Martin McKenna, The Crocodolly, Omnibus Books/Scholastic, 1 September 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk) ISBN 978 1 74299 071 2 Resourceful little Adelaide turns her hand to baking a cake. She cracks an egg into the mix only to discover that, in so doing, she has just hatched a little crocodile, a creature so gorgeous that she determines to keep him, notwithstanding the house rule of ‘no pets’. The trouble is that crocodiles do not stay small forever. What to do? Adelaide devises a cunning plan of disguising the little reptile as a doll, its body concealed by a lacy pink frock, a…
Author: Admin
Lisa Miranda Sarzin (text), Lauren Briggs (illus.) Stories for Simon, Random House, 1 May 2015, 32pp., $24.99 ISBN 9780857987440 Simon is a young boy who learns about the Stolen Generations and ‘Sorry Day’. He dreams about a storm in which the rain becomes ‘sorry’ stones and finds the stones in his room on awakening. On his way to find a place for the stones, he befriends a young indigenous boy named Vic, who takes him to meet his Nan, Aunty Betty. She swaps his stones for stories. The last precious story she tells is about how she was taken from her…
Margaret Wild (text), Judith Rossell (illus.) Bogtrotter, Walker, 1 May 2015, 32pp., $24.95, ISBN 9781921977558 Bogtrotter is a fluffy green creature with a goofy smile and clod-hopping feet. He is also a creature of routine. Every day, all day, he runs across the bog, up the bog, down the bog and around the bog. He knows there’s something better out there, but he doesn’t quite know how to get it. One day he meets an inquisitive frog whose questions prompt him to ponder. He notices a flower between his toes. For the first time ever, he picks a flower. His heart…
Gregg Dreise, Kookoo Kookaburra, Magabala Books, May 2015, 32pp., $24.95 (hbk), ISBN 9781921248900 Kookoo is a kookaburra that has a talent for telling stories. All the bush creatures love to gather to listen to his funny tales. One day Kookoo cannot think of anything funny so he begins to make fun of the creatures’ differences instead. The kookaburra’s teasing makes the hearts of his friends sink lower than the belly of the black snake. Soon the animals ignore Kookoo and he realises that his own laughter is not a happy sound. He remembers his elder’s wise words, ‘kindness is…
Aaron Blabey, Pig the Fibber, Scholastic, 1 May 2015, 28pp., $16.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781743629062 Pig was a pug who often told lies to get his own way. Poor Trevor, a sausage dog, always got the blame until one day, Pig’s sneakiest plan backfired. Now Pig has learned his lesson – about telling lies anyway. This is the eagerly awaited second book in the series about Pig, the greedy Pug. As in the first book, the rhyming text is a joy to read aloud and the bold, funny pictures will have readers chortling. Children will relate to the set-up where someone…
Stephanie Thatcher, The Toy Fairy, Starfish Bay, 1 May 2015, 32pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780994100733 (hbk) 9780994100726 (pbk) Encouraging empathy and graciousness in children is a challenging, yet important concept. This book, using the Toy Fairy as an adaptation of the mythical Tooth Fairy, takes the reader on a journey of discovery into what life might be like for others. The reference to the Tooth Fairy gives a familiar abstract in which to approach this picture book. The Toy Fairy, like the Tooth Fairy, is a small, mystical, night visiting character and it is through this character that the narrative…
Trace Balla. Shine, Allen & Unwin, June 2015, 24pp., $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781743316344 “We all come from the stars, we all go back to the stars…” It is from these words, spoken by her Grandmother, that author Trace Balla was inspired to craft this sensitive and emotional picture book about love, life and loss. Shine invites the reader on a journey through a life, from the freedoms of youth, to the magic of companionship. Embracing the joy of family, the sadness of loss and finally depicting the slow emergence from darkness. Bravely the author does not shy away from the…
Nikki Slade Robinson, Muddle & Mo, Starfish Bay, 1 May 2015, 32pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780994100757 (hbk) 9780994100740 (pbk) The important discovery of what makes each of us unique is told through this rather comical tale about a duck with an identity crisis. Page by page the assertive, yet likeable duck makes concerning discoveries about his friends absence of duck-like features. The conversational script, which is played out between the two characters allows the reader to play with voices and tones, further adding to the delight of this tale. There is a limited amount of text throughout, with most double…
Phil Cummings (text), Owen Swan (illus.), Newspaper Hats, Scholastic, 1 July 2015, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781743622544 This most powerful and moving book shines a light on a child’s reaction to the sometimes uneasy reality of our ageing loved ones. Georgie visits her grandfather in a nursing home and is at first dismayed at his inability to remember her. She quickly taps into his hold on the past by encouraging him to create paper hats from his hoard newspapers. The controlled palette illustrations are so hauntingly beautiful they could stand alone. So thoroughly Australian and unflinching in their honesty they…
Nick Bland, The Very Noisy Bear, Scholastic, 1 July 2015, 24pp., $16.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781743627853 Bear is invited to join a band of musicians in the woods rather than complain about the noise they are making. His attempts at mastering the instruments cause havoc and even when he is given the mike his attempts are extremely loud. However, the band like the effect, and rehearsal ends. But Bear is so heartened by his success that he steals away to play the violin. This book has smiles on every page, and Bear’s courage and persistence win the day or night! A book…