remake of the perennial cautionary tale of Little Red Riding Hood and her brush with the Big Bad Wolf, is shown here with a modern twist as Red Riding Hood has grown somewhat and is wanting to stretch her wings by herself. She and Pebbles are invited on a picnic at Grandma’s house and are promised a big surprise.
As they ride through the woods, both Pebbles and Red become a little more apprehensive. She sings a little song and the trees sing to her, offering surety. But Red sees ears jutting out behind a bush, is this the Big Bad wolf? Some noises seems close by, is this the Big Bad Wolf? Then she hears eating, could this be the Big Bad Wolf? At last they reach Grandma’s house but there is no answer to Red’s knocking. Peering through the letterbox she sees something in Grandma’s bed which could be Grandma or it could be a wolf! Suddenly Grandma is behind her hugging her in welcome. And all is well and the surprise is in Grandma’s bed.
His reading shows adults and older readers how to sing the verses by Red and the trees, and he demonstrates some other features including predicting a rhyming word, singing along with the tale, anticipating what happens next and simply laughing at the story.
Wonderful illustrations by David Melling place Red and Pebbles in the landscape as they travel through the dark wood, fearing the presence of the Big Bad Wolf. The looks on their faces are priceless as they get more worried the further they go along to Grandma’s house; Pebbles’ tail is a strong indicator of how the horse feels. A further series of laughs will be had when the readers look at the endpapers.
Themes Red Riding Hood, Wolves, Grandmas, Cautionary tale.
Fran Knight
Bad magic: A Skulduggery Pleasant graphic novel by Derek Landy, P. J. Holden and Matt Soffe
The small Irish town of Termoncara has had more than its fair share of tragedy, three kids have been murdered but no one seems to have done anything about it and the town seems to have closed in on itself. Local teen Jamie is terrified of a Joker-like monster that comes to his room and whispers bad things, feeding off his guilt about having a crush on his friend. When magical detectives, Skullduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain start asking questions in the town about the murders and others over the past twenty years the same monster whispers suggestions and fosters bad thoughts in the townspeople, spurring them on to violence against the investigators. The stylish two set about finding the evil monster behind the killings but maybe they have met their match. Told in a full colour comic style graphic novel with plenty of violence, magical powers and a whole cast of monsters this is a fast but gripping read. The sharp dressing, sardonic Skulduggery character is effective but Valkyrie Cain’s depictions are inconsistent and huge breasts and a tiny waist are seemingly needed when she is using her special powers. However, the monsters are so good they make up for any shortfalls and the main joker character is the stuff of nightmares. Lovers of the Skulduggery series which has been gaining momentum since 2007 will love this addition but it stands quite well alone.
Themes Murder, Magic, Horror, Fantasy, Detectives, Dark comedy.
Sue Speck
Masters of death by Olivie Blake
Pan Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781035011537. (Age:Young Adult)
Olivie Blake is back with another one of her previously self-published novels, Masters of Death. Following her viral social media success in 2021, this relatively unknown author has been steadily re-releasing revised and edited editions of her work. First published in 2018, Masters of Death is a standalone fantastical mystery with a dash of romance.
Viola Marek is a college dropout turned real estate agent who is having a hard time selling a mansion belonging to a wealthy and prominent local family. Viola has two main problems. Firstly, Viola is a newly turned vampire who is still learning how to survive as a reluctant undead. Secondly, the house she is trying to sell is haunted by the previous owner, an angry and vengeful ghost who refuses to vacate until Viola discovers who murdered him.
In desperation Viola turns to medium Fox D’Mora to help her solve the mystery. However, what Viola doesn’t know and what Fox hasn’t told her, is that Fox’s psychic abilities are non-existent. His success only comes from being the godson of Death (yes, that Death) who he has tricked into supplying him with information no mortal could ever divine.
Unfortunately for the story, this is not the only plot line or grouping of protagonists that readers are expected to care about and keep track of. Blake is known for non-linear storylines and large casts of secondary characters but in the case of Masters of Death, it is just all a bit too complicated. While beautifully written as Blake’s books inevitably are, Masters of Death would have benefitted from further editing, with a more streamlined and succinct plot.
Set within the high-rise community of UK residents living in a triangle of residential towers are two young sisters who have a sleuthing heart. Nik (Nikita) is 11, and her older sister, Norva, is 13, and up until the present story have been involved in relatively minor investigations and mysteries. This current tale lands them deep in a serious investigation when they discover the body of their esteemed local art-centre teacher. Their tendency to follow facts and logic (Nik) and the gut-deep feel (Norva) of the situation has them accusing and eliminating many of the fellow residents of their tower block, diving in and out of trash, and getting in the way of the local police investigation. Even their own father falls into the firing line of their suspicion, and slowly they must unravel clues and put together lies and truths to find out who has committed the murder and upset their community.
This is a quirky child-detective tale. With a sharp, staccato style and the local idiom of inner-city, Afro-anglo, UK life, this will initially require some Aussie kids to scratch their heads as they work out the conversation and story line. If they persist, they will discover two slightly eccentric and disarming sleuths and the local characters they share life with. Norva has a passion for the detective series Death in Paradise and there is a homage and hint of the same slightly humorous flavour to detective work in this book. This is book one in a series and so those young readers who can untangle the language and setting oddities will look forward to more from the sisters, Norva and Nik. I enjoyed the light-hearted and quirky detective tale, but that may be because I also enjoy a good English crime drama!
I am exactly the right person to review this book, because like the central character Juniper, I too was a Christmas baby, and I read this book on the same day as Santa came to town in all his pageantry in Adelaide. This is a book where magical and serendipitous moments happen, and Christmas may even be the winner. Sadly though, the book begins with the sad revelation that Santa is no longer at work and that the hope and joy of Christmas has been missing for some time. There is a lingering, historical hankering for Santa’s return, and it is Juniper’s family that has managed to cling to the manner of generosity that Christmas was known for (in the time of Santa). Working hard to maintain a Santa vigil and to help the homeless in their local park, Juniper and her Park Manager mother, Jennifer, are together maintaining a brave face, even though they have known their own loss – the death of Briar (Juniper’s father). When Jennifer goes missing, Juniper connects with Duchess (a local and ailing homeless woman) and eventually Niko (a somewhat mysterious helper in the background) to find her mother, to solve the mystery of Niko, restore Duchess to health, and bring the community together. Throw in some magical elves, reindeer and magic sacks and spangles of magic, a potential romance, and mix them with some cruel thieves, an unscrupulous official and it is a recipe for Christmas mayhem. However, the magic of Christmas changes mayhem into the mystery of the season, and the return of hope for all.
This is an Eion Colfer spectacular! It is full of whimsey and quirkiness, and yet there is a magical logic underpinning the strange world where Santa has ceased operation. Initially I was worried that it may cause concern for some die-hard Santa devotees (note: I am not one of those), but the gentle and magical tale is charming and imaginative, and the story is endearing. Black and white illustrations are naive and scattered through the pages. This book may still be a step-too-far for those who are too young to have given up the fantasy of Santa’s arrival and his foreknowledge and role on Christmas Eve journey’s around the world, but Colfer does an amazing job of providing an explanation (and even science) of some of these mysteries. The story incorporates family love and care for others as an ethic to be valued, and the ‘bad guys’ do not win in their attempt to seize power. This is not just a book to be read at Christmas time, and readers aged 9-12 will enjoy it.
Note: there is no mention of the Christian basis of Christmas, Santa is the sole ‘Christmas’ character.
Themes Christmas, Santa Claus, Homeless people, Kindness, Magic, Fantasy.
Carolyn Hull
Hunter on holiday: A big trip around Europe by Jessica and Stephen Parry-Valentine. Illus. by Ashlee Spink
A family trip is being planned and this gives the young girl a chance to have a look at all the places she would like to see in Europe. The endpapers give a wonderful map of Europe with many of the places she would like to see shown.
The first two double pages show their planning for the trip. She outlines thye will need to fly to Europe, with time spent at the airport and then buckle into seats ready to take off. First stop she wants to go to England where she wants to see the rolling green hills, and eat scones with clotted cream, then on to London and readers will recognise the flags, London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben amongst other notable icons. They will go north to Scotland where they will interact with cattle and puffins, over the sea to Norway where kayaking in a fjord is the way to go. Next is Iceland where castles can be made on the shore using black sand, and Finland to see the reindeer. Germany comes next to view little red houses and the fairy tale castles. Each of the countries is spread over a double page, with views of the countryside and dotted with iconic images that the country is known for. The family also includes Switzerland, Paris, Spain, Italy and Greece, and on the last double page writing her list of the places she wants to see with her family. Again the pictures on the wall in their house, reiterates some of the views she would like to see. The last page gives a list of things readers can find on each of the pages.
The illustrations give a vista of each of the European countries visited and readers will enjoy looking at where these places are on the endpaper maps. They will also enjoy spotting things on each page showing some of the things that country to city is known for.
The rhyming text will make it easy for readers to join in, and they will have fun predicting the rhyming words.
Themes Europe, Cities, Travel, Planning, Tourism.
Fran Knight
Little Puggle's Christmas by Vikki Conley & Helene Magisson
New Frontier, 2023. ISBN: 9781922326812. (Age:4+) Recommended.
It is nearly Christmas Eve and Little Puggle desperately wants to help the other animals as they prepare for Christmas. He asks the kangaroo if he can help take presents to the tree. Long Tail, the kangaroo has been wrapping presents and storing them in her pouch. She gives some to Little Puggle, warning the echidna to go slow. Little Puggle tells his feet not to waddle but they do, causing him to spill all the presents he was carrying. The kangaroo muses that perhaps this is not the job for him.
He goes to the possum offering to help put up the lights and baubles onto the oldest tree and is told to be careful of his claws. But wouldn’t you know it, the claws get tangled and so the decorations are messed up. 'Oh says possum perhaps this is not the job for you'. He goes to the koala and offers to help and is given a plate of food to take to the table. And again he fails. Each time the refrain ‘this is not the job for you’ is given, adding to Little Puggle's despair. He roams off into the hills, wanting to spy a falling star to wish by. But none appears. But there is a bright light over the hill and he comes across Santa and his sleigh stuck in a rut. Helping to get Santa on his way again makes him feel wanted and useful.
The next morning, all the animals open their presents and ask Puggle about last night. He tells them simply that he made a wish on a shooting star.
This wonderful tale of Little Puggle finding the right job to do at Christmas will warm the readers’ hearts as they see him trying his best but being defeated each time. Finally he does the most important job of all: getting Santa on his way, making every animal special on Christmas Day.
A lovely story of finding your way, of not giving up, of making your dream come true has resonance at this time of year in particular. Readers will love reading about the customs and accoutrements of Christmas and seeing them teamed with Australian animals adds another level of entertainment.
Themes Christmas, Australian animals, Echidna, Christmas tree, Christmas wish.
Fran Knight
Pollination by Christopher Cheng. Illus. by Danny Snell
Subtitled, How does my garden grow, this book is a gently humorous and family oriented information book about how things are able to grow.
Gran and Pa are a little surprised when their grandson waves at the bees to keep them away. They show him the yellow pollen on the flower heads, and how the bee picks it up and drops it on other flowers. They tell him about the other insects that can pollinate flowers as well as bees.
Colour is also important as some pollinators are attracted to particular colours in the garden.
At night they wait for the larger pollinators to make their appearance in the garden, and out come the blossom bats and sugar gliders, having pollen stick to their noses ready to be transported. Not only animals, said the grandparents, pollen is also moved on windy days.
Even the material that our clothes are made from rely on pollination. Cotton for example.
Going home he takes a potted plant from the grandparents place to put on his balcony, as even potted plants are useful for city pollinators.
Danny Snell’s charming illustrations show the child and the grandparents working in their garden, teaching the young child what each part of the garden is for. The endpapers reveal a host of pollinators seen in the garden and will entice readers to find them in the book. The contrast between the grandparents large back yard with all of the trees and vegetables they produce, and the child’s home in the city where a balcony is the only garden space they have, will intrigue young readers, as they work out what can be achieved in each space. Knowing that pollination is so important will propel them to add more growing plants to their homes, classrooms, or balconies. Teacher's notes are available.
I really enjoyed Goddess Crown and read it in one sitting. It is wonderful to have a shorter stand-alone book that will appeal to teen readers. Kalothia is an engaging young woman, who has been hidden away in the forest with just two adults and a bodyguard for company. She is determined to escape and find her parents who she believes have sent her into isolation to protect her from King Osura and enemies at the court of Galla. When her hiding place is attacked and her guardians murdered, she must use her survival skills to defend herself against the assassins who determined to kill her.
With a fast paced and exciting plot, the reader is immediately drawn into the life and character of Kalothia, becoming breathless when she faces danger from the assassins and the intrigue of the royal court. Kalothia is skilled at fighting and believes she can look after herself but will brutal fighters, the threat of poison and a patriarchal and dangerous court be too much for her to overcome?
Lapite, with her British-Nigerian background, has skilfully built up a believable world of lush forests and a society where a man must accompany women when they go out and where women have little power. At times of extreme danger Kalothia is guided by the Goddess who appears and speaks to her, telling her of her destiny to change her country for the better, and these supernatural moments are interwoven with everyday events.
With a combination of adventure, themes of feminism, a touch of romance and a strong, charismatic main character, Goddess crown is very difficult to put down. Readers who enjoyed Twin crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber, The Queen's rising by Rebecca Ross, and Three dark crowns by Kendare Blake are sure to enjoy the themes of monarchy, while The Beasts of prey series by Ayana Gray, will also appeal.
Themes Escapes, Fugitives, Kings and queens, Adventure, Court intrigue.
Pat Pledger
Where will the sleepy sheep sleep? by David Metzenthen and Jonathan Bentley
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761066160. (Age:0-5) Highly recommended.
Loads of young children will be laughing out loud as this wonderfully entertaining book is read at bedtime. Or anytime at all! A tongue testing text full of opportunities for the listener to join in, to predict and just have fun, the words are placed on the pages, often under the single word, Baah.
The sleepy sheep wants to find a place to sleep. The first place it looks at is on top of a wild, windy hill. But no, this place is totally inappropriate and so the sheep must look elsewhere. He tries out a steep and stony valley, but no, it is simply too steep and stony for the sleepy sheet to sleep. The sheep wonders about bedding down with the foxes and dingoes, but this is again rejected. What about the dark damp cave? Again rejected. From the start the audience will have been joining in with Noo, and Blah, as well as the phrase ‘where will the sleepy sheep sleep’, a tongue twister to engage them all. The sheep attempts to sleep at a few more places until the ideal position is found and he snuggles down to lie with his own mob.
The fun of the words is infectious, all readers and listeners will join in, laughing at why each place is so inappropriate for the sheep to sleep.
And of course, supported with the wonderful images by Jonathan Bentley, the readers will have another level of humour to absorb. The looks on the sheep’s face as it tries out various places to rest its head are engaging as kids will see the face going through a range of emotions: hopeful as it tests a new place, disappointed when it proves to be not quite right, and always tired as all it wants is a place to sleep. Readers will enjoy calling out why they think each spot is not right for the sheep to sleep.
The lovely cover showing a closeup of one very tired sheep will encourage children to think about how tired they feel, and what shows their tiredness and why they go to bed when they do.
