Dave Hughes & Holly Ife (text), Philip Bunting (illus.), Excuse Me!, Scholastic Australia, 1 Nov 2017, 32pp., $16.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781742765914 This humorous tale by comedian Dave Hughes and his wife, Holly Ife, is about a sheep, Martha May, who had marvellous manners. She was always polite and never made rude noises. She most certainly DID NOT fart. That is, until one day at school Martha May ate a lot of beans at the Baked Bean Bonanza. Her tummy began to gurgle and grow until she sailed right out the window and into the city. After some timely advice from…
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Reviewer Heather Gallagher shares her Top Picks for 2017… Best Picture Book The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse – Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen I loved this latest release from Barnett and Klassen. They’ve really mastered the subversive picture book story that seems to be so hot at the moment. Love the beginning…”Early one morning, a mouse met a wolf, (page turn) and he was quickly gobbled up.” And so it goes. Best Junior Novel Run Pip, Run – J.C. Jones This was an enjoyable, page-turner and I really liked the feisty, independent character Pip.…
Megan Frazer Blakemore, The Firefly Code, Bloomsbury, 1 Dec 2017, 368pp., $11.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781681195278 Diving into this book, I immediately felt like I’d missed a previous book because Blakemore writes as if you’re stepping into a conversation that’s already happening. While it took me awhile to understand the relationships and the friendships, and indeed Old Harmonie, I began to appreciate Blakemore’s writing as she began to fill in the blanks, while progressing the story ever forward. It’s an easier way to understand this world than having huge chunks of exposition. Mori and her friends live in Firefly Lane in Old…
Elizabeth Foster, Esme’s Wish, Odyssey Books, 30 Oct 2017, 248pp., $22.95 (pbk), ISBN: 9781925652246 Right from the first page, readers will know that Esme is brave: when asked if anyone objects to her father Aaron’s marriage to Penelope, she puts up her hand. She’s dismissed, but Foster has already laid the foundation for a story about a very brave young girl who does the right thing, even if it doesn’t seem like it to anyone else. Esme’s Wish is about family – about Esme losing her mother, lost at sea and assumed dead, even though Esme harbours a deep suspicion that…
T.M. Clark (text), Helene Magisson (illus.), Slowly! Slowly! Wombat Books, Nov 2017, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk). ISBN: 9781925563221 Pre-schoolers will relate to the protagonist Bongani’s impatience to be old enough to go to school. His grandfather schools him in patience by instructing that it’s only ‘slowly, slowly, (that) you catch a monkey’. And so Bongani – distracted from his concerns about school – sets out to catch a monkey. This story is based on a South African folk tale and was originally an Ashanti proverb quoted by Lord Robert Baden-Powell; founder of the Scout movement. The author was born in Zimbabwe…
Sibeal Pounder (text), Laura Ellen Anderson (illus.), Witch Snitch: the inside scoop on the witches of Ritzy City, Bloomsbury, 1 Dec 2017, 272pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781408892046 If ever a book could be described as ‘delightful’ I think this is it. And laugh-out-loud funny! Given that this is a companion book to the Witch Wars series, it quickly becomes evident that there are things readers will have missed out on. As readers dive into it, I think they’ll find themselves itching to go back and figure out how Tiga came to Sinkville, and how she found her friends and was selected…
Jakob Wegelius, The Murderer’s Ape, Pushkin Children’s Books, 23 August 2017, 640pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781782691617 In spare and direct language, Sally Jones tells the story of how she and the Chief came to meet and work together, and of the night the Chief chased Alphonse Morro and was arrested for Morro’s murder. Sally Jones knows the truth of what happened, but who is going to listen to, or even understand, a gorilla? Then Sally Jones comes across a clue that suggests that Morro isn’t as dead as he’s supposed to be, and she becomes the target of sinister forces out to…
Aleesah Darlison, Hauntings & Hexes (Little Witch #2), Big Sky Publishing, 1 Oct 2017, 176pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781925520576 “She’s bent on resurrecting herself from the dead and can shape-shift into a giant serpent. I’m still playing around with cats. And the occasional frog.” Courtney Little is a witch-in-training, she’s dealing with moving to a new town and starting at a new school and things aren’t going too smoothly for her. Her spells don’t quite work the way they’re supposed to, and they’re getting her noticed when she’s supposed to be staying under the radar. And then her problems get dialled…
Kate Saunders, The Land of Neverendings, Faber/Allen & Unwin, Nov 2017, 336pp., $22.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9780571310845 Emily’s older sister Holly has died, and the world around Emily has changed drastically. Her parents are dealing with their own grief and Emily is finding it hard to talk to them without making them sad. Emily’s closest friend has drifted away, uncomfortable with Emily’s loss, just as they’re starting a new high school, leaving Emily feeling very alone. All of Emily’s sense of grief and change and loss becomes focused on the loss of Bluey, Holly’s favourite toy and the hero of the stories…
Reviewer Penny shares her picks for 2017… Under the Love Umbrella – Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys A celebration of love, comfort and diversity, this book is exquisite in every way. The heart-warming text portrays the umbrella as a symbol of the ever-present love of family. It’s beautifully complemented by vibrant illustrations with splashes of neon colour and gentle emotion. Florette – Anna Walker Anna Walker has created yet another stunning picture book with her tale of the little girl who longs for her country garden after moving to the city. Verdant and poignant illustrations add further depth…