Philippe Jalbert, And…, Berbay Publishing, May 2021, 32 pp., RRP $25.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780648953371 A young girl reaches her hand out gingerly to touch a butterfly sitting on a flower. No! Her mother warns her away and details what might happen if she does. And what might happen after that. And after that. And after that. And… well you get the idea. Jalbert has created a clever tale here about consequences. Creatures ranging from a dung beetle to a mole, to a bear with a big butt find themselves entangled in the sequence of escalating events. Jalbert has created a…
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Remy Lai, Pawcasso, Allen & Unwin, May 2021, 240 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760526771 Pawcasso by Remi Lai is the story of eleven year old Jo who, in an attempt to make friends, tells a small lie that snowballs into a huge one. When Jo, who has spent most of her summer staring moodily out her window, spies a dog with a basket in its mouth trotting down the street, of course she has to investigate. She follows it to the local shopping circle where the dog enters various shops and ‘buys’ items written on the list in its basket.…
Penny Jaye (text) and Alicia Rogerson (illustrator), One Potoroo: A Story of Survival, CSIRO Publishing, August 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781486314645 After a bushfire destroys his home, Potoroo is frightened and injured. Soon, he is scooped up and taken to an unknown place to recover— but what will happen when he’s better, if there’s no home to return to? One Potoroo is an engaging read with a lot of heart. It tackles the challenging topics of bushfires and conservation with grace and compassion, in a way that’s still engaging for younger readers. Readers are thrown into the…
Sherryl Clark (text) and Briony Stewart (illustrator), Mina and the Whole Wide World, University of Queensland Press, July 2021, 120 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9780702263231 Just one more lick of sunny yellow paint and Mina will finally have a bedroom all to herself. No more sharing a wardrobe with her brother George or having him break her things (like her purple glitter unicorn). Unable to contain her excitement, Mina wants this bedroom more than anything else in the whole wide world! But then her dream is shattered, as a boy named Azzami is welcomed into her family, and he…
Cameron McIntosh (text) and Dave Atze (illustrator), Map Trap (Max Booth Future Sleuth #6), Big Sky Publishing, June 2021, 130 pp., RRP $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781922265906 Bluggsville. The year is 2424. Max Booth and his trusty beagle-bot Oscar are the sharpest pair of sleuths around. Their specialty? Their specialty? Historical artefacts! In book 6 of the Max Booth, Future Sleuth series, Max and Oscar discover a 400-year-old navigation device hiding inside a strange, outdated kitchen gadget called a ‘toaster’. They are delighted to discover it still works! When they set out to recreate its last owner’s journey, they find themselves far from…
Jackie French, The Vanishing at the Very Small Castle (The Butter O’Bryan Mysteries #2), HarperCollins Publishers, April 2021, 272 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781460757734 When there’s a knock on the front door of the Very Small Castle, the last thing Butter expects to see is a monster. But it’s not a real monster. He’s a man who thinks he’s a monster. Tall and scarred during WWI, he has decided to take on a Frankenstein-like persona. Which is perfect for talking movie-makers Rose and Marigold Marvell – in fact, they write a movie specifically for him to have a part…
Julia Liu (text) and Bei Lynn (illustrator), Leilong the Library Bus, Gecko Press, July 2021, 32 pp., RRP $27.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781776573318 Leilong and his friends are heading to the library, excited about all the stories they’re going to encounter. Leilong is the most enthusiastic — he wants to learn more about his fellow dinosaurs. But, as he quickly learns, there are going to be obstacles to overcome before the books are his to enjoy! Leilong the Library Bus is a heart-warming, humorous read. Readers will instantly fall in love with this likeable (slightly goofy) brontosaurus— the juxtaposition of him…
Jackie French, Legends of the Lost Lilies, HarperCollins Publishers, August 2021, 448 pp., RRP $32.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781460755006 From renowned Australian author and historian Jackie French, comes the thrilling fifth and final instalment in the Miss Lily Series. Sophie Greenman, countess, mother, and friend to many, is settled peacefully amidst family on her property in Australia. That is until in 1942, she receives an urgent telegram from an old friend in England requesting her presence for a mysterious mission in espionage. Unable to turn down the promise of adventure, she leaves the calm of Australia to welcome the horrors of…
Jane Smith, The Lady with the Lamp (Carly Mills Pioneer Girl #4), Big Sky Publishing, July 2021, 179 pp, RRP $12.50 (pbk), ISBN 9781922488220 The Lady with the Lamp is the fourth instalment in the Carly Mills Pioneer Girl series, a collection of empowering stories about a feisty, time-travelling tween who discovers how female pioneers have paved the way and changed the world. Written by award-winning author Jane Smith (Bushranger non-fiction series & Tommy Bell Bushranger Boy fiction series) and illustrated by talented illustrator Pat Kan, this original series brings to life the overlooked history of female changemakers, for younger…
Lynn Jenkins (text) and Kirrili Lonergan (illustrator), What if … ?, EK Books, September 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925820973 Issy has an active mind which is overwhelmed by anxious thoughts. These thoughts swirl around in her mind causing her to feel more and more anxious. She dwells on “what if” scenarios, ranging from “what if there is a monster in my cupboard?” to “what if a tree branch breaks my window and a vampire bat comes in?”. Issy’s worries are relatable and are the types of anxieties that can keep young children awake at night. Issy’s clever Mama…