Michael Hyde, Morrison & Mr Moore, in case of emergency press, September 2021, 204 pp., RRP $39.58 (pbk), ISBN 9780645128024 Michael Hyde is a long-experienced writer for children, and secondary school teacher. This marvellously engaging novel comes from his long experience, with all the benefits of a writing life behind him. As with much Young Adult fiction, the first-person voice of a character on the edge of understanding life must hold the narrative together. And Morrison does just that. He is one of the outsiders at his school, smart enough to do well at any subject, but smart enough too,…
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Julie Hunt and Terry Whitebeach, Tyenna (Through My Eyes Australian Disaster Zones, series editor Lyn White), Allen & Unwin, March 2022, 198 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760877019 Tyenna (Tye to her friends) is thirteen, and excited to be going on holidays to her grandparents in central Tasmania’s Broadwater Lake area. It is 2019, the year of Tasmania’s terrifying summer bushfires. 2000 hectares were burnt in these fires, the most extensive blaze since 1967. The fires were caused by lightning strikes from storms that are a result of climate change. For the first time, Tye will have her own small…
Catherine Jinks (text) and Tania McCartney (illustrator), Mrs Koala’s Beauty Parlour, HarperCollins Children’s Books, February 2022, 32 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781921504648 Mrs Koala has a busy day at her beauty parlour! Counting down from ten to one, she dyes, massages, shears and pierces pampered animals before kicking back at the end of the day. The animal clients range from the everyday, like dogs, to some less familiar choices like minks and baboons. The alliteration and short text make this very fun to read aloud. Tania McCartney’s illustrations are a stand-out. The bold and colourful digital illustrations layer patterns…
Claire Orrell, In an Artist’s Garden, Thames & Hudson, January 2022, 36 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760761479 With rhyming verse, Orrell introduces the gardens of fourteen artists. Readers are invited to find objects hidden in the fine illustrations, such as spectacles, animals, such as frogs and birds, and plants, such as vegetables. There are also hidden statues and other things to discover. A short biography of each artist is included. There are 12 from abroad and 2 from Australia – May Gibbs and Emily Kame Kngwarreye. The oversea artists range from Claude Monet (France), through Beatrix Potter (UK) and…
Sally Morgan, This is Me!, Magabala Books, February 2022, 16 pp., RRP $12.99 (board), ISBN 9781922613073 Joining the influx of self-affirming books for kids, is this lovely colourful board book from indigenous author/illustrator Sally Morgan. Perhaps best known for her debut My Place, Morgan is a prolific creator of children’s books, and this is her second board book for indigenous publisher, Magabala. The book is narrated by a young indigenous girl and draws parallels with the natural world. I can speak up like a wise bird I can stand strong like a mighty tree The bright colours, along with the…
Adam Gidwitz, A Tale Dark & Grimm, Andersen Press, October 2021, 208 pp., RRP $20.25 (pbk), ISBN 9781783440870 The first book in the Grimm series trilogy, A Tale Dark and Grimm, author Adam Gidwitz revives the original Grimm brother fairy tales in an irreverent and amusing manner. So, despite the often violent and grisly events, kids are likely to read it as more awesome than gruesome. I haven’t watched the spinoff Netflix series, but I can easily imagine that it would translate well to an entertaining animated programme. The narrator’s voice is strong throughout the story, commenting on characters and…
R. A. Spratt, Friday Barnes Undercover (Friday Barnes #10), Penguin Random House, February 2022, 288 pp., RRP $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761043659 This is the tenth adventure for Friday, and there will be at least another after this, according to the advertisement at the back of the book. This one has Friday continuing to solve other people’s problems through her faultless logic and observation. She hardly needs to go out of the site of the crime to find the criminal or criminals. Friday’s teenage crush is on the heart-stoppingly handsome Ian, and it seems her attraction is reciprocated. But it is…
Helen Milroy, The Sweetest Egg of All, Magabala Books, February 2022, 72 pp., RRP $22.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922613080 Gecko and Thorny Devil have the best of intentions when they plan a birthday surprise for their friend Bungarra. However, good intentions don’t always lead to the best outcomes as the two discover. In their quest for the perfect present (the sweetest egg of all) they upset Willy Wagtail, and the Bush Mob need to come together to find a solution – a solution that means Willy Wagtail is happy and Bungarra will receive a sweet birthday surprise after all. This book…
Lucy Cousins, A Good Place, Walker Books, March 2022, 40 pp., RRP $25.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781529501254 Not a Maisy in sight in this colourful new picture book from Lucy Cousins. Four insect friends in the city are looking for a good place to live but they all have different needs. Bee needs flowers, Ladybird needs leaves, for Beetle it is dead wood while Dragonfly wants a pond. But their search is hampered by their urban environment with people and vehicles causing dangerous situations. Eventually a friendly butterfly leads them to a wonderful place where all their needs are met and…
Sally Soweol Han, Tiny Wonders, University of Queensland Press, February 2022, 40 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780702263477 The first thing that hit me about Tiny Wonders was the riotous colour of the flowers on the cover, and the wide-eyed happy smile of the little girl carrying the jar. This is the story of April trying to bring that same sense of wonder and delight to everyone around her, and the way she settles on is dandelions. Something simple, something every day. Everything around April is grey, and all the adults are too caught up in the bustle to stop…