The Prime Minister Problem

The Prime Minister Problem by Brenton Cullen (Riveted Press) PB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781764256728

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

With crisp, clear writing and a gentle story, Brenton Cullen tells of ten-year-old Wren, a thoughtful, quiet boy who feels so alone in his school community that it’s almost as if he is invisible. Mum is juggling two jobs, his brother has his own life, and at school, Wren hides in the library reading books his grandmother taught him to love. Grandma is the only person who truly sees him — until she has two strokes and is moved to a nursing home. The home is in the city, two hours away, because there isn’t one locally. Wren asks himself, ‘Who will be my friend now Gran is gone?’

Lonelier than ever, Wren writes to the Prime Minister for help, convinced she will be helpful. When no reply comes, he decides to take matters into his own hands. He and a new girl – Tamara – who has befriended him, take up the idea of children ‘adopting’ local grandparents. Wren also launches a (very successful) crowdfunding campaign to renovate an abandoned house into a community centre and nursing home. Overnight, he becomes a media and social media star.

As his town rallies around him, Wren discovers he isn’t the only one who feels forgotten — and that real change doesn’t come from politicians, but from the people who call the town home. He also befriends a grumpy, lonely old man, ironically called Mr Bright, whose house is renovated for the centre.

Throughout the book, the author astutely explores Wren’s thoughts and emotions as he navigates problems in the boy's life. Cullen’s sentences are always polished: he masters simple language, and his characters are so three-dimensional that the reader relates to each of them.

At its heart, The Prime Minister Problem is a story about loneliness, intergenerational connection, and the quiet power of shy kids. It explores how one small voice can spark change and how communities can come together to make a difference. It’s touching and emotional, but also funny, hopeful, and uplifting.

Written for readers aged 8–12 years, it’s a book for kids and adults alike who love stories that linger in the heart and leave you with happy tears. A debut middle-grade novel, it is highly recommended.

 

The Boy & The Shark

The Boy & The Shark (Affirm Press) Cate James PB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781923419162

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Cate James is an illustrator, artist and author from the Northern Beaches of Sydney. She originally hails from Scotland and loves our sunshine. She has illustrated more than 40 books across Australia, the UK and the US.  This is her debut book as an author-illustrator.  

William is desperate to escape from his sister’s noisy birthday party, so he decides to find a shark and see if sharks don’t like parties too. 

Cate James has created an engaging narrative that blends William’s ordinary world with his imaginary ocean quest to find a shark. The narrative has a clear problem that captures William’s love of sharks. ‘I bet sharks don’t like parties,’ said William. ‘Absolutely, no parties at all.’ William decides to find a shark to answer his question. He ventures bravely and confidently into the ocean.  Can you help me find a shark? Along the way, he meets sea creatures who fear sharks more than him. The dialogue shows the other creatures' fear of sharks, creating tension and anticipation.  I’m sure a shark would love to eat – I mean, meet you. Even being tangled in an octopus does not seem to faze William.

I think it is because he is really in control of the narrative. The story tends to be quieter and more reflective rather than high-stakes action. The repeated refrain So William swam on shows character determination and enhances its read-aloud appeal. What upsets William most is the thought of never finding a shark.

My favourite part of the story is the double-page spread when they finally meet unexpectedly. And found…A shark, wonder, and awe are there. The page turns feel natural and inviting. William and the shark play until William is tired, and he decides to go home. This reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are. As a character, William remains true to himself, though he does not change much. I love that he sees sharks as friends, and they are in this story. The narrative voice speaks directly to a child.                                                

Cate James’ illustrations are a real standout. Her work is unique and eye-catching. Bright, cartoon-like, the visuals create emotion and wonderful storytelling. The front cover is striking and attention-grabbing. On a blue background with a white title, the shark is centred at the top and at the bottom, with the top half of its body pointing up at William. It looks friendly, but you are not sure, so you want to open the book.

I love the endpapers with the childlike shark drawings. I can see children trying to draw their own sharks. Once inside the book, the atmospheric illustrations are really engaging, using different dimensions, detail, light and shade, and perspective. The visuals darken when it seems scarier and then lighten again when they meet and play. In the opening spreads, the message is clear: William really does not like the birthday party. He is happiest in the ocean with the shark. This book is joyful and visually appealing.

The Boy & The Shark is a picture book for those who love the ocean and sharks and want to escape a birthday party. The end of the story leaves young readers wondering if William really did meet a shark. This is wonderful for both the child and the adult reading the story to discuss. This book is for children ages 4-8 who really do wonder about and imagine such things. The themes are perfect for teachers to use this book in the classroom, and parents who want a fun, playful read.

Girls Like

Girls Like (Midnight Sun Publishing) Katrina Germein & Deb Hudson PB RRP $29.99 ISBN 9781922858726

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Katrina Germein is a best-selling author, published and translated internationally. Her popular titles include Bev and Kev, Fabulous Frogs and One Little Duck. Her work has been Highly Commended in the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards and won a CBCA Honour. She is a past winner of the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Award and the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award.

Deb Hudson has a passion for drawing bright, happy illustrations that evoke emotion and thought in the reader. Her whimsical work takes you to fantastic places and worlds. She has illustrated ten books, with more coming.

Girls Like is a book that encourages girls to pursue their passions, have confidence in themselves and others, and achieve their dreams.

Katrina Germein uses simple, rhythmic phrases to explore a wide variety of activities girls do. Her book is a celebration of being a girl rather than a narrative style text. The language reads aloud well because of its brevity and carefully chosen words. Girls like…Long hair, Short hair, Bow Hair, Sport Hair. There are no joining words used or long sentences.  

Germein truly celebrates the joy of being a girl and shows girls that they can like and do very different things. She often uses a second- and fourth-line rhyming pattern for readability. Beach swims, Pool swims, Dry Swims, Cool Swims. I did have to think twice about what a dry swim was. The message is strong: each girl is unique and perfect just the way she is. Germein has created an empowering book for girls that’s designed to help girls feel good about themselves.

Deb Hudson’s illustrations are not only bright, happy and colourful but also showcase diversity. The stunning cover not only catches the eye but frames the story content well. Different girls are doing different things immediately, so the story lets girls know what the book is about. The endpapers are in pastel colours, arranged in a triangular grid, featuring shapes and images of girls who are active and unique. The title page invites the reader to turn the page and dive in.

Once inside the book, Hudson’s illustrations are full of movement, activity and character. The characters dancing, riding, scooting, playing, and celebrating are lively, endearing and engaging. Their roundness and softness make them appealing. I love her use of whitespace and lots of vignettes to show many moments at once. This allows for variety and individuality, with many different girls doing different things. This works well for this type of book.

Girls Like is a celebration of all the ways to be a girl and is suited for children 3-7 years. It’s a great bedtime or classroom read. I can see parents of girls wanting to share this book with their daughters to celebrate their individuality. The book's simplicity and celebration of self-expression are both empowering and enjoyable for a girl. This book would also make a great gift for baby girls. I do hope a book like this is also made for boys.

Fearless Finn

Fearless Finn by Kristin Martin (Midnight Sun), RRP $29.99 Picture Book ISBN 9-781922-858733

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

With its large 300m x 300m format and vibrant colours, Fearless Finn begins with a blast. Literally. A dragon has just swept through the farm where Finn is milking Maude the cow and destroyed all the hay bales with her fiery breath. Finn is rightly terrified, but immediately makes a decision:

“I’ll help to set things right.

I’ll find that dreadful dragon…

and I’ll challenge her to fight.”

And so begins Finn’s quest. The path to take is not hard to find: the dragon has left a trail of destruction in her wake. First through a bee farm where all the trees have been reduced to smoking stumps, and then up into the mountains and past a glacier where a burnt goat has come off second best. This only strengthens Finn’s resolve to find and challenge the dragon. The beekeeper and goat herder that he’s met on route encourage his efforts and pledge their future support if Finn should ever need it.

As to be expected, Finn does find the dragon and, also somewhat expected, she has no desire to fight him. Instead, she begs for his help. She has a nasty case of hay fever and, of course, when she sneezes, what comes out?

You know it! Fire. Finn scratches his head but then comes up with an ingenious idea, drawing upon the earlier pledges for help. But this is where an adult will likely need to point out clues in the illustrations to help a young reader make the connection. (The target reader’s age is 3+).

The illustrations are fun, Finn’s homemade armour is impressive, and the recipe at the end is a sweet bonus. Even though the rhyme falters in a number of places, these other qualities are enough to set this book up as an enjoyable read for a young audience.

Goodnight Grandchild

Goodnight Grandchild (Penguin Random House) Michelle Robinson & Nick East PB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9780241766569

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Michelle Robinson loves making up stories and being silly. Her picture book, There’s a Lion in My Cornflakes, won the Sainsbury’s Children’s Book Awards. She lives with her family in Frome, an historic market town in Somerset, England.

Nick East has been shortlisted for the English Picture Book Awards. He is a museum designer and has always been a storyteller. Nick lives near York, in Northern England, with his family. When he isn’t drawing, he is out riding bikes and spending time with his family.

This is a new “Goodnight’ bedtime story by the creative team of Michelle Robinson and Nick East in the Goodnight books series – Goodnight Digger, Goodnight Spaceman, Goodnight Princess, and Goodnight Pirate, etc.

‘Our day together’s almost through. Goodnight, Grandchild, I love you.’

Michelle Robinson has written a gentle bedtime story for a grandparent to share with their grandchild when the grandparent is sleeping over. Take my hand and hold it tight. It’s time for us to say ‘Goodnight.’ The rhyming text is light and easy to read aloud to a small child. It quietly tugs on hearts with a simple story. Sharing this book with a grandchild creates a lovely bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

It is part of the series of ‘Goodnight’ books, so a child can choose from a book in the series for a goodnight read. It has a series familiarity. Making memories we’ll both keep… It’s a celebration of a grandchild sleeping over, and we all know grandparents love this. It’s a way for a grandchild to hear loving words from a grandparent with a book. Life’s great fun now you are in it.

Robinson’s lines are short and musical. This is a marketable, sweet book. Grandchild, I’ll love you forever. It is very clever not to mention whether the grandchild is a boy or a girl, giving it greater appeal.

Nick East has created friendly, rounded characters with expressions and movements that are calm and reassuring. There are no harsh lines. The book’s softness matches bedtime. The colours are gentle blues, purples and soft yellows. The bedroom and the rest of the house are cozy and appealing, with the colours dimmed in the evening light. It has a traditional picture book warmth with a contemporary feel. There is wonder, joy, and delight with an illustration focused on moments in the story.  East has captured the generational closeness of a grandparent and a grandchild.

Goodnight Grandchild is a picture book that has a wonderful appeal to both grandparents and grandchildren because it taps into the emotional bond that they share. A loving grandparent and a familiar bedtime routine are soothing and predictable. With each page turn, the book slows down. The words and pictures gently guide attention.  It’s comforting to the children listening to the story and meaningful for the adults sharing it. This book is a lovely read for 0-5 years. It’s also a good book for teachers and librarians to use on Grandparents’ Day.

  

Robot Responders: Rescue Missions to Space Adventures

Robot Responders: Rescue Missions to Space Adventures by Smriti Daniel. CSIRO Publishing 2026, paperback 92pp. RRP $34.99. ISBN 9781486318421

Reviewed by Debra Williams

“Meet the robots that dare to go where humans cannot. From blazing fires and crumbling buildings, to radioactive zones and stormy seas, rescue robots are on the front lines: saving lives, exploring the unknown and tackling tasks too dangerous for people. Whether they’re diving to the ocean floor, fixing satellites or cleaning hospitals, robots are redefining what’s possible.” – CSIRO Publishing.

This non-fiction book is a great resource for students, showing how robots are involved in everyday life. Brilliant design and cutting-edge technology have brought the automatons into an astonishing array of uses, from drones and medical assistants to space exploration and everything in between. It is full of fascinating facts, with clear explanations and eye-catching illustrations to spark curiosity and inspire young readers. This book also looks at the future of robotics.

The author, Smriti Daniel, had a career in journalism and now works for CSIRO. She had a lot of fun interviewing several roboticists for this book, although not a roboticist herself.

Designed for readers and students aged 8-12, this resource includes Teacher Notes aligned with the Australian Curriculum. They are free to download from the CSIRO Publishing website: publishing.csiro.au/book/8165/#forteachers.

The Break Up: It’s a Twin Thing

It’s a Twin Thing: The Break Up by Kristin Darell, illustrated by A.Yi (Penguin Random House Australia) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN 978-1-7613-535-98

Reviewed by Ann Harth (www.annharth.com )

Identical twins Abi and Brook do everything together. They play in the same rock band, dance at the same dance studio and share the same friends. Together they’re unstoppable.

The night before the first day of Grade Five, Abi and Brook’s parents break the news. For the first time in their lives, they will be in separate classes. Brook feels an unexpected and tiny thrill of excitement, while Abi is devastated.

Both girls find separation challenging in their own ways. Abi finds it difficult to watch Brook make new friends and feels her sister has moved on without her. Brook is trying to find her way as an individual, but misses her sister, who has suddenly become distant and unhappy.

Their ever-present ‘twin tingle’ that has connected them since birth has gone missing.

As the term continues, Brook dives into her role as the school talent show organiser, and Abi takes on a coveted role as a library monitor trainee. They both continue playing music with the Cherry Jammers, but Abi eventually discovers her own interests lie more with Tessa, the wildlife rescuer who lives nearby.

After plenty of heartache, misunderstandings, and learning to follow their own passions, Abi and Brook come to accept that, although they may look identical, they are not. Their individual strengths and interests help them navigate their lives, while they are always there to support each other.

The twin tingle returns.

From the very first page, Abi and Brook will captivate young readers. They take turns telling their stories from their unique perspectives, making it easy to relate to both girls' emotions and actions. Misunderstandings and hurt feelings are easy to understand.

Readers will be immersed in the emotional highs and lows, cheering for Abi and Brook as they learn to love each other while following their individual paths.

I highly recommend this book for middle-grade readers. It captures the angst and joys of school with sensitivity and authenticity. This series is sure to be a winner.