Alister Nicholson (text) and Tom Jellett (illustrator), Cricket, I Just Love It!, Allen & Unwin, November 2021, 32 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760526801 From makeshift wickets to mixed gender teams and supportive kid’s Dads stepping in as umpires for weekend matches, this is a book that celebrates cricket as a sport for all ages, written by a cricket- loving ABC sports broadcaster. Cricket has been an important part of the Australian way of life for over a century. Cricket is our nation’s main summer sport in terms of participants, spectators, and media coverage. The position of Australian Test cricket…
Author: Admin
Jennifer Cossins, Book of Curious Birds, Hachette Australia, October 2021, 64 pp., RRP $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734420473 Jennifer Cossins’s distinctive, bold, colourful and ‘full of character’ animal illustrations are once again exhibited in this lovely celebration of a diverse range of bird species. A two-page spread is dedicated to each bird species, beginning with a summary of key facts, followed by a few paragraphs that describe interesting features and behaviours, alongside a full-page illustration of the bird. Cossins has illustrated several animal books, and she has a knack for capturing just the right amount of detail and personality whilst retaining the simplicity of…
Matt Stanton, Funny Kid Prank Ninjas, HarperCollins Publishers, September 2021, 288 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780733340628 I was thrilled to find Prank Ninjas, the 10th book in the Funny Kid series by popular author Matt Stanton, in my pack of books to review. This series is constantly on loan from the library and I was keen to find out why they’re so popular. The story is told “tongue in cheek” in the voice of Max Walburt (Funny Kid) who considers himself to be an expert prankster – or prank ninja, in his words. Max is pre-occupied with a prank…
Andy Jones (text) and Olaf Falafel (illustrator), Unleash Your Creative Monster: A Children’s Guide to Writing, Walker Books, September 2021, 176 pp., RRP $24.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781406396621 Described as a funny and informative guide to creative writing, Unleash Your Creative Monster: A Children’s Guide to Writing is a wonderful and practical guide written to encourage primary school age children interested in creative writing. Written by Andy Jones, an Australian author and illustrated by Olaf Falafel (awesome pseudonym alert) this tome provides the essentials for young writers and/or new writers wishing to improve their skills. It is clear from the writing…
Wilf Reeves (text) and Olga Miller (illustrator), The Legends of Moonie Jarl, Wiley, October 2021, 48 pp., RRP $24.95 (hbk), ISBN 9780730395546 This fascinating book is a reprint of an important and classic work first published in 1964. Wilf Reeves and Olga Miller, members of the Butchulla people of Fraser Island (now K’Gai in the Butchulla language), and brother and sister, have recorded here the stories told to them by their grandparents, with Olga’s original ink drawings based upon local crafts and symbols on the island. The illustrations instruct children and remind adults of the lessons and wisdom these stories…
Ash Magic, Real Magic: Tips, Tricks TikTok & Totally Good Vibes, Penguin Random House, August 2021, 176 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781761043925 In Real Magic, TikTok star and magician Ash Magic shares anecdotes from his ascent to Tiktok fame, as well as his experiences as someone who lives with ADHD and anxiety. The book explores how Ash came to fall in love with magic after many years of feeling like he didn’t fit in anywhere. He also provides generous insights into his mental health journey, and even throws in a top secret magic trick tutorial or two! Ash’s casual…
Cathy Freeman (text) and Charmaine Ledden-Lewis (illustrator), Born to Run (Picture Book Edition), Penguin Random House Australia, November 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761043802 A simply beautiful picture book that reminds the reader that ‘dreams can come true’. The stunning illustrations remind the reader of the highs and lows experienced along the way. Cathy Freeman’s Born to Run picture book edition is simply inspirational. It is written in such an incredibly authentic way and is a reminder to readers that ‘dreams do indeed come true’. Cathy traces her journey from when she was a little girl to the…
Tracey Hawkins, The Riddle of Tanglewood Manor, Storytorch Press, February 2022, 248 pp., RRP $16.95 (pbk), ISBN 9780645191523 The Riddle of Tanglewood Manor weaves a tale for ages 7 and over about a likeable family and two brothers, Sam and Harry, who move from Sydney after the family inherit a 150-year-old dilapidated country manor. Everything seems exciting, but as they explore rambling house, strange things happen. Sam and Harry disappear back in time, puzzled and lost. The historical Australian elements will have a great appeal because it connects present and past with plausible roots. Spooky elements include the creepiness of…
Kate Gordon, Xavier in the Meantime, Riveted Press, February 2022, 192 pp., RRP $15.99, ISBN 9780645218091 Fans of Kate Gordon’s CBCA award-winning Aster’s Good, Right Things will thoroughly enjoy this window into the world of Aster’s best friend, Xavier. Xavier lives with depression or, the black dog, as he calls it. Strategies like daily affirmations seem to help but the feelings of hopelessness never really go away. Though Xavier wants to “fix” things – his mental health, his broken family, to name just a few – he learns to instead savour the slices of life in the meantime, the moments…
Kathy Weeks (text) and Aleksei Bitskoff (illustrator), What’s New, Harper Drew?, Hachette Australia, February 2022, 272 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781444961775 Harper Drew’s family think they’re quite normal, which is why she decides to start a diary to record what they get up to so she can prove to the world just how completely beyond normal they are! We witness first hand her brother’s obsession with his hair, her mother’s addiction to supermarkets and her film producer uncle’s increasingly bizarre behaviour, while not actually ever making any films. Harper is also desperate to be invited to the ever-popular Masie’s…