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The Lonely Brown Trout

Nov29
The Lonely Brown Trout

The Lonely Brown Trout

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lonely Brown Trout

Araman Cam

Emma Stuart

Little Steps,2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.95

9781923306400

The little brown trout was happy playing with his friends in the pool in the stream at the top of the hill but then a thunderstorm turned the stream into a rushing creek and his friends were swept over a cascade into a larger pool with an even bigger waterfall at its end.  While his friends disappeared over that, intent on their next adventure, he didn’t have the courage to go with them.  

Shall I shan’t I, or should I beware?
Will I won’t I, what should I do?

Written in rhyme and beautifully illustrated, this is another in the growing collection of stories about little ones, whatever form they take, being hesitant to step outside their comfort zone and experience new things.  But this time, the consequences of staying put are laid bare as the little brown trout finds himself alone for a long time, and he is overcome by loneliness.  Will he have the courage to make that final leap and find his friends?

Sometimes,  staying put can eventually be worse than moving forward, but while we want our little ones to be cautions we need to allow them the freedom to try new things in their own time so they can build resilience and experience. So this is an opportunity to directly engage the child with the story and ask them why the little brown trout was scared and what they would do if they were him, Their answers may be a surprise. 

 

Ginger’s Courage

Nov26
Ginger's Courage

Ginger’s Courage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ginger’s Courage

Lynsey Patterson

Angela Perrini

Little Steps, 2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781923306042

Ginger the dog loves playing football with her two friends, a kelpie and a terrier, playing every day regardless of the weather.  She has developed remarkable skills over time, kicking, dribbling, heading the ball and defending the goal.  But one day, when she is more intent on the ball than the traffic she has an accident that results in a leg being amputated, and for months she lies in her bed, getting more and more disconsolate convincing herself she will never get to play again.  Until the day she at last got up and went to the park and saw another little dog, also with only three legs, who seemed to be having lots of fun regardless of the missing leg…

This is a story that may well resonate with some children who have had to suffer major setbacks in their lives, have fallen into a funk of “Poor me” and are having trouble seeing a brighter future.  Like Ginger it is natural to grieve for lost dreams and aspirations, and the grief can overwhelm the ability to set new ones, particularly for young people who live in the here and now, without the experience to appreciate the old adage that “life goes on.”  So perhaps they will draw strength from Ginger’s story that they are not alone with a disability or whatever catastrophe has befallen them, that they can accept and love their new self,  and find a workaround that with persistence and perseverance, pulls them back into friendships and fun again.  So that while they might not be kicking goals in the way they envisaged, they are kicking them in their own way. They are not defined by their disability, but rather the courage it takes to get back up and try again.  Just as Ginger’s new team embraces others with different abilities, disabilities, strengths and challenges, so too can they find acceptance and inclusion and extend that to others. 

Written in rhyme that bounces along, with energetic and empathetic illustrations, I shared this with my preschoolers during my weekly story-sharing session and while they responded positively to it, a couple of the sharp-eyed budding football players remarked that the ball was the wrong shape.  It should be round if it is going to be dribbled and headed, they told me, and “that shape doesn’t roll like soccer ball.” Out of the mouths of babes…

That aside, there are extensive teachers’ notes aligned to the Australian curriculum available to explore the story further with young readers. 

 

 

 

 

Clara Capybara

Nov9
Clara Capybara

Clara Capybara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clara Capybara

Aleesah Darlison

Ruth-Mary Smith

Wombat Books, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781761111952

There are many ways to say the word “yes” – okay, of course, okey-dokey, certainly, my pleasure, absolutely – and Clara Capybara knew them all.  Not only did she know them all but she used them all as she constantly acceded to her friends’ requests, even the unreasonable ones,  because she had forgotten how to say no.  

It gave her a warm, fuzzy feeling inside to help them because she felt she was needed and the pinnacle was receiving “The Most Helpful Student Award” at school.  In fact, she was so afraid that her friends wouldn’t like her anymore if she didn’t agree, that she spent all her time meeting their needs and not taking care of her own. That innate sense to please those whose approval we want not only drove her but, indeed, she believed, defined her.  Even her mother was concerned enough to tell her to do something for herself instead, but can Clara find the courage to say no?  And will her friends still be her friends if she does? 

Given the current interest in capybaras by many of our young readers,  and cleverly using the natural highly sociable nature of the species, Darlison has created a story that will provoke a lot of thought and discussion about the nature of friendship, and that it is  more than just pandering to the demands of those whose attention we want.  It’s an opportunity to consider what else underpins those relationships that are important to us as well as understanding the old saying, “If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t take care of others.”  At the same time, while Clara learns to say, “No,” she (and the readers) learn that it can be done politely and diplomatically, framed in a way that no one is offended and there is scope for the friendship to continue.  Friendship is about give and take on both sides.  

While many stories for young readers focus on social and emotional development as they move from the comfort zone of family, this one also provides the opportunity to delve deeper and consider how Clara’s willingness to always be there help might be disempowering her friends. Is Clara’s need for the approval of her friends selfish because she is not allowing them to learn and grow and be independent? If she doesn’t comb Fox’s ears or tie Toucan’s shoelaces, would they learn to do it for themselves?  If she doesn’t help with Parrot’s homework, will he have to put in extra effort? If she doesn’t lend her dress to Cheetah, how will Cheetah learn to cope with disappointment?  If our students don’t face negatives like failure, disappointment and frustration, how will they develop the strategies to cope with them when they inevitably do? Sometimes setting boundaries for ourselves opens opportunities for others.

Although this book may catch the eye because of its striking cover and the popularity of its main character, in true Darlison style, it offers much more that the surface storyline suggests.  

The Phoenix Five

Jul16
The Phoenix Five

The Phoenix Five

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Phoenix Five

Sandi & Christopher Phoenix & Monica Millgate

Katherine Appleby

Little Steps, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.95

9781922833457

Down by the coast, where the river meets the sea, there’s a secret meeting place beneath an old gum tree…

And gathered around that old tree are five friends – Flo Cockatoo, Marli Croc, Cody Quokka, Frankie Sea Eagle and Saffi Koala – who call themselves The Phoenix Five, “Adventurers of the land and skies.”  At today’s meeting they decide that they need a meeting place, more than just the tree itself,  and so they start to plan the construction of a tree house.  Agreeing on the design, materials and procedures, they collaborate and cooperate to build it, each using their particular strengths and interests to make it the best tree house ever.  

With its rhyming text and characters that youngsters can relate to and appealing illustrations that could be Anywhere, Australia, at first glance this appears to be just another story for little ones about how they can work together to achieve something that they couldn’t do by themselves, but the Educator Notes at the back take the adult reader much deeper, explaining the philosophy of “Needs Literacy” that underpins the story.

For decades, educators have known, understood and applied William Glasser’s Choice Theory that is founded on the premise that each of us, as humans, have five basic innate needs – the physical need to survive and the psychological needs of love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun – and that our behaviour at any given time is determined by the need to satisfy one or more of these, even if the choice impacts others.  However, while adults might understand the impetus that drives the challenging behaviour they encounter from children, the child itself  doesn’t yet have the words, understanding and logic to articulate their need so physical actions and emotional outbursts become their only way to express their frustration. So this book, based on The Phoenix Cup philosophy, becomes a starting point to help them begin to understand what their particular, individual strengths and needs are so that as they mature, their experiences broaden and their language develops they can start to choose and modify their behaviours.

Currently, not a day goes by when news bulletins are not peppered with stories of violence, particularly amongst young people, and violence against teachers especially by primary-school aged children, is becoming alarming so clearly there is a need in both home and school to teach children to recognise what is driving their emotions and how to manage these better.  While it might take some time to work through the system, this book is another weapon in the mindfulness arsenal we can draw on.

 

 

Who Might You Be?

Jul15
Who Might You Be?

Who Might You Be?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Might You Be? – A Tale in Tangrams

Robert Henderson

A & U Children’s, 2025

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

9781760526276

 

How often do we ask a child, “How was your day?” only to be met with a blank stare?

Not because they ignoring us but because it (and they) have been so many things, it’s hard to articulate something concise. 

Today, I am this and tomorrow I’m that.
Today, I’m a tiger! Tomorrow, a bat.
By Saturday, I will have been all of that.
So … who might you be?

In this quirky rhyme-story by a creator who describes himself as “”a prolific non-graduate from a range of prestigious Australian Universities, failing to complete courses in areas as diverse as Media Studies (twice), English Literature, and Religion” the child is represented by a tangram – a collection of seven different-shaped pieces than when put together form a square, or a tiger or a cat, a grumpy bear or a host of other things, depending on how they are twisted and turned, flipped, rotated, positioned and placed but always connected. 

 

 

Taking those seven pieces and putting them together in all sorts of imaginative ways, some with outlines overlaid so the objects are more distinguishable, Henderson has created a story that shows young readers how different events, expectations and emotions can impact on us  and transform us into being lots of different beings as we move through not just the day, but life generally, even though we are still that one “square” at heart, regardless of the thousands of pictures that can be formed. The message is reinforced by using the tangram as the narrator. Some days we can be fierce tigers because of what’s going on in our lives, and then, the next day, a cat. There are “plenty of have-beens and goings-to-be” as events impact our moods and emotions and such transformations are a universal, natural and inevitable part of being human and making us individuals.

From a very early age, we encourage our littlies to put together pieces of puzzles, increasingly complex as their visual acuity and perception develops, their patience grows and their interest is maintained as they build pieces into a whole. and so using that physical activity as an analogy to help them understand that just as their physical body can change shape so can their inner thoughts, emotions and feelings makes the concept easier to grasp. Ultimately, while “me” might seem like “we”,  it’s all those “wes” that make us “mes” – and regardless of how we might be turned, twisted, flipped or rotated by others or ourselves, we can always return to our original form. 

The final challenge of tracing and cutting their own tangram to see what they can make – and an internet search will yield hundreds of possibilities for those who are initially bamboozled – just reinforces the notion of individuality and uniqueness, no matter how similar we seem. 

Unique, fun and funny, this is one for those who feel they don’t fit and need affirmation that they do – no matter what shape they might be today.

 

It’s OK to Say No

Jul14
It's OK to Say No

It’s OK to Say No

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s OK to Say No

Molly Potter

Sarah Jennings

Bloomsbury, 2025

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

9781801995382

As teachers we attend many meetings and courses, and much of what we hear goes in one ear and out the other, or should have been an email.  But imagine if like me, you have been in this business for over 50 years, and one of those meetings not only changed your professional knowledge and practice but over 35 years on remains in your memory. 

In 1989,  as mandatory reporting laws  became some of the first introduced after the ACT was granted self-government, we were required to attend a number of sessions about them and, at the first, we were presented with the appalling statistics relating to child abuse including that based on these, there had to be kids within our school, indeed our classes, who were suffering and school had to be both their sanctuary and their saviour.  For many, eyes were opened as we learned the facts and figures and what we could and must do about any instances we became aware of.  In many ways it was a turning point for the teaching profession as suddenly our role legally embraced the pastoral care of our students as well as their academic development.  Programs like Protective Behaviours were introduced (who remembers Try Again, Little Red Riding Hood?)  and we tried to negotiate both teaching the children how to protect themselves and the minefield that was the legal obligations we now had, particularly as children now had both a pathway and a voice so they felt it was safe and worthwhile to disclose.

Sadly, all these years on and despite the greater awareness, the increased severity of penalties, other government legislation at both state and federal level, and even a specific strand in the Australian Curriculum, recent events show that our little ones are still just as much at risk. 

And while organisations like A Mighty Girl have produced booklists that focus on abuse and violence , only a handful are for primary-aged students  and even fewer for preschool.  The Kids’ Bookshop has also created a more recent list, which specifically focuses on consent and bodily autonomy for younger readers., and a category search of this blog for “Respectful Relationships” will also yield suggestions. 

So this book helps fill the gap in what is available to our young readers, sadly having to teach them something they shouldn’t really have to learn.  Explicitly dealing with consent and using a Q & A format, it uses child-friendly explanations and colourful illustrations for parents and teachers to begin the difficult conversations that we shouldn’t need to have but, nevertheless, do. From personal space to sharing, and from privacy to asking for help, it explains why learning to respect yourself and others is so important. Featuring extra notes for grown-ups on tackling these sensitive topics with little ones, it also teaches them that they need to respect when others say no to them. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Ugly, sad and necessary though it may be that we have to teach our littlies this message which will eventually build into the No Means No campaign is a vital one so to have such a sensitive but appealing text to add to the armoury is very welcome.

 

Wish in a Tree

Jul4
Wish in a Tree

Wish in a Tree

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wish in a Tree

Lyndy Mullaly Hunt

Nancy Carpenter

Penguin, 2025

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

9781761354991

Oliver’s brain is a volcano of ideas—always bubbling with questions -and thus, school makes him feel like a fish in a tree or a dragon in a paper house. Like Bowen Bartholomew Crisp school is tricky for him because sitting still is very difficult as his mind races off in all sorts of unexpected and uncontrollable directions.  So instead of writing like the other kids, he’s fidgeting, antsy-pantsy and wondering why pencils are yellow and why they are all 2B and where all the No. 1 pencils might be.  Show-and-tell is about a spider that swings a sticky lasso to catch its prey and at recess, he prefers to study ants rather than play.

Some of his peers think he is weird and shun him, and some, like Shay, not only voice their disapproval of his ‘weirdness’ but make him feel like he doesn’t belong, he will never fit in and be like everyone else.  But as he sits in a tree wishing that he could be more like the others, along comes Albert who understands him and with a few words changes both Oliver’s self-perception and his life.

Children who not so long ago were labelled as weird but are now identified as neurodiverse can find school  a difficult place but this is an uplifting celebration of those who do think differently, often in exciting ways that change the world demonstrating that great minds don’t think alike.  

Springboarding from her award-winning novel A Fish in a Tree for slightly older, independent readers in which she observes, ” Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid, ” Hunt has crafted a story for younger readers that encourages those whose brains work in different ways to embrace that ability, to know that there are others just like them and they can “find their tribe”, while also helping those who are more neurotypical understand that just as a tree is more beautiful in autumn because of the different colours of its leaves, so too we need those who become the inventors, artists, scientists, philosophers…  “Just imagine the things we wouldn’t have without all of your astonishing brains!” Albert tells him. (And just imagine the world if there were no Alberts who recognise the value and worth of the Olivers.)

While its primary message is one of affirmation for neurodivergent kids in a world where fitting in and being a cookie-cutter clone seems to be the aspiration,  particularly for those whose self-talk is more hurtful and damaging than that of the Shays in the world,  it also plays a critical role in helping those Shays understand that we are all individuals whether that be in physical appearance, beliefs, thinking styles or whatever and thus be more tolerant and accepting. Perhaps what might be labelled bullying is just ignorance and fear. Albert’s metaphor of the tree’s diversity also provides teachers with the perfect explanation  of helping  to help the Shays begin to acknowledge and appreciate diversity.

I wish this had been written and available when I was the Oliver in the class – how lucky today’s Olivers and Bartholomews and Barbaras are, that they do. And thank goodness for the Olivers and Bartholomews and Barbaras who, over decades, observed, delved deeper and persevered with understanding the “weird kid” behaviour so that now it‘s allowed to be not only “normal” but necessary. 

Perhaps one to use in conjunction with The Story Factory with older students who can engage in philosophical discussion.

 

 

How to be a (fantastic sensational) good enough kid

Jun18
How to be a (fantastic sensational) good enough kid

How to be a (fantastic sensational) good enough kid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to be a (fantastic sensational) good enough kid

Alice Peel

Beck Feiner

UNSW Press & NewSouth, 2025

256pp., pbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761170188 

Currently, suicide is the leading cause of death in Australia in males aged 15-49, with over seven a day acting on their belief that death is a better option than life.  According to experts, half of all serious mental health issues begin before a child reaches 14, and it is indicative of the seriousness of this situation that, on a blog that focuses on books for those in the 0-8 years age group, there are over 150 titles that have been tagged with the “Mental Health” category.

It seems that helping young kids recognise the symptoms of anxiety and develop strategies to deal with it is not only an exploding problem but one that provides so many with the content around which to develop a context for their stories. Whether fiction, fact or self-help, the need to reach out is unending.  And the consequences if we don’t are dire as the current “youth crime crisis” as media and politicians and others have tagged a deeper, more troubling issue, demonstrates.  Why do these young kids need to go to such extremes so they can post their activities on social media?  Why is notoriety so valued?  Why do so many feel they have to be fantastic and sensational at any cost?  Why is ‘good enough’ not enough?

This is a new release from the co-founder of Grow Your Mind  – “a ground-breaking wellbeing program in over 500 Australian schools that helps children develop resilience, emotional regulation and friendship skills” and which  is available as a quality-assured program in the NSW Department of Education’s Student Wellbeing external programs catalogue. Using her professional experience as a teacher and psychologist, and sharing this through an entertaining and engaging format, Peel encourages children to “shift their focus from perfection to progress” as she helps them understand their own thoughts and feelings and how to not only deal with them, but improve them to develop those essential life skills so they can become “proud, glimmer-seeking, awe-hunting and totally good-enough” individuals.  Through examples they can relate to, activities to undertake and a text that respects their intelligence, parents, teachers and the kids themselves learn to navigate those challenges that are part and parcel of today’s life as they are empowered to understand what is happening and develop their own resilience while also getting an insight into why others respond the way they do and thus building their emotional intelligence.

 Based on the four pillars of mental health and well being – positive psychology, social and emotional learning, public health and neuroscinece, this would be not only a useful adjunct to those who have the program itself operating in their schools, but also as a standalone to support any wellbeing/mindfulness/mental health curriculum being offered. Teachers’ notes directly linked to the Australian Curriculum for Years 3-7 are available. 

Whether

A Lemon for Safiya

Jun17
A Lemon for Safiya

A Lemon for Safiya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Lemon for Safiya

Jemima Shafei-Ongu

Nisaluk Chantanakom

Lothian, 2025

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

9780734422224

“It was Safiya who first spotted the woman sitting on the edge of the footpath, sock-sandalled feet in the gutter, busy cars speeding past.”

And so begins a compassionate and compelling story of Safiya and her parents taking their time to find where the old woman has come from, because clearly the gutter is not her home.  Yet no one else has bothered to stop to help this elderly lady who has become invisible to society because of her ethnicity, race, religion, language, age and now dementia – a story that is sadly echoed as so many develop tunnel vision as they race about their daily lives.  

But to Safiya’s family, particularly her mother who speaks Arabic and can communicate with the woman, she is neither invisible or ignored and not only do they manage to find her family but learn a little about the life she has lead, including the significance of the lemon she is clutching.  “Every line on her face seemed to hold a story.” The final image is touching and suggests that not only has Maryam lived many stories but a new one has begun.

As the Baby Boomer generation ages and dementia and other age-related illnesses take their toll, sadly there are many who seem to be forgotten and unseen by society generally and the isolation is compounded when communications break down through either a lack of English or the loss or memory.  Luckily, Maryam’s family had ensured she had an identity bracelet to help with just this situation but the fear of a loved one wandering off is ever-present.  

While this story puts a face and personal context to this growing issue it is nevertheless a universal story – one playing out in so many families regardless of their heritage, language and beliefs.  We can only hope that if Maryam were our elderly relative, it would be a Safiya who noticed her. 

One Day

Jun14
One Day

One Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Day

Shirley Marr

Michael Speechley

Walker Books, 2025

40pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781760659790

What would you do if, like the mayfly,  you only lived for one day?

Would you let the pessimism of the frog who tells you that “the world will eat you up” send you scurrying to the shelter of the pond to spend your life in safety (assuming the frog isn’t the ‘world’ that eats you, or do you put on your party hat and  decide to make the most of it regardless?

This is one of those books in which text and illustration are so closely woven that one doesn’t work without the other. Printed so that you have to turn it around to read it, each double page spread celebrates a little girl’s journey through life  as she sets out on this “map with no set destination.”  Watched over by her grandparents, and through clever wordplay that Speechley has integrated in the names of the buildings we follow June as she follows the mayfly’s discovery of the city and her own familiar paths of A1 Daycare, Daylight Primary, Day Street High School, Juan Dei University, jobs, travel, as well as surprises around unexpected corners, celebrating and enjoying the time that is given her because every moment is precious.  Like the mayfly who has such limited time (and is aware of that) but who is undeterred by the frog’s prophecy and determined to make the most of the time it has,  June, too, is determined to make the most of the time she has, also undeterred by negativity, and not intimidated by circumstance or surroundings. Who, among us, would have the courage to choose between The Daily Grind, Day Job Corporation, and Dream Job Ltd, especially if Dream Job is as limited as its name implies?  

This is a story of optimism, positivity and belief that  introduces young readers to the passage of time – an abstract concept that is tricky for little ones- but can also encourage deep conversations with those who are older. Recent news bulletins in which significant world leaders have said their countries “are preparing for war” sent shivers down my spine, so how must our young tweens and teens be feeling?  If it’s not the power-brokers sending the world to hell in a handbasket, then the planet is doomed from an environmental perspective anyway so perhaps this is an opportune time to ponder if we only have one day, do we spend it in despair or delight? What does the Latin phrase Carpe Diem mean?

Definitely one to add to the mindfulness curriculum for all ages to initiate discussion and perhaps inspire a different mindset, maybe even a more positive lifetime choice.