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R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins

Sep14
R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins

R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins

Lucie Stevens

HarperCollins, 2025

304pp., pbk., RRP $A18.99

9781460766521

When Nanny Tobbins fell off a horse and broke her neck, the grown-ups told nine-year-old Albertine she’d never see her beloved governess again. But it simply isn’t true. For every night, when the clock strikes twelve, Nanny returns to the nursery.

Yet in her new ghostly state, Nanny Tobbins quickly causes chaos in the household — and the timing couldn’t be more inconvenient. Albertine’s stepmother is struggling to settle in, and Papa is much occupied working with Prince Albert on the Great Exhibition.

To make matters worse, the grown-ups don’t believe in ghosts at all, leaving Albertine to take the blame for Nanny’s unruly antics.

How will Albertine restore peace to her home before the unthinkable occurs?

This is a rare novel that kept me reading past my bedtime as I was drawn back into the era of Victorian England where the differences in the lives between the haves and the have-nots was so vastly different, particularly for children.  And to be honest, I wonder whether it would be better to be in the world of Oliver Twist where you survived by your wits and daring but which at least offered you some sort of freedom and friendship, or to be in the pampered situation of Albertine, where you had all that you needed except love, attention, but lived your life in almost total seclusion and solitude because children were “seen but not heard.”  For although Albertine’s father brings her gifts when he returns from his numerous trips – although this time the “gift” was a stepmother with no interest in Albertine at all – there is a limit to the time material things can engage you. 

All Albertine really wants is for those around her to acknowledge her existence – she wants to keep her Papa pleased with her, have her new stepmother at least acknowledge her existence, and not upset her beloved Nanny Tobbins who doesn’t seem to realise she has passed – so to be blamed for all the things happening around her is devastating. But, despite ‘living’ well over a century ago, Albertine is still a relatable character for today’s readers as she is smart, curious, brave enough to ask questions and yet still has the same concerns and worries that today’s children have.  Childhood is universal, and spans time and space, and astute readers will not only pick up the parallels with their own lives but also the difference between how they might deal with the situations and how Albertine did.  They will feel for Albertine whose closest bond in life is with a dead person despite her friendships with Susan and Blot, while learning that even if someone close to them has passed the connections and love endure through memories and dreams. 

Set in 1851 when Queen Victoria had been on the throne for 14 years and life in England was very much dictated and determined by social class – wealthy or working class, but with the gradual emergence of a new ‘middle-class’ as money earned through the developments of the Industrial Revolution began to filter through to the “nouveau riche”,  Steven’s story offers an insight into this pivotal period in history – it has been longlisted in the Children’s and Young Adult category of the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize – as well as being a whimsical yet serious introduction to the ghost genre, particularly as ghosts were an accepted part of life at the time as souls wandered between heaven and hell seeking their final resting place in the afterlife. – perhaps even an opportunity to delve deeper into the origins of Hallowe’en.

This is more suited for independent readers at the upper end of the audience for this blog, but one that will keep them engaged, indeed, engrossed as they are compelled to find out what happens to Albertine… And the publishers suggest that if they enjoy this then readers could venture into both  the Elston-Fright and Nevermoor  series, thus broadening their reading adventures even further.

Is It Asleep?

Aug24
Is It Asleep?

Is It Asleep?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is It Asleep?

Olivier Tallec

Gecko Press, 2025

27pp.,  hbk., RRP $A27.99

9798765670521

Each day, Squirrel and his mushroom friend Pock like to sit on the old stump and watch the birds flash by. And when they’re tired of watching, they wander through the woods to the yellow meadow to listen to the beautiful song of the blackbird.  But one day, there is no song and, after a lot of searching, they find him lying on his back on the path, silent and still.  At first they think he is asleep so they keep very quiet and wait for it to wake. But as time passes and it shows no sign of waking, not even when they whisper, then clap their hands and shout, they call on their friend Gunther the mouse to help.  And although they don’t want to believe that something that sings so gloriously can die, the prospect arises that perhaps they have heard its last song… But what do they do now?

For adults life cycles of anything are part and parcel of living but for young children death ca be very confronting so this is a beautiful introduction to the concept that everything has a life span.  And while that might be hard for them to accept, there are things we do that ensure that even if their bodies are not here, the memories are.  And that our lives will continue – maybe listening to a different bird’s song. 

Tallec has not only approached this tricky subject in a way that little ones will understand, but his choosing to set it in Autumn so that the illustrations are all in those warm, comforting tones that we associate with that time wrap themselves around the reader like a warm hug,  Because neither Pock nor Squirrel knew Blackbird well -his music was their only connection – their observations of his body, its weight – too heavy to lift into the tree to see if it could still fly – and its temperature – lukewarm so maybe it’s only a little bit dead – Tallec is able to sensitively deal with the inevitable questions about how do we know something is dead without a lot of emotion, honouring the child’s curiosity and intelligence while still showing compassion.

This is the second story featuring Pock and Squirrel – the first is A Better Best Friend –  that focuses on those big issues that our littlies have to deal with as they learn to navigate the wider world but does so without being either over0emotional or hitting the young person over the head with the message so that the joy of the story is lost.

Another one for my Friday preschoolers.   

 

Gone

Jun25
Gone

Gone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gone

Michel Streich

Thames & Hudson, 2025

hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781760764920

When a little boy discovers his bird has died, he accepts that lives can be short or long, but, after burying it, he wonders where it might have gone.

My fluttering, chirping, hopping bird was gone.
Its body was still there, a silent, feathery shape, but all life had left it.

As he asks family members, he discovers that each has a different belief – his sister believes in reincarnation as another creature; his mother suggests going to heaven; while his grandfather thinks the end is the end and we turn into soil, returning to become part of Nature again. 

Sadly, a friend lost her husband just before Easter, leaving two young children to ponder this very question.  Being at a Catholic school they had been learning about the origins of Easter and that Jesus had risen on the third day after having been crucified.  So they convinced that when they went to the church for the funeral their daddy would be there waiting for them, just like Jesus.  

This is a gentle, soft-touch exploration of life cycles and life spans and the emotions that are evoked, made more sensitive by the creator choosing autumn to be the time when the bird passes so the illustrations are naturally those warm colours of red, orange and yellow. While the little boy explores his questions and feelings by talking with the loved ones around him, and even though they may have different beliefs and explanations, nevertheless they are united in their conviction that no matter what, it is the memories that are important and that these will live on forever.

Despite trying to shield little ones from such sad events, nevertheless they are going to encounter death and dying in their lives whether that be a pet or a family member so this is a story that has a place but perhaps one that is shared at an appropriate time with adult guidance. We can never know all the things that are happening in a child’s life beyond the school bell and thus what could be comforting to one may be confronting for another.  

The House in Ollie’s Tummy

May20
The House in Ollie's Tummy

The House in Ollie’s Tummy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The House in Ollie’s Tummy

Larissa Reinboth

Possum Portraits, 2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781763516700

Little people often have to deal with big feelings – feelings that overwhelm them, that they don’t know how to manage, and because they don’t yet have the language skills to articulate them, can lead to inappropriate behaviours.

So when Ollie’s little sister Millie dies – she was just the size of a loaf of bread – Ollie finds himself facing the worst emotion of all.  Grief.  Mostly, Ollie’s feeling live in a house in his tummy but they don’t stay there for long. Although Grief seems to have taken up permanent residence, it sometimes bounds around like a trapped frog and sometimes lies like a fat slug, not moving for hours. Whatever it’s doing, it’s making Ollie miserable, confused and bewildered.

Is there a way that he can learn to live with this unpredictable visitor who seems to have no intention of moving out?

Grief is a hard enough emotion for any adult to deal with, let alone a young child and while there are many books that help grown-ups help children manage other big emotions, there are few that confront the worst one of all.  So this one, which particularly deals with perinatal death – the period of time  spanning early pregnancy and up to a year after giving birth – is particularly poignant because many of our little ones can relate to the anticipation of welcoming a new sibling but there are few memories to reflect on when times get tough.  Death itself, is an unfamiliar concept, let alone the hollow and confusion it leaves. ( A friend’s young child who lost his dad days before Easter was convinced that he would come back in three days, “like Jesus did”.)

And when parents themselves are dealing with the same emotion, manifesting itself in its own ways for them, it’s even harder for there to be room to help their child.  So with its storyline that sadly will resonate, the book supports both parents and children through this difficult time by providing families with an age-appropriate grief support resource that helps parents to explain and children to understand what happened, including a comprehensive resource section to help parents gain insight and understanding into the cognitive abilities of children between toddler to preschool age in terms of their understanding of death. Helpful tips suggest appropriate wording, phrases and supportive caregiver behaviours. Most importantly, it validates the child’s feelings, normalising grief in whatever form it takes in the moment, helping to make the abstract more tangible and helping them understand that different people will experience different things.  There is no one way and no right way to deal with death – and various cultures have varying beliefs and rituals – each manifestation is okay as each moves through  and among the denial, anger, guilt, bargaining, depression and acceptance that are acknowledged as the key indicators of the emotion.

Best used with an adult to share and explain the story, this is one that will not only support the child but also offer insight for the adult.  Perhaps more for the teacher’s or counsellor’s toolkit rather than the general collection.  

 

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How to Sail to Somewhere

May9
How to Sail to Somewhere

How to Sail to Somewhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Sail to Somewhere

Ashleigh Barton

Lothian, 2025

276pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780734423627 

Beatrice Glass – Bea – lives in the tiny fishing village of Willow that is sleepy all year until the summertime, when the tourists flock in and most of the locals leave. Bea’s parents are among the few who stay but she seldom sees them because they always seem to be at work, and so Bea has to fill in the long days by herself. Usually she doesn’t mind because summer is also when Bea’s favourite person in the entire world, her uncle Byron, comes to stay, full of fun and ideas for good times..

On their last day together the previous summer, Byron had given Bea an intriguing antique book containing a map of Somewhere, a mysterious island off the coast, and promised that next summer they’d sail to Somewhere together for their best adventure yet.  That was last year. Now summer has arrived, but Byron hasn’t. And now it looks like he never will.

Lonely and missing Byron, Bea teams up with a girl from her school – one who seems to be so popular and surrounded by stories that Bea has never dreamed of their being friends – but it turns out that both the book and Somewhere have particular significance for Arabella as well.  Will they be able to get to the mysterious star-shaped island to satisfy their own quests and solve the mysteries?

Written for independent readers who are able to manage some twists and turns in a plot, this is an ideal entry into the mystery genre as Bea and Arabella forge a new friendship based on their common goal of finding a loved one, and try to work out why Somewhere is the shared link in both their stories as they piece together the parts of the jigsaw they each have to uncover the answers to their questions. With relatable characters, each with a personal reason for getting to Somewhere that is set in the here-and-now, the reader will enjoy trying to unravel the clues that Byron has left along with Bea and Arabella and their growing friendship and deepening knowledge of who they, themselves, are, as each faces and feels their personal loss, will also resonate.  

So while this is another new story to go with this year’s CBCA Book Week theme of Book an Adventure, it is also one about acknowledging ,accepting  and accommodating some of those big feelings that, sadly, many children face and finding a way to move forward.

 

 

Ava and the Acorn

Oct26
Ava and the Acorn

Ava and the Acorn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ava and the Acorn

Lu Fraser

Paddy Donnelly

Hodder Children’s, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A32.99

9781444964844 

There’s a whisper of woodsmoke that tumbles and twists

Through the ribbons of dawn and the morning’s soft mists

It weaves through the eaves of a house with a curl

Then downwards it drifts in the breeze…to a girl…

Add that text to this image and you know that you are about to embark on a very special story.

And indeed it is.  

As Grandad emerges from the cottage and joins Ava for their regular walk in the woods, she declares that she wants to stay there with him forever, but Grandad knows that nothing stands still, that life moves forward and things grow and change and so he takes her to an ancient oak tree that “has a lifetime worth knowing. A lesson it shares with each season growing. And the long-ago song that it sand as I grew Has become a new song that it’s singing for you.”

And so, through the year, they make memories together as both time and the tree roll through the seasons, swinging on the old swing, picnics in its shade, crunching through the leaves and then comes winter.  But Grandad is not well and there are no trips to the tree together – just memories to recall until Spring comes again…

Described as “a tender, stay-with-you-forever story about one little girl’s relationship with her grandad, and the hope that lies in the changing of the seasons and the circle of life” this is one that can be enjoyed by anyone of any age who has memories to treasure of times shared with a grandparent and how those memories are such a part of who they are now, as well as being especially appropriate for helping a little one deal with a recent loss.

The last few pages are particularly poignant as Ava tends the acorn that she and Grandad planted and as she grows, so does it, until she, in turn, takes her own son to learn the lessons of long ago… Because where you think there’s an end, there’s always a beginning . . .

Emotional, personal, sensitive and beautifully illustrated, even though this is a story that is essentially about the decline and loss of a loved one, at its core is a story of hope and promise of the future as the circle of life revolves and evolves. In fact, in answer to a question in an interview, illustrator Paddy Donnelly suggest that Circle of Life from The Lion King would be an appropriate song to accompany it and I agree.  

From the day we arrive on the planetAnd, blinking, step into the sunThere’s more to see than can ever be seenMore to do than can ever be doneThere’s far too much to take in hereMore to find than can ever be foundBut the sun rolling highThrough the sapphire skyKeeps great and small on the endless round
It’s the circle of lifeAnd it moves us allThrough despair and hopeThrough faith and love‘Til we find our placeOn the path unwindingIn the circleThe circle of life

Too Many Acorns

Sep22
Too Many Acorns

Too Many Acorns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too Many Acorns

Susannah Crispe

EK Books, 2024

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

9781922539748

As Patrick steps out of the door, hand in hand with his dad, an acorn plops at his feet and he picks it up, enjoying the feel of its warmth and smoothness in his hand. It’s a feeling he’s known before and he likes it so much that he begins to collect every acorn he finds – and being Autumn and surrounded by oak trees, that’s a lot.  He puts them everywhere, stores them everywhere, the finding of them and the growing collection becoming an obsession – blocking out all the other feelings that are threatening to overwhelm him, the cause of which can be identified by the astute reader examining the details in the illustrations.  

Then one day, when the collection is so large it bursts out of the house, so too do the emotions that Patrick has been feeling….

On the surface, this is a story about a young boy finding joy and comfort in little things, and seeking to repeat that warm fuzzy feeling by collecting and keeping more of them, and who finds fun and satisfaction in seeing his collection grow, until it becomes bigger than he ever imagined. Whether it is acorns, soft toys, or books, or anything else, it will be familiar to those who are collectors – you should see my stash of fabric and yarn – and each addition, whether found or gifted or earned, is a cause for celebration, often to the chagrin of those around them.

But, at a deeper level, perhaps for the slightly older reader who is able to take a step back from the here-and-now, it is the collecting itself that becomes the driver as they seek to recreate that initial feeling, particularly if it masks others that are not so pleasant or gives them a buzz because there is a hole in their heart. In some ways, it is like the precursor to the drug addict who needs bigger and more frequent fixes to get the high.

And so the story can become a conversation starter for helping little ones begin to articulate their feelings, particularly those big emotions like loss and grief and anger that are hard to put into words, building both self-awareness and self-management as they learn to identify their emotional responses and express these appropriately.  Just as Patrick’s house becomes consumed by acorns, blocking off everything  physically, so his heart is consumed by loss and he is blocked emotionally from his dad as he, too, deals with his grief alone while trying to keep things normal for Patrick. But there are touches of humour, particularly in the illustrations, that not only brighten the storyline but demonstrate that it is okay, and necessary, to find laughter and lightness even in the darkest times. 

Grief , even though it might not be caused by something as profound as Patrick’s loss, is a journey we all travel through at our own pace and deal with in our own way and so stories like these, which not only demonstrate that such feelings are common and natural, are a valuable way of building a child’s emotional intelligence so if they find themselves in that situation, they have a better understanding of themselves and those around them.  But perhaps the most important message of all comes in the endpaper where Patrick is sweeping away all the acorns because he and his dad have found a way to smile again,  and, as novelist Victor Hugo said, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise”. 

Puppet

Sep21
Puppet

Puppet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puppet

David Almond

Lizzy Stewart

Walker, 2024

240pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781406391619

Once upon a time Silvester and his wife Belinda were known around the globe for Silvester’s Magical Puppet Theatre, bringing joy to generations with their productions.  But now his beloved Belinda is gone, the puppets, stages and props have been boxed and taken to a museum and Silvester is feeling lost, alone and forgotten.

Late one night he is driven up to his workshop one last time and there, by the light of the moon with his friends the spiders, woodlice and the little mouse, he crafts a new puppet from the bits and pieces lying on the workbench – using wire and tweezers he put together a mismatched set of arms, legs, hands, a torso and a head, giving the new puppet green eyes, a few strands of black wool for hair and dressing it in a green shirt, brown trousers and a brown cap from the dress-up bin.  On his mind he was already making up the sorts of stories the puppet would tell, but to his surprise when he said, “Hello, Puppet”, his new creation replied “E-O”.  It was as if it were alive!  And when Puppet then learns to walk, albeit somewhat wobbly because of his wonky legs, and stares at the outside world through the window, Silvester feels that he must let him explore.  So he starts on a walk to the park, and as he goes, his own world, for so long locked in by the walls of grief, starts to open up, changing forever when he meets Fleur and her mum… He is not invisible and he certainly hasn’t be forgotten.

Told in simple sentences that focus on the narrative, and accompanied by illustrations that illuminate rather than just decorate, this is a touching story of an adult dealing with grief and learning to focus on the “what next” rather than living in the world of “what was”.  As Silvester’s relationship with Fleur and her mother develops, and she shows her storytelling skills and he passes on his, showing how he finds the extraordinary in the ordinary, particularly in the overgrown garden of their tumbledown cottage,  and shares his puppet-making mastery as she develops her own style, he learns to celebrate the love and the legacy of the past and understand just how much joy he and Belinda offered, and that that can continue. And for Fleur, grieving the loss of her father, there is comfort and hope as their lives and journeys intertwine.  

While many of our young readers enjoy a wonderful relationship with their grandparents and other older people, sadly there will come a time when loss and grief will touch their lives if it hasn’t already so this is a touching story that will help them understand the loneliness that sets in, the seemingly pointlessness of life as purpose is lost and that the way forward can be slow, unclear and unrushed.  Just as Silvester and Fleur both gradually find their way out of the wilderness of loss by drawing on the world they once knew, so too will their loved one, but it takes time and love. 

Just like Dragon Folding, it is a story of how a child needing help to create something that draws the older person back into the world again, showing the power of creativity, while learning to cope with imperfection by using imagination.  Despite its seemingly straightforward storyline, there are so many layers to this story that it is one that will remain in the memory for a long time. Who would have known that a collection of old wood, wires and clothes could give rise to such a memorable story?

 

 

Dragon Folding

Sep12
Dragon Folding

Dragon Folding

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dragon Folding

Christopher Cheng

Lucia Masciullo

Puffin, 2024

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

9781761340949

In a fractured old house with a wiggly sign lived a bent old man, alone. He was grumpy. He was crochety. He never smiled …  and he was always talking to himself. He ate the same lunch. He wore the same clothes, and he hadn’t shaved for a very long time.  He even had hairs growing out his nose. 

But it wasn’t always this way…

Not so long ago, before Mrs Singer went away, the old man baked delicious cakes, had an outstanding collection of dragons that sparkled in the sun and had a magnificent dragon tree in his front yard.  All the locals called his house Dragon Hall and they loved to visit – but now no one came because nothing they did helped and he shunned them with his crankiness.  That is, until one day, Evan knocked on his door.  

As much as this is a story about “the magic that can come from the innocence of a child”, it is also a story about the path we travel when our lives are touched by unimaginable grief as nothing has any meaning or relevance any more, despite the best intentions and endeavours of those who love us and surround us.  It is a journey we travel alone and at our own pace, but ,as novelist Victor Hugo said, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise”.  For Mr Singer, the first glimmer of dawn is a little boy wanting help to fold a paper dragon, something Mr Singer was an expert at, but for each person it is different and the power of this book, which I suspect reflects the author’s own recent devastating loss, is two-fold.  Not only does it teach the young reader that if someone they love is grumpy and crochety and stuck in their ways, it is not something that they have said or done, but just the impact of the loss on the person themselves.  And that if they, themselves, are impacted by such loss, as sadly so many are, then all those grumpy, crochety, stay-in-bed feelings are natural and part of the process of grieving.  But just as the illustrations of Mr Singer move from shades of grey to colour as he gradually finds his purpose again, so too will their lives.  One day, they too, will find the joy in folding dragons again.

There are often requests to teacher librarian forums for books to help little ones deal with death and grieving, and for my money, this one that is so personal for the author, and whose timing was so personal for me, is one of the best.  A must-have in the collection to share when the time is right.  

 

A Leaf Called Greaf

Jul26
A Leaf Called Greaf

A Leaf Called Greaf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Leaf Called Greaf

Kelly Canby

Fremantle Press, 2024

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

9781760993894

“In the shadow of a tree that felt larger than life itself sat Bear, all alone.  

He feels lost and abandoned, haunted by the memories of the brother and sisters he used to play with and unable to find a way forward until a shiny green leaf floats down from the tree above and tickles Bear’s belly.  Bear catches the leaf, holds it close, naming it Greaf and from there is becomes his constant companion as he wanders through the woods and forest, up and down hills, along rivers, through streams and across lakes, not quite as alone as before.  When it was time to hibernate, Bear took Greaf to his home where they waited side by side for winter to pass, occasionally playing together but mostly just being together until there came a time when Bear could barely remember a time when things were different.

And then one day, Bear realised that Greaf was no longer new and shiny and green, but rough and brittle and crumpled and finally he was able to let it go… Because, although Greaf is no longer physical, Bear knows that it is something that he can hold in his heart forever.

Cleverly written and illustrated to help young children cope with the loss of something precious to them, whether that be a person, a pet or a place, this story helps them understand that in the beginning, grief is natural, acute, shiny, green and raw, but as time passes as it inevitably does, and the seasons change, so too do they and their loss change and soften as precious memories emerge. Just as Bear’s brother and sisters are there in all the illustrations, so the loss will always be part of them but they can move forward, and as Bear’s tree doesn’t seem so large as it used to, and his brothers and sister fade, leaving Bear with a special heart, so too can they move forward – in their own time, way and space as they, like Bear, are ready.  

This is one that is best shared between adult and child so there is scope for conversations and explanations, perhaps even shared grief, so both can take the next step forward however big or small that might be.