Shower Land 3: Walk the Plank

Shower Land 3: Walk the Plank by Nat Amoore, illustrated by James Hart (Puffin) PB RP $14.99 ISBN9781761342547

Imagine going for a shower and finding yourself in a different realm. This is life for Felix whose shower acts as a gateway to an entirely different world. But never fear, he’s ready for anything this time, with a backpack full of survival gear. He turns on the shower and finds himself in the middle of the ocean, sinking. Luckily, there’s a ship on the horizon…

This is the third instalment of the Shower Land series by this Australian writer who is passionate about encouraging children to read and write and explore the imagination without boundaries.

Felix’s escapades encourage creativity and imagination, allowing young readers to explore fantastical worlds while learning valuable lessons about resilience and resourcefulness.

The chapter book has frequent cartoon black and white illustrations and words in bold to expediate reading. Suitable for readers aged 7+ years.

Days of Warmth

Days of Warmth written & illustrated by Gregg Dreise (Puffin) HB RRP $14.99 ISBN 9781761340567

This board book for children aged 0 to 5 years, has been created by a Kamilaroi and Euahlayi man so the illustrations are decorated with indigenous drawings and patterns. The book combines early learning concepts, such as days of the week,  animals and family using simple and rhythmic text. Australian animals such as a goanna, sugar glider and quoll are featured. All are young and all experience emotions and feelings but are comforted by members of their family from mum to Pop until ‘One Sunday, little fruit bat woke up feeling alone… but her family was together.

The book both entertains and educates young readers.

Shower Land: Feel the Freeze

Shower Land: Feel the Freeze by Nat Amoore and James Hart (Puffin) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN 9781761342530

Felix refuses to shower. Last time – in the first book in this series – he ended up in another world. But Dad and his brother Olly have noticed, as Felix hasn’t washed in two weeks -- he smells bad. At least he’s prepared this time, wearing bathers, just in case. He turns on the shower and finds himself on a mountain, knee-deep in snow, and freezing in speedos. Thus follows another adventure.

With humorous black and white illustrations and text that is sometimes highlighted, this chapter book is pitched at junior fiction readers.

A Really Short Journey Through the Body

A Really Short Journey Through the Body by Bill Bryson, adapted by Emma Young, illustrated by Daniel Long, Dawn Cooper, Jesus Sotes, Katie Ponder (Puffin) HB RRP $44.99 ISBN 9780241606223

We spend our whole lives in one body and yet most of us have practically no idea how it works and what goes on inside it. Here is a book which any child curious about bodies would thoroughly enjoy for its comprehensiveness and often mind-boggling facts. It is, as the Guardian on the Body says on the cover, ‘A directory of wonders.’

Outlining dozens of chapters, it starts with ‘How to Build a Body’, moves on to cells, DNA, conception to birth and then moves from the skeleton through the organs that make up the body from head to toe. Everything seems to be included from life within the body to life on the body, the body’s systems, infection, allergies, and so much more. Each double page spread is showcases using illustrations, diagrams, and break-out boxes. For the pages on The Mouth, for example, there’s a diagram of an open mouth which is labelled with all its parts; then there’s inside the mouth with parts such as salivary glands, tongue, uvula (yoov-you-la). Yes, there’s information on how to pronounce unfamiliar words. On this page there’s a fascinating fact that salivary glands produce about 1.5 litres of the stuff every day. (According to one calculation, a person produces enough saliva in a lifetime to fill 200 baths).

Throughout the book are other amazing facts, including anecdotes about how scientists, doctors and inventors discovered information relevant to the body. There’s the story, for example, of ‘the most famous stomach’: a young Canadian man was shot in the abdomen and had an open wound for the rest of his life. His doctor, William Beaumont, a surgeon, realised that the inch-wide hold gave him an inside look into his patient’s insides. Before this, no-one knew what happened to food once it disappeared down the throat: Beaumont now did! He discovered, from his experiments, that hydrochloric acid, produced in the stomach breaks food down.

A Really Short Journey Through the Body is so full of facts that it would reward anyone with many hours of fascinating reading: there’s even information on death, and how people in the past have cheated death. There’s an illustrated index at the back of the book, and even something about Bryson’s later book, A Really Short History of Nearly Everything.

 

 

 

 

Don’t Disturb the Dragon!

Don’t Disturb the Dragon! by Rhiannon Findlay, illustrated by Sian Roberts (Puffin) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9780241562314

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Set on a fantasy island, a little girl invites the reader to join her on a quest to find her cheeky baby brother, who has crawled away. She packs her ‘anti-dragon kit’ and bravely sets off, aware that the ferocious beast could be lurking around any corner. Carefully and quietly, she searches across the island for her brother always being careful not to disturb the dragon. While some false sightings make her nervous, and other obstacles must be overcome, she cautiously proceeds knowing her baby brother is all alone.

Don’t Disturb the Dragon! is an engaging picture book for early childhood. The adventure story is written in rhyming couplets and complemented by full colour cartoon illustrations. It would appeal to an audience aged 3 years and older as a fun bedtime story.

 

 

 

 

Parcel for Koala

Parcel for Koala, by Shelley Knoll-Miller (Penguin Books Australia imprint Puffin) PB PB HB RRP $14.99 9781761046636

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Shelley Knoll-Miller loves storytelling. She worked as a cartoonist for over 20 years before she illustrated her first picture. Now, she writes and illustrates her own books and has won awards both locally and nationally.

Koala and friends are stuck in a tree filled with squawks and screeches. Tired and frazzled, a surprise parcel arrives for koala. Will what’s inside help with the cockatoo noise?

Knoll-Miller’s charming text captures reader attention from the very first page. She entices the reader by giving only the first letter of the name for who the parcel is for – K. Instantly, the reader is guessing. The sheer delight of Koala is shown with minimal word use. ‘For me?’ whispers Koala. This shows Koala’s surprise without telling. Then the guessing of what’s inside the parcel becomes a game with the characters and the reader. Knoll-Miller has the characters guessing things that might help with sleep. She uses questions and answers that bring lots of fun into the story. And then when Koala finally decides to unwrap the present, the reader is waiting with anticipation. ‘Close your eyes so it’s a surprise. Ready…?’ Knoll-Miller even brings into play One…Two…Three! I won’t reveal what’s inside but let’s just say it is surprising. The present is linked to the clever solution of escaping the cockatoo noise.

The bright green cover with a cartoon-like Koala and the title as a speech blurb is eye-catching. The animal characters have expressive eyes and there’s lots of movement. With just one look you know that Koala, Bat and Possum are exhausted from the cockatoo squawking. The blue Australian sky and green gum leaves and violet-grey tree trunk are a perfect back drop for the animal antics. This bright, happy book is sure to appeal to young children. The illustrations make great visual storytelling, and they work so well with the minimal text.

Parcel for Koala is a part of a picture book series for children 2-8 years. There is also Parcel for Turtle, Parcel for Gorilla and Parcel for Penguin. This book is a fun one to add to any bed routine or a perfect addition for a play group or preschool environment. At the end of the day sometimes all we need is a good laugh. Parents and children will both enjoy this book.

Being Jimmy Baxter

Being Jimmy Baxter by Fiona Lloyd (Puffin) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781760148515

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Set in 1991, Being Jimmy Baxter is a middle-grade novel written in the first person by the protagonist, Jimmy Branthwaite. Jimmy had to change his name after fleeing domestic violence and moving to a new town with his mum. The story follows the tumultuous time in young Jimmy’s life when he is forced to take care of himself and his mum while navigating the ups and downs of starting at a new school.

Being Jimmy Baxter is a tale that is heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure. The story is engaging, humorous at times, and includes plenty of figurative language. It includes uplifting themes of new friendships, resilience, hope, and belonging, as well as heavier themes of domestic violence, deteriorating mental health, bullying, and child neglect. Being Jimmy Baxter is recommended for an audience aged 10 years and older.

Ratbags: Best of Pests

Ratbags: Best of Pests by Tim Harris, illustrated by Shiloh Gordon (Puffin) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN9780143777472

It would be interesting to know how the author and illustrator work together to produce these books: it is necessary to read both written text and illustrations together in this mostly visual book. There are three ratbags: Ripple, Fancy Rat, and Onion, but Jigsaw is a polite, law-abiding rat.

The story starts outside Pecky’s Pizza, the best pizza place in the city where the rats get free pizza from the owner, Mr Pecky. This time Pecky also leaves a note with the pizza advising the rats to be careful. The rats find a newspaper with the heading, ‘Rat Problem Remains’, telling readers that a cutting-edge pest control unit has been brought in. This turns out to mean that rat traps with tempting peanut butter lures are scattered all over the ground near rubbish piles. Mr Pecky is also asked by the council not to give free pizza to rats as it encourages them.

Then a robot mink with laser eyes starts patrolling the streets. Will humans succeed with their latest scheme? Or can Jigsaw help the ratbags to be the best of pests?

This is a mostly visual book with appealing black, white and grey cartoon illustrations and plenty of different typefaces which is sure to be enjoyed by readers aged 8+ years. 

Monster Island

 

Monster Island by George Ivanoff (Puffin Books) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 978171047244

Bernie’s mother has a top-secret new job and wants to go to it alone, but Bernie decides that’s not on and follows her to a mysterious remote island inside the Bass Strait Triangle, a place which is not on any maps. The scientists call it Mysterious Island and Bernie soon discovers why. Amazingly, extinct, and mythical animals like dinosaurs and drop bears are alive! The island, too, has many mushrooms and strangely there are black drones. Bernie wonders what controls them, and why they are spying on creatures on the island. 

He and his new friend Ivy are determined to find out why.

This is a fast-paced and action-packed novel which will likely appeal to readers aged 9 to 12 years.

Fritz and Kurt

Fritz and Kurt by Jeremy Dronfield (Puffin) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN978024156742

This book is the children’s version of The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz, the inspiring true story of a father and son’s fight to stay together and survive the Holocaust.

In 1938, brothers Fritz and Kurt Kleinmann’s family are Jewish, and that puts them in terrible danger as the Nazis come to Vienna. They hate anyone who is different, especially Jewish people.

Fritz, along with his father, is taken to a Nazi prison camp – a terrible place, full of fer. When his father is sent to a certain death, Fritz can’t face losing his beloved Papa. He chooses to go with him and fight for survival.

Meanwhile, Kurt must go on a frightening journey, all alone, to seek safety on the far side of the world.

In this extraordinary true story, Fritz, and Kurt face unimaginable hardships, and the two brothers wonder if they will ever return home.

For people who would like to know more about events, background, and context of the Kleinmann’s family story or about the Holocaust in general, the best starting place would be the original version of The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz, which includes full, detailed endnotes with source citations and a complete biography.

This children’s novel, written in third person past tense, would best suit readers aged 9+ years. Included in the back of the book is a section titled ‘What Happened After’, a timeline of events, and a note for parents, guardians, and teachers.

Daughter of the Deep

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan (Puffin, Penguin Random House) PB RRP $22.99 ISBN: 9780241538180

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

The impossible is merely the possible for which we don’t know the science …

Ana Dakkar and older brother, Dev, are students at Harding-Pencroft Academy, an elite high school, known for producing the world’s best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers.

The story starts innocently enough, with Ana and Dev meeting for an early morning dive with Socrates, their favourite dolphin. However, readers soon realise there is more than meets the eye at this boarding school – including a host of well-kept secrets and the mysterious death of Ana and Dev’s parents, two years previously.

Heading off on a weekend trial at sea, Ana’s class of twenty first-year students, their teacher and their driver watch in horror as the sea ripples, the ground shakes and their school crumbles into the ocean – taking with it all of Harding-Pencroft’s remaining students and staff.

Devastated and in shock, the students turn to teacher, Dr Hewett who is, himself, terrified. What they thought was a freak earthquake is actually more sinister – an attack from the Land Institute. The schools have been ‘at war’ for the past 150 years and now, it’s come to a head.

Secrets from the past start unfolding and, owing to her family history, Ana finds herself nervously in charge. Can a thirteen-year-old successfully lead her peers in battle? How can a group of inexperienced first-year students navigate the depths of the ocean, cajole a disgruntled nineteenth-century submarine with a mind of its own, and outwit a group of older students and adults bent on destroying them?

In Daughter of the Deep, Rick Riordan gives a sizable nod to French novelist, Jules Verne, with his modern take on Verne’s classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Known for his various book series, including Percy Jackson and The Kane Chronicles, Riordan has long been asked to write a story with a strong female protagonist – and this gripping tale, full of clever teens, mind-blowing technology and a hidden island and underwater base is it.

The story will appeal to mid-grade readers, aged nine and above, who love fantasy, sci-fi and adventure all rolled into one.

All Four Quarters of the Moon

All Four Quarters of the Moon by Shirley Marr (Puffin) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781760899554

Making mooncakes with her grandmother Ah Ma for the mid-Autumn Festival is the last day of Peijing’s old life. Now, adapting to their new life in Australia, Peijing thinks everything will turn out okay for her family as long as they have each other – but cracks are starting to appear. Her five-year-old sister, Biju, needs Peijing to be a dependable. Ma Ma is no longer herself; Ah Ma keeps forgetting who she is; and Ba Ba, who used to work seven days a week, is adjusting to being a hands-on dad. Peijing needs to cope with the uncertainties of her own little world, while shouldering the burden of others.

In this novel for children aged 9+ years, Peijing and Biju tell stories from Chinese mythology, from the Jade Rabbit, and moon goddess to the animals of the Chinese zodiac.

CBCA award-winning author, Kate Gordon has said that this book is ‘an instant classic.’

How to Make a Monster: Prometheus High

How to Make a Monster: Prometheus High by Stuart Wilson (Puffin) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781761042256

Reviewed by Kathleen Grace

This book starts dramatically with a girl on a rooftop during a thunderstorm trying to revive a dead cat – at the crucial moment as lightning flashes, the roof is on fire. This is the author’s debut novel -- highly inventive, action-packed, and quirky, also occasionally dark.

Athena Strange’s first semester at Prometheus High School starts with a bang. But when her lessons in reanimation, robotics, and skulkers move too slowly, and she has trouble making friends, Athena decides to take matters into her own hands. On a ship where science and magic collide, and the monster under your bed is probably very real, will Athena be able to hold her head above water?

A typical day at Prometheus High features a rusting ocean liner, thirty students learning to resurrect the dead and a murderous monster on the loose. At the school, magic will not fix everything.

A YA novel for those who like a challenge.

Frankie Best Hates Quests

 

Frankie Best Hates Quests by Chris Smith (Puffin) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN 9780241522110

Reviewed by Kathleen Grace

Here is a fantasy novel sub-titled ‘The Accidental Adventure of a Lifetime’ for 8–12-year-old-readers by bestselling author Chris Smith.                                                                                     

Twelve-year-old Frankie Best is not happy. She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic. Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.                                                                                          

Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend, but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .

A Blue Kind of Day

A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson, illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey (Puffin) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781761046384

Reviewed by Kathleen Grace

Coen is in bed. He is having a ‘sniffling, sighing, sobbing kind of day.’ His family – mother, father, and sister Junie – gather around him, trying to bring him out of his gloomy feelings. However, Coen can’t respond. He feels ‘like a lost kite: loose in the breeze, with feelings that tangled like string.’ 

Junie pounces on him, saying he doesn’t look sick. She even tries to give her brother his favourite teddy. Mum tells a joke; Dad pulls a funny face. Next the three family members snuggle close to Coen and wait.

Eventually Coen feels the warmth and love of his family and sits up. ‘His tiptoeing fingers crept out from under the blanket to grasp his dad’s hand, and the confusing feelings started to untangle.’ Finally, he’s out of his funk and looking forward to tomorrow.

The text of this picture book is well-written and poignant; the illustrations – which depict a mixed family (dark-skinned Mum and Coen, white-skinned Dad and Junie) – are beautifully rendered.

At the front of the book the reader can learn about the author (who is a psychologist) and illustrator (an indigenous Australian), while at the end of the book the author has a full-page note advising adults on how to support their child if they are experiencing symptoms of depression or emotional distress.

This is, without doubt, a book for an adult to share with a child, ideal for readers aged 4 to 9 years.

The Unstoppable Flying Flanagan

The Unstoppable Flying Flanagan by Felice Arena (Puffin) PB $16.99 ISBN 9781761044366

Reviewed by Kathleen Grace

This latest book from the best-selling series, Specky Magee, covers a wide range of themes including Australian history, relationships, migration, racism, World War 11, the equality movement and more. 

The war seems a long way away to Maggie Flanagan. Her brother is somewhere across the sea, flying to protect England from the Germans and the Italians. But Maggie is more interested in playing football and finding out who’s going to play for St Kilda this season.

However, when Maggie sees what she’s sure is a Japanese spy plane in the Melbourne skies, war becomes very real. The Japanese attack Australia up north, raining bombs on Darwin and Broome, and American soldiers start appearing on the street. Worst of all, it seems the football season will be cancelled.

When Maggie decides to stage an all-girl football game to raise money for the troops, she is breaking all the rules. Who says girls can play football?

This is a moving and inspiring story which is likely to be of interest to young readers from 8 to 11 years.

Rusty, the Rainbow Bird

Rusty, the Rainbow Bird by Aleesah Darlison, illustrated by Mel Matthews (Puffin Books) HB RRP $19.95 ISBN: 9781760899240

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

This is the third book in the Endangered Animal Tales’ series published recently. The rainbow bird of the title is the Gouldian finch, found across the top of Australia, from the Kimberley in Western Australia to Far North Queensland. Facts about the bird are scattered through the pages and on the final page. There are fewer than 2,500 highly coloured adults – weighing less than a 50-cent coin -- living in the wild.

In Rusty, the Rainbow Bird, Darlison fictionalises the story of Rusty which meets Olive. ‘He bobs and whirls, puffs and fluffs’ as he courts in an energetic dance for his soon-to-be partner for life. The lovebirds build a cosy nest inside a hollowed tree where Olive lays ‘six perfect eggs.’ Both birds take turns keeping them warm. Baby finches hatch naked and blind with colourful patterns on their mouths so their parents can see them in the dark nest and feed them seeds and insects.

Unfortunately, danger descends in the shape of a bushfire, deadlier than any predator and largely responsible for making the finches endangered. A double page spread in brilliant oranges, yellows and purples shows Rusty confronted by the raging fire. All pages in this picture book are filled with bright pictures that are captivating, and, in the case of the fire, alarming.  

Complementing the illustrations is the written text which is filled with strong, sometimes poetic images and words that read well aloud. Mostly the text about Rusty and his family is on the left-hand side of the double spreads, with short facts (such as ‘juvenile finches don’t get their colourful adult plumage until they’re a year old) on the right.

Child readers, aged 8 to 12 years are sure to be captivated by this well-written, strongly illustrated book, and, too, they will learn about an Australian bird which doesn’t usually get much publicity, but which ought to.

Friday Barnes: Undercover

Friday Barnes: Undercover by R.A. Spratt (Puffin) PB RRP $15.99 ISBN 9781761043659

Reviewed by Kathleen Grace

This is the tenth book in the bestselling series about girl detective Friday Barnes who has returned with a whole new mystery to solve. At the end of the last book, Friday is offered a job by Governor Offredi from Uffizi. However, she has a more pressing, personal problem: her friend Binky calls her from Norway where he is incarcerated for dereliction of duty. Binky says he was attacked by a polar bear and is facing court martial. No wonder Friday drops everything and travels 3,000 kilometres with her wealthy friend Melanie, leaving behind Ian for whom she was warm feelings.

In Oslo, there is more than one mystery to solve. Someone – perhaps the king, who knows – is trying to keep Binky and Princess Ingrid apart. Who has stolen the painting which was in a museum with all doors locked? And will Melanie persuade Friday to go to the royal ball in her usual brown cardigan?

Author Spratt’s book series – the others are Nanny Piggins and The Peski Kids – have been best-selling, and it’s easy to see why. In Friday Barnes she has created a likable, super-clever, and daring protagonist. Her books are fast-paced and likely to appeal to intelligent readers aged 8 to 12 years old.

Marcie Gill and the Caravan Cat

Marcie Gill and the Caravan Cat by Monica McInerney (Puffin) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9781760894139

Reviewed by Kathleen Grace

The author of 13 internationally bestselling books for adults, Monica McInerney makes her debut as a children’s author with his book, planned to be the first in a series. The protagonist of this book, Marcie Gill is an earnest, overly curious and kind girl who suffers from a bad temper which gets her in trouble. She lives with her parents who run the Snorkel Bay Caravan Park, but, as the book begins, they are not talking to each other, and the family business is in financial trouble. What most distresses Marcie, though, is that her beloved grandmother is in hospital after a bad fall and is unlikely to be home for ages and will miss Christmas with the family.

With her bickering parents, her brother who speaks only to his goldfish, and her sister obsessed with tennis, Marcie is especially anxious. However, something magical happens which involves a black cat called George, a wishing stone, and Christmas. This is a heart-warming and entertaining book ideal for readers aged nine and up. It features two colour, whimsical illustrations by the talented Australian illustrator Danny Snell.

Cat Dog

Cat Dog by Mem Fox, illustrated by Mark Teague (Puffin) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9781761045868

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

A new book by Mem Fox is highly anticipated by readers of her more than 40 books including classics such as Possum Magic, Where is the Green Sheep? and Koala Lou. The cover of her latest is certainly eye-catching with appealing pictures of a dog and cat checking out each other. On the inside title page, both of them are looking curiously at a small mouse. ‘So there was a scary dog, right?’ reads the first sentence. From then on, the positions of cat and dog change on the lounge, as does the mouse which grows bigger and bigger as the reader ventures further into the story. Questions are asked. And answered – with either ‘Yes!’ or ‘No!’ All through the book the dog appears disinterested in the shenanigans of the other animals until it finally wakes up and barks. Then there’s a glorious double-spread with cat and dog staring at the reader (and the mouse).

Without the brilliant illustrations, the book’s text might seem ordinary, but Fox is lucky to share the talents of Teague who has obviously observed dogs and cats and knows them intimately. On the other hand, Fox’s use of questions – and answers – is sure to have young readers being read to by parents, teachers, or carers – calling out ‘Yes!’ or ‘No!’ This, of course, is the mark of a clever, interactive picture book.

Cat Dog is ideal for children aged 3+ years.