Exploding Endings

Exploding Endings - Books 1(Painted Dogs and Doom Cakes), 2 (Cursed Pants & Cranky Cops) and 3(Dingbats &Lollypop Arms) by Tim Harris, illustrated by Ryan Perno (Harbour Publishing House)

PB RRP $14.99

Book 1 ISBN 978-1-922134-57-8

Book 2 ISBN 978-1-922134-69-1

Book 3 ISBN 978-1-922134-70-7

Reviewed by Joanne Pummer

Short Stories With Big Twists - that's how author Tim Harris describes his trilogy of short stories called 'Exploding Endings'. Each story is told by a child narrator in the first person about contemporary family life in suburban Australia. All are extremely whacky and sure to illicit laughs and groans in equal measure from Primary School children.

Book 1 begins with a list of the top 79 excuses for being late. Book 2 begins with a list of the top 79 excuses for talking in class and the third book begins with the top 79 excuses for not doing your homework - just the kind of subversive humour that children relish. Jokes, riddles and 'knock knocks' appear between stories, recipes and 'Page Wars' - the ongoing war between the right hand page and the left hand page, named (appropriately), 'lefty' and 'righty'.

A recipe for Murphy's Chocolate Cake has 43 steps and a Prep time of 204 days 2 hours and 17 minutes. Step 42 is 'Forget about it and go to the beach instead'. Step 43 is 'Get eaten by a shark'. Ryan Perno's black and white illustrations, which are little more than zany emojis in Book 1, become more sophisticated in the books that follow.

The final story in Book One (‘Psycho, Sweet Tooth Seagull’) ends after two chapters with 'to be continued'. This is a hook, bound to induce readers to buy the next book. Cleverly, Tim Harris repeats the first two chapters of 'Psycho Sweet Tooth Seagull' in the second book so each book works as a stand-alone story book as well as part of a series.

The large type face, easy reading and accessible stories make these books suitable for all children from newly independent readers (7 years and up ) tackling their first chapter books to eleven year olds, reluctant readers included.

Daughter of Nomads

Daughter of Nomads by Rosanne Hawke, illustrated by DM Cornish (University of Queensland Press)

PB RRP $16.95

ISBN 978-0-7022-5393-5

Reviewed by Joanne Pummer

Fourteen year old, Jahani lives happily with her mother, Hafeezah, in the village of Sherwan. A trip to the market with her friend Sameela comes to a tragic end when Sameela is killed by a knife wielding assassin. Jahani's life is thrown into turmoil when she learns the knife was meant for her.

Jahani is further confused when Hafeezah tearfully confesses she is not Jahani's birth mother and her real parents live a 'moon's journey' away in the Kingdom of Kaghan, on the way to the Qurraqoram Mountains where she was born.

'You were in danger then and now you are again,' Hafeesah says.

Still in mourning, but excited by the thought of finding her parents Jahani sets out with Hafeezah and their body guard, Azah, to begin a new life in the north.

Despite the hazards of the journey and another attempt on her life, Jahani feels drawn to the north. She realizes her frequent dreams and thoughts of a magical land were really memories of her childhood. Her meeting with her parents isn't how she'd imagined. Her mother is kind, but Jahani is shocked when her father tells her she is to be married, soon, to Muzahid, a War Lord. She accepts that she must obey her father's wishes, until an overheard conversation between her parents reveals she is a daughter of nomads  -  a child they had rescued during a war.

'Who am I, and who can I trust when on one is who they appear to be?' she asks Azah.

Azah knows the secret. 'But it isn't mine to tell,' he tells her.

On the night before the wedding Jahani and Azah escape and flee further north to the land of the nomads. Jahani is determined to learn the truth and fulfil her destiny.

Rosanne Hawke builds a rich and mesmerizing world. Readers won't easily forget the images of Jahani flying with the handsome Azah on his magic carpet, or riding over the plains on her enchanted horse or playing with her charmed snow leopard.

The novel is set in the Moghul Empire, at a time and in a culture with which many readers will be unfamiliar. The publishers, sensibly, include a map of the Moghul Empire tracing Jahina's journey, a list of characters and a glossary.