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We’re Hopping Around Australia

Nov5
We're Hopping Around Australia

We’re Hopping Around Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Hopping Around Australia

Martha Mumford

Ag Jatkowska

Bloomsbury, 2024

24pp., hbk., RRP $A17.99

9781526675668

We’re hopping around Australia.
Come and join the fun!

The Bunnies are back in a new interactive adventure for our youngest readers, this time discovering some of Australia’s most well-known icons like kangaroos. koalas. crocodiles and fairy bread!  Little ones will adore lifting the flaps as they try to find all the things mentioned in the fast-paced rhyming text and hidden in the bright, engaging illustrations whether they are in the bush searching for some of our unique wildlife or donning scuba gear to explore the coral reefs.

But then, just as the adventure seems like it could last forever, there is something dangerous lurking in the coral and it’s time to get out of there.

Few things engage our little ones in stories as much as familiar characters doing and seeing familiar things, text that flows along because of its specially-chosen rhyme and rhythm and predictability,  illustrations that capture both the eye and the imagination,  and the opportunity to be actively engaged in the tale either through lifting flaps to find hidden treasures or mimicking movements – and this, like its predecessors, has all of those.  This is one that can be shared and talked about as familiar things are identified, and then read and read again independently because of all those features, as well encouraging suggestions for other things the Bunnies might see or do in the local neighbourhood.  Perhaps they could listen for kookaburras, wonder at the whales or try a taste of Vegemite!   

It’s ideal for the Christmas stocking of kids here as well as those who might like to be here one day. 

I Follow the Fox

Nov3
I Follow the Fox

I Follow the Fox

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Follow the Fox

Rob Biddulph

HarperCollins GB, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780008627676

It is winter, yet despite the snow and the cold, many families are enjoying fun in the park, rolling snowballs, making snow angels and snowmen and just enjoying the fresh, crisp air. But when it is time to leave, the little boy discovers that during the fun, he has lost Little Fox, his favourite toy. Little Fox  was on his sled as he pulled it up the hill but now it is nowhere to be found. Despite searching and searching, they don’t find him and as darkness falls they have to go home empty-handed.  

But we just couldn’t find him, and now all I see

Is the space next to Big Fox where Little should be.

But as he settles down to sleep, a real fox appears at the window, and the little boy decides to follow her. Moving through the silent city streets, past snowy meadows “tucked up beneath duvets of white”. to the icy rivers where the boy realises the fox has led him to something special, and that she needs his help….

This is a beautiful story in rhyme that has a magical quality about it that makes you want to keep turning the pages. Why does the fox want the boy to follow her?  Where is this journey taking them? Will he find his Little Fox?  Was it all a dream?  Told by the little boy who has lost his toy, and with Biddulph’s iconic illustrations (there is a QR code to scan to learn to draw a fox), this is a charming story that will capture little ones’ imagination as they relate to having lost something precious to them, the inconsolable emotions of the loss, and the joy as the drama and ending play out.  

Rob Biddulph has a way of reaching out and connecting with young readers through both his story and his art. – Gigantic is just one example – and this new release is just as powerful as it delves into that innocent world of the child who has complete faith that he will come to no harm by following the fox. Oh, to be so trustworthy and unwary and un-cynical again. 

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

Oct24

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

Bob Graham

Walker Books, 2024

40pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781529523447

When their Tooth Fairy parents are called away on an urgent job  – a molar pickup on Main Street – April and Esme and their baby brother Vincent are left with their grandparents for a sleepover. in their little teapot house, nestled under the flight path of a large city airport.  The children love it there where they are doted on by their grandparents and do all sorts of special things like making fairy cakes and tasting leftover chocolate and using the punching bag to keep in shape. 

But when another urgent job comes in, it’s up to Grandma and April and Esme to try to find Akuba, a little girl in a red coat just arrived from Ghana. Will they find her amidst all the busyness and turmoil of the airport terminal? And will they be able to find the tooth and leave payment without her knowing they have been there?

A thoroughly modern interpretation of an age-old story, Bob Graham continues the tradition of the Tooth Fairy for today’s youngest readers. His distinctive illustrations reinforce the belief in all things magical, including cupids and angels, with references to mobile phones, and other modern conveniences.  But through it all, Grandad’s devotion to baby Vincent and Esme’s gift to her grandma, show that while some things change, the fundamentals stay the same.  A charming story that will reconnect children to past traditions. 

Pow Pow Pig 6: Forest Secrets

Oct14
Pow Pow Pig 6: Forest Secrets

Pow Pow Pig 6: Forest Secrets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pow Pow Pig 6: Forest Secrets

Anh Do

Peter Cheong

A&U Children’s,  2022

224pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781761069833

It is the year 2050 and the world is in trouble. In 2030 the rich animals of the world voted to stop helping the poor and as they became richer, forever seeking bigger and better while discarding their unwanted things instead of sharing them, creating a huge amount of waste.  And then the fighting started.

But all is not lost and Piccolo Pig (aka Pow Pow Pig) , inspired by his parents’ role model has yearned to join CHOC (Creatures Helping Other Creatures) to help make the world a better place through small acts of kindness. So as soon as he was old enough he joined, and now, after three years of training it’s Graduation Day. But he and his friends Danielle Duck (aka King Fu Duck), Chelsea Chicken (aka Cha Cha Chicken) and Barry the Goat (aka Barry the Goat) are not in the A Team but the Z Team.  So they are the last to be picked when it comes to world-saving missions.

So when a call comes in and they are the only ones left, it is up to them to save the situation.  Although they live in 2050, they have time machine that allows them to travel back in time but sometimes it doesn’t work as it should so instead of ending back in 2030 as they want, they land in a variety of different time periods of the past. In this, their sixth adventure, they are in the forests of Ancient Japan caught in a chaotic fruit fight between two rival groups, the foxes and the monkeys, the once-peaceful forest is now divided and the team is determined to investigate how the conflict started so perhaps the issue can be resolved and harmony restored. 

The series is designed for younger independent readers with all the attributes required to support their transition to novels including a larger font, a light-handed layout and many illustrations, But, as with his other series embedded in the thoroughly modern characters, action, adventure and humour, there is an underlying message that gives the story more than just fleeting entertainment value. With their real world in such a tumultuous state with overseas situations touching those in Australia daily, this is a story whose underlying themes of getting combatants to recognise, understand and forgive long-held grievances, build bridges, work together and build a brighter future is very relevant and gives it substance that it relevant and thought-provoking so that there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon.   

By making the heroes creatures often associated with being underdogs and having them as the Z Team , readers can learn that success can take many forms, that not all battles are won with might and power – a tea towel and a broom can be very effective when used cleverly – and that the desire to do well has to come from within. Perhaps they might even be inspired to stretch a hand across the desk to someone with whom they haven’t been seeing eye to eye and begin the peace process.   If Pow Pow Pig can do it, so can they. 

Game On: Critters

Oct13
Game On: Critters

Game On: Critters

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game On: Critters

Emily Snape

EK Books, 2024

192pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781922539984

School holidays are here and Max’s are not going to plan.  Apart from having to deal with his younger brother Liam, now his mum’s new boyfriend and his evil son Josh are also hanging around.  Could things get worse? Well, yes they can… Miss McBoob’s phone strikes again and the brothers find themselves transformed into fleas and they find themselves trying to make impossible decisions as they try to beat the app.  Would they rather climb trees like a squirrel of breather underwater like a goldfish?  And which choice will allow them to survive till the next round? Never has knowing the speed a cheetah can run and the acidity of pigeon poo  been more important.

This is the third and final in this series for those who like computer games, and for those who missed the first two, the collection is also available as a pack. Beginning with the opening line, “Would you rather wear underpants THREE sizes too big or shoes THREE times too small?”  – a game readers of this age like to play, particularly with their parents – the author has certainly achieved her aim “to write books that pull you in and hook you from the start” and by building on the obsession that some have with playing computer games and being totally absorbed in that world, literally and figuratively, there are many young readers who will have replaced their screens with the printed word and will be wanting to know what happens next to these brothers, who, in many ways are living their dream. 

But as well as telling a story that has an appealing plot, there also has to be substance to it, the characters have to be credible and relatable and there have to be situations where the reader is drawn to think about how they would respond, so there are extensive teachers’ notes focusing on a variety of aspects of the curriculum that make the whole come alive.  There is a chapter-by-chapter summary with quotes that not only make you think about the words themselves, but also start to think about why an author chooses the words they do, why they are phrased in that particular way and what more they tell you so the read becomes a deeper experience and there is a greater understanding of the unspoken/unwritten elements driving the story.  For example, in Chapter 3 Max says, “I groaned. Mum was going to have to PAY me hard cash if she wanted me to spend time with my extremely irritating younger brother. Lately, he’s been beating his own record for MABITW (Most Annoying Brother In The World).” (p.21-22)” and the questions posed are…

  • What does this paragraph tell you about Max’s relationship with Liam? How does Max view Liam as someone he can get along with? Do you consider Max’s label of ‘Most Annoying Brother In The World to be a real or made up thing? How do you know? Do you think his opinion of Liam might change throughout the book? Why or why not?
  • Do you think Max reaction and action towards Liam’s interruption and hence, losing the game was justified?
  • What do you think is happening to Max?

It’s about moving from reading along the lines to reading between and beyond them. 

Inspired by her own boys’ relationships and interests, illustrated, and written to entice reluctant readers to give print another go, this is a series that has hit its mark and which could even inspire the reader to have a go at their own writing by thinking about what could happen to them if they were drawn into their own favourite game. 

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

Oct2
Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars

Catherine Norton

HarperCollins, 2024

256pp., hbk., RRP $A22.99

9781460763179

London. 1866. And Hester Hitchins’ life has been turned upside down.  Her mother has died while giving birth to twins, and her father is “Missing, presumed dead” when the ship he served on burned and sunk on the high seas.  So Hester, the twins, and her brother and sister have been sent to live with their unmarried Uncle Henry, not for altruistic reasons but because he sees the older three as free labour.  Her older sister Joyce is immediately made the housekeeper including raising the babies, Horace becomes his apprentice in his rope-making business and Hester, herself, is pulled from school which she loves, to spend her day braiding the dreaded whip known as a cat-of-nine-tails.  (She is so disgusted and fearful of them that she only makes them with eight lashes, but that proves to be her downfall.)

Life is so different and not easy for the children and Hester is convinced that her father is still alive – after all, “presumed” does not mean definitely.  As a young girl he taught her about the stars and their movements, particularly the Pole Star, and told her that as long as he had a compass, a telescope and could see the Pole Star he could find his way home to her. And so Hester believes that with the same tools, she should be able to find her way to him.  Under scary circumstances she gains a lodestone,  but her life changes again when she surreptitiously enters a test for admittance to Addington’s Nautical Navigation Academy, and wins a scholarship – at the same time that her deception with the whips is discovered and Uncle Henry decides to send her to be a scullery maid – the most a girl of her age and position can hope for in those times.

With the help of her sister Joyce, Hester dues find herself at the Academy but the problem is – it is only for boys!  

This is a glorious adventure story for independent readers that has a cast of intriguing, well=crafted characters, each of whom shines a spotlight on the customs and conditions of the time, not the least of which is the circumstances of girls, oppressed by their gender.  Many will see themselves in the resourceful, problem-solving, never-say-die Hester as she encounters problems and obstacles that only her determination and her new friends Nelson (despised by others at the school because of his Asian heritage) and Pru (a nature-loving girl who collects insects to draw), not to mention the wise Marguerite,  and will want to keep turning the pages to see if she does indeed discover what happened to her dad. 

Loosely based on real-life characters of the time including Janet Taylor  an English astronomer who was an expert in nautical navigation, and Mary Ward  whose stories are outlined in the author’s notes, this is a story that will lead the reader down many rabbit-holes (as it did the reviewer) not the least of which is a reflection of how life has changed so much for girls, particularly, in 150 years.  Once again we give thanks for the courage and determination of those on whose shoulders we stand.  

Digger Digs Down

Sep6
Digger Digs Down

Digger Digs Down

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digger Digs Down

Johanna Bell

Huni Melissa Bolliger

UQP, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780702268656

Digger the dog loves to dig. So when he is bored when his little friend goes off to school, he follows his nose until he finds just the right patch of dirt.  Down, down, down he digs, only changing direction when he meets something he can’t dig through.  He digs down so deeply that he comes across something quite unexpected – something to explore.  But then he hears a little voice calling him…

Inspired by the author’s  daughter (then three years old)  telling her a story about a dog called Digger, which was quickly scribbled on the back of a receipt, this is perfect for our youngest readers to read to themselves as the illustrations tell the story almost without needing the simple repetitive text. And they will enjoy predicting what Digger might find when he starts his next hole… just what does lie below the surface that we can’t see? And what adventures might he have while he is there? 

Teachers’ notes help develop the story encouraging older readers to pay greater attention to the language and  illustrations, such as the significance of the rainbow shining in the hole, while the fossils he uncovers and his final discovery could spark an interest in the layers of the landscape and how it has been built over time, all demonstrating that picture books, and this one in particular, are not just for younger readers.  

South With the Seabirds

Sep5
South With the Seabirds

South With the Seabirds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South With the Seabirds

Jess McGeachin

A & U Children’s, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761068645

Far to the southeast of Tasmania, halfway to Antarctica, where the Indo-Australian tectonic plate meets the Pacific plate, a tiny island pokes its head above the windswept Southern Ocean, pounded by waves on their relentless westward journey.  Two hundred years ago, it was discovered and named by a sealer to impress the Governor of New South Wales and for another century it was known only to the sealers and whalers who prowled the southern seas in search of prey rich in the blubber that kept them warm and made oil for humans; one hundred years ago Sir Douglas Mawson established the first scientific station to study its unique flora and fauna; and fifty years ago it was added to the World Heritage List. 

Just  34 kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres wide at its broadest point, nestled amongst its peaks, unique in themselves because  it is only place on earth where rocks from the earth’s mantle are being actively exposed above sea level are four lakes – Gillham, Bennett, Macpherson and Ingham – each commemorating the women who are the subject of this new book from Jess McGeachin.

Just a generation ago, just being a female scientist was cause for comment if not concern,  but being one who wanted to break the “petticoat ban” imposed on the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic by the male-dominated thinking of the time was unheard of and so it took many letters and much patience for Mary Gillham, Isobel Bennett, Hope Macpherson and Susan Ingham  to independently campaign and then collectively be successful in getting permission to join the 1959 Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) – now the Australian Antarctic Program -expedition south on the MV Thala Dan, one of four ships especially built for the program to navigate and survive the conditions but offering little creature comforts.  (My mum also broke the petticoat ban going south to the Antarctic mainland itself in 1968 in the  MV Magga Dan.)

MV Thala Dan (left) and MV Magga Dan, ships specially built for ANARE to withstand the Antarctic conditions.

MV Thala Dan (left) and MV Magga Dan, ships specially built for ANARE to withstand the Antarctic conditions.

Each with a common but specialised interest in the wildlife that abounds on the island, they explored the cliffs, beaches and rockpools as they studied the seals, seabirds and other creatures, particularly the hundreds of thousands of penguins, that sought refuge there. Yet, even though they would contribute significantly to the knowledge of the wildlife, including the eradication of introduced rabbits that were creating so much destruction (a project that took another 50 years to get started), their return to Australia was more about their being women in a man’s world.

However, they paved the way for other women to follow, and in this book, McGeachin has not only introduced the reader to four remarkable women whose stories need to be known, but also laid the groundwork to inspire today’s young girls to aspire to similar heights starting by being curious, having a keen eye, and simple tools.  Even more importantly though, it reinforces that gender should not be a barrier to following your dreams, wherever they may take you.  

Perfect for the 2025 CBCA Book Week theme of Book An Adventure! 

For those wanting to know more about Macquarie Island itself, seek out the award- winning One Small Island by Alison Lester and for those wanting to know more about my mum’s own ground-breaking trip you might be able to find a copy of her book The Abominable Snow-Women.

Find out more...

Find out more…

Murray The Knight

Aug27
Murray The Knight

Murray The Knight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murray The Knight

Adam Stower

HarperCollins, 2024

192pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9780008561277

Murray the cat enjoys living the good life with Fumblethumb the wizard, a life made even better when Fumblethumb accidentally turns one of Murray’s favourite buns into a bunny, complete with a cherry for a tail.  But when he messes up again and turns the cat flap into a gateway to adventure, instead of just the garden, then the fun really starts…

In this new series for newly independent readers consolidating their skills, the cat flap takes Murray and Bun back to medieval times when knights did daring deeds and they find themselves on a mission to defeat Sir Nasty in a jousting competition, rescue Princess Rubytoes… and try not to get lost in the maze.

Simple text,  humour and full of illustrations that carry the story along at a rapid pace, and using the popular trope of a portal to travel through time,  this is a great stepping stone between instructional readers and novels that will have wide appeal because of its outlandish characters and original adventures, as well as introducing the reader to historical fiction, perhaps sparking an interest in the time period and piquing their interest to find out more..  Something new to offer those moving forward on their reading journey as they go through their own cat flap of adventure to the world of stories.

Into The Blue

Aug10
Into The Blue

Into The Blue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into The Blue

Cristy Burne

Fremantle Press, 2024

112pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

9781760993870

School holidays and Blair’s mum has decided that snorkelling lessons would be something “fresh and exciting” for Blair to do, even though it is September and the water is freezing.  But here he is, with his cousin Drew, about to dive on the Omeo, an old wreck that must surely have been a pirate ship filled with treasure.  To record his adventures, Blair has taken his brother’s Go-Pro camera, the one that Marcus got a job and worked hard to save for, has Marcus’s skating footage on it, the footage that is going to win him the video competition, the one that Marcus doesn’t know he has taken…

 So when Blair gets distracted in the middle of a school of tiny fish swirling around him, and suddenly he realises he no longer has the camera, he knows his life is over.  Marcus is going to kill him, his mum and dad are going to be angry and disappointed, he’s going to be grounded forever and die of boredom (if Marcus hasn’t already killed him)… So how can he confess the truth?  Especially when he tries, something prevents him and Mum blames Marcus for being careless? Thus, when the opportunity does arise, Blair tells a fib to get himself off the hook – but then he discovers the consequences of lying,  Suddenly his head is full of guilt and he is too scared to go out but he is also too scared to stay in…  

Can he find a way out of  this mess or is he doomed to be either consumed by guilt or punished for being so careless and deceitful?

This is contemporary realistic fiction for younger readers at its best with a story with both relatable characters and situation.  Who hasn’t been in a similar circumstance where you see yourself damned if you do and damned if you don’t? So many will relate to Blair’s dilemma that they will want to read to the finish to see how it is resolved.  What would they do if they were him?