Jan Stradling (text) and Jedda Robaard (illustrator), Breathe in and out (A Play School Mindfully Me story), 24 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), Harper Collins Publishers, January 2023, ISBN 9780733342387 The iconic Australian Play School TV programme has jumped on board the mindfulness stress management movement with a picture book for teaching pre-schoolers about mindfulness. It features the Play School toys suggesting various sensory, mindfulness activities to help Big Ted sooth his stormy, big feelings. Explaining the abstract idea of mindfulness to pre-schoolers is no small feat and Play School, together with author Stradling, have achieved this with explanations and examples…
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Jason Cockcroft, Running with Horses, Walker Books, July 2022, 240 pp., RRP $29.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781839132087 Running With Horses is a wonderful sequel to We Were Wolves. In the first book, the boy narrator remained nameless but in this one, we learn his nickname is now Rabbit, bestowed by his good friend Joe, after Rabbit and his mother move to the caravan park on the coast. Having witnessed his father’s death in the previous book, Rabbit has struggled emotionally, choosing to be largely silent. But his friendship with Joe is slowly easing his trauma, though the night dreams and sweats…
Onjali Q. Raúf, Hope on the Horizon, Hachette Australia, May 2022, 288 pp., RRP $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781526364418 Teaching children about everything happening out in the world, without overwhelming them is being done successfully to varying degrees by many authors. Onjali Q. Rauf is the founder of Making Herstory, an organisation tackling the abuse and trafficking of women and girls. She’s the founder for O’s Refugee Aid Team, which provides support for refugee familiar in Calais and Dunkirk. And, she’s an award winning and best-selling author of books for children that tackle all these issues. Hope on the Horizon is…
Andy Fackrell, Group Hug!, Ford Street Publishing, April 2022, 40 pp., RRP $16.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781922696007 Teachers, librarians, and word-nerd parents – huddle up! Debut author and illustrator Andy Fackrell has delivered a book just for you, cleverly disguised as a delightful picture book for your kids! If you’ve been looking for ways to get youngsters excited about learning the mechanics of the English language, Group Hug is a great place to start. Through this story, they’ll learn what a collective noun is in a practical way. And, bonus, they’ll get a really cute story out of it too! Wilbur is at…
Ellie Clements, The Wondrous Prune, Bloomsbury, August 2022, 320 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781526638328 When Prune’s family is uprooted to move to their late grandparents’ old house, Prune finds it difficult to make friends at her new school and is targeted by a group of bullies. Her older brother, Jesse, is struggling too–he hates his new school and has remained friends with Bryce, a boy from his old school, who is a troublemaker. Jesse has even begun skipping school to see Bryce. Shortly after starting school, Prune begins seeing colours all around her whenever she feels sad or scared.…
Magali Le Huche and Jessie Aufiery (translation), Nowhere Girl, Walker Books, November 2022, 128 pp., RRP $34.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781913123192 Nowhere girl is a middle grade graphic novel, translated from French, about 11 year old Magali, who feels overwhelmed by the challenges of starting middle school and transitioning to adolescence. When she discovers The Beatles she finds that listening to their music lifts her mood, helping her escape her anxieties with fantasies of the psychedelic, magical scenes of their lyrics. It’s a highly relatable story for early adolescents (11 to 13 years old), with an optimistic message that emotional difficulties…
Andrew Plant, Stardiving, Ford Street Publishing, April 2022, 32 pp., RRP $16.95 (pbk), ISBN 9781922696021 Young sperm whale, Fluke, longs to see the glowing, gleaming, glimmering stars that the dolphins are chitter-chattering about, but clouds mask the night sky. “Dive into the dark and cold,” rumbles the great bull whale, Cachalot. “Dive to where no star has ever shone.” And it is there, in the deepest, darkest depths of the mysterious, majestic ocean, that young Fluke encounters an indescribable luminescence … and his own magical, marvellous abilities. Pared back text and a palette bursting with every possible shade of blue-black-green…
Chris Vick, The Last Whale, Bloomsbury, August 2022, 304 pp., RRP $22.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781803281629 Whales are an integral part to the earth’s eco system, and The Last Whale allows readers to see the vast impact the world will have without them. The story follows Abi, an environmental enthusiast who will do anything to change the world and keep her AI device, Moonlight (even if this gets her into a bit of trouble). While holidaying on a Norwegian island with her family and grandmother, Abi discovers the extent of her family’s history and what her grandfather had discovered was the…
Jennifer Cossins, Amazing Animal Journeys, Lothian Children’s Books, October 2022, 64 pp., RRP $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780734421432 Award winning Tasmanian artist Jennifer Cossins’ recent title is the nonfiction Amazing Animal Journeys. It targets middle-grade children and would be ideal in school libraries and home school studies. Cossins’ digital illustrations include bold colours and dynamic spreads across two pages. Although it is text heavy with the introduction and three-page conclusion on climate change, it brings valuable lessons to students. She advocates for human action to support reducing climate change from eating less meat and dairy products to decreasing land clearing and collecting…
Jack Henseleit (text), and Chris Kennett (illustrator), A Dog’s Breakfast (Cross Bones #1), Hardie Grant, July 2022, 224 pp., RRP $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760509255 A stolen map, hidden treasure, and sea dog pirates makes for a high seas adventure like no other. Add in some funny jokes, and you have a story readers aged 7 years and over will thoroughly enjoy. Magnus, Daisy, Ed, and Spot are on the hunt for hidden treasure on the great seas. But their plans take a turn when some formidable pirates enter the waters. Will they get the loot, and see their rollicking adventure…