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The World from Here

Feb12
The World from Here

The World from Here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The World from Here

Cassy Polimeni

Mel Armstrong

CSIRO Publishing, 2026

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

9781486319855

Have you ever stretched out on the grass on a warm day and looked for pictures in the clouds?

Perhaps you have flown above the clouds and looked down on land spread out like a giant quilt.

Or maybe you’ve had a fright as lightning flashes and thunder cracks overhead.

Or even, as I am now, watched the fog rolling in from the mountains cloaking everything in mist and blurring even the tallest, sturdiest trees into ghostly shapes.

Blending storytelling with science, readers experience the natural weather wonders of the planet through Milo’s ground-based perspective, and Maya’s airborne view from the window of the plane. Both wonder at the clouds, both feel anxious during the storm, and both marvel at what is revealed afterwards as Milo sees what emerges after the rain, while Maya has such clear skies she can clearly count the stars. 

A blend of nephrology, meteorology and geography, this is a fascinating book that takes the very abstract concept of perspective and places it into the real world so young readers can begin to understand that each person sees the world and its wonders differently depending on where we are, where we are from, what we know and believe and have experienced and even out frame of mind at the time.  By having Milo and Maya both looking at the same things but in physically different places, the reader can understand that what they see will be different – the tricky part is trying to imagine the view from the different angle.  At the same time, after the storm which makes each of them feel uncomfortable, both children are encouraged to look for the details in Nature.

So is this a book about basic Earth Sciences, and the weather in particular, or is it an introduction to better understanding the people around us and learning to form better relationships? IMO, it is both.  While the storytelling text could be viewed through the lens of developing friendships  – the storm could be an analogy for a disagreement or argument and “things might look different after a storm, so pay attention” – the accompanying speech bubbles are designed to increase knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon – the study of clouds is called nephrology, and the  tendency to see shapes in them in pareidolia.  Connecting the two seamlessly are the vibrant illustrations  that expand the physical elements of the text, but also are so much more than scientific diagrams. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Whether this is used as an introduction to weather (and back matter and teachers’ notes add to this aspect) or a way of helping students understand relationships better, perhaps even resolving conflicts, it is unique in its concept and  has a foot firmly in both perspectives. 

 

The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets

Jan18
The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets

The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Girl and the Ghost: Family Secrets

Jacqueline Harvey

Penguin, 2025

368pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

 9781761349416

Josephine Eloise Thomas (aka Jet) has moved  from metro Sydney to rural France with her dad Matt, stepmum Ellie, brother Teddy and golden retriever, Daisy to renovate an old chateau they have bought to turn into a guesthouse. They have chosen the location deliberately because Jet’s mum was born and raised there, but she died when Jet was very young and little is known about her childhood.  But what sounds like it could be another episode of Escape to the Chateau takes an interesting turn when Jet finds an old locket hidden in an armoire (wardrobe) in her room, and even more intriguing when she opens it and a ghost emerges. And it’s not any old past resident of the chateau but  one who claims to be Louis XVII. younger son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette and heir to the French throne.

It seems that only Jet and Daisy can see and hear him, and if she closes the locket he is locked away again, which she does often until they start to build a “friendship” but that’s when the mystery begins… Is it about Louis’ life because history says he died in 1795 at the age of 10 at the Cafe La Tour du Temple in Paris yet the ghost claims to be 14 and was smuggled out of the capital and looked after in a nearby chateau until he got sick and died from a broken heart?  Is it about the mysterious childhood of Jet’s mother where there are questions and clues, but no answers?

Now, in the second in this series, Jet is looking forward to her friend Harriet coming for a visit, but before that she and her friend Gabriel are at the Louvre with their families to be given a reward for solving the great art heist of the first book. Her secret friend Louis is also there, but amidst all the fun and festivities comes news that the mastermind of the heist has escaped custody and wants revenge. So as well as wanting to find out the answers to her questions about her mother’s family and her heritage, as well as discovering what happened to Louis’ lost love Madeleine Aubert, Jet and Gabriel have to deal with this new threat. Is Jet really being followed or is she paranoid?  And can she let Gabriel and Harriet into her secret relationship with Louis?

Full of twists and turns that add layers of intrigue to this story that is best read in sequence, independent readers who enjoy historical fiction with the hint of romance are going to not only enjoy this sequel but eagerly await the next development as we are told that “book three is percolating” and we won’t have to wait long for it!    

Don’t Forget

Jan5
Don't Forget

Don’t Forget

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Forget

Jane Godwin

Anna Walker

Puffin, 2026

32pp., board book., RRP $A16.99

9781761359668

Sometimes being a kid can be overwhelming – there are so many things to remember to do, to say, to be… Particularly with all the busyness and chaos in the lives of our children, these days.

Don’t forget to make your bed, and wear socks that fit your feet.

Don’t forget to brush your teeth, and don’t forget your homework!

In this charming book for young readers, the initial hardback version of which was acknowledged in the 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Notables , little ones are reminded that as well as all that actual stuff, in the whirlwind of the day it is easy to forget the other things that are just as important…

Don’t forget to wonder, to be brave, to share.

Don’t forget to imagine, and to feel the touch of each season

For while we have to do that ordinary, everyday stuff, it is the long-term, intangible things that create memories, build dreams and shape us as we grow.  While celebrating the joy of childhood, Godwin has carefully chosen events that will resonate widely but, all the while, it is the connections with nature, the being with and  caring for others that are the most enduring – the things that cause us to wonder, to imagine, to share and to reflect that are both the building blocks and the stepping stones.

Alongside Godwin’s superficially simple text are Anna Walker’s exquisite illustrations which bring both the text and the child’s life to life.  The reader becomes part of the neighbourhood, rather than an observer, again reinforcing that connectedness on which families and communities are built. At a time when on the surface it seems we are more connected than ever but in reality are not,  books like this which celebrate the simple, that literally remind us to smell the roses, that ground us in the here-and-now rather than the what’s-next and the what-might-be that will help us realise that which really matters.  It’s not about the extravaganza birthday party that was missed but the community street party that was shared by all.

It’s powerful and engaging and not a surprise that it has been released in this new format.

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 Cockatoo Crew (series)

Nov7
The Cockatoo Crew (series)

The Cockatoo Crew (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cockatoo Crew (series)

Elif’s Itchy Palm

9781760803148

Sambu Won’t Grow 

9781760803155

Lora Inak

Kruti Desai

UWAP, 2025

90pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

As this school year draws to a close, we all recognise the gamut of feelings some students are experiencing as they face a move to a new school, whether it’s because it’s the natural next step in their education, family circumstances or something else that is uprooting them from their comfort zone. Anticipation, expectation, trepidation, anxiety, fear  – all underpinned by the common concern about will they be liked and will they make friends.  Then compound those feelings by being in a new country, knowing no one except your family and scarcely speaking a word of English.  All you know are the few words you learned in school in Türkiye and yet, here you are, in a new country, quieter, greener, wider, bigger  and cleaner than what you are used to with no familiar sights, sounds or smells .

It’s Elif’s first day at Cockatoo Hill English Language School and despite her dede reassuring her that it won’t be long before she feels she belongs, Elif is very nervous.  She meets her special helper who speaks both Turkish and English and who will be by her side at school helping her until she has the confidence to cope but how long will that be? And then she meets the Cockatoo Crew, her eight classmates each from a different part of the world, and each with different beliefs, perspectives and stories. Could these be the friends she has been craving?

This is the first in this new series that is for those who are newly independent readers, whether they are like Elif and just mastering this new language, or just mastering reading or both,  And from the get-go where the front pages greet you with a range of “portraits’ of kids welcoming you in their own language, you know that this is going to be a stand-above series because it is filling a gap in the collection by putting the reader directly into the shoes of Elif and Sambu and the others so they can view the world through the lens of those not born here, who don’t speak the language, are unfamiliar with the food and games, and don’t necessarily understand  the quirky things that Australians do.  Yet, at the same time as learning to appreciate the challenges such children face, it is soon clear through the stories that despite the differences all children share the same hopes, aspirations and fears.  Elif is worried that she has lost the special $2 coin here dede gave her; Sambu that even though he is about to be 10 he is not tall  like his Kenyan Massai Warrior ancestors… And just as the English-speaking child learns that, so too, the non-English speaking child sees a story about themselves and their first experiences as they put their foot in the door of the Introductory English Centre for the first time… and learn that you do not have to be the same as everyone else to fit in and belong.  

With all the supports these children need, including familiar characters and situations, uncomplicated storylines,  shorter chapters, larger fonts and plenty of illustrations to illuminate unfamiliar concepts and vocabulary, the production crew has nailed the formatting, while the critical issue of a well–written, engaging story remains central.

Throughout my time in schools, including an IEC, and particularly on a gazillion playground duties,  if I’ve learned anything, it is that despite any differences they might have on the surface, kids will find a work-around so they can play together, enjoy each other’s company, and have fun.  Everything else is irrelevant because after all, we all smile in the same language.  And this series captures that perfectly, making it a must-have in any school where there is anyone from elsewhere who needs some support and reassurance – with the language or otherwise.  

A simple way to welcome all out students and their families - the kids had to dress themselves in one of the variations of our school uniform! The chatter to ensure they had an original combo was exciting to eavesdrop on...

A simple way to welcome all out students and their families – the kids had to dress themselves in one of the variations of our school uniform! The chatter to ensure they had an original combo was exciting to eavesdrop on…

Between

Oct2
Between

Between

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Between

Anna Walker

Scribble, 2025

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

9781761381591

Between the covers of this book, in sparse but lyrical text and exquisite illustrations, is the story of a meeting between a cabbage moth and a cricket and the tentative steps they make towards friendship in the brief time they have between dusk and dawn. 

Sparked in the creator’s mind after she discovered the small bodies of both a moth and a cricket lying on her window sill, and wondering about how they might have interacted in those hours of darkness,  Walker not only explores the physical connections but how small gestures of friendship between strangers can build strong and lasting bridges that break down barriers and impact our own lives. 

This is a story for all ages, offering something for the very young as they think about being a good friend even if the other person is very different to you, while publisher Miriam Rosenbloom says that for her, as a cancer survivor, it “speaks to the two halves of my before and after self.”  

Usually when we think of the word “between” we think of a separating space of time or distance, both literal and metaphorical, and, indeed, that is how the book begins… “Between day and night, between near and far…”  But when it is joined by the pronoun “us”, indicating a coming together, as the cricket and moth eventually do, then it has a different connotation that implies a symbiosis that offers strength, unity and hope going forward.  And that is the power of this book, IMO. 

Millie Mak Makes Her Mark

Oct1
Millie Mak Makes Her Mark

Millie Mak Makes Her Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millie Mak Makes Her Mark

Alice Pung

Sher Rill Ng

HarperCollins, 2025

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

9781460767009

Millie Mak is back in the final instalment of this series for younger independent readers who enjoy contemporary realistic fiction that reflects both their lives and their relationships. 

Now she has settled into her new life in a new school,  her family having moved to a new neighbourhood to be closer to her mother’s parents, and made new friends, each as individual as she is yet sharing a love for creating, particularly with fabric, the Fru-Gals are trying to start their own online business.  But, even though it’s school holidays,  it’s tricky when you have to take care of younger siblings who seem intent on squabbling all the time.  But a chance encounter with a family who are on a temporary visit to town shows them that not only can you have fun with your brothers and sisters but you can have your own adventures too, and the girls discover the magic of dyeing plain fabric with natural materials and then creating something really special with the squares. 

In the second story, Veesa is caught in a dilemma.  While the Fru-Gals pride themselves on recycling, repurposing and upcycling,  Veesa’s mother earns her living by sewing “fast fashion” –  cheap, mass-produced clothing which replicates  current trends, encouraging frequent purchasing and discarding of items due to their low cost and rapid obsolescence – and this is in direct contrast to what the Fru-Gals believe, particularly the impact on the environment.   Not only does the issue give Veesa food for thought, but it could spark conversations amongst the readers. 

As usual, each story is followed by instructions to make some of the things that the girls do, encouraging both creativity and problem-solving as well as trying something new.

In this series, Alice Pung nails the issues of young girls straddling being the “little girl” and the one finding her identity as independence and the double-digit years loom, complicated by the physical differences and expectations as puberty kicks in.  Millie expresses a lot of those inner thoughts and concerns that most have while trying to negotiate the ups and downs of relationships that involve others with similar insecurities, particularly those who might not as confident in standing up for themselves, but by realising that their feelings are not unique, might gain the courage to keep following their own path. But one of its strengths is that from that shy, new-girl-in-school, Millie has grown and matured – as have her friends, each having found their niche in both the group and the community – just as the regular readers will also have developed. 

Interestingly, when I reviewed Millie Mak the Maker in 2023, my friend had just offered school-holiday sewing classes for young children and had been swamped by the response; and once again, she is finding the same thing.  There is definitely an interest in these traditional crafts and a demand for those who can pass them on.  Who knows where this series might take the reader… 

Shibu’s Tail

Sep30
Shibu's Tail

Shibu’s Tail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shibu’s Tail

Tess Thomas

Kamwei Fong

A & U Children’s, 2025

48pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761182525

Whatever Shibu the cat is feeling, whether he’s happy, afraid or literally bristling with anger, his tail tells his mood. But when the other cats started looking at him strangely when he expressed his feelings this way, rather than attracting the spotlight, he decides to stifle them. Shibu represses his joy over the milk delivery, his rage over a broken toy, and his fear during a lightning storm but while it might have helped him blend in with those other cats, it wasn’t long before he felt that he was going to explode.  And then, one day, he did… 

Using thousands of tiny, monochromatic strokes as fine as cat fur to depict Shibu and his emotions, and including a tactile cover,  this is a masterful depiction of a cat and its feelings, that once shared with young readers, will enable them to return to it again and again to tell themselves the story unassisted, while the story itself can serve to help them understand that emotions are natural expressions and it is healthy to share how we are feeling, particularly if we are starting to feel overwhelmed.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

There are many books available to help our youngest learn to recognise and deal with their emotions, but the development of emotional intelligence is a gradual process, different for each and so the more often they hear this message the better equipped they will be.  What sets this particular one apart is that by using Shibu and his tail to express his feelings, they can begin to think about how others might be feeling rather than just themselves.  Learning to interpret facial expressions and body language is a critical skill in developing relationships and this is an excellent gateway to discussing, “How can you tell if someone is feeling….?” or “How can you tell if your mum is cross with you?”  They can have lots of fun pulling all sorts of expressions and adopting different stances, while at the same time learning that there are messages being conveyed and some contain a line not to be crossed.

 

How Big Is Love?

Sep23
How Big Is Love?

How Big Is Love?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Big Is Love?

Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler

Jade Goodwin

Lothian Children’s, 2025

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

 9780734420176

When Big Nutbrown Hare declared to Little Nutbrown Hare, ‘I love you right up to the moon – AND BACK’, in Guess How Much I Love You, author Sam McBratney gave the world one of the most quoted lines from a children’s story book in a long time.

Now, Australian children, particularly those with First Nations heritage, have their own version as grandmother and child sit on the porch, snuggled under a patchwork quilt at sunset watching a storm roll in. When the grandmother whispers, ‘I love you,’ the child needs reassurance: ‘How much?’ And with each new declaration stretching further and further beyond the child’s vision as the child repeats her question, she gets more and more comfortable until, by the time she hears ‘My love stretches back to Creation and forward to the end of time. I loved you then, I love you now, I’ll love you always.‘ she finally falls asleep, knowing she is both safe and loved and always will be.  Love has no bounds and no boundaries.

Enriched by the bright , warm colours of Goodwin’s illustrations, that wrap around the reader like the patchwork quilt – and all  that that, in itself, symbolises – the child feels protected from the in-coming storm (literal and metaphorical) , because this sort of love is infinite, regardless of whether you are Indigenous or of another heritage.  It transcends culture, religion, socioeconomic background , political persuasion or any other dictate but now has a uniquely Australian context for the young child to embrace, and for the First Nations child to connect even more closely with Country.  

While this seems like a book to be shared at bedtime between adult and child, it also offers the possibility to talk about the emotion because even though it is intangible, “love makes the world go round”  and it takes many forms between different people.  So little ones can share how people, in various roles in their life, show them love, and how they, in return, reciprocate it.  They can learn that it doesn’t always have to be hugs, cuddles and kisses, that it can take many forms – even their mum being mad at them for doing something silly because it was dangerous is a form of love.  And that if they do get yelled at, it is what they are doing that is not loved, not them.  But most importantly, whatever the words, love is all-encompassing, enduring and ever-lasting as memories allow us to love even after someone has passed. 

Young readers are often presented with books that help them understand their big emotions and how to handle them but this one just celebrates the share joy of connection, making it a delight to share. 

 

 

Hannah Backwards

Sep11
Hannah Backwards

Hannah Backwards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hannah Backwards

Kim Rackham

Heidi Cooper Smith

Riveted Press, 2025

96pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781764007139

Hannah loves the familiar rhythm of her days—walking to school with her best friend Izzi, spending afternoons with Nana and Pop, and cosy weekends with her parents. She is one who prefers predictability, routines  and the regular rhythm of her life, but for those times when there is disruption that makes her anxious, she has a secret in her pocket.  Her Nana has given her a special worry stone to rub and trace its spiral to bring calm in those uncertain moments and although she doesn’t realise it, Hannah is really going to need it because big changes are coming. 

First, her beloved teacher Mr. Spicer leaves. Then, the unthinkable—Izzi is moving away. As Hannah struggles with the idea of goodbye, her worry stone is always in her hand, but it can’t stop the storm of emotions building inside her. A moment of anger threatens to shatter everything they’ve shared, and Hannah is left to find a way to make things right.

And can endings really be beginnings, like Mr Spicer says?

This is a verse novel for younger readers, many of whom will have faced similar upheavals as the certain becomes uncertain and threaten to turn their lives upside down.  Because its verse novel format is entirely in the first-person exposing all Hannah’s thoughts and emotions, it is easy for the young reader to become Hannah and relate to what is happening and understand that when you’re young and living in the here-and-now, it’s hard to see the bigger picture and the opportunities and silver linings that disruptions can open up. They will empathise with her anxiety, and feel her confusion about the future as they have experienced similar feelings, focusing on what they  are going to lose and miss rather than being able to look forwards to what could be.  It’s not that they, or Hannah, are pessimists – it’s just where they are at in their emotional development. 

This is an ideal book to read together with someone (or a class) for whom change is coming to reassure them that their feelings of grief and uncertainty are real and natural, but also helping them realise that there is life after loss and that just because a favourite friend or teacher or someone is not physically there, it is possible for the connections to continue, regardless of who makes the move – which is likely to be the theme of the sequel Izzi Upside Down coming 2026.

At a time when it seems some parents are intent on protecting their children from any sort of adversity so they don’t develop the natural resilience to setbacks that we expect, this is an opportunity to discuss the inevitable and how to deal with it, for while a worry stone can be a comfort, it can’t be a solution. Mr Spicer was right – endings can become beginnings.

For those who want to dig deeper, there is an insightful interview with the author here.