Ghost Bird

Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller (University of Queensland Press, 2019). PB RRP $19.95 ISBN 9780702260230

Reviewed by Julie Anne Thorndyke

What happens when your twin sister goes missing? Inevitably, a great deal of waiting and worrying. This is the situation for Stacey, whose mirror-image twin Laney disappears one night. Hardworking, studious and rule-abiding Stacey is placed in conflict with her mother, because Stacey had prior knowledge that risk-taking Laney was sneaking out of the house at night to meet her boyfriend Ty.

The conflict between mother and daughter contrasts with their need to comfort and help each other as both characters struggle to understand what has happened to Laney.

The realistic portrayal of worry and helplessness is bolstered by the scenes that depict the extended family and friends arriving at the family house to cook, eat, support and plan a search. The interconnectedness of the mob together with the long-term grudge held against another family is contrasted with the indifference of the white police and the lack of official help in looking for the missing girl.

Against the realism, the nightmares Stacey has about Laney, visitations by the ‘ghost bird’, wisdom from the crazy elderly woman from the enemy Miller clan, memories of her own Nan’s often repeated warnings and advice lead Stacey to believe that her sister is alive and show her the way to discover her location.

Intertwined with the story of the missing girl is the problem of precious stones being removed from the land. Bad things happen to those who possess the stolen rocks.

The story moves at a steady pace with helpers such as cousin Rhi, May and Dan Miller arriving to help Stacey overcome the obstacles in her quest to find her twin. Supernatural elements offer a touch of horror that will appeal to the YA audience.

The villains of the piece are the white landowners. Otherworldly beings pushed away by light and fire are part of the land and the handed down wisdom of indigenous elders shows how to deal with their approach. There are places best avoided, particularly after dark.

Goodnight, Little Tough Guy

Goodnight, Little Tough Guy  written by Michael Wagner, illustrated by Tom Jellett. (ABC Books, 2019). HB 32 pp RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9780733339356

Reviewed by Julie Anne Thorndyke

This unique bedtime picture book has a lively, fun text by Michael Wagner, making extensive use of alliteration without being twee. All the tired little tough guys are finished saving the world and ready for sleep. Has a spell been cast over the entire hero kingdom, just as in the time-honoured tale of  Sleeping Beauty? (I wish! say parents everywhere.)

                             “The firefighters are fitting in forty fabulous winks.”

 “Cowboys and cowgirls are completely cactus.”

 These fun statements using wordplay, puns and lavish language sounds are sustained throughout the book. In a sense, the story is one extended “dad joke”. Bathing, cleaning their teeth, falling asleep over their food, our little tough guys

(and gals) are seen doing all the normal bedtime routines young children perform daily. Many of the characters have already shut their eyes, and the others are yawning.

The matt-finish of Tom Jellett’s engaging artwork—line drawings with flat colours, muted midnight-blue backgrounds, teal, black, yellow-orange areas and fluro accents—resemble early TV cartoons. The end papers are reminiscent of vintage 1950s wallpaper from a boy’s bedroom.  The square, sturdy hardback binding will withstand repeated use by your own little superhero.

This book has a masculine feel, full of trucks, rockets, planes, cricket bats,   tools and footballs, and as such seems to target boys— but there are also many suggestions in the text and illustrations that make the book gender neutral. Parents will appreciate the “falling asleep” scenarios depicted in the pictures. Although “heroes” are referenced visually there is no direct reference to the standard copyrighted superhero characters of popular culture, and the costumes worn by the children are generic. This will increase the longevity of the book.

A fun read-aloud story for little boys (and superhero wonder women) from the creators of Why I Love Footy.

The Incurable Imagination

The Incurable Imagination text by Paul Russell and illustrations by Aśka

EK Books (an imprint of Exisle Publishing) 2019 HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781925335972

Reviewed by Julie Anne Thorndyke

This is the second lively book by the collaborative team of writer Paul Russell and illustrator Aska. Published by EK Books, it has the same design, fun approach and format as My Storee (2018). This time, it isn’t dyslexia that is causing problems in the classroom—it is a case of incurable imagination.

Audrey was always “ a little bit different”, never doing the expected thing in any situation. When she begins school, with many friends (some of them invisible to grown-ups) it becomes even more obvious that her approach to learning is unique. Not only that, but her wild imagination is contagious.

Teachers try to contain it, but her classmates, parents and eventually even the teachers become infected. Imagination even spreads into the wider community. Wild scenes ensue!

Aska’s illustrations are dynamic and brightly toned, featuring thought-bubbles of imaginary scenes and characters. Monsters, pirates, witches, frogs, trolls, inhabit every page.

Useful in classroom settings to inspire creative work, this light-hearted book will also reassure children whose approach to learning differs from the norm. The children depicted in Aska’s illustrations are energetic and ethnically diverse. Some of the characters wear glasses, but no other differently-abled children are shown. This could be a challenge for the next book?

The Incurable Imagination is a large, sturdy, hardback picture book that will survive many readings in the classroom and school library.

Who wouldn’t love a pet unicorn named Bruce?

Unpacking Harper Holt

Unpacking Harper Holt by Di Walker. (Walker Books Australia, 2018.) PB RRP $16.99  ISBN: 9781760650599

Reviewed by Julie Anne Thorndyke

You will need a big box of tissues for this one.

Tragedy can hit any family at any time. Normal life is thrown into chaos, and both parents and children struggle to regain equilibrium and a “new normal”.

Harper Holt and her super-capable translator mother Helena, and corporate-fix-it-man father Hugh, are a tight family unit of three. Moving regularly for Hugh’s work, they have the routines of travel, rental houses, new schools and life-planning down pat. It is Helena who smooths the way, enabling their transient lifestyle.

A good student despite many school changes, twelve-year-old Harper feels that the frequent changes in her life, resulting in a lack of long-term friends and no sense of belonging, have to stop. She is an intelligent and emotionally mature girl. She wants a permanent home, a best friend and a dog.

Helena is swift to organise dancing classes for Harper, just as she provides for another desire, bikes for riding on the tracks in their new, affluent, beach-side suburb in Melbourne. Harper meets a girl called Eve at dancing class, and makes an instant connection, as does Helena with Eve’s mother, Victoria.

During the first six chapters of setting the scene, a sense of foreboding builds. To put the reader off track, the author sets up a situation where Hugh goes out on  a boat in bad weather. However, it is the mother, Helena, who dies in a car crash on her way to collect him from the marina. Alone in the strange new house, Harper waits for her mother, who never returns.

A rollercoaster of grief, mourning and loneliness spirals out of control. Hugh is frozen into inertia by his grief. With no family of friends for support, Harper is left to make funeral decisions—something no twelve-year-old should have to do. Harper has effectively lost both parents.

Helpers arrive. Leanne, their relocation professional. Monica, the social worker. Mr Thorley, headmaster of Harper’s new school. When Harper starts attending the new school, she immediately falls victim to the bullying tactics of Rowena. Without the support of her mother and father, Harper feels desperately lost and alone.

Victoria and Eve intervene and help smooth the way to a new way of coping, one day at a time. Friendship develops, and with the support of Eve’s family, eventually Hugh resumes his parenting role.

Protagonist Harper is a likable character and we empathise with her struggles throughout the story. The portrayal of grief is realistic and there is no glossing over of her pain.

Do I have any quibbles with this book? The cover. It is a close headshot of a girl’s face behind dishevelled hair. This image sets the right tone for the story, but the girl’s brown eye is rimmed with eyeliner. This doesn’t fit right with the bike-riding, pony-tail wearing, twelve-year-old protagonist Harper. It seems to push the book to an older market. Di Walker wrote this story for middle-grade readers, but the marketing seems to be aimed at YA. The themes of grief, mourning and loss are meaningful to all ages. I was engaged by this book, as I think older teens and their parents would also be. It will take a mature twelve-year old to cope with the emotional impact, so perhaps the marketing team got it right after all.

Just sometimes, the dialogue seems too formal. The male characters are less nuanced than the women and girls. But the two-faced Rowena, sweet-as-pie to teachers and yet a manipulative queen bee to her peers, is skilfully portrayed. Haven’t we all met her?

Dealing with both bullying and grief in one book is challenging, both for the author and the reader. In this debut novel, Di Walker has shown deep insight into both of these very real problems. Readers will respond to Harper’s troubles, and gain greater emotional intelligence through the experience.

Highly recommended. Keep the tissues handy.

The World of Ruby Red Shoes

A Book about Ruby’s Day        ISBN: 9781460756935 HB RRP $14.99

A Book about Ruby’s Feelings ISBN: 9781460756928 HB RRP $14.99

Series: The World of Ruby Red Shoes by Kate Knapp. (Harper Collins, 2018.)

Reviewed by Julie Anne Thorndyke

A Book about Ruby’s Day and A Book about Ruby’s Feelings are two new releases in The World of Ruby Red Shoes Series by Kate Knapp. Designed as small, square, hardbacks in the style of Beatrix Potter’s child-sized volumes, interestingly, these books have none of the earthy naughtiness of Peter Rabbit or Jemima Puddleduck. These are cute, pastel, feminine books, each with a positive tone and a consistent illustration style like up-market greeting cards.

The endpapers feature a floral design reminiscent of a Liberty print or Laura Ashley wallpaper. Each two-page spread, on sturdy matte paper, features a stylised illustration and a rhyming text. The anthropomorphised white hare wears classic “little girl” outfits, and of course, her signature red shoes, all hand-drawn in pencil, ink and watercolour. Each page has a stanza of two or more rhyming couplets.

The poetry is even and sunny, no surprises, drama or flashes of brilliance await the reader. The words and pictures are comforting, predictable, optimistic. Even the negative emotions in the Feelings book are rounded off with a strategy for coping, e.g.

“So now when I’m cross, it’s a sign to me

To relax somewhere quiet, like under a tree.”

Ruby’s Day features the events of a small child’s life: mealtimes, school, nap time, bath time, bedtime, and so on. It is a reassuring book to share, perhaps with a child who struggles with routines. The gentle reassurance of the rhyming text and the safe, flower-filled world Ruby inhabits offer a peaceful reading experience.

The first books in The World of Ruby Red Shoes series were alphabet and counting books. These new titles add to the collection in an educative way for preschool story times.

The Ruby Red Shoes Series is a related set of books about travel adventures to Paris and London, for an older audience. There is a related range stationery and  giftware.

These sweet little books will be popular as new-baby presents and gifts from grandparents. Snuggle up and read one with your special little hare soon.

DC Comics: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know

DC Comics: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know by Liz Marsham, Melanie Scott, Landry Q. Walker and Steven Wiacek. (Dorling Kindersley, a Penguin Random House Company, 2018.) HB RRP $39.99  ISBN: 978 0241314241

Reviewed by Julie Anne Thorndyke

DK (Dorling Kindersley) books have long been relied upon by teachers, parents and librarians to provide clear, factual, well-illustrated information books for children. The imprint has also been a standby for reading advisors trying to find material for the hard to reach non-reader. Being able to put a well-researched and visually interesting book into the hands of a child, who is more interested in facts than fiction, is easy with the books from DK.

DC Absolutely Everything You Need to Know brings this same factual and encyclopaedic approach to the fantasy world of comic books. Arranged with a well-laid-out contents page as well as a detailed index, children will be able to swiftly find and enjoy information about their favourite superheros and villains.

Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Aquaman, Batgirl, Cyborg, Poison Ivy, Green Arrow—the entire stable of DC characters are represented in full-colour double-page spreads crammed with fact boxes, lists and dialogue speech balloons. Written with the support of Warner Brothers (who now control DC Comics), this book covers eighty years of DC Comics characters.

The thematic chapter headings: Super heroes, Super-villains, Teams, Science and Magic, From Here to Eternity and the Multiverse, offer a “way-in” to children who may not have met these characters before.