Amie Kaufman, Ice Wolves (Elementals #1), HarperCollins Australia, 5 March 2018, 407pp, $17.99 (pbk) ISBN: 9781460755273 From the co-author of international best sellers Unearthed and The Starbound Trilogy, Ice Wolves is Amie Kaufman’s first solo novel and the first instalment in the Elementals series. Like many of the most popular fantasy titles, this story follows the classic structure of the hero’s journey. Through the eyes of twelve-year-old, orphaned twin Anders we are introduced to the magical land of Vallen. To the north lies the mysterious volcanic realm of the Scorch Dragons, to the south the sprawling harbour town of Holbard, with…
Author: Admin
Kaye Baillie (text), Narelda Joy (illus.), Message in a Sock, Midnight Sun , April 2018, 32pp., $27.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781925227383 Transporting the reader to a moment in history, this story explores and celebrates female heroes while honouring the ANZACs and their families. Message in a Sock highlights the importance of unity and the impact the role of each person has on the task at hand. Tammy’s mother is dedicated to knitting warm socks to be sent to the soldiers at war. Tammy’s important role is to wash and dry the socks in preparation for sending. Throughout this project Tammy often talks…
Katie Poli (text), Giuseppe Poli (illus.), Marvellous Mummy, Frontier Publishing, 22 April 2018, 28pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781925594188 A colourful and cheery celebration of mums and the important role they play in our lives. Simple yet effective words follow a rhythmic pattern from page to page, accompanied by bright and playful illustrations. Upon opening this book I knew I was going to enjoy it, just by viewing the introductory illustrations on the endpapers. These include a recipe, calendar, shopping list, a photo of mummy elephant and baby elephant, a cuppa and some yummy muffins. All of which I feel capture my…
Sharon J Yaxley, Sea Monsters, Forty South Publishing, March 2018, 48pp., $25.00 (hbk), ISBN: 9780648168881 Sea Monsters encourages imagination through the exploration of real life images from the seaside. The tangled seaweed, small and large rocks, crashing waves and the sandy, shelly setting are captured in ways which could represent alternative ideas. Holes in the seaweed could be eyes, or the sunburnt seaweed interpreted as jagged teeth or tusks. Sharon Yaxley explains the intention of her book as somewhat interactive with many possibilities within each image as children turn the book to ‘discover that things aren’t always what they seem’. This…
Danny Katz (text), Mitch Vane (illus.) Little Lunch: Triple the Games, Walker Books Australia, March 2018, 128pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760650278 A tie-in to the successful ABC TV series, Triple the Games features three more stories about the children from Mrs Gonsha’s primary school class and their adventures during ‘little lunch’. The great thing about these books is that they cover relatable terrain – school walkathons, elections for student council, etc – for the target audience in a highly entertaining way. The larger than life characters allow for humour, as do Vane’s cartoon-style illustrations. And it’s great to see genuine…
Siena Stubbs, Our Birds: Ŋilimurruŋgu Wäyin Malanynha, Magabala Books, April 2018, 48pp., $17.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781925360981 This is an inspiring book for budding young writers and photographers. Author Siena Stubbs was only twelve when she began taking photos of the birdlife and landscapes around her home in Yirrkala, North-east Arnhem Land, using a camera gifted her by her aunty. Siena wrote about each of the bird species, and compiled her words and photos into a self-published book, which led to this title published by Magabala Books. Each double-page spread features a photo of a particular bird species, and another of the local…
Mike Unwin (text), Jenni Desmond (illus.), Migration: incredible animal journeys, Bloomsbury Australia, 1 June 2018, 48pp., $22.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781408889916 This attractive information book describes 20 different animal species from around the world and their amazing migrations. For some species, the journey is an annual event to reach plentiful food or a suitable place to breed. For others, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Author Mike Unwin is a UK Travel Writer of the Year. He draws readers into each fascinating narrative through lively, evocative writing that appeals to the reader’s imagination. Imagine being a baby swallow in autumn… A satisfying range of…
Craig MacLean, Where Does a Giraffe Go To Bed?, HarperCollins Australia, 23 April 2018, 32pp., $19.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781460752272 A rabbit sleeps in a hutch; a koala sleeps in a tree. We know where lots of different animals go for a rest, but what about giraffes? This simple bedtime story by writer/illustrator Craig MacLean introduces young ones to an assortment of animals while settling them for sleep. Attractive digital vector art illustrations in soothing, subdued night-time colours do their part to seal the deal. The text features gentle rhyming verse and the regular refrain, “but where does a giraffe go to…
Gabrielle Reid, The Things We Can’t Undo, Ford Street, May 2018, 300pp., $19.95 (pbk), ISBN: 9781925736045 Samantha Chen and Dylan West have been a couple for almost a year, they’re in love and make each other happy. So when Sam asks Dylan to go with her to a quiet bedroom during a Saturday night party, Dylan assumes that means Sam’s as ready as he is to take their relationship to the next level – sex. But afterwards Sam and Dylan have very different accounts and feelings about what actually occurred that night and the fallout from this becomes devastating, not only…
Irene Latham and Charles Waters (text), Sean Qualls and Selina Alko (illus.) Can I Touch Your Hair?: Poems of race, mistakes, and friendship, Carolrhoda Books/Walker Books Australia, 1 April 2018, 40pp., $29.99 (hbk) ISBN 9781512404425 What a pleasant surprise! When I first saw the title of this book, my heart sank and I thought, “Oh, no. Not another politically correct poetry book manufactured for the classroom curriculum.” How wrong I was. This book is a wonderful collaboration between two poets, one white and the other black, who have never met and an illustrator couple, one white and the other black, who…