Message in a Sock

Message in a Sock by Kaye Baillee, illustrated by Narelda Joy (MidnightSun Publishing) HB RRP $27.99 ISBN 9781925227383

Reviewed by Brook Tayla

This very touching and true war story is special. It doesn’t just depict a time in history -- it transports you right there. Unlike most war stories, this story focuses on the women left at home during WW1 and homes in on one aspect of how they supported their men – the soldiers.

Author Kaye Baillie tells the story of a little girl placing messages into the toes of socks that her mother has knitted during a war appeal to assist Australian soldiers serving in France. She includes other features in her story, including a poetic ‘Knitter’s Song’ that encapsulates the whole premise of this tale and the words of the original letter that sparked this book into being. Her story is underpinned by excellent historical research that makes this tale even more touching.

Narelda Joy’s collage illustrations perfectly compliment not only the story but the era of war. The colours and materials used have very vintage muted tones in hues of brown, green and blue. Another interesting aspect is that all the people in this story, including the child protagonist, Tammy, are always looking down, but the soldier looks you straight in the eye – a very open for interpretation move on the part of the illustrator.

This beautiful book and its unusual perspective will be treasured for not only it’s uniqueness but also for it’s truthful historical interpretation.
I feel very special to have known about this book for quite a long time. Kaye Baillee told me about it on the first day I met her, and I have been anticipating it’s release since 2016! Congratulations Kaye – it was worth the wait!

There is a very special Book Launch happening for ‘Message in a Sock’ for those who would like to attend on Anzac Day, 25^th April, 2pm – 3pm at The National Wool Museum, 26 Moorabool Street, Geelong, Victoria. Here are the details: MidnightSun Publishing together with author Kaye Baillie and illustrator Narelda Joy are proud to launch their picture book, MESSAGE IN A SOCK at the National Wool Museum with FREE ENTRY to the Museum all day.

Join Sue Lawson, writing teacher and young adult author of books including FREEDOM RIDE and PROTEST IN AUSTRALIA as she discusses MESSAGE IN A SOCK with Kaye Baillie and Narelda Joy. Listen to a reading from the book then handle replica World War 1 socks knitted by a talented Red Cross volunteer. Enjoy a hot drink and Anzac biscuit then view the Museum’s sock knitting machines and the collection displaying the full story of wool.  National Wool Museum volunteers will demonstrate ‘casting on’ and signed copies of MESSAGE IN A SOCK will be available for purchase.

Brook Tayla writes a picture book review blog at telltalestome@wordpress.com and would love you to drop by, read some reviews, leave a comment and subscribe.  Brook also offers editing services for beginning and emerging writers.

Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron

Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron by Mary Losure, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering (Walker Books)
HC RRP $24.95
ISBN 9780763656690
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

The first sight of the wild boy who would be later known as ‘the savage’, was recorded as being in the mountains of Southern France in 1797. Initially seen by a couple from the village of Lacaine, naked and digging for roots in the ground, he was  tied up by two woodsmen and carried to the town square where he remained for days on public display. He somehow escaped and returned to the forest.

Little is known of how the boy came to be in the forest, for the past of other children discovered in wild places that are recorded in history, lack the same information:  a boy living with wolves in Germany, 1544; a boy discovered with bears in Lithuania 1661; the boy living with a flock of sheep in Ireland (year unrecorded), and ‘five wild girls and five wild boys found in various places throughout Europe during the 1700s’. These children were classed by scientists as belonging to the species Homo ferus, (Wild Man).

Wild boy’s life is not thoroughly documented as the written reports are scientific studies and do not give a great deal of personal information. His time in a ‘civilized’ environment was difficult, for compassionate people tried to give him a home but he suffered at his separation from the natural world and always escaped back to nature. Professor Pierre-Joseph Bonneterre, a priest-scientist of natural history, tried to teach the boy but saw him only as a specimen and in his reports named him the Savage of Aveyron.

The Savage was later named Victor by Doctor Itard. Abbe Sicard, the famous ‘miracle worker’ who ran a school for Deaf-Mutes, and who took Wild Boy in to try and teach him, granted permission to Itard to concentrate on teaching Victor how to speak. For this he received a yearly payment by the government. For five years Itard succeeded in teaching him many things, but not how to speak.

This is a moving document of a boy who represents all the children found in the wild over time. It is also a subject rarely approached due to lack of documentation, therefore little is known of these wild beings except that they were never completely ‘civilized’. It appears that their passion for the wild places was indelibly imprinted in their psyche and nothing could remove their longing for freedom, the natural world, and the elements, which they saw their place of belonging.

The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie

The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie by Kirsty Murray (Allen and Unwin)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 978-1-74331-702-0
Reviewed by Ann Harth

When Lucy McKenzie’s sister is in an accident in France, Lucy is forced to stay with Aunt Big in a big, old, country house filled with mysteries. To make matters worse, Aunt Big doesn’t seem to be any more thrilled with the situation than Lucy.

Lucy is miserable, worried about her sister and missing her family, until one night she hears someone calling from downstairs. She follows the sound of the voice to the dining room where all four walls are covered in murals of the countryside. Each wall depicts one of the four seasons. The voice is coming from the springtime painting where a young girl waves and calls. Lucy steps through the wall and into the early 20th century. There she meets April, Tom and Jimmy Tiger who teach Lucy how to love and live in the country. Lucy finds a source of untapped courage inside of her and learns to appreciate the thrill of adventure as the four of them climb trees, ride horses and swim in the river.

Time goes more quickly for Lucy’s new friends in the past and, although she is only staying with Aunt Big for a few weeks, she is able to visit them once in each of their seasons. She helps them to conquer bushfires and floods and, through her knowledge of the family’s history, learns that she must pass on a warning to the people she has grown to love.

The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie is a riveting read filled with mystery and twists as well as the satisfaction of watching the relationship between Lucy and Aunt Big blossom and grow. Kirsty Murray’s attention to detail in this book encourages the reader to skip back and forth between decades with ease and believability. Although the clues were all there, I was kept guessing and enthralled until the very end.

I would highly recommend this book to 9-12 year olds. It will be particularly appealing to those with a vivid imagination and the love of adventure.

Award winning author, Kirsty Murray has written fourteen books for children and teenagers. Her first novel, Zarconi’s Magic Flying Fish won the Western Australian Premier’s Book Award in 2000. She lives with her husband, a puppeteer, in a house filled with books and puppets. Kirsty Murray offers writing workshops and can often be found wandering through a bookstore or library.

Ann Harth is a published children's author and writing tutor at Australian College of Journalism. She loves to read, write and is committed to creating children's literature that inspires, entertains and triggers a tiny twist in the mind. Her latest middle-grade novel, The Art of Magic, and her book for budding authors, Writing for Children – In the Beginning are available from Amazon. 

I Can Cook! French Food

I Can Cook! French Food by Wendy Blaxland (Macmillan Education Australia)
HB RRP $31.99
ISBN 9781420290059
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

I Can Cook! French Food is an outstanding cook book for younger children. Not only are there simple recipes for cooking French food which requires minimal assistance from adults, this book discusses French culture, food traditions and styles, regional produce and ingredients, French landscapes and climates as well as basic cooking equipment, measurements, safety and hygiene. I loved the page 'Try this!' which encourages readers, among other things, to grow vegetables, celebrate Bastille Day or search out a French patisserie to try petits fours (my personal favourite!).

Each recipe is introduced with a brief history of the food. Equipment and ingredients required are clearly stated. A fantastic initiative has been the inclusion of a section stating whether each particular food is suitable for special diets such as vegetarians, nut-free or kosher. The recipes are laid out in an easy to follow step-by-step format with clear pictures and simple instructions. Visually, the book is very attractive with the liberal use of text boxes, and bright and colourful photography.


I highly recommend I Can Cook! French Food. It is one title in a six book series on world food by Wendy Blaxland.

Mademoiselle Lisa

Mademoiselle Lisa by Delphine Perret (black dog books)
HB RRP $14.99
ISBN 9781742031620
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

Mademoiselle Lisa wins my prize for quirky in 2010. It is so unique that it is hard to pinpoint who the target audience is. Maybe it is everyone, for the book works on so many levels that everyone would find something of interest or amusement in it.

Mademoiselle Lisa is based on the best known of all portraits Mona Lisa, who finds that she is ready for a change. She skips on out (and who hasn't felt like that from time-to-time) and after selling mini-photos of herself, she is able to experience some of the pleasures of life like a LBT (I have to agree totally with her there!) and give herself a makeover with a new cut and colour, bag and boots. You go Girl!

Mademoiselle Lisa follows her whims ultimately heading to Las Vegas, hits the jackpot and sets up a whole new life. There, she meets Sally who 'had always dreamt of being someone else' and so permanently and happily takes on Lisa's old role at the Louvre. Lisa wiles away her time, living next door to her handsome neighbour who has an uncanny likeness to the Titian's painting of Man with a glove!

Perret's illustrations are just as quirky as the text with a combination of line drawings and photography with the occasional patch of dotted colour. I highly recommend Mademoiselle Lisa and it would make the perfect gift for art lovers with everything. They certainly won't have anything like this!