The Thing About Dads

The Thing About Dads Deborah Frenkel and Daniel Gray-Barnett (Thames & Hudson) PB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781760765194

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

The Thing About Dads is a heartfelt, joyful celebration of fatherhood in all its forms. From an award-winning duo comes a rhyming ode to the dads who make life extraordinarily special. Deborah Frenkel is an award-winning picture book author who wrote The Truck Cat, which won the prestigious 2025 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year and ABIA Picture Book of the Year and National Simultaneous Storytime title. She has also written How to Get Home, 100 School Days, The Sydney Harbour Fairy, Boldilocks and Naturopolis.

Daniel Gray-Barnett is an acclaimed illustrator whose debut book, Grandma Z, won the CBCA Award for New Illustrator. It was also in the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art and annual shows. He is self-taught and lives in the Huon Valley in Tasmania.

Deborah Frenkel has crafted a joyful story in rhyme that captures dads in a warm, heartfelt and loving way. The thing about dads is, they sometimes look tough, but they’re usually filled with the softest of stuff. The story voice is real and endearing. Children will see their dad in the pages, whether he is funny, a big softie, smart, a cook or somewhere in between. Then emerge full of crazy ideas you can do.

What I like most is that this book shows dad love and loyalty and that a dad will do anything for their child. The focus is not on masculinity but on the roles dads play, and that role is clear and distinct from a mum. Frenkel has nailed the different dad characters, and I think this is what makes reading the text feel so good. She has used a repeated refrain that makes the reading easy and memorable. The thing about dads is they hide in the loo… I love how she also shows that dads have a dad.

Daniel Gray-Barnett’s illustrations are happy and bright. The bright yellow cover is eye-catching with fun dads in action around the title. The book looks fun before you even open it. The endpapers showcase different dads in different photo frames. Bright colours and cartoon-like depictions of dads not only visually tell the story but are appealing to the eye. Humour appears and brings smiles in so many spreads. Dad on the loo with hairy legs and a dreamy face is one. Perspective changes from small vignettes to a double page spread of a dad and child in the bath. I think he captures the boundless energy and dynamics of dads super well.

The Thing About Dads is written for children 4-6 years with a broader interest age of children 2-6 years. Commercially this book would make a lovely Father’s Day gift or read. I can see it appealing to children, parents, teachers and librarians.

How to Wait for Christmas

How to Wait for Christmas (Grace Bell Publishing) RA Stephens and Novia Heroante PB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781923534063

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

December arrives Jemma can’t wait for Christmas. The Advent Calendar shows there are many sleeps to go… With Mum, Dad, and her brother Luke, Jemma counts down the days until Christmas with lots of activities. Maybe Christmas is more than just one day.

R. A. Stephens is published in both educational and trade markets. Her Riz Chester series included The Fingerprint Code, which was shortlisted in the Speech Pathology Awards (2024). She has completed her Master's in Editing in Publishing.

Novia Heroanto is a children’s book illustrator who has a background in early childhood education and graphic design. Her heartfelt, character-rich illustrations enrich stories with joy and meaning.

R.A. Stephens has written about the true meaning of Christmas. She says, ‘Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. Christian values and traditions are recognised and their meaning. True values of family, kindness, giving and receiving are joyfully showcased as Jemma counts down until Christmas.’

 It’s hard to wait when you are a child; Stephens shows this with a well-thought-out text and thoughtful child dialogue. ‘I don’t think I can wait anymore.’  The Christian Advent calendar allows the story to share many family-centred Christmas activities that have Christian values and traditions. The Nativity scene and its importance are shared.

This book helps children understand the real meaning behind Christmas. As the Advent calendar’s windows are opened, family love abounds. We see joyful Christmas songs, creating cards, decorations, wrapping paper, baking mince pies, watching Christmas movies and putting up lights. These activities beautifully capture the lead-up to Christmas, but they also give readers a book to visit and revisit, using the ideas to create their own family Christmas traditions. It’s wonderful that the family also includes the grandparents. All those feelings of excitement and longing for Christmas to arrive are captured. The calendar cleverly brings in mathematics with the counting down and how many days are left. The title is perfect: How to Wait for Christmas.

Novia Hercanto’s illustrations are happy and bright and do delight. The blue, red and yellow cover is eye-catching with a Christmas vibe and an Advent calendar front and centre. The red endpapers give a Christmas nod.  Hercanto’s illustrations bring lots of childhood energy and joy to life. Everyday life and suburbia are captured realistically with lots of heart. Perspective is used to advantage, zooming in and out where needed. Soft toys become silent characters. The family dog features, and I adore the dog’s Christmas suit. A gingerbread house-making party brings in more characters to layer the story with meaning without cluttering it. Australian life in a neighbourhood is depicted, and it allows Australian children to see their own culture in a book, so they too can see themselves in the story. What’s not to love about a book that showcases an Australian Christmas and the true meaning behind Christmas?

How to Wait for Christmas is written for children aged 3-8 years, and it makes a great gift or Christmas read. Commercially, this book has great appeal at Christmas time. I can see this book appealing to children, parents, teachers and librarians.

 

Last Bat of the Night

Last Bat of the Night (CSIRO Publishing) David Gullan and Samantha Metcalfe PB RRP $26.99 ISBN 9781486318728

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Last Bat of the Night is a delightful introduction to native Australian megabats on their nightly adventures to feed, drink and pollinate. As the stars come out, a colony of bats passes overhead on a nocturnal adventure. Who will be the one to spot the last bat?

David Gullan is an educator, writer and a lover of nature. He creates stories that introduce young learners to Australian wildlife. He hopes his books encourage children to look up, look down and then take another look around our natural world. He is also the author of the picture book Life in a Hollow.

Samantha Metcalfe is a natural history illustrator whose inspiration comes from the Australian bush. She works primarily in colour pencil, creating realistic and detailed illustrations to capture Australian native flora and fauna. Samantha's previous books include Alight and The Voyage of Whale and Calf. She was shortlisted for the 2019 Children’s Book Council of Australia Award for New Illustrator.

David Gullan has written an engaging rhyming narrative that introduces young learners to Australian megabats. The metre feels natural, not forced, and the text reads aloud smoothly. Cleverly, Gullan has included a game where someone hopes to be the one to spot the last bat of the night. This allows the book to go beyond the pages and be taken into the real world when exploring in nature. The language chosen is simple, playful and keeps the story flowing. Each page has a few sentences that have verbs that bring the Australian bats' habits and movements to life. Bats sprawl and screech among stars overhead, the children entranced as they head home to bed. Dialogue is used at just the right moments.

The text and visuals are balanced and complementary. When each different bat is featured, the name of the bat appears at the bottom or top of the spread. This allows the learner to learn the bat’s name without taking away from the storyline. Threats to bats like powerlines are gently addressed. The descriptive language gives a fullness to the bat’s natural world. The end matter includes information about bats along with the instructions how to play ‘Last Bat’. A handy glossary is included. 

Samantha Metcalfe’s detailed and realistic illustrations of nocturnal settings capture the fleeting moments when day turns to night. The pages move from warm, dusky lit skies of purple, orange and green to the dark pinks, purples and blues. White space is used to great effect with silhouettes of bats against the sky showcasing the shape of the bats as they glide over parks and trees. The illustrations really do have a magical feel and a sense of wonder. The endpapers are an extension of the story with the first spread featuring bats flying across a purple sky and the end spread showing the very last bat flying across a starry sky.

Last Bat of the Night is written for children 5-9 years and appeals to anyone who loves our natural world. Children, parents and teachers will find it an easy-to-read book that can be revisited often. The book beautifully mirrors the bats world and creates wonder and curiosity.

 

Tiny

Tiny by Laura Stitzel (Walker Books) PB RRP $25.99 ISBN 9781760658571

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Laura Stitzel is an author, illustrator and animator from Melbourne. She has illustrated books for Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Hinkler Books and Affirm Press. She is the author/illustrator of two picture books - Mr Mo Starts to Grow (Hachette) and Moonlight Mums (Penguin). 

Laura created the background art and character animation for programs such as the Emmy Award winning Peg + Cat, Disney’s Space Chickens in Space, Warner Bros’ Ginger Snaps and the world’s longest running children’s series, Arthur. Who doesn’t love Arthur?

Tiny tells the story of a little girl who is very small in a big world. She dreams of being big but instead, she repeatedly shrinks, until she eventually becomes the size of a dot. Magically, she discovers that viewing things from such a tiny perspective is wondrous and enchanting. Being small is a superpower.

Laura Stitzel’s words tap into what it’s like to be a child in this big world. She writes from a childlike perspective. The opening page’s wording is concise and powerful. I’m Tiny. I’m really small. The world is so big. The people are tall.  The problem is introduced immediately. Wherever I go, at home or in town, nobody sees me. They never look down. This is how a small child can feel in this big, busy world.

This story connects well to child feelings. It is emotive and most children dream to be bigger.  The story voice is direct, and the page turns work well. Instead of Tiny getting bigger she gets smaller, I love this. It is unexpected and reminds me of the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids. The child is called to imagine and wonder and see the world through extra tiny eyes. The verbs delight and questioning is used throughout the narrative. What if I shrank even smaller again? The narrative has childlike thoughts, and Stitzel combines words in sentences beautifully. I’d land in a tickle and sail away, bouncing around in the splashes and spray. The word patterning and word play is creative. The ending pulls on heart strings. Aw.

Stitzel’s illustrations are joyful, detailed, and whimsical — the kind that make little hearts sing. They have a delightful energy as they playfully dance creatively across every page. The use of perspective is wondrous and lets a reader feel small and see magical tiny things and be immersed in this story world.  The dream like quality makes this book feel timeless and beautiful. The colour palate is soft yet bright like pink and green.

Tiny is a picture book that has appeal to children aged 4-6 years old. It delights and lets small children know they can see things that big people miss. You see, small things are rarely seen when you are big, and this is what this story brilliantly showcases. It’s magical being a child and seeing the world through small eyes. Why would you want to be bigger?

 

The Lost Moustache

The Lost Moustache by Vikki Conley and Caterina Metti (Red Paper Kite Publishing) PB HB RRP $26.99  ISBN 978 0 674207

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

The Lost Moustache is a quirky, fun-filled picture book, as it entices the reader to join Frankie as she tries to find the rightful owner of a moustache.

The text is delightful, engaging, and reads aloud super well. The vocabulary extends the readers and their understanding of theatre and story. I particularly love the dress-up fun and imaginative play on each spread. The structure of questioning and answering works perfectly for this story. Child readers really do enjoy this type of structure. The storyline hooks the reader into wanting to know who really does own the moustache. This is revealed at the end of the story. Vikki puts alliteration and rhyme to great use, and this makes the story highly enjoyable.

The detailed illustrations dance with the words beautifully and take imaginative play to another level. The use of perspective adds to the theatre of the story, and multiple characters add movement and drama. I particularly love the use of a large shadow depicting a wild animal as a frightened character runs away. The unspoken interaction between the characters adds multiple layers of meaning. The illustrator’s use of rich hues enhances the setting and works well with her quirky style. The black and white spreads at the end of the book allow the reader to create and play for themselves.

The Lost Moustache is much more than a mystery as this unique book allows for such fun interaction with the reader. This is a picture book that suits a home, school, or library bookshelf. It is the type of book that a child will want to read again and again. It is suitable for ages 3 years plus.

I Love my Dad Because

I Love My Dad Because written by Petra James, illustrated by Alissa Dinallo (Pan Macmillan) HB RRP $14.99 ISBN 9781760784393 2019

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

This is an interactive picture book that a child can personalize with their dad. Once completed it would make a delightful keepsake and would make a perfect gift on Father’s Day as it can be completed together with a child to celebrate their dad: making a treasure together is bonding and caring.

Alissa Dinallo use of colour and hand drawn pages, encourages togetherness and sharing as the bright illustrations bounce off the pages. The activities encourage learning and cognitive skills as children fill out the pages with their dad and it helps a child voice love and togetherness. What I particularly like is that the book supports and applauds the unique role that dads play in a child’s life.

Petra James has created some heart-warming activities that include drawing, colouring, counting, playing noughts and crosses and making a fish.  This book can be given to a dad on any special occasion: birthday, Xmas, Father’s Day… or any. There is also I Love My Mum Because to celebrate all things mum.

We all know dads know everything and this book celebrates the king of the castle.

Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom

Frazzled: Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by Booki Vivat

(Harper Collins)  PB RRP $14.99  

ISBN 978002663665

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Debut author Vivat has creatively written a fun, engaging book that has a strong voice for a young reader. This book would suit 8-12 year olds.  Vivat’s clever doodles and illustrations sparkle and show emotion with honesty and warmth. They show the dramatic Abbie Wu as a loveable, honest and likeable character.  How can you not like Abbie Wu’s open heart?

Vivat’s original style of writing speaks clearly to young readers in their own language.  The story moves at a lively pace with a fun sense of humour.

‘Not all adults are that honest. On the way home from back-to-school shopping, Mum made a surprise stop at Antonia’s and offered to buy me a pastry. But, turns out, the pastry was a trap! Let’s talk about school.’

The themes of change, finding your ‘thing’ and fitting in are popular with middle grade students.  School is a big deal at this age, and making subject choices and fitting in is very important.  Abbie is a middle child too so she is stuck in the middle of everywhere.  Being in the middle makes you invisible.

Abbie Wu is dramatic and everything is always a crisis: ‘I am guaranteed without a doubt 100% doomed.’

Vivat shares pieces of herself in her character Abbie Wu who just makes you smile.  Once you start reading this book it’s hard to put down.

Frazzled will have leave young readers wanting more of Abbie Wu. I wouldn’t be surprised if a series is written about Abbie Wu.

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Rain Stones

Rain Stones by Jackie French, (Harper Collins) PB RRP $16.99

ISBN 9781460753170

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

The 25^th anniversary edition of Rain Stones was recently released. It is Jackie French’s debut book, a collection of five short stories that have a unique Australian flavour. The stories, with a strong environmental theme, show a great love for our country. The imaginative and thought-provoking writing draws primary school aged readers into a world of adventure and freedom.

 

'Rain Stones tells of the hardship of drought and the desperate need for water: our hard dry land can be a tough place to live in. ‘Afternoon with Grandma’ touches on Alzheimer’s, dreams and determination.  ‘Jacob Saw’ warmly shows there are ways to see other than with one’s eyes.  ‘Dancing with Dinosaurs’ cleverly imagines the rolling hills of Canberra as dinosaurs come to life in their nightly dance. In ‘Dusty the Dragon’ a magical dragon is hidden in a sleepy bush valley.

There is a touchingly warm afterword from French about how her writing journey started and about the inspiration for each story.  The first story,  ‘Rain Stones’, French says, written out of a desperate need for income as well as to express her passion for writing.  Needless to say French’s talent shone through and her writing career took off.

Today’s children will enjoy the stories as they still manage to connect and touch readers.

The book is handy for teachers looking for stories that are distinctly Australian to share in their classrooms. These stories will surely lead to much discussion about what it means to be an Australian.