Lilliput the kangaroo by Sarah Bellman. Illus. by Krista Brennan
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922833617. (Age:4-7)
There is a definite echo of Alice in Wonderland in Lillipit. The main character Alyce has long blonde hair, is wearing a blue dress with a white collar and ventures into a rather magical world in her own backyard. There is even a tea party. While this is a sweet story, the writing is quite prescriptive and straightforward, lacking the magic or spark that this sort of tale deserves. Five-year-old Alyce and her younger brother have just moved to a new house on a farm in the Macedon Ranges. Alyce is worried about starting school and finding friends but she has no trouble making friends with the local kangaroos. One day while playing she reaches out to pat a friendly kangaroo and is surprised to find it talking to her: "'My name is Lillipit. It is lovely to meet you, Alyce,' said the kangaroo." A pouch tour of the farm and meeting all the resident animals is followed by a tulip tea party in the forest with Cherry the white echidna. The setting is quintessentially Australian and the watercolour illustrations are sweet. Lillipit the kangaroo delivers Alyce safely back to her house and tells her how to contact her if she needs her. "You are very special, Alyce, and I am here for you if you need me." There is a slightly worrying tone of secrets and talking to and going off with strangers, but this is alleviated at the end of the story by the following line: "Alyce ran inside to tell her mum and dad all about Lillipit and her home". This is definitely something to clarify with young children after reading this though - that we wouldn't just tell people we have just met outside our house about our lives or go off with them on an adventure. A nice story about new adventures and the magic of the Aussie environment.
Themes Adventure stories, Australian stories.
Nicole Nelson
Wurrtoo: The wombat who fell in love with the sky by Tylissa Elisara. Illus. by Dylan Finney
This beautifully written debut novel by First Nations author Tylissa Elisara is an engaging read full of humour, friendship, courage, and important teaching and learning traditions of our oldest culture. Set in the stunning environment of Kangaroo Island located off the South Australian coast, the story is about the adventures of Wurrtoo, a lonely hairy nosed wombat and Kuula, a bubbly adventurous koala.
Wurrtoo is desperate to travel to the Forest of Dreaming on the mainland to marry his one true love, the Sky. Kuula and the other animals encountered along the way are amused and sceptical of this but offer support in all sorts of ways, both helpful and unhelpful. The two friends face danger from other animals and deadly natural disasters but does Wurrtoo eventually achieve what he set out to do?
The animals in the story take on human characteristics and the black and white illustrations of the main characters in familiar items of clothing, as well as drawings of moments on their adventure, adds visual appeal that complements the narrative perfectly. As part of their journey Wurrtoo and Kuula share meals showing the interesting use of traditional foods, and visit various places on Kangaroo Island, all wonderfully described in rich expressive language.
Wurrtoo: The Wombat Who Fell in Love with the Sky would make a wonderful class novel for Year 3 or 4 students. The thoughtful wisdom shared about caring for Country and the growing friendship and trust between Wurrtoo and Kuula enable this book to offer so much deep learning for the classroom. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes First Nations, Kangaroo Island, Australian Animals, Courage, Dreaming Stories, Humour, Friendship, Adventure, Environmental Issues.
Sophie Gonzales has described her latest novel as a fun love letter to ‘fanfic’ and romance stories. The central premise is that due to some strange circumstance, a thunderstorm, a dream, we’re not sure, Ivy’s heartthrob from the show ‘Hot, Magical and Deadly’ (H-MAD), has amazingly come to life, in her bedroom, while her parents are away. It is Weston, the gorgeous guy depicted on the book cover, flexing his muscles in that typical crossed arms stance so many teenage guys like to emulate. Weston is the hero that loves Ivy absolutely and enduringly in all the romantic fanfiction stories she uploads to the net. The only problem is that as he starts to re-enact all the romantic tropes she has created, it begins to feel like maybe the perfect guy might not be that great to have around after all.
The fantasy element is the platform for a lot of comic situations that Ivy and her best friend Henry, and her former crush and not-so-best friend Mack, struggle to handle in the real world. While Ivy has been writing her fan fiction, her own life has become another hate to love story. It is only when she starts to view her conversations and her actions from the perspective of another, that she begins to realise that not everything centres around herself, and that other people have been struggling to deal with their own problems alongside her. Gonzales has incorporated good lessons about better communication and consideration of others amidst all the comic capers.
As with Gonzales' other novels this is another lighthearted LGBQTI+ story for young adult readers. Ivy realises that she is bisexual, Mack is lesbian, and Henry is aroace, meaning someone who is both aromantic and asexual. The three become true friends, united by the problem of what to do about the fantastical but increasingly disturbing Weston.
Gonzales excels in the argumentative dialogue that escalates from first off-the-cuff retort to mean things each speaker regrets afterwards. The sarcastic remarks tossed out by Henry are also very funny. It is easy to be drawn into the very realistic conflicts between the teenage characters, and this is part of what keeps the reader engaged. That, and the really very funny scenarios. Just how did Weston become real, and how are they going to send him back where he came from?
For me, the only drawback to the novel is the setting in America, and the American language that is included. Gonzales is an Australian writer, and while I understand the drive to reach an international audience, I think it is a shame that she has to Americanise her stories. But, that said, I admit that once I got into the novel, any awkwardness just fell away and I really enjoyed the ride. This is another great rom-com for Young Adult readers, probably for a slightly younger audience than ‘Never ever getting back together’ (2022) which was also a lot of fun.
Themes LGBQTI+, Humour, Romance, Fan fiction, Fantasy.
Helen Eddy
Little horses by Deborah Kelly. Illus. by Jenni Goodman
Wombat Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781761111310. (Age:3+)
Out in the bay, where sailboats glide Little horses drift and glide Changing colours so predators pass In gardens of sponge and coral and grass
In the calm peaceful waters, disturbed only by the rise and fall of the tide, little seahorses spend their lives swaying with the movement of the water, occasionally spotted by sharp-eyed scuba divers who are lucky to see them amongst the seaweed. They give birth and raise their young in a way that only seahorses do, continuing a cycle that is generations old.
But then a storm hits the bay and the seahorses are swept away from their home by the tumbling, crashing waves to a barren place where there are no sponges, coral and grass until...
Inspired by true events when severe storms hit Port Stephens, NSW between 2010 and 2013 and almost wiped out the fragile population of White's Seahorses (hippocampus whitei) - so much so that it was declared endangered on the IUCN list - this story tells the story of how scuba diver David Haraski spotted two seahorses beginning to build a new home on an old lobster pot that had also been swept away but which was starting to sprout new corals and sponges. With the adage, "If we build it, they will come" in mind, in 2018 Haraski built and placed the first seahorse hotel onto the Port Stephens seabed - and it worked. Haraski the tried his concept in Sydney Harbour where there were other endangered populations and now these seahorses hotels are springing up around the world, including a dedicated breeding program at Sydney Sea Life.
This is such a positive spin on how humans are working to save the environment and its creatures that it deserves a place in any library collection to support the environment and sustainability curriculum. The gentle rhyme has a rhythm that mimics the wave movement, building to a crescendo when the storm hits, and all set against eye-catching artwork that is so lifelike. There are notes about both the seahorses themselves and the seahorse hotels to add context and whet the appetite to know more and explore further.
With summer beach holiday memories still fresh in the mind, this is the ideal time to encourage students to think what lies below the yellow sands, beneath the rockpool calm and beyond the sparkling waters and used together with Beach Song and Voice of the Sea, there is the trifecta of storybooks to form the basis of the investigation.
Barbara Braxton
How to find a rainbow by Alom Shaha. Illus. by Sarthak Sinha
Scribble, 2024. ISBN: 9781761380372.
Reena and Rekha may be sisters, but when it comes to the weather, they couldn't be more different. Reena hates rainy days because she sees them as grey and gloomy, depriving her of being outside painting all the bright and beautiful things. Whereas Rekha loves the smell of wet earth and the solitude of being outside when everyone else is in.
As she splashes in the puddles she sees a rainbow, and knows immediately that it is something Reena will want to see. But by the time Reena joins her, the rainbow has disappeared. Where can it be? Will they find it again?
There is a saying, "Without rain, there can be no rainbows", and this charming story can be read on two levels - that of two sisters in search of a physical rainbow and that of emerging from a gloomy emotional episode and beginning to find joy again. It offers scope for investigating the science of rainbows (as well as instructions for creating one), but also helps young readers understand that even if siblings or friends don't like the same things, there are still ways to come together. With much of the story carried in the dialogue which is assigned directly to each character, and an original style of artwork, this is a story of two squirrels that offers much to young readers learning to explore the world around them so that they will be looking forward to the next rainy day to explore for themselves. You could even teach them the word "petrichor" which is the grown-up word for the smell of dry earth as rain hits it, and watch them impress others with their knowledge! Teacher's notes are available.
Two former assassins from opposing gangs, Roma and Juliette, are a couple in love, with new identities, living under the radar in the Chinese town of Zhouzhuang. They have established an underground weapons ring, something I initially thought to mean guns, but could actually also be knives as both are highly skilled in knife martial arts. It sounds like a crime thriller, but actually reads like a light comedy full of flirtatious banter between the two. It is just so much fun to read.
Last violent call is in fact two short novellas. The first ‘A foul thing’ is the story of Roma and Juliette drawn back into danger when their aid is sought by a young man desperate to save the life of his fiancee sought by killers after escaping from a suspicious drug trial.
The second novella ‘This foul murder’ is connected to the first, but features two Russian agents, a homosexual couple, aboard the Trans-Siberian Express, on a mission for Roma and Juliette. When a murder occurs on the train, rather than have their schedule delayed by a police investigation, the two men pose as detectives bent on solving the crime. It becomes much like a comedic Russian/Chinese version of ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, with the two pseudo-detectives also engaging in much light-hearted banter.
I have not read Gong’s books in the ‘Secret Shanghai’ series, (for example, Foul Lady Fortune) apparently with a familiar cast of characters, and while there are references to past events, the two novellas in 'Last violent call' can be read as stand-alone, and have been described by the author as ‘domestic fluff’. With captivating characters and funny situations they are really enjoyable ‘fluff’, and perhaps provide a light-hearted entree to her other books, albeit with some spoilers.
Award-winning children’s author Gregg Dreise presents the first in a new series, Scales and Tails, with a new square format. He read the Roughsey version of the Rainbow Serpent at school, and very proud of his Kamilaroi and Euahlayi heritage he wanted to write a tale of the serpent particular to his own culture.
He tells the tale of the creation of the Darling/Barka River by the Rainbow Serpent after a drought. The drought ends with a great storm and after the storm a rainbow appears with the snake making its way down to the earth along the rainbow. He promises the Elders he will help them find water. And so he does, creating the Darling/Barka River in south west Queensland.
More than a picture book, the wonderful text will be read by those who feel confident trying to read something for themselves, or who love having a story read to them. And what a story, as with myths from the past, the moral of the story is one we should live by today. Sharing water is at the heart of much that is happening in Australia, and the Rainbow Serpent reminds us that we can’t have a rainbow without water.
He asks the elders to climb on his back as he takes them to where the river starts, the sea. He uses his body to carve a river from the sea to the Southern Ocean, in South Australia. He makes lakes and tributaries, resting sometimes to gather his own strength. But he keeps going, telling the Elders that water is there to share. He dives beneath the earth creating the underground basin where the water is stored. So there is enough water for us all, and we must share and protect it.
Everyone hearing the story will know about the importance of water to Australia. And think about their own area and what stories there may be about water. Gregg’s vibrant and strong illustrations depict Aboriginal motifs that kids are familiar with, drawing them into the story as they read.
The map of Australia shows the number of Aboriginal culture groups across the land, and more information is given at the end of the book about Gregg and his story of the Rainbow Serpent.
I loved the images of the land before and after water is given, reminding us all of the importance of water, as he ends his tory with: Come together, rise up, share.
A wonderful addition to the library, I look forward to the next in the series. More about Gregg Dreise can be found here.
Midnight Sun Publishing, 2023. ISBN: 9781922858283. (Age:13+) Highly recommended.
Shortlisted for the 2023 Aurealis Awards for Best Young Adult Novel, The weaver is an engaging story that is sure to appeal to readers who enjoy fantasy. Saatcha is a young woman who has taken over her father’s blacksmith forge when he falls ill. Because of the severe weather she sleeps in the attic of the shop as it is too cold to walk back to her house. When two thieves break into the forge they force her to leave her home behind and the unknown magic that has surrounded her begins to break down. Her eyes are opened to the deserted village, the grimy forge and the mouldy food that she has been eating. Her kidnappers are not ordinary thieves and she gradually learns that she has a vital role to play in the safety of the kingdom.
Told in the third person, the story smoothly brings the reader into the lives and thoughts of Saatcha, Kavarin and Ren. Saatcha is amazed at what her life was like, once the magic threads that bind her begin to disappear. Lovers of stories that feature magic libraries, a Librarian, and a sorcerous book will enjoy Kanicky’s portrayal of the place that books and storytelling hold in Saatcha’s life. She is taken under the wing of the Librarian at Kavarin’s castle and gradually begins to learn to read and to uncover what is happening in the kingdom. She is adaptable and calm and readers, like me, will be keen to see her come into her powers. Kavarin and Ren’s personalities are multi-faceted and the romantic triangle between Saatcha, Kavarin and Ren will appeal to teen readers. The magic of weaving is unusual and the cold, dark sorcery of the king will bring shivers as he manipulates his people.
A couple of swear words (the ‘f’ word) appear and a jarring note (for me) was some modern phrases that did not fit into the fantasy setting but are likely to appeal to teen readers.
The weaver is a well written page turner with a beguiling cover that will grab its readers. The conclusion is open ended so hopefully there could be a sequel. Readers who enjoy books by Lynette Noni (The prison healer) and Brigid Kemmerer (Defy the night) are sure to enjoy this, while older readers may wish to look at some of Naomi Novik’s books like Uprooted and Spinning silver.
The first in a new series of books called Bunny and Bird, introduces the two main characters when they meet in the park. Bunny is wearing a hat and believes that he is invisible. He whispers Boo to Bird, because he does not want to scare him, believing he cannot be seen. Bird questions him about whispering when he can see him very well, and so follows a glorious conversation around Bunny’s being invisible.
He makes several poses and funny faces asking whether he can he seen, and of course he can. He is frustrated as he believes he is invisible, and tries various ways of showing Bird that he cannot be seen. So Bird offers to wear the hat to show his friend that he is not invisible. The two play a joke on each other about the hat, when Grandpa comes into view with a statement that turns all their conversations on their head.
Every reader will laugh out loud at the attempts by Bunny to get Bird not to see him, and laugh along with the animals as they try various means of persuading the other.
Kids may notice the various cloud shapes in the background, and if they do not notice while the book is being read, they will certainly read it again after the book is finished.
A wonderfully inventive, funny tale Bunny and Bird are wonderful friends, Bird wanting to help Bunny to see that the hat does not render him invisible, and Bunny not wanting to scare him too much thinking he cannot be seen. Warm hearted, the pair are are sensitive to each other’s feelings, and make fun of the hat together, laughing with enjoyment at the shared joke.
Lovely funny illustrations fill each page, emphasising the warm relationship between the two friends. Bird can see Bunny but tries hard not to deflate him, standing on his feet when Bunny does a hand stand, looking quizzically at him when he says boo. I love the hat stand at the start of the book, and the various cloud formations seen on the way through their journey.
Themes Friendship, Invisibility, Bunny and Bird series, Humour.
Eva has always wanted to be a journalist, and, together with her friends Simone and Ash, the she produces the Newshound newspaper for her school readers. Their first big story came when a whippet followed her home - so thin that she called him Wafer - and Eva set out to discover its owner, and found out more than she bargained on.
Now she wants to help Wafer makes some doggy friends and so she takes him to the local whippet races, And again, there is more to the story than meets the eye when she realises that there is some cheating going on. Along with Simone and Ash, she decides to investigate because this might be their next big story, but can they crack the case and is it safe to do so?
This is the second in this new series for young independent readers that has broad appeal for those who love animals, those who love mysteries and those who like to write. The diversity of characters, their relationships and interests makes for an engaging read, but it is interesting that many reviewers have pointed out that Ash is non binary. While it is important for kids to see themselves represented in stories, it also demonstrates that we still have some way to go before gender diversity is accepted without comment, in the same way that nationalities are. As illustrated in As Bright as a Rainbow, there are many ways to be a kid, and my experience is that they accept each other regardless of looks, clothes, gender, religion, language or any other barriers. It is the adults who impose the labels. But the more there is inclusivity featured in stories the easier it will be for those who may be "outside the norm". In this interview, the author, herself, speaks about why she includes diverse characters in her stories as she recognises the need for such diversity to be normalised, and, unsurprisingly, it is adults who feel they have to vilify her.
Regardless, this is an engaging series that is being enjoyed by many and they will look forward to The Show the next in the series.
Themes Mysteries, Dogs, Newspapers.
Barbara Braxton
The miracle of the grey swans by Zhao Lihong. Illus. by Wang Keqiao
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922833211. (Age:5-7) Recommended.
Weiwei and his family live alongside a lake and the unexpected discovery of an injured swan (and her soon-to-hatch eggs) begins a relationship of care and connection that is astounding. The mother swan needs time to heal and while the father swan is initially fiercely protective, he must join other swans on their migration path and must leave his family behind. Weiwei observes and waits, providing food and a watchful concern for the adopted family of swans.
This is a gentle story of connection between a young boy and a wild bird family. It does not try to teach or preach and it is really just an environmentally-based situation, reported in a naive style. It is presented in a picture book style with simple illustrations, just longer text than most picture books. It has a winsome quality and is set within an Asian environment. This is the kind of story that might encourage an interest in the ‘wild’ world outside a child’s window and could be independently read by an early reader aged 6-7, or it would make a lovely, shared bedtime-read or read-aloud for younger children.
The tea ladies is a sparkling and often humorous cosy mystery set in Sydney in 1965. Tea lady Hazel Bates moves from the managing director’s office down to the factory floor of Empire Fashionwear carting her tea trolley and special biscuits and giving the workers a welcome tea break. She is friends with other tea ladies in the area, especially Betty and Irene and when she spots a young woman in a nearby bond store who writes something in an unknown language, the trio become embroiled in a world of gangsters and crooked police. At the same time, her job at Empire Fashionwear is in jeopardy because fashions are changing swiftly and the arrival of the model Jean Shrimpton and the short mini dress causes much controversy at the Melbourne races. Will the tea ladies be able to find out what has happened to the young woman in the building that was set on fire? Who killed the accountant? Will Empire Fashionwear weather the fashion wars? And what about the mystery surrounding Bob, Hazel’s husband?
For me the charm of The tea ladies lies in its background setting of the changes that are happening in the sixties. The idea of a tea lady may be strange to readers today but Hazel plays a key role not just in providing tea and biscuits, but also that of a peace maker providing useful advice to everyone. The change of clothing from frocks worn with hats, gloves and stockings to very short mini dresses is difficult for the older managers of the fashion house to understand. The Kings Cross area of Sydney and the crooks who wield influence there are also vividly described. And there is a murder and a missing person case for the tea ladies to investigate.
Fans of Richard Osman (The Thursday Murder Club) will delight in the role of older women solving crimes, while readers who can remember the 1960’s will enjoy the memories that the book brings back.
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922833808. (Age:8+) Highly recommended.
There’s a story in your bones of how the world turned outside-in, of how everything around you changed and everything within.
This sensitive and deeply thoughtful book is one of a number of stories for children currently being shared about the time Australia and in fact the whole planet, went into Covid lockdown in 2020 and 2021. For many citizens all over the world this was a time of challenge and change. A time where staying at home and reinventing the way we lived and worked became the new normality.
Over the course of Inside, the striking and quite beautiful illustrations portray quiet streets, families at home separated by from loved ones, families entertaining each other, heroes going off to work, families gardening, loved ones grieving and rainbow images on windows. The poetic and poignant text shares these times with sensitivity and is a gentle reminder of what took place.
At the end there is hope for a new future and a hope for kindness from within for the younger generation.
The world has changed and so have you, with courage as your guide, you will lead us to the light… Because you’re brave and kind inside.
This book feels very much like a picture book for older children, teenagers and adults to remember a time in our past when there was a global response to a situation beyond our control.
Themes COVID-19, Quarantine, Epidemics.
Kathryn Beilby
Nova's missing masterpiece by Brooke Graham and Robin Tatlow-Lord
EK Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781922539373. (Age:6-8)
Nova has created a special portrait of her dad to give to him at his birthday celebration this evening. But now she can't find it anywhere! She searches and searches in every place she can think of but the missing masterpiece is nowhere to be found. The more frustrated that Nova gets, the more frantic the search but despite this all the while her little dog Harley seems unperturbed. And gradually Nova starts to notice some of his behaviours - breathing in long and slow, having a drink - and gradually she calms down enough to keep searching as she tries the same things. But will she find the picture in time for the party?
We all know the anxiety and frustration of not being able to find something that we really need; the searching in the most unlikely places in case it may miraculously appear and as we get older we are more able to self-calm and think more clearly. But for children of Nova's age that is a skill yet to be learnt so this is a great story to help start teaching it. Every child will have their own story to tell so a group discussion of strategies like breathing, like taking a few minutes, like doing something else can be the beginning of helping children learn to take a step back, relax and think.
But even without extracting this theme from the story, this is just a good read that will resonate with many.
Themes Worry, Anger, Dogs, Lost property.
Barbara Braxton
Marvellous vehicles by James May
Farshore, 2023. ISBN: 9780008520878. (Age:6-9)
In the beginning, the only way for humans to move from one place to another was by Shanks pony - walking - but then someone somewhere sat on a log and drifted downstream and the rest, as they say, is history. Human-powered travel had begun and in this fascinating book for young readers, motoring expert James May looks at the variety of ways humans can travel from one place to another entirely using their own power. No animals, engines, batteries, wind or other external aids - just the use of human muscles.
From the common bicycle to submarines and even vehicles that travel on both land and water, all powered by human energy, the range of conveyances is surprising and there is even an explanation about how potential and kinetic energy are used to make this happen so readers can understand the science that underpins even the wackiest of inventions and craft.
This is another in a new series called Little Experts designed to introduce 6-9 year olds to the world around them by having experts in the field share their knowledge, and even though they, themselves, may not recognise the names of the experts, nevertheless having titles about everyday things that our little ones are curious about and pitched at their level can only be a positive addition to non fiction collections.
