Sofie Laguna (text) and Marc McBride (illustrator), The Song of Lewis Carmichael, Allen & Unwin, August 2021, 192 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760878573 Matthew is obsessed with the Arctic and the North Pole and surrounds himself with books about them. His parents urge him to play with other children from school, but he is shy and feels he is unable to somersault, kick the football and climb the way they do. Even at the park he sits by himself and reads books about the Arctic. While at the park one day, he shares his muffin with a crow that…
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Julia Lawrinson, Mel and Shell, Fremantle Press, August 2021, 208 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760990725 In the latest release from the author of Maddie in the Middle and The Flyaway Girls, comes Mel and Shell— a story of friendship and friction. The novel, set in the 1970s, follows protagonist Shell as she navigates her relationship with best friend Mel. The book is structured as letters to Shell’s assigned (imaginary) penpal Mary, an English settler who arrived in Australia in 1829. As part of a class journaling project, Shell divulges all her secrets and frustrations to Mary as well as…
Linda Ashman (text) and Alea Marley (illustrator), Phoebe Dupree is Coming to Tea!, Walker Books, July 2021, 32 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781406399912 Phoebe Dupree is speedy and smart and as perfect as perfect can be. And she’s coming to tea, so everything has to be just right. Our young host busies herself instructing her dog to behave, making cupcakes and eclairs, hoping everything will be good enough for Phoebe’s visit. But, when the cakes are dropped and the table upturned and the dog splashes pool water everywhere, our poor host thinks it’s all a huge disaster…until Phoebe Dupree…
Rebecca Ralfe (text) and Gabriella Petruso (illustrator), Milo’s Little Secret, Larrikin House, June 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922503145 Everyone has heard one version of the story about the cat that gets fed by several different neighbourhood families. Here it is brought vividly to life in the tale about Milo (or is he Ron or Colonel Mustard or Rudy or Rasheed?) Milo’s secret comes unravelled when he goes missing. The family puts up posters with a picture of him all around the neighbourhood and suddenly they are inundated with their clamouring neighbours who all call him something different…
Dhana Fox (text) and Anna Demchenko (illustrator), Stud, Larrikin House, May 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922503114 Fickelton Farm is in for a treat! When Stud the toad arrives on the peaceful farm, he is larger than life. He simply is Stud, and he’s simply the best. The other animals are not so sure he fits in – what use can he be, if he cannot be milked? Our croaky friend decides to put on a show, but will his efforts to prove his warty worth win over the rest? A delightful picture book, Stud shows the beauty of not…
Karen Ginnane, When Days Tilt (Time Catchers, #1), Penguin Australia, July 2021, 336 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760895037 Fantasy is not my go-to genre. But you don’t have to be an aficionado to be thoroughly captivated by this impressive debut title from Karen Ginnane. When Days Tilt, the first title in the Time Catchers duology, is set in two cities – an alternate 1858 London, where people are mysteriously disappearing, and a dark parallel city called Donlon, where time is controlled by the Green Witch. When 14-year-old Ava learns the body in her mother’s grave is that of a…
Kellie Byrnes (text) and Aśka (illustrator), This is NOT a Book!, EK Books, June 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781925820508 In this engaging picture book, the young main character (gender unclear) attempts to convince us they are real and definitely not in a book. For every book feature they try to disprove, the book proves it to be so. Our feisty protagonist finds themself in action-packed settings with problems to solve. From an underwater rock concert, to catapulting through outer space, escaping a hungry lion and defeating pirates, sea monsters and angry mermaids. But every good book needs an ending……
Rory H. Mather (text) and Jesus Lopez (illustrator), Vlad’s in Love, Larrikin House, April 2021, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922503053 Vlad’s in Love is a picture book story with a light-hearted approach to the awkwardness and nerves of experiencing a love crush. Vlad is a little (very cute) vampire who refuses to go to Monster School for fear of revealing his feelings for a new classmate, Peggy Sue. Vlad’s worries are eased after confiding in his friends, Frank (short for Frankenstein) and Keith (a fox) and discovering that they too grapple with a crush on a pretty girl.…
Charles Fuge, You’re the Best, Mum!, Walker Books, April 2021, 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760652296 You always make things so much fun,On rainy days,Or in the sun… Little Wombat, a charming character by Charles Fuge, is back with a gorgeous rhyming ode to mums. You’re the Best, Mum! is a charming little story about all the little moments which make the days with mum special. A perfect read for very young readers, the rhymes will keep them engaged. Cheerful illustrations add to the charm of this lovely tale of what makes moments with mum special. From being brave,…
Inga Simpson (text) and Alicia Rogerson (illustrator), The Book of Australian Trees, Hachette Australia, May 2021, 32 pp., RRP $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734418531 It seems quite fitting that a book about some of the wondrous towering trees of Australia should be presented in a corresponding proportion and this is what we hold in our hands when we first encounter The Book of Australian Trees – a book of vertical proportion – so the reader is within the trees from the very start. This beautiful book is a homage to Australian trees. It tells the stories of their beauty, ways of…