Polly Dunbar, A Lion is a Lion, Walker Books Australia, 1 Feb 2018, 40pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781406371536 This fun read aloud picture book asks if a lion is still a lion when he wears a hat, carries an umbrella, and takes part in other human type activities. The lion invites himself into the home of two children, and to lunch. The two young children finally decide to stand up to the lion, with surprising results. Full-page illustrations invite the young audience to take part in this fun theatrical picture book. The metafictional nature further encourages audience participation by asking…
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Kate and Jol Temple (text), Terri Rose Baynton (illus), Room on Our Rock. Scholastic Australia, Feb 2018, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781742764108 Three seals are on their rock, not letting anyone else join them. They are emphatic that the rock is theirs only and chase two other seals, an adult and young seal, away. However, at the end of the book, the reader is instructed to read again, backwards, reversing the story physically, verbally and visually. The result is a complete reversal of attitude, with the three seals welcoming anyone to their rock. The limited colour palette works well with…
Margot McGovern, Neverland, Random House Australia, 2 April 2018, 320pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9780143787846 Kit, (Katherine) Learmonth, daughter of famous author father and artistic mother, is taken home from her latest boarding school after just two terms, and after trying to take her own life. A troubled young woman, Kit has suppressed memories of the night her parents drowned. The island where she grew up, fondly called Neverland, is now a sanctuary for young adults in need of psychiatric help. Kit’s uncle runs the facility and he is also her guardian. Kit is reacquainted with her best friend Gypsy and…
Tamora Pierce, Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles #1), Hachette, 13 Feb 2018, 480pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9780734418678 Arram is a brilliant young boy studying magecraft, soaking up learning and moving faster than his teachers can keep up with him. As he grows older and finds friends who can meet him on his own intellectual level, and teachers who can understand and challenge him as he needs, he also finds himself witness to the political machinations behind the throne of Carthak, and to the bloodthirsty gladiatorial games that keep the empire entertained. Arram walks the line between seeing too much, caring…
Dav Pilkey, Dog Man and Cat Kid (Dog Man #4), Scholastic Australia, 1 Jan 2018, 256pp., $15.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9780545935180 Dog Man and Cat Kid is the fourth book in the popular, graphic novel Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey. When my copy of Dog Man and Cat Kid arrived to review, I was keen to read it and find out why this series is so popular that the books are almost constantly on loan from the library. The Dog Man character is half dog and half man (policeman to be exact). He is employed by the police department where he…
Longy Han (text), Elinor Hagg (illus.), Gusto & Gecko Travel to China (The Curious Travels of Gusto & Gecko #3), Pandasaur Pty Ltd, Jan 2018, 32pp., $16.95 (hbk), ISBN: 9780994341327 Gusto & Gecko Travel to China is a cute picture book which introduces young readers to some Chinese customs and tourist attractions. It is also a story about courage, friendship and collaborative teamwork. Gusto and Gecko are illustrated as two cute, cartoon style little reptiles. One Sunday afternoon they take off in their travel machine and it lands – “KABAM” – on the large and rumbling belly of Panda. Panda tells…
Gwyneth Rees, Libby in the Middle, Bloomsbury Australia, 1 Jan 2018, 272pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781408852774 Libby is an eleven year old girl who is the middle child in her family. Her older teenage sister, Bella, who was once her close friend and confidant, has become nasty and concerned only with her boyfriend, Sam. Her little sister Grace seems to monopolise her parents’ time when they are home from work. So, Libby feels as if she is stuck in the middle. The plot develops as Libby faces some life changes when her parents decide to relocate the family to the town…
Samantha Wheeler shares the inspiration behind Turtle Trackers… Animals, my biggest passion, seem to have snuck into all my books so far, including my latest, Turtle Trackers. While researching I came across a newspaper article about foxes destroying turtle nests on Stradbroke Island. Members of a local wildlife group were taking turns sleeping on the beach to keep foxes away – every night for six weeks, in the heat of summer – which had me thinking, Could I create a character as dedicated as they were? To find out more, I took the Tilt Train from Brisbane up to Bundaberg, to…
Leigh Hobbs, Freaks on the Loose, Allen & Unwin, Jan 2018, 240pp., $16.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781760294311 Freaks on the Loose is going to appeal to the mischievous core of any kid (young or old). It contains two books in the Freaks series, the first of which is 4F is for Freaks, in which Miss Corker is introduced to the class of 4F. Miss Corker is a young, sweet teacher introduced to the most obviously mischievous of classes in 4F. And when I say obviously, readers just have to take a look at the hilarious illustrations to see what I mean. Students include…
Sophie Kinsella (text), Marta Kissi (illus.), Mummy Fairy and Me, Penguin Australia, 2 Jan 2018, 176pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9780141377889 Sophie Kinsella’s adult books are the kind of read I think that can best be described as when you finish, you will have a smile on your face. On the surface, it might not seem like the esteemed literary fiction we are often told is worth more than commercial fiction, but there’s something to be said for the genuine warmth and engagement she offers in her writing. And that is something that translates well for a younger generation in Mummy Fairy…