Janeen Brian (text) and Danny Snell (illustrator), Aussie Kids: Meet Mia by the Jetty, Puffin Books, July 2020, 64 pp., RRP $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760893668 Welcome to South Australia! In this book we are introduced to the affable main character, Mia. Immediately we are immersed in the beautiful place Mia calls home; Victor Harbor. There is something different on the horizon though for Mia and her big sister Alice, as their mum announces a weekend guest is due to stay with them, and it is a boy, a real boy too – Jim! Much to her sister’s displeasure, Mia is on a mission to share the delights of South Australia with Jim as a ‘super tour guide’. Mia’s plan also stems…
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Robert Moore (text) and Mandy Foot (illustrator), Esmeralda’s Nest, MidnightSun Publishing, July 2020, 32 pp., RRP $29.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925227666 This farmyard story for children 4 to 8 is about Esmeralda the pig, who mysteriously waddles down the hill each day with a new found object. She is clearly on a mission, but what is she up to? Readers will enjoy finding out in the end if they don’t predict it from the title. This clever picture book explores a number of topics: days of the week, weather, ways that animals nest, the kinds of jobs that need to be done around the farm…
Pamela Rushby, The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle, Walker Books Australia, July 2020, 336 pp., RRP $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760651930 Hattie is a 12-year-old orphan stuck in a boarding school she hates when her guardian is eaten by a crocodile. As a result, she is sent to relatives she never knew she had: Great-uncle Sisyphus and Great-aunt Iphigenia Right away, Pamela Rushby will make readers understand and sympathise with Hattie. Her enviable talent of imbuing her writing with effortless humour ensures her portrayal of Hattie as a mix of older smarts with a 12-year-old’s point of view will make readers adore her. Crumblin Castle certainly lives up to its name when Hattie arrives, but it is also intriguing to her natural curiosity. Even more…
Paul Seden (text) and Brenton McKenna (illustrator), Aussie Kids: Meet Sam at the Mangrove Creek, Puffin Books, July 2020, 64 pp., RRP $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760894122 There is so much to love about the new Aussie Kids Series! Eight books in the series, each one representing a character and story unique to an Australian state or territory. But wait there is more – each book has been written and illustrated by eight different authors and illustrators! Love it. In this book, set in the Northern Territory, we Meet Sam at the Mangrove Creek and spring straight into the excitement of Sam waking up ready to go fishing, with his brand-new throw net. He saved his hard-earned pocket money for it, making…
Guido van Genechten, Little White Fish and his Daddy, Catch a Star, May 2020, 24 pp., RRP $12.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922326034 ; Little White Fish Under the Ocean, Catch a Star, August 2020, 24pp., RRP $12.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922326102 Colourful illustrations and simple language wonderfully combine to create two engaging stories in Little White Fish and his Daddy and Little White Fish Under the Ocean by author-illustrator Guido van Genechten. In Little White Fish and his Daddy, Little Fish has fun with lots of his ocean friends, and learns all about how amazing dads can be. Funny, fast, clever and strong – Little Fish learns about all the wonderful ways his friends’ dads are special. But what is special his…
Various, Hope: 50 Ways to Help Our Planet Every Day, Puffin Books, August 2020, 176 pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9 781760 896737 Hope: 50 Ways to Help Our Planet Every Day is a call to action for our younger change-makers to affect real change through everyday activities. Containing real life eco case studies from children this insightful and practical book offers inventive tips to help the planet at home, school and in local communities. Well-known environmental activists and authors’ quotes are scattered throughout providing encouraging gems of hope. Yes, hope is a central theme throughout the book and is inspirational in its message to make our shared world better, and how we as individuals can play an integral role in making…
The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature just gets bigger and better with their insightful resources and information. On their website now sits the Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource, a comprehensive resource offering information about a range of books for children aged from birth to eight years. This first stage, funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, was created by a team of people from a range of backgrounds, including Aboriginal People, all with expert knowledge in children’s literature. Each annotated entry includes bibliographic information, subjects, audience age range, creator’s cultural background, location of story and community information…
Bob Graham, Ellie’s Dragon, Walker Books Australia, June 2020, 40 pp., RRP $27.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781406387629 Little Ellie has a new imaginary friend – a dragon called Scratch. She cares for Scratch and he goes with her everywhere, including to preschool, where her friends can see him, but adults cannot. When she goes to school, she’s so excited, she forgets to take Scratch. As she grows, Scratch is there for her when she needs him, but she begins to need him less and less, until eventually, he is just a faded memory. In Bob Graham’s recognisable whimsical style, the illustrations provide plenty for young children to explore with details of the dragon to…
Renee Treml, Ten Sleepy Sheep, Puffin Books, August 2020, 24 pp., RRP $14.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760896768 By author-illustrator Renee Treml, Ten Sleepy Sheep is a new counting board book with her signature pencil-drawn animals. With black and white animals on beautiful, muted background colours, the book uses gentle rhyme to count down from ten sheep to one sleepy joey. The book is printed on beautiful, glossy card and is sure to make a wonderful enduring present for babies. Reviewed by Pamela Ueckerman https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/0LB6P
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, The Other Side of the Sky, Allen & Unwin, September 2020, 480 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760637675 When Prince North falls to the earth from the cloudlands and goddess incarnate Nimh finds him, sci-fi and fantasy worlds collide, sparking an exciting adventure filled with duty, love, magic, prophecy, and betrayal. Nimh comes from a struggling world on earth where they believe their gods had abandoned them for the cloudlands. Deadly mist storms ravage the lands daily, and the people are becoming increasingly hungry and desperate. But they have magic, and when Nimh manifests her divine aspect she will be their leader and saviour. However, it has been ten years and Nimh still hasn’t manifested. The people are…