Hans de Beer, Little Polar Bear and the Reindeer, Walker Books Australia, September 2021, 32 pp., RRP $29.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780735844513 Little Polar Bear and the Reindeer is a book about friendship, but also a book for young readers to learn about the impact of human expansion on the Artic, and the creatures that inhabit that area of the world. Hans de Beer introduces readers to the little polar bear first, Lars, who realises that the seasons are changing, and that winter is on its way. Soon enough he sees signs around him that the other animals in the Artic,…
Author: Admin
Bec Hill, Horror Heights: The Slime, Hachette Australia, September 2021, 192 pp., RRP $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781444962291 Connie hasn’t found her talent yet, but at least she has her slime collection – if it’s gooey, she’s got it! She hopes that by adding a few extra ingredients to a simple recipe she will uncover a talent for slime-making, but alas, all she uncovers is a hot, stinky mess which ends up in the bin. It’s shaping up to be another uneventful weekend, until her failed slime wakes her up the next morning. It’s alive! It talks! And is named… Big.…
Andrew Kelly (text) and Dean A. Jones (illustrator), The Accidental Penguin Hotel, Wild Dog, September 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781742036281 This is a fascinating account of how feisty penguins have settled on the breakwater at St Kilda, Melbourne. It started with one male who could not find a place on the island where all the other fairy penguins usually nested. Soon a female joined him in his new home and then many more mates arrived. Humans now surf and swim around them and wonderfully, the penguins and humans manage to live in harmony around the breakwater. There…
Inga Moore, Moose’s Book Bus, Walker Books Australia, September 2021, 48 pp., RRP $27.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781406385694 Moose’s Book Bus is an ode to reading, and how it brings people together in the best way! One day, Moose discovers he’s told his family all the stories he knows, so he heads out to ask his neighbours for books to read. However, no one has any! So what is a Moose to do? He goes to the library of course! There he borrows heaps of books to read to his family, but on his way home, Bear sees all his books,…
Stef Gemmill (text) and Katharine Hall (illustrator), Toy Mountain, EK Books, October 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925820966 Many young readers will relate to Sam as he complains to Grandma that his toys are old: there are so many new ones at the Tiny Hands toy factory. Luckily, Sam’s dreams are about to come true as the toy factory is in need of a toy tester and Mum says Sam can have the job. Big boxes begin arriving and soon the house is stuffed full of the new toys Sam has been sent. As Sam works the toys…
Nick Bland (text) and Stephen Michael King (illustrator), Trick Number Two, Scholastic Australia, September 2021, 24 pp., RRP $17.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760971076 Who could resist a collaboration between two of Australia’s most loved picture book creators, Nick Bland and Stephen Michael King? Trick Number Two tells the enchanting story of three young wizards, Wizard Yellow, Wizard Blue and Wizard Red. These young wizards have no tricks, not a single solitary one. They meet One Wise Wizard who has more than eighty-six tricks and performs them all with style and panache. The three young wizards beg him to teach them just…
Lisa Shanahan (text) and Leila Rudge (illustrator), Hello World, HarperCollins, August 2021, 24 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780733340826 “Hello mash, hello peas… hello sneaky summer sneeze… Hello you, hello me, hello story on your knee.” Hello World is a lyrical and playful exploration of life’s tiny moments. The text follows a day in the life of a young family, from the perspective of its youngest member. The vocabulary is playful and light, with a warmth that makes readers feel as if they’ve been welcomed into a friend’s home. This warmth is also reflected in the book’s illustrations— the pictures…
Deborah Chancellor (text) and Julia Groves (illustrator), Polly Bee Makes Honey, Scallywag Press, September 2021, 32 pp., RRP $22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781912650705 The world’s bee population has declined significantly in recent years due to habitat loss and the use of pesticides. They form an important part of our ecosystem along with other pollinators. Polly Bee Makes Honey is a timely story aimed at readers aged 3+ years on the job of bees and how honey is made. The simple text and colour palette in the illustrations will appeal to small children. There’s detailed information and a short quiz in the…
Morris Gleitzman, Always, Penguin Random House Australia, August 2021, 320 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780143793243 Morris Gleitzman’s much anticipated Always is a satisfying conclusion to the Australian favourite Once series. Predecessor Maybe saw protagonist Felix aged 14, with high hopes for his new life thriving in Australia. Quite the dramatic leap, in Always, Felix is now 87 living a comfortable life as a retired surgeon with his four-legged companion, Jumble, for company. Just when things have settled down for Felix, 10 year old Wassim shows up on his doorstep, having flown across the world to meet his hero. Wassim…
Rebecca Fung (text) and Aimee Smith (narrator), Princess Hayley’s Comet, Christmas Press, August 2021, ISBN 9781667045900 Based on the chapter book of the same name, published by Christmas Press, 2018. The audiobook of Princess Hayley’s Comet by Rebecca Fung is narrated in the lively and enthusiastic voice of Aimee Smith. The story is about Princess Hayley whose father, the King, adores her and goes to great lengths to indulge her requests for expensive and unusual gifts. Hayley loves astronomy and when she hears that her favourite celestial body – the beautiful, sparkly, glittery comet – will soon be passing the…