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?

 

Cora Seen and Heard

Cora Seen and Heard by Zanni Louise (Walker Books) PB ISBN: 9781760657666 RRP $17.99 

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

New town. New School. New girl. When Cora moves to a small town in Tasmania so her father can rebuild a run-down theatre, she is determined to be different. More confident. More seen. More heard. But things don’t go to plan, and it quickly becomes obvious that Cora 2.0 is going to struggle to reinvent herself.

Cora tries to find her place in a new school and make new friends, however her shy and quiet nature seems to hold her back. Her frustrations grow as she tries, and fails, to be the kind of popular, confident person she wishes she could be. It doesn’t help that her parents are arguing more since the move and that she is mad at her mum most of the time. 

Louise carefully crafts a version of Cora that the reader can see doesn’t need to change, but that the character is blinded by her desire to be more. Her writing delicately addresses the fears that many young people have around self-identity and where they fit in with their peers and in the world. Having worked with many teenagers, this reviewer sadly sees this battle regularly. Louise captured the angst, torment, self-doubt and anxiety of this age group perfectly.

Cora is a likeable character who uses some secret letter writing as a means of expression. She reveals herself, her fears, her frustrations and her vulnerability to a pen pal who was once a famous performer at the theatre. Little does she know that she might not be the only one who has such feelings. Or that her letters will not remain secret for long.

This book highlights that everyone wants to be seen and heard and that we should all take the time to look and listen. It mixes family, friendship and identity together to remind us of the importance of just being ourselves, because that is always going to be the best version. Cora Seen and Heard is suitable for a 10+ year-old readership.

Those Girls

Those Girls by Pamela Rushby, Walker Books, PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9781760657840

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

New, from award-winning historical novelist, Pamela Rushby, Those Girls is a YA novel exploring the roles, and struggles, of women in wartime, especially dealing with the ‘Land Girls’. These girls, aged from sixteen years and older, join the Australian Women’s Land Army, where they are intended to replace the labour of men leaving farms and rural properties to join the armed services. About 7,000 Australian women joined: they were paid thirty shillings for a 48-hour week.

When Hilary -- Hilly – whose brother Graham is a prisoner of war, volunteers in 1942, she’s sixteen years old, having seen a poster outfit with a picture of a tanned, healthy girl, wearing a regulation uniform hat and shorts that were, surely, anything but regulation. Hilly expects to be picking sun-kissed fruit and bottle-feeding fluffy white lambs, all while she's wearing a flattering uniform. The truth is she is roped into dirty work, harvesting potatoes, and then picking prickly pineapples. Travelling to farms across Queensland, She encounters backbreaking work, but also friendship and fellowship with other Land Army girls.

They include Aileen and Glad, both of whom are seeking independence for their own reasons. (Aileen is a married women deserting a young baby). War is a chance for a life away from family and familiarity, offering adventure and romance. But the posters don’t mention crutching sheep or 4 am starts. Or the prejudice they would face, and that some men needed to be fought off, rather than fought for. During adversity, Hilly finds exactly what she is capable of … and it might be more than she ever thought possible. She is one of ‘those girls with grit’. She also goes on dates with American soldier Gene Larsen with her buddies, and his.

Interlaced with the adventures of Hilly and her friends are real-life episodes such as the riot the girls witness between American servicemen and locals. There is ongoing action and much interest in the book which makes for a very engaging read. As well as girls and women, the book’s historical themes include social life, new experiences, and the military at the time of war.

Book creator Pamela Rushby is the author of over 200 books for children and young adults, as well as children's TV scripts, documentaries, short stories, and freelance journalism. 

 

 

Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Suvan

Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Suvan by Sue Whiting (Walker Books) PB RRP $15.99 ISBN: 9781760655457

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

What child doesn’t want to be an Adventurologist? The job allows you travel the world, see nature at its best and help, little by little, to make a difference and save our planet.

Pearly Woe certainly wants that life. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her Grandpa Gordon, her mum Angel and her dad Ricky. And she wants to achieve it all with her trusty and loyal companion, Pig, by her side. Pearly is very well equipped for the role, with her quirky ability to understand and speak animal tongue – a skill nobody else in her family possesses.

The thing is – Pearly is a worrier. The other thing is that mishaps tend to follow her wherever she goes. The two problems don’t exactly lend themselves to becoming a fully-fledged member of Adventurologists’ Guild any time soon.

Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Suvan is the second book in Sue Whiting’s Pearly and Pig series. In the first book (Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast), Pearly survives her trip to Antarctica as a stowaway on an icebreaker and manages to find both her parents and Pig (who was pig-napped). This time, Pearly finds herself with Pig and her family on the Mekong River, heading for Anachak and ready to help her parents and grandfather find the lost city of Mu Suvan.

The Woes soon realise there is more missing that just the city – the King and his entire kingdom are gone too, with only the King’s brother and a few of his followers left behind, along with a host of animals, particularly monkeys. There is a scary rumbling afoot as well, and the residents are convinced is has to do with the Divine Sow, the current one of which just happens to be Pig’s mother.

Feeling very unwelcome and foiled at every attempt to assist, Pig is locked away and Pearly’s parents disappear when they go in search of the lost city. Then, Pearly herself ends up lost in the jungle.

How will she get out of this? Will the monkeys help her, or are they on the side of the King’s brother and his minions? And, does that lost city even exist?  

Sue Whiting is the author of a wide range of children’s literature, from picture books through to young adult, with stories that never fail to inspire. Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Suvan does not disappoint and fits beautifully into the junior fiction genre, appealing to readers aged 8 and over who love adventure.

  

Queenie in Seven Moves

Queenie in Seven Moves by Zanni Louise (Walker Books) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781760655662

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Queenie and her mother find themselves homeless when their beloved rental home ‘peachy’ is sold with little notice. The overcrowded rental market, brought on by city dwellers moving further afield due to the COVID pandemic, means that finding somewhere stable to live is currently beyond their grasp. As a result, they move seven times during summer including stints living at an aged care village, a friend’s house, and a caravan out of town.

Queenie, currently in her final year of primary school, is a keen guitarist and music lover, but her talent often goes unrecognised due to her fear of performing in front of others. During the period of unsettled living arrangements Queenie grows in confidence through new experiences and unexpected friendships, so much so that she agrees to enter the Summer Song Contest to sing her original song.

Queenie in Seven Moves is written in the first person by 12-year-old Queenie. Its themes include music, friendship, courage, and the housing crisis.

Zanni Louise is an Australian author of over 30 picture books, early readers, and chapter books for young children. Queenie in Seven Moves, inspired by her recent experiences, is her first middle grade novel. It is highly recommended for an audience aged 10 years and older.

Little Lunch: The Monkey Bars

Little Lunch: The Monkey Bars by Danny Katz & Mitch Vane (Walker Books) Paperback, Junior Fiction RRP $14.99 9781760656782

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

The Little Lunch series has incredibly funny moments teamed with smart word choices that dance with line drawings and inky images.

Tamara Noodle rules the monkey bars, but Melanie Applebum has had enough and wants a turn. Tamara’s mean power is challenged in a monkey bar hang-off. Manny’s disgustingly smelly sandwiches cause his classmates to gag, and a beetroot disagreement causes chaotic scenes.  Dress-up day in The Shelter Shed causes costume anxiety for Battie when it doesn’t bring him superhero status and his fear of small dogs is exposed.

Danny Katz certainly has a funny way with words. His simplistic sentences have great reader impact and create many funny laugh out loud moments. Now get off the monkey bars, they’re mine, mine, mine.’ His writing is so child relatable, and who hasn’t met someone who won’t share? The dialogue has a big impact and shows many character traits and personalities. ‘I can also hang here all day if I have to.’ He cleverly shows psychology and how kids try and outsmart or outwit each other. Katz humour brings in those moments that kids find hilarious like vomit and beetroot stains and a kid scared of a small friendly dog might seem silly, but it really does happen. The dynamics of the playground antics and how kids interact together is well done. His words allow Mitch Vane to really ham up the story.

Mitch Vane’s line drawings with inky splashes are super engaging and enhance the text. His style reminds me of The Twits by Roald Dahl. Gross moments and the different playground personalities really shine with his illustrations. The book cover is not only fun but attractive to the intended readership who can relate to this story super well. I love how you can fold the cover out and the front illustration travels to the back cover. Who can’t relate to a spider being dangled behind someone? I really like that kids who are interested in drawing can have a go at copying Vane’s simplistic style that is so child relatable. The back of the book contains bonus material, like making a board game, dress-up instructions, monkey bar tricks, and smelly sandwiches.

Little Lunch: The Monkey Bars is an appealing junior fiction read for children 8-10 years who want to have a fun read. The child reader knows these sort of characters in their own school playground. This series showcases the best and worst of kids, always a winner. Psst! I heard that the Little Lunch Series are now also a television series which is sure to make the books even more popular.

Drover

Drover by Neridah McMullin, illustrated by Sarah Anthony (Walker Books) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN: 9781760653910

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Drover is responsible for getting a herd of cattle safely across the wild Australian interior. One night, a scurrying creature spooks a bullock, and all the animals take off towards the bush. With the help of the others in the company, Drover carefully rounds up the skittish cattle. When the dusty group finally reaches the town of Dajarra, the local people cheer.

In this evocative picture book aimed at kids aged four to eight, Neridah McMullin tells the stunning true story of Edna Jessop, Australia’s first female boss drover. However, youngsters are unaware that Drover is female until the end – Neridah allows Edna’s skill and bravery to shine brighter than her gender. Vivid imagery brings the Outback to life, immersing the reader in the danger and dynamism of droving.

Sarah Anthony’s rich paintings glow with the warm reds, oranges and yellows intrinsic to Australia’s harsh desert region. When trouble brews during the inky night, the bullocks’ distress charges towards the reader from midnight blue spreads. Children will adore seeking out every detail in the artworks, from the parrots gliding across the sky to the plump possum perched in a tree.

A feast for the eyes as well as the heart, Drover is a must for every Aussie bookshelf. It celebrates the resilience and determination that all drovers – men, women, European and Aboriginal – needed to survive the rugged Outback.

Evie and Rhino

Evie and Rhino by Neridah McMullin (Walker Books), Middle Grade, RRP $18.99, ISBN 978-1-760654-20-7

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

It’s no surprise that this book is shortlisted for the CBCA Younger Readers Book of the Year award. It’s a captivating and beautiful story about the bond formed between ten-year-old Evie, who hasn’t spoken in the last two years, and a shipwrecked rhinoceros.

A shipwrecked rhinoceros – how does that happen? This story is set in 1891 and based on the true event when a ship carrying a cargo of exotic animals, bound for the recently created Royal Melbourne Zoo, capsized off the South-West coast of Victoria. The author imagines an alternate destiny for the surviving cargo. A young rhinoceros, born and separated from his mother in captivity, manages to swim for shore with six rhesus monkeys on his back. They’re accompanied by two white cranes and six parrots flying overhead. Out wandering the sand dunes, Evie finds Rhino asleep on the beach, exhausted from his swim. She thinks she has found a living dinosaur and gives him food and water and cares for his wounds. Through her kindly actions, they form an instant connection.

Evie is excited to share her discovery of Rhino with Grandpa via a book illustration. He’s her sole surviving relative after the loss of her parents in a shipwreck two years prior – the cause of her grief and loss of speech. Grandpa was a highly-respected ornithologist, but there is something about one of the bird books in his extensive library that always causes him to look regretful and it’s a mystery to Evie. Grandpa allows Evie to add Rhino to their small stable of domestic animals – a horse, a cow, chickens, dogs and cats – but only temporarily because Rhino belongs to the zoo.

Grandpa does the right thing and informs the zoo by telegraph as soon as flood waters recede enough for him to travel into the closest township. Grandpa’s heart is torn between the fact that, at some point, a zoo representative will arrive to take Rhino away versus the happiness and positive developments he is seeing in Evie with Rhino’s presence. Evie can’t bear the thought of losing Rhino, especially to be locked up in an enclosure, and she does everything in her power to keep him. As the story unfolds, side plots reveal the reason for Grandpa’s regret and the fates of the other surviving creatures from the shipwreck. The love that Evie and Rhino develop for each other mends their respective broken hearts and, of course, Evie is able to ultimately keep Rhino. It would be too cruel for the story to end any other way. But how she manages to do so is the unexpected twist, and I’m not going to give that away.

This book is going to especially appeal to upper primary and middle grade girls and I can’t wait until my daughter can read this for herself. A smattering of exquisite illustrations by Astred Hicks elegantly complements this gem of a story.

Mini & Milo: The Teeny-Tiny Voice

Mini & Milo: The Teeny-Tiny Voice by Venita Dimos, illustrated by Natashia Curtin (Walker Books) HB RRP $25.99 ISBN: 9781760656157

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Mini the elephant has a big secret – inside her head lives a teeny-tiny voice that only she can hear. Sometimes it is encouraging, and sometimes it is funny, but most of all it is grumpy and mean, and it gets Mini into trouble. She asks her friend, Milo, to ‘make it magically disappear’, but it won’t go away. Then she has an idea. She writes a set of rules for the teeny-tiny voice, including ‘Kind words only’ and ‘No telling me to do naughty stuff’. At first, the voice has trouble sticking to the rules, but Mini uses strength and persistence to ensure that the voice starts to do the right thing.

In this book aimed at kids aged four to nine, Venita Dimos has used her experience as a mindset coach and mum to create an appealing story about the power of the inner voice. She makes it clear that having an inner voice is not the problem – it’s only when the voice becomes a negative force that it needs to be dealt with. Venita shows young readers a simple way to get the upper hand on an antagonistic voice, so they can lead a peaceful and happy life.

Bursting with colour and movement, Natashia Curtin’s illustrations are eye-catching and endearing. Children can easily see and understand every emotion that crosses Mini’s face, which allows them to empathise with the struggling protagonist. The characterisation of the inner voice as a tiny, ghost-like version of Mini is perfect – this reinforces the idea that the inner voice is part of Mini, yet it is small enough to manage.

Mini & Milo: The Teeny-Tiny Voice will hearten youngsters who are worried about the voice they hear in their heads. Following Mini’s lead, they will soon have an inner voice that is sweet, not sour

Jigsaw: a Puzzle in the Post

Jigsaw: a Puzzle in the Post by Bob Graham (Walker Books). HB RRP $27.99 ISBN 9781529503319

Reviewed by Kerry Gittins

When a parcel arrives at the Kelly house, no-one knows who sent it or where it came from. The card attached simply says ‘Good luck to you all.’  Inside the plain brown wrapping they find a jigsaw puzzle of a beautiful African sunrise. The family sets about putting the pieces together. Dad even sets his watch to Late Autumn to allow everyone time to get all the pieces in their right places. As they work their way through the cycle of the seasons and Autumn returns once more, the colourful dawn of the puzzle emerges and the jigsaw is almost complete. But then Dad discovers that – oh no – the piece for the hippo’s swim shorts is missing!  They search everywhere, even under their dog Lucy, but it’s nowhere to be found.

 

Then mum realises that it must have accidentally been put out with the rubbish! ‘We’ll find it,’ Dad says, and they drive to the recycling centre where they are presented with an enormous pile of rubbish. They start searching and, although they don’t find the missing puzzle piece, they do find other pieces of people’s lives like letters from faraway places, bus tickets, wedding confetti, photos, old socks and lots of shopping lists. Without realising it, Dad has actually trodden on the missing piece, and it’s stuck to the bottom of his boot. As he walks through the house it slips off and onto the carpet where it is found by Kitty, the youngest Kelly member. ‘Must have been there the whole time,’ she says. With Autumn nearly over, Kitty places the final piece and her sister straightens it. The jigsaw is finished. With enough stamps to cover its travels, Katie and Kitty post it back to ‘Sumwear’, with their own message attached.

From my very first encounter of this brilliant Australian author/illustrator with Greetings from Sandy Beach, through Queenie the Bantam, A Bus Called Heaven, How The Sun Got To Coco’s House and all the others in between, Bob Graham’s latest picture book is yet another superb example of masterful storytelling. With his signature style of softly outlined, colourful illustrations, and underlying themes of family and community, Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post is in an uplifting tale of hope, togetherness, and perseverance, and of always being found no matter how lost you think you might be.

Supporting teaching themes could include family, recycling, perseverance, community, connections, jigsaws, puzzles, hope, stamps, seasons, waste, letter writing. 

Highly recommended for ages 3 – 7 years.

Jack’s Jumper

Jack’s Jumper by Sara Acton (Walker Books) HB RRP $25.99 ISBN: 9781760654054

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Jack’s jumper is large and soft, and one arm is longer than the other. It once belonged to his brother, Paul. The jumper is perfect for wearing as a hat, playing hide and seek, and even dressing up as an elephant. But mostly it holds the memories of what Jack and Paul did together before Paul went away. One day, Jack’s cat pulls at a thread until the jumper unravels into a ‘pile of wool’. Before Jack has time to be sad, Paul returns … and he transforms the wool into something special for Jack.

Ideal for kids aged three to six, Sara Acton’s gentle narrative knits the joy of playfulness with the ache of missing someone in a story that is as warm as a brotherly hug. Universal themes are carefully threaded through the text, from overcoming anxiety to the power of the imagination, while simple word choices stitch in reassuring moments of familiarity.

The wash of watercolours and the meander of hand-drawn lines give Sara’s illustrations an organic fluidity that will appeal to young eyes. Light hues ensure that the tone remains upbeat, even when Jack’s precious jumper is ruined. Littlies will love the cat’s visual journey through the book, as she stalks the jumper and eventually claims it as her own.

Sweet and heart-warming, Jack’s Jumper is tranquil enough to read before bedtime. Within the covers of the book, kids will discover an idea that is more comforting than a security blanket: no matter what happens, everything will be okay.

A Good Place

A Good Place by Lucy Cousins (Walker Books) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781529501254

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath

Have you ever considered how hard it would be to find a good place to live - if you were a bug? Four insect friends search for a good place to live, but in a modern world filled with people, traffic, and pollution, it proves almost impossible. Until, that is, they find a beautiful garden full of flowers with a caretaker who appreciates them. 

This is everything you would expect of a Lucy Cousins picture book: bold, colourful illustrations, simple text and childlike styling. The book engages all the senses and uses repetition effectively to drive home the simple but important themes of home and environment. The reader connects emotionally with the characters as well as having the chance to notice the broader message. Even the endpapers reinforce the journey from urban to garden.

Addictive and engaging, this will be on heavy rotation for toddlers and preschoolers as well as their carers and teachers.

North & South: A Tale of Two Hemispheres

North & South: A Tale of Two Hemispheres written and illustrated by Sandra Morris (Walker Books) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN 9781760653859

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

North & South: A Tale of Two Hemispheres is a glorious nonfiction book brimming with fascinating facts about a myriad of animals. It encompasses a range of themes including endangered species, conservation, and climate change. For each month of the year, two different animals are presented, one located in the northern hemisphere and one in the southern hemisphere (the different seasons are noted in a sidebar). An interesting topic is also introduced on each month’s double-page spread and the animal’s traits and behaviours are described. Some of the topics include ‘cunning camouflage’, ‘extreme environments’, ‘mothers and babies’, ‘building a home’ and ‘migration’. Each animal’s conservation status is highlighted, and so too is a list of their threats (both natural and man-made).

This book would be a great addition to the primary classroom for its versatility. Not only could this resource be used in a biological science or earth science lesson, but it also provides a great opportunity to enhance students’ information literacy skills in the middle-upper grades. There are a range of text features to support the reader in locating and understanding information, including a table of contents, glossary, index, maps, tables, illustrations, captions, headings, and subheadings.

North & South: A Tale of Two Hemispheres is highly recommended for an audience aged 8 years and older.

Piano Fingers

Piano Fingers by Caroline Magerl (Walker Books) HB RRP $26.99 ISBN: 9781760652616

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Bea comes from a ‘big musical family’. Her sister, Isla, plays the ‘honey fog’ violin, but Bea can only ‘bink’ on a triangle. When will her music start? Wandering the house, she discovers a piano that smells ‘gently of mouse’. She tries to play, and a ‘crashtinkle’ erupts from the instrument. Maestro Gus the cat promises Bea whole symphonies are hiding up her sleeves – she simply must ‘pick a key’. Suddenly, a ballad ‘of winter trees spinning barley sugar clouds’ blooms from Bea’s piano fingers.

Caroline Magerl’s words are nothing short of a textual melody. Dynamic descriptions dance and sing, spiralling from page to ear as the story is read aloud. Clever vocab choices and a lyrical rhythm ensure that readers aged three and older tune in to the sweet theme: everyone has their own special song to strum, but sometimes you need a little help to find the right notes.

Muted watercolours and pen-and-ink details harmonise beautifully in Caroline’s evocative illustrations. Small eyes will be mesmerised by the movement across the spreads and delight in delicate elements such as the feathery confetti and the crotchets that fall to the ground like tears. Kids are sure to adore the change in Bea’s confidence when she fashions a crown from sheet music and places it on her head.

A feast for the senses, Piano Fingers boasts a ‘sound more delicious than mulberries between your toes’. It serenades readers and listeners with a timeless tale that plucks at the heartstrings of youngsters who yearn to find their forte.  

The Boy with Flowers in His Hair

The Boy with Flowers in His Hair by Jarvis (Walker Books) PB RRP $27.99 ISBN 978 1 4063925 1 7 

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Jarvis’ books for Walker have sold 1.2 million copies worldwide and are published into 15 different languages. His writing is simplistic, yet powerful, and his artwork is expressive, sparse, and impactful.

David is the boy with flowers in his hair. He’s a sweet, gentle boy, loved by everyone. His fragility is shown when his flowers begin to fall – slowly at first, then every blossom. His best friend never leaves his side. He loves and supports him until he finds his bloom again. 

Jarvis writes with such simplicity and impact. His name is David. He’s the boy with flowers in his hair and he’s my best friend. The magic of the text lies in the layers of meaning it conveys. Dependent upon the reader’s level of understanding they can go to the depth of understanding that suits them. The text makes every word earn its place and gives character insight and voice. That afternoon, he didn’t want to play. The reader is left to make their own conclusion as to why David lost his flowers. It could be due to cancer, emotional ill-health, or something else. Jarvis knows how to make an impact at all the right moments with short simple sentences. He was quiet. David was never quiet. His characters have strong voices that speak sensitively to a reader’s heart. Personality matters and Jarvis showcases this brilliantly.

The vibrant illustrations speak volumes with their simplistic strokes and emotive mood tones. Jarvis knows how to use the white space and gives the illustrations room to speak. The book is mostly double page spreads to draw the eye to focal points and into the story. The vignettes show personality and action. The tone and movement heighten the emotion in the story. I particularly love the double page spread of David forlornly holding a flower and walking along through all his lost flowers. The eye is immediately drawn straight to David and the flowers on the ground. In an instant the emotion is all there. The faces are so simple, yet each little dot or stroke is powerful. The strong friendship between the two children is evident on every page turn. The endpapers are a bright blue background with light blue flowers.  

The Boy with Flowers in His Hair is a thoughtful picture book for children aged 3 years and up. With its strong themes of friendship and acceptance of differences, it is sure to find its way onto many bookshelves in libraries, schools, and homes.

The Rock from the Sky

The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen (Walker Books) HB RRP $27.99 ISBN 9781406395570

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Jon Klassen, the talented creator of the ‘hat trilogy’, has produced yet another masterpiece. His most recent book The Rock from the Sky is made up of five interrelated short stories that will engage readers, young and old, with its endearing characters, dry humour and brilliantly simple artwork.

As the title suggests, the stories centre around a rock that falls from the sky. Each narrative is based on an interaction between Turtle and Mole, where one is always curious as to what the other is doing, which is... not much! Most of the conversations are about good places to sit, stand, or nap. Sometimes Snake is thrown into the mix, for added hilarity.

Klassen’s minimalist illustration style, using ink and watercolour, is unique and intriguing. His muted colour palette and page design creates a great sense of space and calm. The characters are quite motionless but their eyes are deeply expressive, leaving plenty of room for the reader to make inferences.

The Rock from the Sky is an entertaining 96-page picture book highly recommended for an audience aged five years and older. This book is independent of the ‘hat’ books, however, in case you’re wondering… yes, all the animals wear a hat!

 

Wombat

Wombat by Christopher Cheng, illustrated by Liz Duthie (Walker Books) HB RRP $26.99 ISBN 9781760651374

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath 

Follow a wombat’s day as she goes from breaking her fast to dealing with inconsiderate neighbours, from luxuriating in the sun to evading violent threats, before retreating to the safety of the burrow, all with her joey on board. Get to know the individual wombat, but also discover a wide range of wombat-related information. 

The wombat protagonist may not have a name, but that doesn’t hinder the reader’s emotional connection, as we are plunged into her sensory world through the evocative text. We feel the frustrations, challenges, and satisfaction of her day-to-day life.

It’s always satisfying to see an index in a picture book, emphasizing the non-fiction content accompanying the story. The interesting facts about wombats are distinguished from the fictional narrative using a different font. The dual-text approach means the book is suitable to read to pre-schoolers while giving school-aged children a bit more to dig into. 

The illustrations are earth-toned and richly textured: it feels like you could reach out and sink your hand into the wombat’s fur. Despite the tiny eyes of the subject, great depth of character is achieved. 

This book is a lovely contribution to the growing collection of nature picture books giving readers both a narrative to connect with and facts to learn. Children 4 years and older will get a lot out of this book.

An Amazing Australian Road Trip

An Amazing Australian Road Trip by Jackie Hosking, illustrated by Lesley Vamos (Walker Books) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781760650766

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

An Amazing Australian Road Trip is an entertaining and informative picture book that introduces the reader to many of Australia’s most fascinating places, including some World Heritage and National Heritage listed sites.

A family of five enjoy a fun road trip around Australia in search of the perfect picnic spot for Auntie’s 60^th birthday. They stop in every state and territory and enjoy a range of tourist attractions and landmarks. However, Aunty doesn’t feel that any of the locations are quite right for her special occasion. What will it take to find the ideal place for the celebration?

The humorous tale may be read aloud in its entirety so that young listeners can enjoy the rhythm, rhyme and storyline without interruption. Alternatively, the pace may be slowed so that a more curious audience can stop and absorb the additional text presented on each page. The non-fiction component of the book contains a myriad of interesting facts and figures about these natural, historical and indigenous places of significance.

The digitally created cartoon-like illustrations are presented on double page spreads and depict plenty of action to engage a young audience. It is worth spending some extra time looking at the front and back endpapers for a comical comparison.

An Amazing Australian Road Trip is recommended for readers aged 5 years and older.

The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker by Lauren James (Walker Books) PB RRP $18.99 ISBN 9781406391121

Reviewed by Claire Stuckey

Harriet has just started university and wants to get good marks, so she decides to take some photographs in a derelict building on campus that some say is haunted. Falling to her death, she is welcomed by a group of ghosts who befriend her providing the facts about existing in the afterlife.  Each of the first group she meets have quite different characteristics, but all offer her friendship, something she has never known.

We soon discover, as Harriet learns more about the powers a ghost could have and use, that she wants more.  She goes on a rampage of destruction unaware of the long-term consequences of her greed. As the story unfolds, we learn more about each ghost character, and how ghosts can be powerful, weakened, and disintegrate. While the peace has been kept for decades in the building, Harriet’s reckless deeds provide a catalyst for change and require incredible bravery to fight the evil unleashed. With a second unknown narrator delivering morsels of information between chapters readers are kept wondering what will happen next. 

This is a great story, and the title is correct: Harriet is reckless! Open this book if you dare to be intrigued and engaged with a plot and narrative that grabs you from the first chapter. Highly recommended for 14 years old plus.

Adults will enjoy this rollercoaster ride through the afterlife with a twist at the end.

Agent Asha: Mission Shark Bytes

Agent Asha: Mission Shark Bytes by Sophie Deen, illustrated by Anjan Sarkar (Walker Books) PB RRP $14.99 ISBN: 9781406382723

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

One morning, 11-year-old computer whiz Asha Joshi receives a strange email from her local library that contains a hidden message: WE NEED ASHA. She races to the library with Tumble and Drone, her two robotic friends, and soon discovers the headquarters of the top-secret Children’s Spy Agency (CSA). Recruited to the agency thanks to her computer knowledge and her need to question everything, Asha’s first mission is a dangerous one: find out who – or what – is attacking the world’s undersea Internet cables. She will have to use all of her coding and critical thinking skills to save the day … before she and her friends become shark bait.

Sophie Deen has hit on a winning formula with Agent Asha: Mission Shark Bytes. Computer coding and other STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and maths) are increasing in popularity with middle-grade students, and this thrill-a-minute book drops readers right into the centre of the cyber story. Readers work alongside Asha, deciphering Morse code messages using the provided key, debugging a computer program, and utilising a flow chart to solve a problem, all the while learning about fake news, secure passwords, shark species and more. And there are plenty of fabulous fart jokes throughout the book to make kids giggle.

Anjan Sarkar’s graphic-design skills are put to good use in the book, with elaborate images of computer screens, complicated codes, case files, the CSA training manual, flow charts and more breaking up the chapter text. The technical style of the images is in keeping with the STEM subject matter but is suitably softened by cartoon-like illustrations of Asha and her friends in action.

With a proactive protagonist and edge-of-your-seat exploits, Agent Asha: Mission Shark Bytes will appeal to both boys and girls aged eight and over. Once the last page has been turned, kids can continue their adventures with Asha by scanning the QR code on the back cover of the book and downloading the free CSA World Spy HQ app.