Judith Rossell, Wormwood Mire (A Stella Montgomery Intrigue #2), ABC Books/HarperCollins Australia, 1 Nov 2016, 288pp., $22.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780733333019 This is the second book in the Stella Montgomery series, and it’s just as exciting and intriguing as the first one. Stella’s three aunts were most severely displeased with her behaviour in the previous book and decided to send her away to Wormwood Mire, their family manor. A cousin of the aunts is also sending his two children, Strideforth and Hortense, to live there with a governess, and Stella is to join them. Wormwood Mire is a strange and fascinating…
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Sally Chomet (text), Sylvain Chomet (illus.), Caleb’s Cab, Walker Books Australia, 1 Nov 2016, 176pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781406342277 Husband and wife team, Sally and Sylvain Chomet have collaborated on several animated films in the past, but this is their first published book together. Caleb’s father has disappeared, leaving Caleb to look after his childish, incompetent mother. Caleb has been earning money driving his father’s cab, but it’s not enough to pay all the bills and the mortgage. The bank manager is putting pressure on Caleb’s mother to sell him to the bank under the C. A. S. H. (Children…
Peter Combe (text), Danielle McDonald (illus.), Toffee Apple. Scholastic Australia, Feb 2017, 24pp., $16.99 (pbk + CD) ISBN 9781760275082 This book combines three Peter Combe songs (Toffee Apple, Newspaper Mama and Err Yuck!) with bright, bold illustrations from Danielle McDonald. Parents of today’s school aged children may remember Peter Combe, and these songs, from their own primary school days. The first video clip for Toffee Apple was released in 1987. This book also includes a CD with a recording of the songs so readers can sing/read along. This is an appealing book – as well as the nostalgia for parents,…
Kim Kane (text), Jon Davis (illus.) The Clever Friend (Ginger Green, Play Date Queen), Hardie Grant Egmont, Dec 2016, 64pp., $9.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760127862 Kim Kane (text), Jon Davis (illus.), The Only Friend (Ginger Green, Play Date Queen), Hardie Grant Egmont, Oct 2016, 64pp., $9.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760127855 Shy friends, bossy friends, lonely friends, reckless friends: When you’re seven years old, you face an array of social dilemmas. But, never fear, because Ginger Green is the play date queen and this foxy little lady is perfect for guiding early school readers through a variety of challenges. The next two books in the…
Peter Jay Black’s fifth and final Urban Outlaws book, Shockwave has just been released. He wrote a blog post for us, on “…how I failed English GCSE at school and decided at the age of twenty-nine that I would become a writer. So, that was quite a tough journey – having to teach myself writing from the ground up.” We love the idea that young people might not do well at school, yet can still turn things around, and achieve big dreams. Quite inspirational. Thank you Peter. AN AUTHOR OR AN ASTRONAUT? There are a couple of main rules to…
Sally Rippin (text), Alisa Coburn (illus.), Billie B Brown’s Animal Hospital Adventure, Hardie Grant Egmont, Oct 2016, 24pp., $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760126902 Sally Rippin has an incredible talent for taking an everyday situation in a child’s life and weaving it into an engaging and imaginative tale about overcoming challenges. Her Billie B Brown Adventure series introduces readers aged 4 to 6 to the irrepressible Billie during her kindergarten days. In this latest book, Billie arrives at kinder with a sore knee, but is distracted by a sick teddy. A fantastical romp around the classroom and playground ensues, as Billie turns…
Anna Pignataro, Agatha and the Dark, Five Mile Press, Oct 2016, 32pp., $19.95 (hbk), ISBN 9781760402075 It’s hard not to fall in love with dear little Agatha, who has her “mother’s ears and her father’s nose”. This captivating preschooler, conjured by Anna Pignataro, has returned with a look at childhood phobias. Agatha is afraid of the dark. She is a huge fan of Little Red Riding Hood (she even has the same hooded coat), but doesn’t like the part about the dark woods. At kindergarten, Agatha’s fear surfaces during a storm, egged on by a troublesome classmate. The teacher tells…
Tania McCartney, Australia Illustrated, EK Books/Exisle Publishing, 1 Nov 2016, 96pp., $29.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781925335217 I have to admit at the outset, I’m a Tania McCartney fan. I have been following the progress of, and eagerly anticipating the publication of, her first author-illustrated book – so much so that Australia Illustrated was on my Christmas list – I had already pored over its pages even before receiving this review copy. That said, what do I really think of this book? I love it! Colourful, comical and quirky, this is an encyclopaedia like you’ve never seen before, encapsulating the natural, built…
Reviewer Stephanie shares her picks for 2016… Best Picture Book for Preschoolers – Where is Bear? by Johanthan Bentley Geared for children aged one and over, this simple, funny, irresistible story and its charming illustrations will keep toddlers (and adults) smiling from beginning to one of the best twists of an ending ever. Love it! Best Picture Book for Primary Aged Children – Land Shark by Beth Ferry & Ben Mantle Poor Bobby…all he wants for his birthday is a shark. Is that so much to ask? Land Shark is a great contemporary picture book with fantastic illustrations that are filled with…
Simon Chapman (text), Rudolf Farkas and Mike Love (illus.), Ania Mochlinska (paper engineering) Discovering Dinosaurs, Bloomsbury/Allen & Unwin, Nov 2016, 32pp., $29.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781408194614 Visually this is a most attractive book. The front cover features a Tyrannosaurus Rex lunging at the reader, teeth blazing. Inside, most double-page spreads feature more full-colour graphic illustrations of various species of dinosaur. There are fold-outs and pop-ups, envelopes and booklets to open. It all looks very appealing to the young dinosaur enthusiast. However, there are problems in the logical arrangement of the subject matter and in factual accuracy. This begins on the title page where…