The Art of Magic

The Art Of Magicby Ann Harth (Solstice Publishing)
RRP PB $9.99, eBook $3.99 (Amazon.com)
Smashwords $3.99
All Romance eBooks $3.99
Bookstrand $3.99
Barnes and Noble $3.99
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

The Art of Magic is an intriguing story of a boy struggling to come to terms with the death of his father from illness. However, while there is a backdrop of grief and longing, the story is never overwhelmed by this. Rather, elements of history, timeslip, and friendship shine through.

Andrew lives in Momentary Point, a coastal town with  heritage that goes back to the earliest times of white settlement in Australia. He is a lonely boy. Following his father's death, Mum works many hours at her supermarket job to make ends meet.  He has withdrawn from his best friend Jack due to a perceived disloyalty; given up his painting; and is constantly threatened by the local bullies.

Andrew finds friendship and guidance assisting a local artist 'Mad' Max in his market stall. Max was once a local teacher who disappeared for thirteen years and has never revealed why. At the stall, he sells paintings, all of the same house though at different times of the year. There is a thread throughout of people asking why he only paints this house and Ann Harth does a good job of building the intrigue around this key aspect of the story.

All the characters are well drawn. Even absent Dad is a fully developed character and Dad's love of history woven through the story is integral to the resolution. Ann Harth pulls in all the threads beautifully for a very satisfying ending.  Andrew is able to help Max find his way back through time and this helps Andrew comes to term with the loss of his father. He is also able to reconnect with his friend Jack and to neutralise the bullies.

Ann Harth is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults. She is a writing tutor, ghostwriter and manuscript assessor. For more information about Ann, her services and books go to www.annharth.com 

Horrible Harriet’s Inheritance

 Horrible Harriet's Inheritance by Leigh Hobbs (Allen and Unwin)
PB RRP $13.99
ISBN 978-1-74114-985-2
Reviewed by Ann Harth (www.annharth.com )

Horrible Harriet is back! If you haven’t met her, it’s time. She’s larger than life and confident she is the best of the best – in everything. She feels beautiful, popular and talented and isn’t afraid to say so.

When Horrible Harriet receives a letter from Sir Ponsonby Flashback stating that she may be a long-lost member of the Royal Family (possibly even a queen), she is thrilled, but not surprised. To claim her rightful title she must embark on a mission to find the missing links in her family tree.

After a thorough search through the museum and a rummage through a mysterious chest that arrives at her school, Horrible Harriet finds that she is, indeed, of royal blood. She leaves her nest in the top of the school, bakes a frog’s legs, lizard and spider pie for the teachers in the cellar, double locks her fridge so her friend Mr Chicken won’t eat her food and heads to the railway station to claim her inheritance.

Horrible Harriet’s journey is filled with adventure, humour and a surprising revelation.

This unique and fast-paced tale is told by Horrible Harriet herself with the assistance of Leigh Hobbs’ whose clever illustrations tell a slightly different story. His black and white drawings give the reader a wonderful view into the life of Horrible Harriet and those who surround her.

Children aged 7-11 will enjoy following the funny and slightly scary Harriet as she searches for her royal roots. If they haven’t read Leigh Hobbs’ first Horrible Harriet book, they will certainly do so now. Horrible Harriet is impossible to ignore!

Leigh Hobbs is an artist/author, best known for his children’s books. His work has been shortlisted three times for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year. His books are so loved by his audience that he has won every major children’s choice awards in Australia. His work has also been made into a TV series and adapted for the stage. For more information about Leigh Hobbs, please visit his website. http://www.leighhobbs.com

Ann Harth is a published children's author and writing tutor at Australian College of Journalism. She loves to read 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, is now available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Picture Book Review: The Baby That Roared

The Baby That Roared by Simon Puttock, illustrated by Nadia Shireen (Allen and Unwin)
PB RRP $24.99
ISBN 978-0-85763-018-6
Reviewed by Ann Harth

Mr and Mrs Deer desperately want a baby. When a bundle of baby lands on their doorstep they are thrilled. A note is attached to the baby’s blanket.

I am a dear little baby. Please love me and cuddle me and read me lots and lots of stories.
Mrs Deer cuddles the baby and makes him a bed. The baby ROARS. Mr Deer thinks he’s hungry but the baby refuses everything he offers. The baby roars and roars. The Deers approach many of their neighbours for help, but the baby keeps roaring. Nothing seems to work.

Simon Puttock keeps the reader turning pages in this picture book as Mr and Mrs Deer search for a way to stop their new baby from roaring. Varying font size is appealing, creating emphasis and adding humour and the imaginative twist at the end will inspire a gasp and a giggle and have the kids turning back to page one to start all over again.

The vibrant and humorous illustrations created by Nadia Shireen are uncluttered and her use of white space is effective. The pictures enrich the story and portray each character with a unique expression and personality.

This picture book will be enjoyed by children 3+ and adults will get a laugh as well.
Simon Puttock is the author of around 30 books. He has lived in many places all over the world and now resides in Scotland.  His books have won a number of awards and, when he was a child, he had a beanbag frog called King Suey. For 12 more interesting facts about Simon Puttock visit his website www.simonputtock.com.

Nadia Shireen is a brilliant illustrator who brings her characters to life with simple and effective strokes. She not only illustrates other writers’ books but she has recently illustrated her own. You can find more information on Nadia Shireen on her website.

Ann Harth is a published children's author and writing tutor at Australian College of Journalism. She loves to read 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, will be released in 2012.