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The Brave Little Whale

May21
The Brave Little Whale

The Brave Little Whale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Brave Little Whale

Charlotte Manning

Otter Barry, 2026

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

9781915659828

Each year for as long as he has known, Uki’s grandfather Yuka has lead the humpback whales on their annual migration from the warm tropical seas to their summer feeding grounds in the cold waters of the icebergs.  During this time Yuka teaches Uki his unique songs that help keep the pod together, and in his final summer he tells Uki he won’t be leading the journey this time and that Uki is to remember the songs and be brave.

Instead, Amka leads them, but it is a perilous journey these days with so many obstacles to navigate which all goes awry when Amka sings too loudly and the orcas come.  As the pod scatters, Uki eventually finds himself alone but, remembering his grandfather’s words, he starts to sing.  The pod regroups but Amka is missing and his sad song reveals he is trapped in an old fishing net.  Can Uki rescue Amka and lead the pod to safety?

Unlike the northwards migration of the humpbacks that is taking place along Australia’s coastlines right now, this one is set in the Caribbean with the whales moving towards the waters of the Arctic, but, regardless of the direction, the dangers – natural and human-made – are just the same, and these are outlines in mini-facts embedded in the illustrations making this not only a story well-told but also a wealth of information about these intriguing and endearing creatures. 

A peek inside...

Whether they live on the coast or make a special journey in the hope of seeing them, many of our students will be aware of the humpback highway and from experience, it doesn’t matter how often you see the familiar plume of spray, the tail slap or the odd spy-hop, it always raises the spirits and elicits a cheer of wonder at the magnificence of these creatures.  Therefore young readers might be surprised that such big beasts face dangers like storms, orcas that are predators, and these days, human noise and waste. And so as well as being a hold-your-breath story somewhat reminiscent of Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse, (another story to share), it also raises their awareness of the predicament of the ocean and its inhabitants. 

As well as considering what they, themselves, might do – or might not do – to try to keep the oceans pristine and safe, students might also discuss how Uki was brave, what that means, and recall times when they have faced their fears and shown courage.  They might also investigate why the whales make such a journey if it is so perilous and perhaps even investigate other migratory journey with resources such as Animal Migrations, Atlas of Amazing Migrations, Migration: Incredible Animal Journeys  or even A Shorebird Flying Adventure. It might even lead to their own Citizen Science project as they track the presence – or lack of – specific species of the school playground. 

Colourful, collage illustrations bring Uki’s world to life and make this an ideal read for this time of the year. and perhaps inspiring a special trip to catch a glimpse of one of Nature’s wonders. 

 

The Flying Feminist

May6
The Flying Feminist

The Flying Feminist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flying Feminist

Mary Boone

Andrea Turk

Andersen Press, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781839135101

Over the past few weeks, the name Christina Koch has been in the news almost daily as one of the four crew members of Artemis II  , the first crewed flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.  Yet it is not much more than 100 years ago, in 1903 that humans experienced powered flight for the first time when the Wright brothers make the first recorded powered, sustained and controlled flight in a heavier-than-air flying machine.

But at the same time that the world was marvelling at the feats of men in the air, there were many women also breaking down the barriers, but in a time when women were supposed to be docile, gentle and conform to and comply with the demands of males, their stories are not as well known. One of those was Lilian Bland, a young Anglo-Irish woman who had already defied convention by being a sports reporter, smoking, wearing trousers, hunting, shooting, and fishing. In 1910-11, inspired by a picture on a postcard sent to her by her uncle, she became the first woman in the UK, perhaps the world, to design, build, and fly an aircraft – the Bland Mayfly.

And in this easy-to-read, beautifully -illustrated biography, her story is told and her place in aviation history cemented so that it is more widely known.

In an interview with Christina Koch on her return to Earth. she quoted Marian Wright Edelman, an American activist for children’s rights. who said,  “You can’t be what you can’t see”, and the telling of Bland’s story and the inclusion of thumbnail biographies of seven other women who were pioneers in the aviation field in both Bland’s time and more recently may well inspire some to investigate the lives of our own trailblazers like Nancy Bird Walton, Robin Miller, and so many others including Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Australia’s first female astronaut (and the 2026 Australian of the Year) who defied convention, and perhaps begin to dream their own dreams.  

The Prime Minister Problem

Apr28
The Prime Minister Problem

The Prime Minister Problem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Prime Minister Problem

Brenton Cullen

Riveted Press, 2026

192pp.,  pbk., RRP $A17.99

 9781764256728

So many of us know Wren – the quiet, shy, introverted child who seeks solace in the library because it’s safer than the playground; the child who reads the Guinness Book of Records so they can say something but is never asked to contribute; the child who is always the last to be picked when it comes to team tasks; the child whose mum loves him dearly but is so busy working two jobs to make ends meet she never has time; the child who desperately wants a friend but whose only friend is his grandmother with whom he shares a love of nature and birdwatching… The invisible child who begins to think he is unworthy of attention, let alone love.

But then his teacher Miss Peg tells them that the term’s focus will be the government and particularly the prime minister, their roles and responsibilities and the class will work in teams to present a speech. Could being teamed with Tamara, the kid new to the school and the town, be a turning point for Wren? No- it seems not for she quickly sizes up the atmosphere and joins the hurt-you-before-you-hurt-me in-crowd who relentlessly tease Wren, before they discover her vulnerabilities.  But Wren is used to disappointment and goes it alone, again, convinced that if the PM’s job is to help everyone, surely she will help him save the animals from the current bushfires. So he writes to her and then waits and waits and waits for a reply…

However, while he is waiting a bigger, more personal problem arises – his beloved Grandma has a stroke and is going to need full-time care.  Problem is, there is no full-time care available in his small rural town and she is going to have to go to a nursing home in  the city three hours away where she knows no one and visiting is going to be hard.  Surely that is a problem that the prime minister would respond to – but another letter to her goes unanswered and even an attempt to travel to Canberra is thwarted.

And then Wren has an idea – one so big and important that from deep within he finds the courage to put himself in the spotlight, overcome his fear of speaking to groups, . An idea that finally gets the PM’s attention, but by them it doesn’t matter because his thinking has gone viral and the whole country is behind him already…

This is a powerful, read-beyond-lights-out story that is going to resonate with so many readers whether they see themselves as Wren, Tamara, or one of their school’s in-crowd, or even know Grandma or Mr Bright. In a digitally connected society that has never been more disconnected, loneliness is rife particularly as families and friends are so scattered, yet is masked by that prevalent unwillingness to show our deepest fears and feelings, in case we be judged in a world that thrives on likes and the approval of others. 

Few viewers who watched it will forget the warmth, charm and life-changing events of Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds. and this is a story in the same vein for younger independent readers. Cullen has touched a hidden nerve, one that the Prime Minister can’t fix, but which one child’s hope, love, courage and determination does, and which may even spark a similar solution in the reader’s realm. One child can spark change and while helping others, help themselves too – not just growing a friendship group, but self-confidence and self-worth too.

Cullen has crafted an authentic novel that not only reflects real life but also addresses the “Now I know this, what next?” issue. At a time when every problem is blamed on the Government and therefore should be fixed by them, Wren (and the reader) learn that often the greatest solutions come from within those most affected.

Skipping to Sammy’s Beat

Apr26
Skipping to Sammy's Beat

Skipping to Sammy’s Beat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skipping to Sammy’s Beat

Coral Vass

Blithe Fielden

New Frontier, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781923331020

The year Sammy turned four she wore her pink tutu, her spotty yellow gumboots, her big bat wings and her bike helmet.

That year she splashed in puddles, dangled from trees, looked for ladybirds and danced down the path to the beat only she could hear… tap, da–dum, tap. tap. ta-dum. But things changed when Sammy turned five as she started to notice her friends dressing more conservatively and laughing at her dancing – so much so that the beat grew quieter and quieter until she no longer heard it, and no longer danced.  She just watched her friends do those things that had once given her pleasure, getting sadder and sadder… Until the day as she slumped near a large puddle and saw a dragonfly desperately trying to escape the water’s clutches.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Sammy’s story could be that of so many children who are content and comfortable in their own skin being just who they are, until the perceptions and opinions of the outside world begin to creep in. Suddenly, they start to compare themselves to those around them,  it matters what others think of them, and conformity is easier than the conflict that being different can engender. At least, on the outside, because on the inside a battle can be raging , But through this sensitive story with its vibrant but gentle artwork, young children can learn that it is okay to hear a beat in your head and move to it in your own way, even if you are the only one who can hear it. It takes courage and confidence but the rewards are worth it.

With so many little ones feeling the first seeds of self-doubt and anxiety as they begin their journey into a world wider than the family home, they need to hear and talk about stories like Sammy’s so they have the affirmation that who they are, with all their quirks and foibles is enough, is perfectly okay, and to be celebrated so they can conquer the fears and insecurities before they take hold or worse, take over.  They need to know that dancing to the beat of their own drum is the best path to take.

The Man From Snowy River

Apr25
The Man From Snowy River

The Man From Snowy River

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Man From Snowy River

Banjo Paterson

Cate James

Penguin, 2026

24pp., board book, RRP $A14.99

9781761355110

There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around
That the colt from Old Regret had got away,
And had joined the wild bush horses –  he was worth a thousand pound,
So all the cracks had gathered to the fray.
All the tried and noted riders from the stations near and far
Had mustered at the homestead overnight,
For the bushmen love hard riding where the wild bush horses are,
And the stock-horse snuffs the battle with delight.

There would be few who have gone through the Australian education system who can not recognise, if not recite, these first lines from Banjo Paterson’s iconic poem, the legends it has sparked, and, indeed, the controversy of the continued presence of the brumbies in the high country that divides some communities.  Its story, its heritage and its carefully chosen words so deftly woven into an unforgettable rhythm that echoes the horses’ hoofbeats are part of the nation’s DNA, as well as having all the elements that make for ideal reading for little people. So why not introduce it to our youngest readers?

Carefully edited by Kathryn England, selected lines from the saga have been extracted and melded into telling the basics of the story, each key “episode” carrying the little one along on a fast pace adventure, with bold illustrations encapsulating the action so even if the words are not quite understood yet, they can still work out exactly what’s going on.  And because England has chosen to use Paterson’s words rather than paraphrase them, there are opportunities for the adult to help the child work out the meaning of some of the unfamiliar terms, thus encouraging them to use the pictures for the clues, as well as extending their own vocabulary. 

What do you think a "colt' is?

What do you think a “colt’ is?

But even if they’re not quite ready for that, each double-page spread with its text on one side (in the same colour as the focus objects) and picture on the other, becomes a counting and colour recognition exercise, again developing the child’s perception skills as they search for “5 green grasshoppers” or “9 white snowgums”, extending their word knowledge and building an awareness of a landscape probably very different to the one they are familiar with. 

Along with Waltzing Matilda, this is the first in what is hopefully an extensive series of Australian Classics for Little Ones that will introduce our youngest readers to the rich heritage of our history through literature that is uniquely Australian,  celebrating our way of life, our beliefs and values and the culture they have been built on through generations. 

For those who are a little bit older, there is The Colt from Old Regret which sheds a different light, and for those who love an earworm…

 

 

 

Fearless

Apr12
Fearless

Fearless

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fearless

Kelly Canby

Fremantle Press, 2026

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760996611

Bea Ware is afraid of everything – from shadows to ladders to trampolines, she is in a constant state of anxiety and trepidation. Her friend, Annie Venture, seems completely carefree, skipping through life without a single worry. But Annie shares her secret with Bea. Annie is not fearless, she has simply learned to fear less. So, just a little every day, Bea tries to fear less, too, and uncover a more carefree life.

Set against a backdrop of words of the things that scare her swirling all around and all over, and using a limited, dark palette,  Canby has used a clever visual technique to portray and enhance Bea’s feelings of being swamped by her anxieties, reflecting the feelings of many young readers at a time when, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in May 2025,  it is “estimated that one in seven children between the ages of 4-17 experience a mental illness.”  Over 10 years ago, that same body identified “Anxiety disorders were the second most common disorders among all children (6.9%), and the most common among girls (6.1%).”  One can only surmise that the numbers and percentages have increased if the anecdotal evidence from teachers is relied on and indeed, more recent, equally reliable sources quote “Of children with a mental illness, half have a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder (2). The prevalence of anxiety disorders is 7% for children aged 4-11 years and is similar for adolescents aged 12-17 years. This equates to a total of 278,000 young people in Australia diagnosed with an anxiety disorder” -and even that refers to a study 10 years old and pre-COVID.

Therefore, this book is likely to resonate with many but rather than increasing their anxiety, it will reassure them that their feelings are common, they are not alone or odd, and that because there is a significant difference between being fearless and fearing less, their anxieties can be decreased, lessened and need not define them or their life. Just as Bea follows Annie’s lead and confronts some of the things that she is afraid of, trying something new each day, discovering that many are more her imagination than reality, so the reader is encouraged to do the same. And, like Bea, that frayed-knot feeling in their tummy might gradually unravel and turn into a frayed no-quite-as-often, and instead of a life of gloomy shades, it now has all the colours of the rainbow.

For little ones, finding the self-belief that they do have the courage and resilience  to take the first steps in facing their fears can cause anxiety in itself so there are sensitive teachers’ notes to help the adult share the book and begin the conversations- in themselves, the first steps forward. 

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

Apr2
The Flower Garden - A Changi Secret

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Flower Garden – A Changi Secret

Claire Saxby

Lucia Masciullo

Walker Books, 2026

32pp., hbk.,  RRP $A25.99

9781760657352

I have a secret – we have a secret –
in this place where secrets are not allowed.

Imagine you’re a child with all the natural curiosity, imagination, energy and exuberance that goes with childhood.  But instead of being able to wander and explore the world around you, that world is bounded by high walls and barbed wire, patrolled and guarded by brutal soldiers who do not hesitate to impose their power – even on little children.  Such was the life of many children and their mothers who were long-time residents of Malaya and Singapore but who, with the fall of both countries to the Japanese in February 1942, were herded like animals into the notorious Changi Prison, and treated as such. Days were spent tending the gardens to grow food for their captors in the morning and then on rows of hard benches learning “numbers, words and formulas” and secret songs under the watchful eyes and ears of gun-carrying soldiers in the afternoons. Not until dusk fell was their time their own.

But in that time, the women tried to make life a little more normal for the children, and one in particular, Mrs Elizabeth Ennis, an army nursing sister, began a secret Girl Guides group and taught them how to take their minds, if not their bodies, far beyond the prison walls.  So as her birthday approaches, it is time to make a special present, and in this sensitive, softly illustrated story, Saxby and Masciullo not only divulge what that gift will be but expose the lives of those who made it and the risks they took to do so.

The horrors of Changi have been on my radar since my own childhood because even though my dad was a POW in Germany and eventually force-marched across Poland as part of the Germans’ human shield, even in those days long before television, let alone the internet, the atrocities and barbarities of Changi were known, and the brutality of the captors was being revealed by those like my future father-in-law who miraculously survived the men’s camp, as well as in stories like Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice, and movies like The Bridge on the River Kwai (where my f-i-l ended up).  Yet from the depths of the darkest despair, the human spirit soared and stories like the making of this precious gift have emerged.

As I read this book, including the author’s note that offers a short background history of the time, I wanted to know more and a simple search brought many links including stories of those who helped make it, a history of the quilt itself, including close-up photos of it in the Imperial War Museum, as well as information about the other quilts that were made, including the Australian quilt. 

 

girl guide quilt, Changi, Far East Civilian Internee

girl guide quilt, Changi, Far East Civilian Internee Image: © IWM (EPH 9206)

However, this is not primarily a book for an older, quilt-loving  adult like me but one for younger readers – those, who, had they lived in another time and place, might have been in it – and so, once again, using her gift to use words to put real life into the realm of young readers, Saxby has opened up a whole new world that exemplifies the courage, determination and kindness of humanity even when confronted with its worst aspects, and Masciullo’s illustrations whose tiny details like the child finding wonder in the garden regardless of the overbearing soldier who dominates the image depict resilience and hope and the eternal love of adults determined to protect their children.

Some might question whether this is a topic that its intended audience need know about or, if indeed, it is one they can cope with, but whoever wrote the teachers’ notes is to be congratulated on their thoughtful approach that explores both the story and the history in a way that builds and supports the child’s historical knowledge, social awareness and emotional intelligence, even encouraging the class to create its own quilt. Probing questions that encourage them to think more deeply, understand the lives of others (which some in the class may have experienced in a different context), and focus on those human traits of hope, kindness, courage and empathy underpin an outstanding investigation inspired by the book but which have the potential to be so much broader and longer-lasting.

Among all the books I have read and reviewed over time, this is a stand-out and a must-have in any collection of those who want to better understand how a “simple” story can reveal so much more than the words on the page. 

 

It’s a Twin Thing: The Break Up

Mar29

 

It's a Twin Thing: The Break Up

It’s a Twin Thing: The Break Up

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a Twin Thing: The Break Up

Kristin Darell

A. Yi

Penguin, 2026

208pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781761353598

Ever since they can remember, identical twins Brooklyn and Abigail have done things together with their “third twin”, Chari, and wherever one was, the others were close by, even sharing “twin-tingles” when they find themselves thinking the same thing or finishing each other’s sentences..  But now as they enter Year 5, their parents have decided that they need to forge their own paths and have asked for them to be in separate classes.  While Abi still finds herself paired with Chari and her friends from previous years, Brooklyn is by herself amongst those who had been nasty in the past, and that’s just the first of the changes… Brooklyn is asked to run the annual Talent Show without Abi by her side, while Abi is asked to join the debating team and be a library monitor without Brooklyn.  How will they cope in this new world of being one instead of two-in-one?

This is an engaging novel for independent readers who, although they may not be a twin and sharing that special bond that twins have, may still be finding themselves out of their comfort zone working out who they are and forging their own identity in a new friendship landscape.  Wisely, Brooklyn and Abi’s father has given them a journal to express their feelings, and through this, the reader gets an insight into the confused emotions of each twin as they struggle to understand that just because they look alike on the outside, they are not necessarily the same on the inside. And who they were then, may not be who they are now, or who they want to be in the future. Outwardly extrovert Brook struggles with the public speaking side of being a leader, while the more introverted Abi finds being in the public eye of the friends’ band too much to cope with. Can they find a way back to being the team they were while still being true to themselves?

This is the first in this new series that explores all the familiar emotions of acceptance and rejection, popularity and peer pressure and other complexities and confusion as the friendship groups of  the tweenage girl ebb and flow like kelp on the tide. Friends become enemies, enemies become friends, molehills become mountains as growing independence, self-awareness and hormones kick in and the need to be one of the in-crowd seems to overwhelm everything.  But Darell has skilfully demonstrated that even identical twins are individuals and perhaps the most important trait of all is having the courage to say no, be yourself and follow your own path, yet still remain a good friend.   To quote a recent review, not everyone fits under the same umbrella no matter how hard they try, and neither do they want to. 

The powerful pull of peers is a huge force in the lives of upper-primary/early-secondary girls and this is likely to resonate with many readers of this age, but by reading it, perhaps they will understand that all those feelings of self-doubt, unworthiness, unattractiveness, not-living-up-to-expectations are common and, through Brooklyn’s and Abi’s stories, which include supportive, wise parents who are neither monsters nor the fun police,  they do have the power within them to march to the beat of their own drum.

If this story prevents just one person from being headline news, or worse. a suicide victim, then it has changed a life – and an author can ask for little more than that. 

 

The Night Tiger

Mar27
The Night Tiger

The Night Tiger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Night Tiger

Sherryl Clark

Hannah Sommerville

A & U Children, 2026

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

9781760113421

end of day
sunset red
fills my window
dusk romps in
we eat
play
laugh

But then “night drops in like a curtain” hiding the garden and the little boy has to go to sleep.  But he can’t because it is too dark,  shapes “slide and glide into corners, across walls, hang from the ceiling” and no matter his self-talk he still cannot sleep. Slowly though, things begin to lighten as the full moon rises and he is drawn to the window – and beyond…

In this evocative story, written in free verse that is perfectly matched by the moody illustrations, Clark and Sommerville have created something quite magical as they address a child’s fear of the dark and  taken their imagination beyond the shapes and shadows to becoming a tiger, prowling the landscape outside, ruler of the domain rather than small, scared child within it.

I arch my back high, feel my night tiger paws
and night tiger claws stalk across the grass,
flick my tiger tail, twitch my tiger ears,
growl my night tiger groooooowwwwwl.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

We all know that little person whose imagination is bigger than they are and, despite reassurances, who sees the dark as a time of the unknown, the unheard and the unseen – a place of fear and to fear. While there are any number of stories of children facing their and overcoming those fears, few are as powerful as this one, not only because of the marriage between words and pictures but because that marriage means it can be appreciated by a wider age group.  As our young readers emerge from the cocoon of family, and start to venture into the world of sleepovers and school camps, many find they are hamstrung by their fear and deny themselves fun opportunities because they dwell in the world of “What if…?” But if this were shared under the guise of investigating its format as a verse novel, perhaps those children could subliminally face and overcome the harriers they are self-imposing, but are too embarrassed to talk about openly. While they might not share their own concerns openly as their younger peers do, as they discuss what Clark has to say in this particular format, they may project themselves into the story to become the little boy, and perhaps take on board his thoughts and actions. What if a story had the power to show them that their worries are common but can be conquered and a whole new world is waiting to be discovered?

Rather than trying to diminish a child’s fears, acknowledging that the fear of the unknown and unexplained can be very real but it can be vanquished by imagining themselves as bigger, stronger, fiercer and more powerful can be a really useful strategy to draw on helping to develop resilience and courage on the journey to independence. Clark and Sommerville have created an important and powerful weapon in the arsenal. 

 

 

 

 

Jayden Noticed

Mar19
Jayden Noticed

Jayden Noticed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jayden Noticed

Carolyn Crimi

Shamar Knight-Justice

Candlewick Press. 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9781536227307

Jayden notices everything. He notices the way the moon looks different every night as it peeks through the oak tree. He notices spiderweb wheels and egg freckles, mouse paws and rose petals. But most of all, Jayden notices rocks. Jayden collects a rock to go with everything: a homework rock, a Saturday rock, even enough wishing rocks to fill up a jar. 

But now, Jayden has moved to a new home in a new neighbourhood and the first thing he notices is its weird colour, the trees are too short and the mailbox is in the wrong place.  Immediately he says he is not going to like it, but his wise mother suggests that he give it some time.  Will he find a rock that will help him have the courage to embrace this change that he has no control over?  Maybe even find a friend?

Little people often find it tricky to embrace the changes that adults impose on them for whatever reason, because for many is is the certainty of routine and regularity that enable them to feel safe. But through the author’s sensitive text and the illustrator’s expressive and emotive pictures, they can be guided through the upheaval by learning to look for the positives in the new situation, like the fact that the short trees enable Jayden to see the moon unimpeded in its full-moon glory, rather than just peeking through the trees. And who knows what new worlds might open up to him now that he has notice and made friends with Alex, a boy as curious as himself but his focus is bugs.

Parents and  teachers alike will find this a helpful way to start conversations and navigate big life changes that are looming for children, whether home or school-based, by encouraging them to concentrate on the small details rather than the big picture.  They might not notice rocks in the way Jayden does, but by honing in on the child’s particular interest and showing how it will stay the same or may even be better than now, focusing on the positives that are within the child’s realm, perhaps the disruption may not be as traumatic as anticipated and gradually they build their emotional resilience and their anxiety diminishes.

Ideal for adding to the collection that help little people navigate the big feelings that they don’t yet have the words to articulate, especially when they are out of their comfort zone.