Christmas Eve and things are happening in this house. The cat, Kitty McCatty is chasing a mouse, while the baubles on the Christmas tree are arguing, the Nutcracker trying to intervene. Using ’Twas the night before Christmas’ poem as a template the story unfolds in rhyme. This adds to the fun of the book as readers predict the rhyming words as they go.
Suddenly the lights flicker as the mouse runs up inside the tree, followed of course by Kitty McCatty. The baubles stop bickering as the mouse leaps from the tree, leaving the cat stuck at the top of the swaying tree.The whole crowd yells get rid of that cat, and a small voice offers help. The Gingerbread man has an idea. He outlines a plan to the Nutcracker and baubles and lights. They use the lengths of tinsel to make the tree stand up straight, one group pulling the tree one way, the others pulling it the other. When Santa comes down the chimney later in the night, he finds the tree almost straight with a kitten at the top instead of an angel.
This is a fun book, easy to read, wonderful as a read aloud, one that will encourage children to predict rhyming words and look for the original poem to compare the two.
Matt Shanks’ illustrations are bright and cheerful, full of colour and movement, encouraging readers to take in all the detail, watching the mayhem caused by the kitten chasing a mouse. All sorts of things cover each page, encouraging children to recognise those things which are customary necessities at Christmas in western homes. The tree with all its trimmings is delightful, especially the face at the top, and several branches used as limbs when it is trying to stop the cat. One page is turned to portrait as kids will turn the book to see the tree in all its beauty.
A fun book for one and all.
Themes Problem solving, Christmas, Christmas tree, Verse.
The new kid protagonist is always a winner but it's a pattern for teenager Denim Davies since losing his stable home – sold to pay for his late mother's medical treatment. The issues of caring for someone palliative, grief and financial hardship is just the start of Denim and Dad’s problems – both strong characters.
It’s hard for Denim to anticipate a friendly reception at Driftwood Heights - another seaside caravan park where it’s easier for Dad to find labouring jobs. Our hero may not be able to surf or live in a stable home but he has a cool hobby. Denim flips secondhand goods online for a profit. His prime motivation is to help his father, now a casual laborer, afford house rent to start to rebuild their lives. Dad loves his woodwork and locates the nearest Men’s Shed but it’s hardest for Denim running into yet another school bully.
When Mina strikes up a friendship with Denim at school, he wonders if this town is the turning point. Both are grieving as Mina is concerned for the declining health of her beloved grandmother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Denim is so focused on his dream to settle down that when he spies a valuable collectable watch in a garage sale, he doesn’t hesitate to accept a confused old lady’s asking price of $5. He’s all set for the best Flip ever but is it too good to be true?
Hooking reluctant readers has never been so easy with this not-so purpose written novella by Rebecca Fraser. The dialogue is realistic and with themes like family loss, school and bullying there are shades of crazy-good literature except like all titles in the Rhiza Shorts series, Flip comes in under 120 pages. Regardless, Flip grips the reader and changes them. The bonus is the plenitude of nailing a whole book in a couple of reading sessions. The print version has cream paper and widely spaced lines. With an interest age of 13+ and a reading age of just 10 years, the Rhiza Shorts titles are perfect for the reluctant reader.
Books are available in all standard formats for all preferences. Teachers Notes are available. 128p.
Themes Family loss, Grief, Alzheimer's, School life, Bullying, Easy read.
The Day the Bridge Fell, from the Rhiza Shorts series, is an historical novella centred on the worst construction accident in Australian history. The Westgate Bridge collapse of Oct 15, 1970 is still very close to home for many Melburnians.
In each epistolary chapter we follow Ray, a local 15yr old boy through the days before and weeks after the event. The family dynamics rapidly situates events in time with typical sibling rivalry as Ray’s seniority and bedtime privileges are challenged by his younger brother, Michael. Doug Johnston is lead rigger of his section of the bridge, and his neighbour, George Demetriou, works as an ironworker. As the tension builds towards the climax we understand the rhythm of a bridge worker’s family. Ray, like his mate Tom and all the working class families on their side of town, are fascinated with everything about the man-made wonder in their own back yard.
A high school student with a paper route, Ray is never too busy to visit the construction site daily whether he is on an errand for his mother or not. Overhearing a conversation between engineers about potential structural faults he worries before confiding in his father. Doug's reluctance to listen to rumours reinforces that anyone with neither information nor authority are virtually powerless – most of all children. Dad is not totally dismissive and has his own doubts but is wary of causing panic and asks his son not to spread rumours.
Ray’s maturity, resilience and integrity is established by his nagging premonition for his father and other bridge families they know (many of them migrant workers). These qualities are supercharged on the day of the accident. Bolting from school after the sound of collapse and sirens what he finds and how he resolves the scene of the disaster, comprises the second half of the novel.
Will Ray find his father and is his father’s mate George alive? Author, Coral Vass, uses Ray's community engagement to grasp that there wasn’t a family in the community who did not know someone who lost their life that day.
The novel format with uneven ratio of interest to reading age, along with cream paper and widely spaced lines, places the Rhiza Shorts as a teenage book series for reluctant readers. Teacher notes prepared by the publisher are available on the website for this title. 128p.
A loving homage to family and the way they interact is shown through this depiction of a year of activity. Beginning with the child’s birthday, celebrated on a picnic rug in the woods, the pages move through the year, revealing each new month as the page is turned. Starting with the summer birthday, the pages move through a day at the beach, then in the garden with the approach of the cooler months, the leaves falling all around with blustery winds, followed by the wild rains of winter, and leading to spring and finally back to the same place as the next birthday is celebrated.
Each double page is full of colour and movement, the wonderful illustrations drawing children’s eyes to the detail, while the brief rhyming lines of text point the reader to a specific activity being undertaken by the young girl. She hums while looking at the bugs on the leaves, skips and swirls with the encroaching fog and winds of early autumn, roars in the heavy rain.
Readers will love seeing what the child does throughout the year, comparing them with the things they do. All of the activities occur out of doors, only one, where the girl is playing in the water in the gutter, shows their house.
The family involves itself in a range of activities; flying a kite, playing at the beach, imagining a mermaid, working in the garden, picking fruit, playing in the fallen leaves, feeding the chooks, having a birthday celebration in the woods. All are activities attainable by children and discussions in the classroom or at home will see plans made by for them all to leave their devices at home as they venture outside. A lovely way to celebrate the passing of time.
A wonderfully brilliant look at Divali through the eyes of a bin chicken will raise lots of laughs from readers and listeners alike.
Flying high, the ibis is tired out, but is suddenly revived when she smells the most wonderful of scents. She can smell curries and rice, and spices and lassi, but in deciding to drink the lassi, turns it upside down on the customer’s head. Not a good way to start. She lunges at the bandar laddu, made up of an array of colourful sweets, then spots the tikka masala, making a mess of someone’s dinner, but by then she is ejected from the festival. Outside she dances to the music she hears from inside, but is startled when the fireworks start. Suddenly her skinny legs are wrapped around some of the lights and as she flies skyward she tips over a bowl of vindaloo. She lands on the stage and sees a group of dancers, and joins in still trying to get the lights from her legs. Instead of being cross with the ibis for all the problems she has caused, people are thrilled with her dancing, cheering her on. She has certainly lit up the night sky and celebrated divali with pleasure.
This wonderfully bright, colourful picture book will have kids follow the misadventures of the ibis as she causes havoc amongst the guests at the festival. Each page shows the problems she causes, and younger readers will love predicting the mayhem she initiates. The Indian festival is wonderfully shown with all of its colour and costumes, dances and fireworks, food and celebrations.
I love the way words for Indian food are included, prompting the reader to find out for themselves, and the customs included as part of the story, again prompting readers to talk about what they mean, and how Divali is celebrated.
The story unfolds in rhyming stanzas, again, prompting readers to use their imaginations in predicting the rhyming words.
A wholly pleasing look at the festival of Divali through the eyes of the much maligned bin chicken, here doing something positive for the community.
Themes Bin chicken, Ibis, Divali, Humour, Celebrations, Indian food.
Big Aussie Animal Bush Bash is a clever and highly engaging search and find book. In the trademark style and pastel colours of previous books by Brentos including Australian Animals From Beach to Bush, Wild Australia: Our Marine and National Parks and Australia From Dawn to Dusk, this new release is both an amazing book for children to learn the collective nouns for various Australian animals while they are searching each page, and for adults to appreciate the headline acts at the music festival.
Snags, the coolest koala is organising a bush doof. He sends out invitations for all of the animals to bring items to get the festival going. These include a bask of crocodiles bringing the drinks, colony of koalas bringing the rides, troop of kangaroos bringing the bass, wisdom of wombats bringing the doof sticks, mob of emus bringing the snacks, pack of devils bringing the security and a parliament of owls bringing the sparkles.
Some of the activities for the festival goers include eski racing, wave pool, floatie hire and thong toss There is so much humour throughout and young readers will be quick to point things out - the kangaroos lined up outside the dunny, the octopus playing the drums for the band Sticky Flippers, the Slippery Snag slide, the chill tent. The twist on famous musicians names will provide a treat for adults of all ages - Tkay Magpaidza, Hilltop Woods, Midnight Owl, John Furrnham, Crowded Pouch, Natalie Imbrolga, RooDoo Gurus, Missy Hoppins, Kylie Minnow, Silverbear, Savage Gumnut and Jimmy Barnowl lead singer for Cold Lizzel.
On each gloriously busy double page spread is eight items for readers to find. As with all search and finds it is not always easy. But it does provide an opportunity to really delve deeply into what has been intricately drawn on each page. Thoughtfully provided also is a QR code for a custom playlist with ‘You’re the Voice’ first off the rank.
This entertaining book would be an excellent gift for children and adults.
Themes Music, Music Festival, Australian Animals, Australian Bush, Humour, Collective Nouns, Search & Find.
Kathryn Beilby
Runt and the diabolical dognapping by Craig Silvey
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181597. (Age:8-12) Highly recommended.
Clear everything off your bookshelf and keep two books - Runt and Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping. Hardback and weighing in at 600g each, put one under each arm and escape. If you're a lucky child you can. I have seen lucky children escaping just like this from a Craig Silvey book launch! Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping is the sequel to Runt but it is a story that can stand on its own. The same central and peripheral characters are present together with some new ones. However in Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping Runt is a great hole. Runt is conspicuous by his absence. Although Annie Shearer is still a major character (now totally distressed by the loss of Runt) other characters particularly her brother Max step into the spotlight in this sequel.
The setting is still the town of Upson Downs which has been rejuvenated after Annie and Runt's championship win at the Krumpets Dog show (six weeks ago) and Max's subsequent viral video. The residents of the town, spot on in their relatability to characters in every country town, gather in the town hall to listen to Mayor Barry Casserole announce a Tournament of Champions to piggy back on the former event in a bid to attract international talent and place Upson Downs on the map. The event is to be held in the mansion outside of town belonging to a missing (presumed dead) owner called Earl Robert-Barren. A new-comer to town introduces himself at the meeting as Rupert Broadsheet - newly appointed Editor-in-chief of the Upson Downs Speculator. Suddenly Runt goes missing, a ransom note is found and suspicious clues are found near his doghouse. Annie is warned in the ransom note that if she is ever to see her dog again she must win the competition. What follows is a wonderful story that is full of hi-jinx, mayhem, heart-break, devilry, courage, love, determination and ingenuity. Silvey sets an action-packed tempo and readers must apply logical and lateral thinking and remain alert to the clues (the breadcrumbs and the literal red herrings) to try to work out what has happened to Runt.
Silvey does not treat his young readers as fools - they must stretch and be challenged. He plays with an extensive vocabulary peppered with much innuendo and phrases with double meanings. Just the naming of people and places is enough of a clue to the fun that he has with this multi-layered romp of a story.
The characters are richly drawn. The central family is loving and supportive. The parents (somewhat hapless and bewildered having two such energetic children as Max and Annie) nevertheless provide great advice and rise like lions to support their children when they are in need. They allow their children freedom and when that entails danger they go along just in case ...with hilarious results. Silvey includes the outsider in the story; the fallen characters are redeemed, lost characters (human) are found and a place is found for all of them within the community. The baddies are dealt with in appropriate fashion. The story can be seen at one of its multiple layers to be a story of the healing of broken communities and relationships. It is also a story of the importance of family and the importance of the building of courage and resilience and of not giving up. The inherent values springing from the story are those that are important for the building of character. The heart strings are wrung, the heart beats, tears form but at the close of the story there is a warm smile which recurs every time incidents from the story are recalled.
Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping would be well- placed on every Primary Years teacher's desk to be read in serial form and in home and school libraries. It is one of those books that has what children want - mystery, adventure, animals, family, friends, ordinary kids who are heroes and villains. The humour is the icing on the cake. Silvey is an Australian author based in Western Australia. Runt and Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping could well become Australian classics.
Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping is an utterly delightful and clever book!
Butterfly House is written and illustrated by Waterstones Prize-winning author, Harry Woodgate. It tells the story of a young girl, Holly, who is fascinated by an old overgrown house at the end of her street. In her words… “It was wild and green, and mist curled around it like the fingers of a ghost.” She goes there one day as she thought the house looked empty but she discovers that someone does indeed live there - Miss Brown who may look frightening but has her own story. Holly is told not to go back and bother her, but she cannot stop thinking about Miss Brown and sends her the most delightful letter.
Miss Brown responds to Holly’s letter and shares with her about how her brain has been ill and the garden has become too much for her. Holly then decides to find out about making a butterfly garden and spends time over the next few weeks researching and learning about these gardens and working on the school allotment. She shares what she has learnt with Miss Brown through letters until finally Holly asks if she and her brother Arlo could help to bring butterflies back to Miss Brown’s garden. It seems like a huge task for two young children and after trying their best, Holly decides to reach out to her street community. On the Saturday it seems the whole street has turned up to help bring the garden back to life and eventually provide Miss Brown with a safe place for her head and her heart.
This beautiful book is a joy to read. It shows how a small act of kindness can grow and change someone’s life. The striking crayon/pencil illustrations that provide so much depth to the narrative are a visual treat as are the glossy images on the front cover and the clever endpapers. Highly recommended for all libraries.
The glorious peach cover of The Peach King will entice readers to engage with this contemporary fable written as a picture book. It is a striking narrative that will resonate with readers both young and old, and tells the story of the Araluen Peach King, standing tall, proud and gnarled overlooking and protecting the orchard of mature trees and young saplings. This story is based on a true happening during the Black Summer Bushfires of 2019-2020 experienced by author Inga Simpson.
As the Little Peach Tree grows they notice the changes in the seasons. The hot dry winds, the grasshoppers, the rain, the blossoms budding on their branches, the fruit so red and fuzzy, the autumn leaves, the bare branches feeling the cold until spring arrives again. The young sapling growing taller and stronger notices how the rain is less, the air is hotter, the ground is drier. When fire comes, who will survive, the mighty Peach King or the Little Peach Tree?
The illustrations in this book are a visual delight from start to finish and leave the reader with incredible images of the trees before and after the devastating fire. Of the community picking each peach before the trees were overcome. Of the birds and animals fleeing, and the Peach King trying to still the wind. All was seemingly lost until the Little Peach Tree encouraged the other peach trees to find their voices and sing the wind around. While The Peach King did not survive, the Little Peach Tree did and the cycle of new growth will begin again.
This is a powerful story that provides hope that not all is lost when fire ravages the land. That the flora and fauna will live on. A special book for all school and public libraries. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes Peach Trees, Fire, Black Summer Bushfires, Australian Bush, Seasons, Cycles in Nature, Fables.
Kathryn Beilby
The Warrumbar by William J. Byrne
UWA Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781760803117. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
At the heart of Byrne’s novel is a moral dilemma. If you are witness to something really bad, something wrong, what do you do if you know that the consequences of reporting it will have serious repercussions for yourself and your family? Robbie Brennan is a ‘black kid’, he’s experienced the harshness of a boys’ home, and he knows that if he tells what he saw, he’s not likely to be believed. He’ll probably be sent away again, and his mother would lose her job, because the person he accuses carries all the power and credibility in the community. His rational mind tells him to stay silent, stay safe, but his conscience torments him with recurring nightmares. He wants to do the right thing.
The setting is a country town in the 1960s, the Warrumbar is the river where the tragic incident occurs. Robbie’s family are poor, his Aboriginal mother grew up on a Mission, his father is a heavy drinker with unpredictable moods and discipline is heavy-handed when he is angry. Despite this Robbie loves his father and seeks to earn his affection and respect.
Byrne presents the wide disparity between the white townspeople and the Aboriginal people living on the fringe. Racist attitudes are entrenched. Life is a struggle for Robbie’s family, with lots of physical hard work, but it is a loving family and the bonds are strong. Robbie’s childhood is free and happy, hanging out with his mate Leon, rabbiting and catching yabbies. He meets the elderly Moses, a returned Aboriginal soldier, accepted in his regiment but rejected on his return home. Robbie loves to hear his stories and learns from him the importance of making peace with your past and maintaining personal integrity.
Byrne has created a quiet and thoughtful novel, exploring the tentativeness of the relationship between the boy and his father, and between the boy and the elderly relative. In its expose of racism the tone is not one of anger and blame, but of working towards better understanding. The moral dilemma is a powerful one and is worked through in a way that has some surprises, with an unpredictable but probably very realistic conclusion. This is a debut novel from William J Byrne; here’s hoping there will be more.
Themes Guilt, Conscience, Trauma, Truth-telling, Racism, Aboriginal history.
Pandora is the ‘beautiful evil’ sent by the gods to unleash misery on mankind. Most would know the story of Pandora, the foolish woman overcome by curiosity to open the forbidden box, and who releases all the evils to befall the world, with only ‘hope’ the last good thing that might offer some relief. Bea Fitzgerald takes this tale and turns it on its head. What if this is just the story that has been passed down the generations, always blaming the woman? Perhaps there is another side to it. Just as she wrote in The end crowns all, history is the story of the victors; there may be a different story that has been conveniently dropped from memory. Pandora may be a scapegoat for the gods’ malevolence and man’s weakness.
In Fitzgerald’s story, Pandora has the intelligence to question her purpose and fight her destiny. She understands that she has been created as the first human woman, to be beautiful and desired by Epimatheos, but the curiosity she has been endowed with leads her to ponder why Zeus has ordered her creation, and why he wants her to captivate the brother of Prometheus, the man he perpetually tortures. She continually questions the reasons she is both ‘all-gifted’ and ‘all giving’, and turns over every impulse in her mind. How much of her nature is preordained, and how much is something of ‘herself’, if there is such a thing.
In Fitzgerald’s story curiosity is not a bad thing, it’s a kind of intelligence, that continually explores the meaning of things, and how everything works. Pandora endeavours to understand herself and outwit the gods. It’s an intelligence that wins the respect and adoration of her husband Epimatheos, just as much as her shapely beauty.
For romance lovers, this novel has it all, the barbed wit of their prickly conversations, to the passion of their all-consuming physical attraction. It is a positive that Epimatheos loves Pandora for all her qualities, despite their bickering quarrels, and comes to appreciate and trust her intelligence above all. And for readers of Greek mythology, Bea Fitzgerald offers a very different and truly fascinating interpretation of an old story, one that even includes an authentic depiction of neurodivergence as well as non-binary gender.
“Four girls share a cabin on their school retreat – in an abandoned town where the ghost of Smiling Jack is known to haunt the isolated campers.”
Set in the 1990s, the story features 3 characters, Mack, Raffi, and Priya who head off to the Year 11 school camp, looking forward to a taste of freedom, time with friends, boys, and time away from families. The inclusion of Shelley, the odd new girl, to their cabin doesn’t fill them with excitement though, especially when she has immediately become the target of some of the boys.
When Raffi insists they all take part in a séance, things begin to get out of hand and the story quickly develops a sense of tension and eeriness. Assumptions are made by the characters about the issues that arise, and the reader is swept along as events unfold, the ghost story becoming intertwined with current day experiences.
Although I love mysteries and thrillers, I’ve never personally been a great fan of horror films or novels. Because I have frequently had middle school students (mainly female) begging me to purchase more of this genre, I was keen to read this. After reading the first couple of chapters, this story had me on the edge of my seat, completely engaged. I powered through the pages, trying to work out how the book would be resolved.
The chapters alternate between the perspectives of the four different characters, gradually revealing the secret thoughts, fears, and prior experiences of each. Despite their differences, a bond is formed, supporting one another becomes paramount and “the sisterhood” reigns supreme.
I’d certainly recommend this title to teenage readers who love the horror genre, but would point out that both violence and sexual assault are part of the story.
Themes Teen Relationships, Violence, Sexual Assault, Feminism.
Jo Schenkel
Boy vs Beast: Lava Beast by Mac Park
Larrikin House, 2025. ISBN: 9781922804969. (Age:5+) Recommended for emergent readers.
“Kai Masters is a Border Guard. He must battle beasts to keep Earth safe. Things have changed in Beastium. There are new beasts. Combo beasts. Will Kai and his Jet-Drill be able to stop the lava beast?”
Behaving like an ordinary kid, Kai plays soccer and joins the team for a BBQ party after the game. He has a far more important role, however. His dog, BC3, has a laser light tail, supersonic hearing, retractable fur, and a human chat button. They live in an old lighthouse with hidden rooms and labs with incredible computers. Together, in their new adventure, the two discover that the earth is under attack by a lava beast. Immediately, they don new fighting apparel, collect upgrades to weapons and a vehicle, and head off to fight the beast. Along the way, they meet different foes, battling them with their chosen tools. Will they manage to defeat the beast and get home safely?
Writing under several different pen names, Louise Park has written multiple series which appeal particularly to emergent readers. Each title in the Boy vs Beast series is action packed, written in a large font, interspersed with numerous illustrations and diagrams. In Lava Beast, several pages use the graphic novel format. Lovers of computer games will see connections between this story and screen games with strength, attack power and speed listed on cards as the story progresses.
The action is easy to read and comprehend, particularly with the assistance of the accompanying illustrations. A bite sized, action packed adventure, this title and series hold immense appeal to emergent readers.
Themes Adventure, Action.
Jo Schenkel
Pablo and Splash: Roman holiday by Sheena Dempsey
Bloomsbury, 2025. ISBN: 9781526662859. (Age:5+)
At home in Antarctica, penguins Pablo and Splash are learning about ancient Rome from their teacher, Mr. Beluga. Splash has not really been concentrating and during an oxygen break on the surface she persuades her more sensible friend Pablo that the way to really learn would be to use Professor O’Brain’s TimeBender machine to visit ancient Rome. Splash should have listened closer to the lessons because she thinks she will be visiting the scene of the 1950’s classic movie "Roman Holiday" and instead of sunglasses and gelato she finds togas and enslavement. It seems the Emperor’s wife collects rare birds and they find themselves captured, awaiting their turn as entertainment in the Colosseum, fighting two experienced gladiators as part of a public spectacle.
This is the third graphic novel adventure for the time travelling penguins, this time combining real information about ancient Rome, like gladiators fighting in the Colosseum (and the use of a sponge on a stick for wiping bums in the public toilets) and cute penguins having exciting adventures. There are lots of puns and catchphrases and a side-trip to New Zealand, keeping the pace fast and engaging. I wasn’t really keen on the friends’ stereotypical relationship, with the fun, naughty impulsive one controlling the adventure while the sensible, more careful one solves the resulting problems, but it is a fast, fun read with colourful characters which will appeal to young readers. At the end of the book is information on the Colosseum, volcanoes and other ‘fact or fiction’ questions as well as how to draw a gladiator. It will appeal to readers of Patrick Green's Investigators series.
Themes Graphic novel, Ancient Rome, Friends, Time travelling.
Sue Speck
The drought kangaroo by Jackie French. Illus. by Danny Snell
The third in the series about animals coping through extreme weather events, this book bristles with endeavour as the kangaroo can smell water far away and knows he must find it to survive.
The strong young kangaroo, Joseph knows his mob is in danger. They are all listless, nibbling at ever shrinking grass, no joeys being born. But Big Roo the leader of the mob is just as listless, and Joseph knows he must search for better feed and water. No one takes any notice as he leaves. He travels at nights, resting during the heat of the day. He sees other distressed animals , parched of water.
One night, he comes across two lights and tries to jump between them, falling to the ground, bouncing off the car. But he keeps going, he can smell the water close by.
When he finds it he munches the grass and drinks large amounts of water, when he notices a mob watching him. The leader of the mob comes over and after a few sorties, leaves him to drink. A grey kangaroo joins him, and later, when it rains he takes over as the leader, and he joins the mob, contented.
Snell’s wonderful images show the kangaroos and their body shapes throughout the story. Decidedly skinny and undernourished, Joseph must leave his mob to look for food. The readers will recognise the flora and fauna seen along his journey, and be concerned for him when confronted by the leader of the new mob. The Australian bush is shown in its changeability, from parched desert to flooding rain. The powerful image of the car which Joseph tries to leap over, becomes clear to the readers when they read Jackie French’s notes at the end, while the illustration recalls all those animals seen as road kill. I loved Snell’s images of Joseph across the top of several pages, giving movement and a sense of purpose to the journey. And the episode with the car in the half light at night is full of anticipation for the readers wondering whether Joseph will be able to avoid the car and survive.
Based on a true story of a lone kangaroo which came to Jackie’s property, the story of survival in our desperate times of drought is uplifting. A teacher's guide is available.
