The Glass Mountain: Tales from Poland

The Glass Mountain: Tales from Poland, retold by David Walser, illustrated by Jan Pienkowski (Walker Books)

PB RRP $17.99

ISBN 9781406360950

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Fairytales are always a delight to read, especially those from other countries. They reveal a lot about a country’s customs and traditions. Each of these tales ends with a moral lesson.

Reading these reminded me of my childhood, how I’d sink into a story and become part of it, or one of the characters.

A forward by David Walser, and an overview of Jan Pienkowski’s childhood in Poland, is accompanied by a listing of the Polish words used in the text, their pronunciation and English meaning. This prepares the atmosphere for the reader.

Lots of dragons make an appearance, so do devils, princely challenges, and the lust for wealth and its outcome. The Miller’s Daughters stood out for me with its strong metaphor of learning being a way to freedom.  Only the youngest of the three daughters loved books and learning. This is what saves her from being turned into a caged yellow bird.

This is the fourth collection that these two artists have collaborated on together. The pictures in these eight fairytales, follow the tradition of paper cut-outs in Polish Folk art, and are cut with scissors and pinking shears. Striking colours are used on the eye-catching cover, with bold colours emphasising the cut-out pictures throughout the book.

Young readers will enjoy reading the few gruesome bits, and they’ll be delighted with the cleverness of Leon, the blacksmith’s apprentice, as he works out the secret to climbing the Glass Mountain. Ideal for 9+ readers, this is an interesting selection which kids will love.

Irina: The Trilogy

Irina: The Trilogy by Leah Swann (Xoum Publishing)

PB RRP $24.99

ISBN 978-1-921134-84-5

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Irina is a princess, stolen at birth, raised by wolves and destined to save the kingdom. Following her own path rather than what is expected of her, Irina remains true to her loyalties and what she believes is right. She is a feisty character with great loyalty, honesty and courage. And at the heart of the trilogy lies the belief in trusting your own instincts and finding individual pathways through life.

This is a beautifully written story, with fairy-tale qualities of battles, quests, wise women and evil magicians. It is new and unique, yet it feels comfortingly familiar. The characters are drawn with strength and life; they are real and likeable, filled with quirks and weaknesses. The villains are satisfyingly mean and the adventure perilous in a well constructed world.

In true fantasy style, the conflict between good and evil is the centrepiece of this story and the journey is an exciting one. There are princes, princesses, wild woods, dragons, and magic all captured by engaging story telling. This is a tale worth telling and one that is already loved by many.

The chapters are short, which not only quickens the pace of the story, but makes it accessible to younger or less confident readers. Little silhouetted illustrations of animals – wolves for book 1, birds for book 2, and bunnies for book 3 – break the chapters down even more. It is an engrossing read for the 8 – 12 age range.

Irina is the full set of The Ragnor Tilogy; Irina the Wolf Queen, Irina and the White Wolf, and Irina and the Lost Book. 

The Warlock’s Child, Book 1: The Burning Sea

The Warlock’s Child, Book 1: The Burning Sea by Paul Collins & Sean McMullen

(Ford Street Publishing)

PB RRP $12.95

ISBN 978-1925000924

Reviewed by Francine Sculli

The Burning Sea is the first book in the latest six-book fantasy series co-authored by well-known authors Paul Collins and Sean McMullen. And it wastes no time in plunging us deep into the thrilling adventure with Dantar and his sister Velza, our two main protagonists who, by command of their Dravinian Battle Warlock father, have landed themselves on aboard the fleet on its way to invade the Kingdom of Savaria.

Dantar is serving as a cabin boy, one of the lowest ranking roles on the fleet, constantly concerned that he is one of the few without magical abilities. While Velza, a shape-casting warrior, has found herself in the male dominated ranks as an officer in a tenuous role. The two of them despise each other and the power play and family tension ripples through the book as the drama unfolds.

But everything they know is about to change.

The fantastical, medieval world around them is in the midst of darkness. It’s a place governed by magic and roamed by dragons, but everything has been turned upside down. In a time before, the Dark Hands misused the powers they had created. The dragons intervened, breaking up the human magic into four parts, allowing only the dragons to have complete control of all four parts simultaneously. Now, in an attempt to reconnect the four powers, the Dravinian Emperor ordered war against Savaria.

Nothing goes to plan. On their way to battle the dragon Dravaud hovers in the air over the Dravinian fleet, convinced there is a dragon egg aboard the Invincible. He burns one of the fleets down to the ground. While putting out fires on board, through the speaking tubes Dantar overhears a conversation that he shouldn’t and unearths a traitor on board. He is convinced it has something to do with Meslit, the water wizard, who disappears in a cloud of ash. Dantar senses he is developing protection against heat and fire and harbouring magical tendencies far beyond his imagination. Velza loses her ranks as an officer. Much to her disgust, Dantar rises through the ranks throwing her world off kilter. As they near the shores of Savaria in the final pages, and more strange occurrences happen, Velza still finds it in her heart to rescue him as he goes overboard, giving Dantar his first taste of being part of a loving family unit. As readers, we are left hanging right there with the siblings, wondering what will happen next and with a sense that their bond will grow in future books as they are forced together to unwrap the deep mysteries and questions that have arisen.

The Burning Sea is an action-packed book with just the right amount of wit, characterisation, worldly carvings, mystery and plot twists to keep older primary school readers engaged and wanting more.

Dragonkeeper: Book Five - Shadow Sister

Dragonkeeper: Book Five - Shadow Sister by Carole Wilkinson (Walker Books)

HC RRP $ 24.95

ISBN 9781922179579

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

No longer a monk but retaining the precepts of his Buddhist beliefs, Tao is adapting to a different life style. He is now on the road with the dragon Kai, learning to be a dragonkeeper, and embarking on a yet unknown quest. The two fled the monastery just as the evil monk Fo Tu Deng was about to move into the abbot’s shoes. Tao still hasn’t identified with his qi – his spiritual energy that was passed onto him by his brother Wei just before his death.

There is a war raging inside Tao between his brain and heart. He battles one thing after another, always with the thought of saving lives, holding on to his strong sense of right and wrong. He has as much compassion for the dead spirits that find no peace and that haunt him relentlessly, as for the living beings that he seeks to help.

Tao knows he needs to let go of many things. Early on, he encounters a wild blue dragon with a violent history, that he later befriends and names Sunila. This new companion proves to be a valuable ally when he runs into Fo Tu Deng. He also meets up with Pema again. She has a secret life now; one which Tao becomes a part of and is again tested. He must enter into a physical and emotional battle to save her, and what he stands for. Here he exemplifies the choices he makes, and the outcomes they affect.

By the end of the book, Tao has found his qi and is transformed in many ways by his experiences. So is Kai. Having found purpose, meaning and direction together, they set out for the dragon haven.

This is definitely not the last book, as loose strings left hanging need to be tied up. Blending fantasy with fiction, this outstanding series is a continuous inspiring adventure, constructed with subtle philosophical and thought-provoking messages on accountability, strength, courage and compassion.

Billy is a Dragon: First Bite

Billy is a Dragon: First Bite by Nick Falk, illustrated by Tony Flowers (Random House Australia Children’s)

PB RRP $12.99

ISBN 9780857983053

Also available as an ebook

ISBN 9780857983060

Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

Ta-da! From the exceptional author/illustrator team of Falk and Flowers (Saurus Street series) comes another hilarious series perfect for beginning readers aged six and up.

Nine-year-old Billy has a ‘hurty finger’; it’s been bitten by an odd-looking lizard at Benny’s Pet shop. Billy’s dad peers through his thick-lensed glasses at Billy’s finger. ‘Alien invaders,’ he says as the bacteria charges about inside his wound.

Closer to the truth would be … bitten by a DragON lizard, which mysteriously starts to transform Billy’s body into that of a dragon.

With two allies – Bertha the bulldog and his best friend Jeannie, and one enemy, Bludger the bully, Billy (yes, lots of ‘B’ words), uses his new-found ability to change form as a weapon against the school bully.

The transformation at school is hilarious. ‘My mouth’s turning into a snout. My teeth are enormous. And my eyes have … turned bright red.’ Billy can fly. He can breathe fire. But there’s one thing missing; he can’t be with his family and that’s no fun at all.

After some shenanigans in the family home, Billy is wrestled, netted and taken in the back of the family car to the zoo, where he tries his own version of The Great Escape.

Billy has to find out how to undo the DragON spell. Back at the pet shop where it all began, Benny, the ‘tufty ginger moustached and sticking out front teethed’ owner (hmm … looks a little like a hamster) says, ‘Did you think you were the only shapeshifter in town?’

With short, active sentences, present tense and 1st person, Billy is a Dragon is a sit-down-and-read-me-till-you’re-finished book. The use of descriptive words that are accented in unusual, almost onomatopoeic fonts, such as: weird, sprint, bursting, dissect et al will help new readers to enjoy and immerse themselves in the action. It’s all part of the humour of reading.

Tony Flowers’ quirky illustrations and comically labelled drawings add to the joy and accomplishment of reading. Falk and Flowers are a dynamic duo of creativity. Book 2 – Billy is a Dragon – Werewolves Beware! is the next instalment.

How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel

How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel by Cressida Cowell (Hodder/Hachette)
PB RRP $13.99
ISBN:9781444908794
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

This is the tenth volume in the popular How to Train Your Dragon series, continuing the memoir of Hiccup the Viking who right now is being hunted by both dragons and humans. Exiled, Hiccup has only his faithful dragons for company, but he presses on with his quest to find not only the Dragon Jewel, mankind's last and only hope, but his father, Stoick and dear friend Fishlegs.

The Dragon Rebellion has begun, led by the Dragon Furious whose aim is the extinction of the entire Viking race. The Vikings are being lead by Alvin the Treacherous, guided by his dreadful mother, the Witch Excellinor who is trapping and killing the dragons. She presides over the Vikings in the Amber Slavelands. Hiccup knows the dangers that await him there but he is determined to rescue his friend and Dad.

He has in his possession a map leading to where the Dragon Jewel can be found, but he is suddenly attacked by a terrible Silver Phantom dragon ridden by the Warrior, Valhallarama, his own mother!!! She almost kills Hiccup, not recognising him as her son, but after Hiccup escapes, he no longer has the map.

In her typical adventure-a-minute style, Cressida Cowell plunges Hiccup into one life-threatening situation after another, where he is hopeful one moment and in despair the next. Along with the suspense, plenty of mirth is generated, especially by Toothless, one of his dragons, who is totally incorrigible.

Hiccup may be in the midst of his enemies but he often finds he has friends to help at just the right moment. But when no-one can help him, he relies on his wits, especially his knowledge of dragons, which serves him well. Many will benefit from his actions, including a little girl called Eggingarde, who supplied Hiccup with an important clue to the disappearance of Fishlegs.

This volume thunders to a satisfying end, and yet there is more to come before Hiccup's memoir is complete and he is recognised for the Hero he is. Fans can look forward to the exciting conclusion in the series by this amazingly talented author.

Note: The fun thing about the How to Train Your Dragon books is that they don't have to be read in order.

Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers

Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers by Briony Stewart (UQP)

PB RRP $14.95

ISBN: 9780702238741

Reviewed by Jo Burnell

This third Book in the Kumiko and the Dragon Trilogy holds the ultimate climax to a scary story without being too terrifying.

In Book Two, the Shadow Catchers kidnapped Kumiko’s little sister. They planned to pin her shadow down and take her special powers away. Kumiko nearly lost her own shadow when she came to the rescue. Prone to nightmares even as an adult, I was a little bit freaked by the themes of this second book.

In stark contrast, Book 3 is full of light, hope and possibilities. Despite the dilemmas and seeming challenges, Kumiko’s will to do something shines through. The problem of the shadow catchers weighs heavily on her heart. She knows that no one will be free from fear until the Shadow Catchers are defeated.

Kumiko decides she must rid the Shadow Catchers of their ability. Can one little girl find the courage and strength to outwit powerful Shadow Catchers? The Council of Ancient Dragons don’t think so.

This doesn’t deter Kumiko for a moment. She decides to try whether she gets help or not. Will Kumiko ever see her family again? As with so many good tales, help comes from unexpected places.

Get ready for a riveting read with a satisfying end: the perfect combination for a middle reader.

Jade and El-Sea

Jade and El-Sea by J. W. Dickinson, illustrated by Sandra Temple (Wombat Books)

PB RRP $18.95

ISBN 978-1-921633-24-9

Reviewed by Jacque Duffy

The screamer on the back cover of this book had me reaching for it straight away; “When evil stalks the world, even dragons have to take sides”.

This is John W. Dickinson’s first young adult novel and is the story of El-Sea, a young penguin princess and her quest to save the world. The story begins when Jade, the ‘Guardian of the Mountain of Fire’ saves El-Sea’s life. She was dying at the entrance to his hidden fortress and needed his help to find the ‘Sacred Masters of the Deep’. Ancient text from the Hall of Knowledge in Jade’s cave fortress foretells of this quest although it is understood to be a myth until things happen to Jade and El-Sea to make them believe otherwise. A rough friendship blossoms as together they face dangers both man made and of El-Sea’s natural predators.

El-Sea is not an easy character to like and I had hoped as each stage of their quest progressed she would become more likeable. Sadly she did not. Jade however is an amiable and clever dragon and after being locked in his cave for two hundred and three years prior to El-Sea’s visit is more than happy to finally have a friend how ever difficult she may be. I must admit to finding it a little odd that El-Sea found the dragon attractive rather than seeing him as a friend and partner in battle.

The book is a chapter book, with each new chapter written in close personal third person told by either El-Sea or Jade. About a third of the way through the book another character La Roc is introduced and he has his own chapters. Occasionally I found I was re-reading several pages as I thought I had missed something. On one occasion El-Sea was trapped and facing certain death at the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next she was safe with no mention of how she escaped. However the story moved on at a reasonable pace and I soon forgot questions had not been answered. It is a loosely environmental story with reference to hunters (man). Perhaps it is an animals understanding of global warming and whale hunting.

I believe it would be a good book to read in upper primary classrooms. It would create interesting discussions on the environment and on behaviour. The story has all the elements of a great story, intrigue, adventure, action, environmental issues and a touch of romance; it had me turning the pages all the way to the end.

Jacque Duffy is the author and illustrator of the series ‘That’s not a …” learn to read books used in all Queensland State Primary Schools and one local history coffee table book.

www.jacquesartandbooks.com

I Don’t Believe in Dragons

I Don’t Believe in Dragons written and illustrated by Anna Walker (Scholastic Press) 

HB RRP $24.99 

ISBN 9781741693423

Recommended for 1+ years

Reviewed by Dawn Meredith

Anna Walker captures the essence of childhood fantasy in this lovely book, where all the children are happy to believe there is a dragon at preschool, except for one little boy called Jack. “There’s no such thing as dragons!” says Jack. In a classic mise en scène, the dragon sits blithely playing in the sandpit with bucket and spade, while the children say, “I wonder where the dragon is?” and make a cardboard dragon with their teacher.

Ever the voice of reason and adult perspective, Jack states categorically that the feather Ned found belongs to a bird, not a dragon, that dragons do not fly. Meanwhile, the dragon is making tea in the kitchen and sharing a cupcake with teddy. Ben wonders if dragons snore, but Jack asserts that the snoring sound at naptime is coming from Emma, not a dragon. He can’t see the large orange spotted dragon snoozing in the corner on a pile of cushions. Back outside Sally insists she has found a dragon’s footprint, to which Jack derisively replies, “I don’t believe in dragons.” Finally the winged dragon appears to Jack in the playground, arms folded neatly, waiting for him to play football. Jack is speechless. On the final page Emma says, “I love dragons,” and Jack replies, “Me too,” as the dragon flies above them, clutching teddy.

I love the softness of Walker’s illustrations and the way she neatly infuses humour into each scene. The storyline is well thought out, paced and the ending is perfect. This story has a wistful, nostalgic feel to it and I’m sure adults reading it to their young children will smile and remember how they used to believe in magic flying dragons too.

Dawn Meredith writes from the Blue Mountains and was awarded a May Gibbs Fellowship in 2010, www.dawnmeredithauthor.blogspot.com

Kumiko and the Dragon’s Secret

Kumiko and the Dragon’s Secret written and illustrated by Briony Stewart
PB RRP $16.95
ISBN:9780702237805
Early to Middle Primary
Reviewed by Jo Burnell

Briony’s sequel to Kumiko the Dragon hooked me in from the first page. With an economy of words, the dragon world filled my mind. Yellow lamp eyes blinked and a scaly tail dangled outside my window while a sensitive dragon swam like smoke above my head.

From an annoying little sister to Obaasan’s tea party, everything was easy to visualise. A bit too easy. I could handle the idea of shadow catchers pinning people down by their silhouettes, but the thought of their ability to absorb the power of dragon life from a child gave me the chills.

Briony Stewart’s black and white etchings together with her carefully crafted words weave a powerful product – one that left me dreaming of dragons and shadow catchers for quite some time after Kumiko and the Dragon’s Secret found pride of place on my bookshelf.

I have only one small note of warning: Kumiko and the Dragon’s Secret is perfect for the adventurous middle reader, but not for one inclined to nightmares.

Jo Burnell is passionate about hooking reluctant and struggling readers into the world of books. Her current project for teenagers looks at Juveniles in the Old Melbourne Gaol in the 1850s. Facts, Fictional Play Scripts and Faction recreate gaol life in early Melbourne in short easy read chapters.