The Bear in our Backyard
by Emma Middleton illustrated by Briony Stewart Reviewed by Zewlan Moor Spoiler alert. The Bear in our Backyard is a companion picture book to last year’s popular The Lion in our Living Room. Whereas the lion was an imaginative version of their father,
Sage Cookson’s Literary Launch
by Sally Murphy illustrated by Celeste Hulme reviewed by Danielle Freeland Literary Launch is the fifth book in the Sage Cookson series by Sally Murphy. The daughter of television chefs, ten-year-old, Sage, shares her parents’ passion for travel and love of food. When
Looking Up
By Sally Murphy Illustrated by Aśka Superska Reviewed by Lyn Halliday As an author of over 40 children’s books, Sally Murphy demonstrates just why she is so successful in this heart-warming story about a boy’s quest to understand and heal a broken relationship. At
Dungzilla
by James Foley reviewed by Tyrion Perkins Two scientist/engineering girls accidentally resize a dung beetle so their whole town is threatened by a massive dung ball – who wouldn’t want to read it? Especially told comic book style through the attractive illustrations
All of Us Together
by Bill Condon illustrated by Dale Newman reviewed by Lyn Halliday If you fancy a visit to 1930s Australia, Bill Condon’s junior fiction novel All of Us Together is sure to transport you there instantly.Imagine facing the prospect of having to kill
Drawn Onward
by Meg McKinlay illustrated by Andrew Frazer reviewed by Sue Wright I love small presses, and Fremantle Press is a pretty fabulous small press. Drawn Onward by Meg McKinlay and Andrew Frazer is one of the latest picture books from Fremantle Press,
Nanna’s Button Tin
by Dianne Wolfer illustrated by Heather Potter Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri A little girl is on a mission to find a button to replace Teddy's lost eye. It has to be just the right shape, the right size and the right
Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Fight Back
by Tim Harris, illustrated by James Hart reviewed by Rebecca Sheraton Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Fight Back is the second book in this series following on from the popular Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables published last year. Book Three, Mr Bambuckle’s Remarkables Go Wild is
Storm Whale
by Sarah Brennan illustrated by Jane Tanner Reviewed by Inda Ahmad Zabri This is a captivating story of three brave sisters working together to rescue a stranded whale. Sarah Brennan grew up in Tasmania and often saw whales washed up at her local
Yoga Babies
by Fearne Cotton illustrated by Sheena Dempsey Reviewed by Dajo Finlayson This lovely, gentle, and at times quirky picture book introduces children and parents to the calming nature of Yoga. The colourful, cheeky illustrations of the babies and their favourite toys or pacifiers
Happily Ever After: The Little Mermaid
by Alex Field illustrated by Owen Swan Reviewed by Maria Parenti-Baldey Happily, Ever After, The Little Mermaid is a retold story. It’s about Ariel, the little mermaid, who longed to see the world above. In this story Ariel is 14 going on
Beautiful Mess
by Claire Christian reviewed by Ayesha Uddin Life can get messy. For you, for me, and for practically every character in this book. The raw and intense read that is ‘Beautiful Mess’ explores the uncomfortable side of life, and how people muddle
Anzac Stories – Picture Books
To help commemorate ANZAC DAY on April 25, a solemn day of remembrance of those Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who have fought and died for their country, and is marked annually on the anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign
Ash Dresses her Friends
by Fu Wenzheng Ash Dresses her Friends is a classic picture book about a quiet but steadfast animal. Like Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, it has a striking cover in red, black and white, with decorative silhouettes of flowers. Where Ferdinand’s peers come
The Very Noisy Baby
written and illustrated by Alison Lester The Very Noisy Baby is a sweet early childhood picture book about a baby who mimics animals sounds. One by one people are drawn together in their quest to find their missing animal be it
Mopoke
written and illustrated by Philip Bunting This is an attractive picture book with stylised illustrations reminiscent of Jon Klassen and plenty of humour. The book is set out with the illustrations on the right of each spread on a black background and
Scarface Claw, Hold Tight!
by Lynley Dodd As an author honoured for her contribution to children’s literature, expectations for Dame Lynley Dodd’s long awaited next instalment were naturally high. Scarface Claw, Hold Tight! does not disappoint and Dodd delivers a fun lively tale that’s based
Mummy Fairy and Me
by Sophie Kinsella Puffin February 2018 176 pages paperback $11.75 ISBN 9780141377896 Reviewed by Zoe Collins Mummy Fairy and Me is narrated by a young girl called Ella: a fairy-in-waiting and the daughter of a hapless (possibly hopeless) Mummy Fairy. Mummy fairy - it must be
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #12 The Getaway
by Jeff Kinney Penguin 2017 224 pages paperback $14.99 ISBN 9780143782797 Reviewed by Lucy McGinley Since there are already twelve books in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series it is established that Jeff Kinney has found his market. The handwritten font, bold
The World’s Worst Pirate
by Michelle Worthington illustrated by Katrin Dreiling Little Pink Dog Books 2017 32 pp hardback $24.95 ISBN 978-0-9946269-1- Reviewed by Maria Parenti-Bradley When The World’s Worst Pirate bobbed on my horizon, I thought what could possibly be different about this pirate book? It’s a gregarious
The Grand Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler
By Lisa Shanahan Allen & Unwin 2017 216 pp paperback $14.99 ISBN: 9781760293017 Reviewed by Zewlan Moor As summer comes to an end, I’d like to draw your attention to a quiet middle-grade book that seems to have escaped much hype, despite being
Little Witch #1 Secrets and Spells
by Aleesah Darlison Big Sky Publishing 2017 176 pages Paperback $14.99 ISBN: 9781925520101 Reviewed by Charlotte Barkla Aleesah Darlison is an award-winning Queensland author of picture books, chapter books and junior fiction novels. This is the first book in the “Little Witch” series,
P is for Pearl
by Eliza Henry-Jones Harper Collins AU 304 pp Paperback $19.99 ISBN 10: 146075493X Age from 14 years Published 19 February 2018 The opening of “P is for Pearl” grabbed me immediately. I wanted to know the amazing mother who “would dress herself up in
The Fox and the Star
written and illustrated by Coralie Bickford-Smith Particular Books/Penguin Australia 64 pp paperback $19.99 hardback $35.00 ISBN 978-1-846-14850-7 The Fox and the Star is an outstanding book, to be enjoyed by all ages and one to keep and treasure forever. It was first
Sage Cookson’s Singapore Sensation #4 Sage Cookson
written by Sally Murphy illustrated by Celeste Hulme New Frontier Publishing 2017 paperback $9.99 ISBN 9781925059560 Singapore Sensation is book four in the Sage Cookson series. Sage Cookson is the 10-year-old daughter of TV chefs, Ginger and Basil Cookson and accompanies her parents
Harry Kruize, Born to Lose
by Paul Collins Ford Street Publishing 2017 224 pp paperback $17.95 ISBN 9781925272628 This is the story of a teenage boy’s struggle with a school bully and explores the importance of family and good friends. The title is a little misleading but
All of us Together
by Bill Condon About Kids Books 2017 paperback 160 pp $14.99 ISBN 9780994642806 If you fancy a visit to 1930s Australia, Bill Condon’s junior fiction novel All of Us Together is sure to transport you there instantly. Imagine facing the prospect of
A Galaxy of Her Own: Amazing Stories of Women in Space
by Libby Jackson illustrated by students of the London College of Communication Century/Penguin Books Australia 2017 144 pp hardback $32.99 ISBN 9781780898360 Written by British author and Aerospace scientist Libby Jackson, and illustrated by the students of the London College of Communication,
Undercover Princess (The Rosewood Chronicles)
by Connie Glynn Puffin/Penguin 2017 288 pp pb $22.99 ISBN 9780141387567 A princess and a girl who would like to be royalty swap identities when they enter the elite Rosewood school. Sounds like fun, right? I thought so after enjoying the best-selling, “The
The Lion in Our Living Room
by Emma Middleton illustrated by Briony Stewart Affirm Press 2017 32 pp hardback $21.99 ISBN 9781925584226 This is the story of two children, a boy and a girl, and their dog who wonder if ‘the mighty lion’ may come out and play
