12 Curly Questions with author Helen Lear

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.  

I have heterochromia or two different coloured eyes – one blue and one brown.

2. What is your nickname?  

Learos, H or Hells Bells depending on whom you ask!

3. What is your greatest fear?  

Sharks and fire. Probably shouldn’t have moved to Australia!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words. 

 Engaging, entertaining and inspiring kids to become strong, brave and kind.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Funny (I hope!), rhythmic, dynamic, engaging, storyteller. 

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I’m a huge fan of Nordic Noir, so one of the dark and brooding detectives like Kurt Wallander or Harry Hole.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?  

Any time in the '80s. Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I’m an '80s nut! I love the music, the movies, the fashion and even the dodgy food.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?  

Well done for getting out there and travelling the world. That was what I always wanted to do.

9. Who is your greatest influence?  

My parents. They’ve always encouraged me to travel, to try new things and always reach for my goals. Also my partner, Markus, who is a futurist and delights in educating and terrifying me on what is to come!

10. What/who made you start writing?  

I have always had a love of writing, from creating short stories as a child to my work today as a communications consultant and writer. I love the written word and find it a great form of expression. Since having kids I’ve also wanted to create special stories for them, which is how my debut book Frankie Pants & Mr Fox came about.

11. What is your favourite word and why? 

 My one-year-old has just learnt to say ‘watermelon’, which to me now sounds like the cutest word in the world!

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?  

A photo album filled with pictures of my family and friends.

Helen Lear is a communications consultant, writer and author. Since becoming a mum of two boys, Helen has aspired to create her own stories that will engage, entertain and inspire them and other children to become strong, brave and kind young people. See www.frankiepantsbook.com.

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Review: Searching For Seashells

Review: Took the Children Away

Took the Children Away, the iconic lyrics of First Nations singer/songwriter Archie Roach in picture book form, is published as a special 30th anniversary edition. 

The song, written in 1988 for release on his 1990 debut album, Charcoal Lane, received the first ever prestigious, Australian Human Rights Award.

Taken from his parents at two years old, Archie was prompted by his Uncle Banjo Clarke, to write a song about when he was taken from his family.

Not having any memory of that time,Uncle Banjo told him stories of his life and thus the song was born. The book’s illustrations are by Ruby Hunter, Roach’s beloved partner in life, his soulmate and musical collaborator, who left this world behind in 2010. 

Their last creative work together leaves its mark and a lasting legacy for future generations.

Strong messages of loss and grief, of separation and disconnection, but also of love, return, reconnection and renewal; a closing of the circle, impress upon the world, the truth about the injustices perpetrated on the Stolen Generation, while it speaks for all those who were taken from their families and culture to be made something else.

The book’s bright orange cover has a bold indented title, author and illustrator’s name. The image is appropriately chosen from his 2007 album, Journey.

Highly collectable not only for the song lyrics that will remain everlasting, but for the historical and visual content. Rare singular photographs of historical value are included of: Archie with his Uncle in the forest near Framlingham Aboriginal Mission, Archie with Ruby, the only photo he has of his mother and father holding his eldest brother and others, priceless memories that chart the course of his and his family’s life.

A stunning full-page painting titled NORI, (a Ngarrindjeri word for Pelican) by Ruby’s sister-in-law, Rosslyn Richards, precedes the last page, with a photo and a short statement by Archie.

Beautifully designed with strong Indigenous colours throughout, this is a collector’s dream. 

Title: Took the Children Away
Author: Archie Roach
Illustrator: Ruby Hunter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 8 September
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760857219
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Shoo You Crocodile!

When your class goes to the museum, there are a few things you’ll likely expect to see.

But what you probably don’t expect to see is a… crocodile!

Crocodile, crocodile with crocodile teeth.

CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP

You better run. You better try to frighten it away. 

You better clang and stomp and roar until that crocodile leaves.

Shoo You Crocodile! by Katrina Germein is a fun story filled with loads of onomatopoeia and fun actions for the kids to play out as they read. 

It’s a book for reading aloud, and to a crowd, to get the kids moving and involved in the story.

Kids will love stomping, chomping, clanging and roaring throughout the story as the class chase the crocodile (and get chased by the crocodile) through the museum.

With funky and bright illustrations from Tom Jellett, the book draws you in from page one. There are lots of fun details to explore and lots of opportunities to guess what’s coming next with suspenseful page turns.

Heaps of fun and opportunity for audience engagement, Shoo You Crocodile! is for kids (and adults) who love to get loud and silly as they share a story.

For more fun books by Katrina Germein, check out Thunderstorm Dancing and Baby Dance. For more from the marvellous Tom Jellett, follow these links to Why Can't I be a Dinosaur? and The Besties to the Rescue.

Title: Shoo You Crocodile!

Author: Katrina Germein

Illustrator: Tom Jellett

Publisher: Little Book Press, $16.99 

Publication Date: July 2020

Format: Papaerback

ISBN: 978-0-6485510-4-1

For ages: 3 - 6 

Type: Picture Book

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Review: The Pony Question

Name: Jim Bradshaw

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less. 

Crazy mixed-media cartoon doodles.

What items are an essential part of your creative space? 

iPadPro, iMac, Moleskine sketchbooks, various art supplies, music, and shelved walls filled with inspiration.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?

My favorite has always been the good old fashioned pencil. When drawing digitally, there are some pretty good pencils I use in Procreate but I’m always searching for one that looks, feels and does exactly what a real pencil does. So far, nothing beats the real thing. 

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
I can never narrow things down with these kind of questions. There are so many that get left out that way. To help me focus, I will choose contemporary artists with whimsical styles. Christian Turdera, Esther Pearl Watson, Steve Simpson, John Hendrix, Red Nose Studio, pokedstudio (Jonathan Ball) and so much more. Wow! Even after cheating, I left so many that I hugely admire in the dust. 

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why? 

I love the impressionists and the surrealists, but being a cartoony person, I would love to go back to the early 1900s and get to know George Herriman. I loved his line work, witty writing, and the south western world he created for his Krazy Kat comic. Another great artist from that era was Winsor McKay, who took the comic strip medium as far as anyone I can recall, with his comic, Little Nemo in Slumberland. Both were brilliant artists who have inspired me deeply. 

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator? 

When I was a very young impressionable lad, I loved laying on the floor and drawing with my dad. He had cartooning abilities. Watching his sharp #2 pencil move skillfully on the paper was magical to me and I never got over that. There is something about taking a blank page and filling it with whatever dumps out of my head that is highly infectious. It fills me with childlike wonder to this day. I never wanted to do anything else.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
My walls and shelves are filled with fun, beautiful and inspiring things. I’m into vintage electronics and especially clocks. There is something about time that I find cool, fun, sad, frustrating and fascinating all at the same time. Photography, illustration, characters, pics of loved ones and fun things. It’s my eye candy! 

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
When everything is drawn out and the main colors are blocked in. Then I get to just go crazy rendering in all the details. If you look at my work, you will see that I am obsessive about details. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
I want to talk about style. I’ve seen so many artists chasing the latest trends and in some cases totally ripping off other artists and making a career of it. If you want to be fulfilled, your goal should always be to develop your own style and voice. It takes time, consistency and diligence. The more you practice, the sooner I believe your style will develop. Study what and who is successful out there and honestly appraise your stuff to see if it is on the level it needs to be. 

For years, I loved my sketchbook doodles and pencil line style, but felt that my final inked illustrations lacked the spontaneous energy of my pencil work. One day it hit me. Why can’t my crazy sketchy doodle style be the final art? It was a happy revelation. Today, my style makes me happy, but I am always pushing it and trying new things in hope of taking it further. That keeps it all fresh and exciting for me. 

One more thing concerning your happiness. Do what you enjoy and what interests you. Keep pushing it out there. If you love it and feel passion and joy in it, I believe others will too. Don’t try to save time and settle for just getting it out there. Chasing trendy and marketable is not really who you are. Art directors will hire you for what they see you promoting. I don’t want you to end up bored and frustrated. Be happy and be you. 

Jim lived in New Jersey his whole life. He studied at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Jim works at home. He lives with his wife, adult son Steve who is autistic and his Boston Terrier, Annablelle. Jim also loves gardening, the gym, the beach, hiking, hanging out with friends. 

For more information, please visit Jim's website or follow him on instagram or facebook
 

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Guest Post: Adam Wallace on School Visits As An Author

Review: Norton and the Bear

Norton is someone with his own particular style. He likes being different.

Unfortunately for Norton, he has a copycat.

Bear loves Norton's style and every time Norton appears with something new (jumper, scarf, hat), Bear copies him.

Norton finds it completely frustrating!

Although Bear is excited to tell Norton how much he admires his fashion sense, Norton has had enough.

He tells Bear to stop copying him and find his own style.

It doesn't take long for Norton to feel bad about what he said to Bear, and he eventually comes to a realisation. Perhaps imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, and perhaps Norton and Bear can just focus on being friends.

With a few exceptions, and the odd prop, the illustrations in Norton and the Bear are made up of the two characters and lots of white space. That lets the characters be the central focus, and skinny Norton and larger than life Bear are full of expression. 

Author and illustrator Gabriel Evans has created them using watercolour, gouache and pencil. He says the story was inspired by the frustrations of one sibling copying another.

Norton and the Bear is wonderful story about similarities and diffferences, and that it's ok to have both. It's a reminder that even if we have things in common, there are always things that make each of us unique.

Title: Norton and the Bear
Author/Illustrator: Gabriel Evans
Publisher: Berbay Publishing, $ 25.99
Publication Date: October 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780648785132
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book




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Review: Gold!

Everyone wants to find gold! From all over the world, people flocked to the gold fields to make their fortune.

Some did strike it rich like the four young men in this story, with a nugget bigger than a leg of lamb. They named it the Blanche Barkly after the then Governor’s daughter. It was found on Dja Dja Wurrung land, in August 1857.  

Others left poorer than when they came.

 

Robbie and Jim Ambrose, and Sam and Charlie Napier, meet on the road while travelling to the goldfields.

The story covers four seasons of their life on the goldfields, depicting their daily routine, surroundings, experiences, and the outcome of their diggings. 

Everyone is optimistic, our luck will change, I smell it in the air, I see it in the tea leaves, I feel it in my bones.

When the brothers discover a giant nugget in a shaft, a visit to Queen Victoria is an added bonus. There the nugget goes on show for all the country to see!

Jackie Kerin’s use of repetition and alliteration adds rhythm to the text and makes listening to it read loud, an experience.

Annie White’s brilliant illustrations bring this true story to life for the reader. Beautifully designed and presented, it reveals an important part of Australian history which is perhaps unknown to many. 

As always, White has created meaningful end pages that embrace the story.  

Gold! is an ideal starting point for younger readers to learn about the gold rush days and the people who experienced this part of our county’s rich history of progress, change and development.

Title: Gold!

Author: Jackie Kerin

Illustrator: Annie White

Publisher: FORD ST, $16.95

Publication Date: 1 September 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781925804522

For ages: 6+

Type: Non Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author Lili Wilkinson

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I am really, really good at finding four-leaf clovers. But I’m not superstitious so they’re pretty useless to me.

2. What is your nickname?
I don’t really have one. Some people call me Lil?

3. What is your greatest fear?
Ferris wheels. I hate the bit at the top where they stop and creeeeeak.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Silly and warm with lots of feels and nerdy research. 5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Always trying to be better.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Olivia the pig, because I also have very strong opinions and like getting my own way.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Maybe two years from now, when I can (hopefully) book a holiday without worrying about COVID?

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Wow, you did it!

9. Who is your greatest influence?
The writers I loved growing up – Isobelle Carmody, Lloyd Alexander, Tamora Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones.

10. What/who made you start writing?
See above.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Hodgepodge! Because it’s fun to say, it means something interesting, AND it’s the name of the first Pet Monster!

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
What a horrific thought! Umm, I guess a really fat book of folktales. Or Diana Wynne Jones’s Fire and Hemlock, because every time I read it I find something new.

 Lili Wilkinson is the award-winning author of 10 YA novels, including Scatterheart, Pink and Green Valentine. After studying Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne, Lili established the insideadog.com.au website, the Inky Awards and the Inkys Creative Reading Prize at the Centre for Youth Literature, State Library of Victoria. She has a PhD in Creative Writing, and lives in Melbourne with her husband, son, dog and three chickens. For more information, see https://ift.tt/2GsXuBx.

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Review: Contagion

The Great War has ended but a new war has begun. 

It is through fourteen year-old Charlotte’s daily diary entries that the story is told.

The end of 1918 is nearing. Charlotte’s dad has returned from the war a broken man. His experiences are locked inside him. He is grumpy and resentful of everything. Charlotte cannot understand why he has changed so, nor can anyone else.

Life goes on the same as before for the rest of the family, but frustration at Dad’s unbearable attitude is added to their daily burden. Charlotte’s only confidant is Florence, her neighbour, best friend and daughter of the local GP. 

Mum, a nurse, works night shift to feed her four children. A large part of the household chores fall on Charlotte alongside her studies. She dreams of becoming a nurse too. To learn something about her father’s condition and the medication he is taking, she secretly borrows some medical books from Florence. If people don’t tell me anything, then I shall have to find out for myself.

With a sharp mind and an interest in everything,  Charlotte’s potential is recognised by the doctor. With permission for her to accompany him as helper on his rounds during school holidays, Charlotte is given more opportunity to learn.

It’s not until mum’s brother, Donald, comes home from overseas just before Christmas, that change occurs. Charlotte overhears dad and Donald discussing traumatic and sometimes gruesome details of war life. She at last understands why her dad is the way he is.

The New Year brings new challenges. An influenza pandemic has hit Melbourne and all the area is infected. On her home visits with the doctor, Charlotte is confronted with death for the first time, and poverty far beyond what she could have imagined. She is forced to disinfect before she goes home. Everyone must wear a mask.

When her sister dies, and the other two girls, Mum and Donald get infected, Charlotte is filled with fear. Will dad stand up at last in this do-or-die situation, and finally give his family the attention they need?

This reality took place one hundred years ago. Reading it is like hearing what is currently taking place in the world. There is little difference. But as all things that have gone before, this tragedy too, will pass.

Contagion is based on true happenings and is part of the brilliant My Australian Story series which opens the pages to our country’s history.

Title: Contagion
Author: Kerry Greenwood 
Publisher: Scholastic, $ 16.99
Publication Date: 1 August 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760975562
For ages: 9+
Type: Historical Fiction

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Guest Post: Elizabeth Cummings on Springboarding Ideas

Writers are often asked where their ideas come from and more often than not the answer revolves around how their daily life gives them the creative spark to write. 

This is true but moreover I do believe as a writer myself that the ideas are already there in some form or other buried deep within one’s very core. 

The concept, the theme or the character rise up and take form thanks to some trigger but the actual essence or desire to write is part of who a writer is. 

You may think that this is quite far-fetched or amazing or just a bit pretentious but really the most incredible thing is the myriad forms that writers choose to express in written form. 

From writers creating in genres such as crime, romance and paranormal to those seeking to create their narratives for particular age groups (and, oh yes, I’m talking about the upper middle grade storytellers, the new adult and even those who want to writer for the toddler market) these creators are all determined that their writing has a place, an interest group, a market, a target age group.

This is what fascinates me and indeed as a writer I find myself at times shifting genre or target audience depending on what it is I’m writing about. Whilst I am published in picture books, I am busy away on my third or fourth edits of middle grade and YA manuscripts and I know that these works in progress are as much in need of expression as the next book in one of my picture books series. I love the exploration of the themes I am writing about and how these sit more comfortably for one audience or another, or in one form or other. It is not always clear at the start of the writing journey but as the words are penned and the ideas developed, where the story might sit begins to reveal itself.

For example, my independently published Verityville series came about more from conversations with friends about their jobs and how society values certain roles to greater or lesser degrees. This concept was far more academic than the resulting little picture books series with cute-sey characters and basic storylines depicting daily life for many a humble career. However, I would like to think that the sharing of these books between their intended emerging reader audience and their parents or teachers will generate reflection as much for the adults as for the kids who are excited about the trucks or hairstyles in the books. I love the idea that busy adults might just take a tiny thought away with them that other people’s roles matter and conveying this to their young charges.

Then again, my forthcoming picture book Rain Shaker, published by Big Sky Publishing, stems from conversations over the years between my own children and their grandparents back in Ireland and how the very different weather patterns were a source of amusement and engrossed absorption with fanciful threads of hypotheses about how wonderful it would be if the rain and sun could be shared fairly between the two opposite sides of the world! This concept grew and morphed into the picture book it has come to be with the narrative firmly centered on the child protagonist and their self-belief that they can change the world and make it a better place - now isn’t that a splendid idea from which I hope many more will spring from!Elizabeth is a Sydney based author and poet. Her works often reflect the world from the perspective of those who are marginalised, misunderstood or simply unheard. Elizabeth’s picture book series, Elephant in the Room raises family and mental health topics. Elizabeth is an award winning poet and regularly presents on storytelling as well family and mental health issues both here in Australia and internationally.

Elizabeth believes that our young people can help us understand our world and so her stories all start by exploring the word from a child’s perspective; that is to say that by taking a child’s view on a certain topic there becomes a ‘way in’ to new perspectives and a fresh way of seeing the world and the role of others in it. Elizabeth’s books are there to help children and adults alike find a way into new modes of thinking and new perspectives.

Learn more about Elizabeth via her website: www.elizabethmarycummings.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabethmarycummings/

Instagram: @verityville

Twitter: @EMCummings1

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Review: None Shall Sleep

Emma Lewis and Travis Bell are both teenagers who have had survived encounters with serial killers. 

They are therefore recruited by the FBI to interview a convicted teenaged serial killer in order to gain some clues about an ongoing investigation into another serial killer, who is targeting teenagers.

The jailed killer, Simon Gutmunsson, is a sophisticated and charming genius who develops a rapport with Emma and throws her tantalising cryptic clues that may provide some insights into the mind of the killer. 

Or maybe he’s a clever psychopath playing her in order to gain changes in his incarceration which may offer him a way to escape.

As I started reading, I was wary of this story, as the set up sounded very close to The Silence of the Lambs. 

There were other similarities – just as Lechter taunted Clarisse about being motivated by her failure to save the lambs, so does Gutmunsson taunt Emma

about her failure to have rescued the other two girls who had been held hostage with her some years earlier.

And that no matter how successful she may be, she would always bear the load of her guilt.

Thankfully, the storylines diverged enough to save the book from being hurled across the room. I liked that even though Emma was working with Travis, she was the stronger character who made important decisions and kept her nerve. I liked that – unusually for a YA story – there was zero hint of a romance. I was also grateful that it lacked the shocking and bloodthirsty climax of Harris’s novel. However, it was not lacking in gory details, so those who enjoy a thriller will not be disappointed.

Overall, it was very well written, fast paced and had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. Despite the publisher recommending this for readers aged 14 - 18 years, I would suggest caution for the younger end of this range, due to its graphic description of murders. 

Title:None Shall Sleep
Author: Ellie Marney
Publisher:Allen and Unwin, $19.99
Publication Date: September 2020
Format:Paperback
ISBN:9781760877309
For ages: 14 - 18
Type:Young AdultFiction  

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Review: The Goody

Review: The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures

I love a big book of things. And I love magical beasts and other-worldly creatures. 

So The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures was always destined to fall into my hands.

This one is truly a beauty. 

It covers myths and legends from across the world, cultural beings, gods and goddesses, and fairy tale beasts. 

With categories like shape shifters, creatures of the deep, almost human and beasts of the world, it really has everything you would expect and many creatures you likely haven’t heard of before.

I’m talking unicorns, mermaids, vampires, ghosts and dragons. But, also, Wendigo, Eshu, Loki, Medusa and Yakumama.

Each spread is dedicated to one creature and includes a large and vibrant illustration plus information and facts. For every creature, there is a map that indicates where the tales of the beast originate. At the back of the book you’ll find a helpful glossary, index and quick A to Z of magical creatures.

This book has it all, and makes it so easy for kids to access and read and explore. Fans of all things mystical and magical are truly going to love The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures. I 100% do!

Title: The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures 

Author: Stephan Krensky

Illustrator: Pham Quang Phuc

Publisher: DK Books, $34.99  

Publication Date: 29 September 2020

Format: Hardback

ISBN: 9780241423950

For ages: 5+

Type: Non-Fiction

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Giveaway: YA Pack: Tribal Lores and Rise of the Remarkables: Brasswitch and Bot

The good people of Walker Books Australia produce some truly outstanding Young Adult fiction. Here are two very different YA novels that we have managed to bundle into one awesome prize pack for you.

Tribal Lores by Archimede Fusillo and Rise of the Remarkables; Brasswitch and Bot by the equally incredible, Gareth Ward. 

Tribal Lores is a moving and explosive tale about what happens when tradition and the need to belong collide.This book explores the fundamental things about growing up that never change: the desire to fit in and be accepted by one’s peers, the intrinsic urge to belong, where Archimede Fusillo felt compelled to tell about the challenges of being a male who is not expected to sway too much from the traditions and values of a tight Italian family, yet surrounded by peers who pushed against these same restrictions.

Rise of the Remarkables: Brasswitch and Bot is the next high-stakes, action-packed series from the author of The Traitor and the Thief, winner of the 2016 Storylines Tessa Duder Award, the 2018 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Youth Novel and Best New Talent. A fantastic steampunk adventure story for readers 10+, perfect for fans of Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan series and Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines series.

For the chance to win this double book prize, in 25 words or less, tell us what genre YA novel would you most want to star in?

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The response we like best will win a copy of this amazing new release. Competition is open to anyone, worldwide, so long as they have an Australian postal address for delivery of the books. Please note, we cannot deliver to PO Boxes. Entries without a name and street address will be ineligible. Winners will be announced right here on our website on 12 October 2020.

Competition runs from 5.00 am 3 October 2020 to 5 pm 10 October 2020. Adults can enter for those aged 17 and under. This is a game of skill, not chance. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

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Review: Little Jiang

Poor Mei! Some people just don’t get much luck in life. She’s a misfit at her school. Spirits seem attracted to Mei and often provide her with advice that nobody else can hear, a phenomenon which just increases during Hungry Ghost Month.

Her father's eyesight is failing and her mother appears to be getting more ill and frail everyday. Her family’s restaurant is next door to a funeral house and graveyard, so it’s hardly any wonder that few customers ever dine there.

The last thing Mei needs is a vampire stalking her.

Well, a different sort of vampire. A child who died years ago and was reanimated by the thoroughly creepy funeral home director. The reanimated, the jiang, need to survive by sucking not blood, but the chi force from a person. Or so the legend goes.

But Little Jiang seems sweet and unassuming, following Mei around and regretting that he can’t partake in any of the magnificent Chinese feasts her parents serve. And could he be the friend that a lonely girl needs?

As a plague of the undead roam the streets of Honeywood, Mei needs to enlist the assistance of the ghosts and other creatures from Chinese mythology to save the town from destruction – and solve the mystery of the creepy funeral home director. And possibly lift a curse that has been plaguing Mei her entire life.

Beautifully illustrated by Katy Jiang with twelve black and white drawings, this book is an own-voice story that satisfies the need for a well written story told from a diverse perspective.

Title: Little Jiang
Author: Shirley Marr
Illustrator: Katy Jiang
Publisher: Fremantle Press, $14.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925816471
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: Kookaburra

The name Kookaburra is an adaption of an Aboriginal word and describes the bird’s song. Known also as laughing jackass, they are part of the Kingfisher family.

Thick brush strokes in nature's colours reflect the wildness of the Australian landscape. The rough images portray the singular beauty of trees and sky.

Deep orange and yellows stain the horizon as dawn’s light reveals the wild, rugged mountains in the distance.

Kookaburra sits in a line on a limb with her mate … and leads a sunrise chorus.
 

That tipping of the head catches sight of breakfast.

 Kookaburra’s mate brings an offering as their new nesting season nears.
 

Kookaburras mate for life. Only if one of a pair dies, does the other take a new mate.
 

The pair search for the perfect nesting place in trees, but return to their familiar one after finding fault with all the others.
 

They must beware the call of strangers, for Kookaburras are territorial and will defend borders.
 

These are informational books for children who love to learn about Australia’s natural world and all its living creatures. Nature Storybooks open countless opportunities to younger readers, to identify and learn about Australian animals and birds, their lifestyles, habits, choices they make, and how they build families.
 

Fantastic design and layout prepare the double spread with the narrative on one side, and presented in italics, is the fact page opposite.
 

The illustrations by Tanya Harricks are created with oil paint. Included at the end under Information About Kookaburras, is more to learn about these wondrous birds, plus a page of About the Author and Illustrator. This is laid out in stunning earth shades, with animals of the forest creating the borders.
 

Gorgeous end pages full of Kookaburra feathers resting against blue skies open and close this latest addition to the series of Nature Storybooks.
 

Title: Kookaburra 

Author: Claire Saxby

Illustrator: Tannya Harricks

Publisher: Walker Books, $26.99

Publication Date: September 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781760651060

For ages: 5+ 

Type: Non Fiction

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Guest Post: Karen Hendriks on The Inspiration of Feathers

Review: Nala the Koala

Nala the Koala is a beautiful, heartfelt story about a koala’s search for a new home, it relates to recent events in Australia and touches on loss, environments and community spirit. 

In a disaster which will be recognisable to those aware of the 2019 Australian bushfires, a koala named Nala has lost her home.

She walks and walks in search of a new home, exploring possible tree alternatives such as the beach, a city, an echidna’s burrow, and more; but none of these are quite right. Eventually, Nala finds a suitable tree, but discovers that it isn’t immediately sustainable. With a warming community spirit, friends arrive and work together to rebuild the surrounding environment, making Nala’s new home one she can stay in.

The story is written in an engaging way, posing questions around which environments will suit Nala and prompting possible discussions on broader topics including animals' habitats, bushfires and environmental circumstances. An inspiring message about community spirit and making a difference shine through. 

I adore the modern stylised illustrations which feature bold shapes and painted textures with a muted palette of mostly greens, greys and other colours inspired by Australian flora and fauna.

Penny Min Ferguson is an artist and designer based in Victoria, Australia, Nala the Koala is her debut picture book. All royalties from sales of Nala the Koala are donated to NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES).

Title: Nala the Koala
Author/Illustrator:  Penny Min Ferguson
Publisher: Penguin Random House, $17.99
Publication Date: 1 September 2020
Format:  Hardback
ISBN:  9781760898830
For ages: 3 – 5 
Type: Picture Book

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Review: The Human Body Survival Guide

With a light-hearted approach to a complex subject, in The Human Body Survival Guide, George Ivanoff moves in another direction with this theme.

Showing how flexible and adept a writer he is, his narrative speaks directly to his audience in language that kids use, and with his usual unsuppressed childish humour.

Early in the book, the Glossary is mentioned as a go-to for difficult word definitions.

There are four sections, beginning with On the Outside; The Wrapping or skin, one of the four sub-sections.This is covered with issues connected to the dermis, and like every other section, is measured by a gross-o-metre.

Following are six sub-sections of On the Inside, Better Out Than In, and Everything Else. As you can tell by the headings, a lot of gross and disgusting images and descriptions are involved, but we learn how necessary and helpful they are to the hard-working processes of our body.

Detailed, speech bubbles and brief asides will entertain and keep kids laughing, as will a whole lot of Random Stuff and Fun Body Facts.

Riveting descriptions and images on the cardiovascular system, the complex stages of digestion, weird brain disorders, microorganisms, factual and bizarre stories, excerpts from newspapers and interesting and unusual case studies, blend together to form an ideal reference book.

Kids and anyone else, longing to learn the nitty-gritty of the human body’s workings, look no further! Well researched, with beautiful design and layout beginning from the stunning cover, each page is made unique with the use of fluorescent orange throughout.

Title: The Human Body Survival Guide
Author: George Ivanoff
Illustrator: Astrid Hicks
Publisher: Penguin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 15 September 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760896744
For ages: 10+
Type: Non Fiction

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Guest Post: Elizabeth Schultz on 5 Children's Book Writing Misconceptions

Review: The Puffin Book of Big Dreams

The Puffin Book of Big Dreams: Stories to Spark Your Imagination was created to celebrate Puffin’s 80^th birthday. 

New and much-loved stories and poems, and short stories by children sharing dreams about what they long to become, makes up this amazing collection.

Every page encourages children to use their imagination to soar high; to become what they dream of being. And that a little bit of mess can inspire the most unexpected ideas.

Diverse in every way – culture, language and themes, gather together in clusters under six banners of Dreams: Dream Wild, Dream Bold, Dream Far, Dream Brave, Dream Kind and Dream Forever.

Stories include myths and legends, inventions, contraptions, time-travel space travel, among so many. Excerpts from popular and favourite books tantalise in a way that kids will want to read the whole book. That is a secret gift that comes with the stories.

The Introduction is as interesting to read as all the entries. The first four Puffin books were factual, aimed at children evacuated to the country because of WW2. It wasn’t until 1941 that the first fiction books for children were published.

With over 60 entries, this impressive book will surprise and satisfy even the most reluctant reader. It has such a variety of reading, that welcomes dips and long sessions.

This book is a celebration not only of Puffin’s 80^thbirthday, but a journey through styles and authors, poets and dreamers, and of children’s literature and all the treasures it offers.

Title: The Puffin Book of Big Dreams
Author: Various
Illustrator: Various
Publisher: Penguin, $32.99
Publication Date: 15 September 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780241438206
For ages: 6+ 

Type: Junior Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author Kaye Baillie

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I once closed my eyes while riding my bike home from school to see if I could stay on the road... I rode straight into a ditch!

2. What is your nickname?
At high school it was Wilsy but I don’t have one now.

3. What is your greatest fear?
I am terrified of riding ferris wheels and of heights in general.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Heartwarming and emotional or takes readers on a rollicking ride.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Curious, boppy, emotional, determined, proud.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Maya from Maya and Cat by Caroline Magerl. Maya is observant, kind, reactive and fair. Maya is determined to make sure Cat finds its home and sets out to ensure this happens, even if it means giving up her new-found friend.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why? 
I would travel to 3020, one thousand years from now to see what people are doing and how things are going.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Why did it take so long for your first picture book to come out?

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My mother and sister. They were such funny, lovely, great people who I adored and respected enormously. We ‘got’ each other so well that I could always be myself around them and they encouraged all my writing attempts.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I wrote when I was a kid because I wanted to put my ideas down, turn them into stories and bring them to life. This is the same for me now. It was just something I wanted to do. Nobody actually got me started. Although I remember admiring my sister’s story called Salt Water, which she wrote in primary school, about a world flooded by the sea. I always wanted to be like her.

11. What is your favourite word and why? 
Kerfuffle. It makes me think of something going wrong but in a humorous way.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton. I could go on adventures with the children up the tree and visit the Land of Take What You Want. 

 

Kaye has a Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing which she began while still an Executive Assistant in a power supply company in Melbourne. Following her passion for picture books and storytelling, Kaye continued to study creative writing to achieve her goal of becoming a full-time children’s author. One of her recent titles is shortlisted (2019) in the Western Australian Young Readers’ Book Awards and the NSW Premier’s History Awards. She has a passion for telling stories about remarkable people. Kaye has four forthcoming picture books. She is an active member and the Assistant Co-ordinator of SCBWI Victoria and is a member of the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Kaye lives in a Victorian coastal town with her family and high maintenance pets. She loves baking and eating puddings. For more information, see www.kayebaillie.weebly.com.

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Winner: Remy Lai Double Book Pack: Pie In The Sky and Fly On The Wall

Review: Puffin Little Scientist: Robotics

Learn all about robots and robotics with the latest in the Puffin Little series.

Puffin Little Scientist: Robotics is a great introduction to all things robotic.

Starting with what a robot is, and the difference between robots and machines, you'll learn that the first robots were created in the 1940s and were known as Elmer and Elsie.

Different kinds of robots are explained, from domestic robots like vacuum cleaners, to medical robots that perform surgery, and exploration robots that go places humans can't or shouldn't.

Common components of robots are also explained. 

Amongst them are related concepts like biomimicry and echolocation. There is also a game to play to demonstrate echolation and make it even clearer to understand (kids will love pretending to be a bat and learn how to sense with sound).

There are also a couple of experiments to help explain concepts, and learn about static electricity and magnets.

In Puffin Little Scientist: Robotics little scientists will also read about programming (aka coding), soft robotics (made from soft and squishy materials instead of metal), toy robots (like Furby, LEGO, and Meccano), and different ways robots are used (such as on farms, by the police, and in space).

Puffin Little Scientist: Robotics concludes with a section on the future and how robots might be developed.

With Puffin as guide, in a book that has a simple, contemporary design, little scientists will have their eyes opened and their minds inspired to explore the world of robotics further, and perhaps try designing their own robot.

Puffin Little is a fabulous series for children aged 6 and up. Look out for other titles including those related to cooking, history, the environment, and exploring. They are great for young children, and will also be appreciated by adults.

Title: Puffin Little Scientist: Robotics
Publisher: Puffin, $12.99
Publication Date: September 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760897680
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Non-Fiction

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Review: Dare To Be You

In his previous title You Are Awesome, Matthew Syed used personal experiences for young people to use to build confidence and reach their full potential in whatever they attempt.

With Dare to be You, he again draws on his life learnings, sharing what was and how it became what is. All his points have clear examples leaving no doubt about his message.

Being bullied because of his origins, Syed, discovered that diversity bred great successes.

Yahoo! was invented by Jerry Yang with David Filo and Google by Sergey Brin. Indra Nooy was CEO of Pepsi for twelve years,. These are examples of how beneficial it is to be different.

Loaded with brilliant tips on how to defy self-doubt and dissolve the angst connected to fitting in – both dedicated destroyers of self-confidence, he introduces additional tools for our toolbox to use, to follow one’s own path in life.

Countless valuable quotes from famous people who overcame what Syed calls Kid Doubt – that negative voice in your head that fills you with self-doubt, reinforce the message of one size does not fit all. Exercises help bring clarity to the doubts we have about ourselves and why.

He calls attention to the good and bad about copying people we envy or admire. They may seem to be perfect or have the perfect life. Remember, things are not always what they seem.

You must question the word normal! Does that mean what others expect you to be?

Our differences are our greatest strengths. The many ways we differ from one another is brought into focus with Syed’s own stories as proof, in addition to lots of factual information about the body we inhabit.

I loved this book as much as I did his other. Mood-lifting, full of Interesting Fact Alerts and statistics, biographical information on successful people, this amazing book holds far more than I expected!

Title: Dare To Be You
Author: Matthew Syed
Illustrator: Toby Triumph
Publisher: Hachette, $19.99
Publication Date: September 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781526362377
For ages: 9+
Type: Self Help



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Review: Welcome Baby to this World

This book is simply a love story, a celebration of the special adventure shared between a mother and her precious baby. 
The beautiful cover is embossed with shining gold and blue detail, which invites the reader to take time and explore the world inside.

Told in simple rhyme, the story follows and bear mother and her cub taking joy in each other’s company as they enjoy simplest things in life – building sandcastles, hunting for treasure in the grass, walking along the shore – all part of the wonder of a child exploring its world.

It’s as much about the delight a parent takes in sharing this incredible journey, seeing the world through the new eyes of a small person, as it is about the child.

The illustrations are simple and clear, with interesting detail for a child to look at. The mother and her small bear cub amble through beautiful landscapes – the seashore, the forest, a lake, taking their time to look, to feel, to listen, to lie back and enjoy.

It also touches on how intimidating this can be for a parent, as she admits to the baby that she will make mistakes along the way.

This is a quiet story to savour and to enjoy the detail.

Title: Welcome Baby to this World
Author/ Illustrator: Jess Racklyeft 
Publisher: Affirm, $19.99  
Publication Date: 8 September, 2020
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781925972917
For ages: 3 - 5
Type: Picture Book

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Review: The Map From Here To There

Look What I'm Reading! Lily Weigl Junior Reviewer

I am Lily and I love to read and draw. 

The reason I love to read is that every book is different and has a different idea/concept. 

I also love to disappear into another world that is completely different to ours. It makes me feel as if I have this superpower to open a portal to another world!

My favourite books are Warriors by Erin Hunter, Wings of Fire by Tui. T. Sutherland and Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan. 

I recommend all of these books to anyone above the age of eight or nine.

Which children’s book are you currently reading?   

Warriors by Erin Hunter 

Can you tell us in two sentences what the book is about?
Cats hunting in the wilderness, danger lurking around every corner. May Starclan be with them.

How much did you enjoy/are enjoying this title?
It is exhilarating and there is always a new problem in every sub-series.

What made you choose this title? Was it a review, advertising, the cover, the blurb, the author/illustrator, or the subject/genre?
The editor Tui T. Sutherland (who is my favourite author) made me want to experiment with it and see what is was like.

What other titles are on your bedside table /To Read Pile? 

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron, Dragonslayer by Tui T. Sutherland, Land of Stories by Chris Colfer, Trials of Apollo- Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan, Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland 

How did you come by these titles: personal choice/request, publisher’s review copy, or other?
They are mostly from my top favourite authors: Rick Riordan, Tui. Sutherland and Chris Colfer.

Do you have a favourite genre? If so, what is it, and why do you prefer it? 

I love fantasy, action, adventure, mystery and magic because these can all create multiple new worlds that are completely different from our world. I love looking at how I world could have turned out in different eras - future, past and present. 

Do you read from printed books or some other medium? Please expand a little on the why of your choice.
I read printed books at all times because I find it more beneficial for my health and I focus more when I do not have a screen in front of me that I am reading from (and I can’t be distracted by YouTube).

Discover more about Lily via our KBR 12 Curly Questions.

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Review: The Great Realisation

The Great Realisation is a fable born of the difficult journey the world has been on in 2020. It has relevance today and beyond, for people of all ages.

It began life as a poem written by Tomos Roberts for his younger siblings. A tale to share hope and optimism.

Tomos posted his performance of the poem online and it quickly went viral, being viewed millions of times. 

Now it's been adapted and published as a picture book perfect for bedtime reading, anytime reading.

 The Great Realisation will mean something to everyone. It's moving and celebrates good things, expressing some of the things we've learned and positive outcomes of the global pandemic.

Tomos Roberts, also known as Tomfoolery, is a young spoken word poet, performer and filmmaker. In this book, his poem is illustrated by Kate Greenaway Medal nominee, Japanese artist Nomoco.

Nomoco's unique stylised images depict people, places and experiences from varied perspectives and with wonderful use of colour. On one double-page, you'll peer from above planes toward cars below. Another is covered with people moving quickly, rarely interacting. Then there are pages filled with people being creative and kind. All leading to the climax, and acknowledgement that hindsight is 2020.

I love this book, this poem, and cannot recommend it highly enough. If you've not seen the video of The Great Realisation, watch it now. Then buy yourself a copy of the book and share it with everyone. It tells a story, and a message, that deserves to be heard far and wide.

Title:The Great Realisation
Author: Tomos Roberts
Illustrator: Nomoco
Publisher: Harper Collins, $ 24.99
Publication Date: September 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781460759806
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture book

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Review: The Tindims of Rubbish Island

Tindims are special little beings. They live on Rubbish Island and they’re the most amazing recyclers in the world, collecting floating rubbish and turning it into fabulous and useful things. Nothing is wasted on Rubbish Island.

Timdims scour the seas for rubbish treasures, have lovely festivals and celebrate the usefulness of the things others throw away.

But when the rubbish in the seas starts increasing, and bottle mountain grows from all the bottles being thrown away, Rubbish Island faces peril as Captain Spoons finds he is unable to see around the great mountain to navigate Rubbish Island in the right direction.

The Tindims must work together to get Rubbish Island back on course so they can get to warm waters for the Brightsea Festival.

The Tindims of Rubbish Island is a beautiful junior fiction read, exploring themes of recycling and reusing in the most amazing, engaging and invisible way.

The book isn’t preachy at all; it’s imaginative and creative. The idea of little people turning pieces of rubbish into houses, vehicles and mountains is gold. It invites kids into a special little world and gifts them a large cast of cool characters to fall in love with.

I love the funky illustrations and layout of this one. Lovely black and white pictures throughout, fun diagrams and the most beautiful chapter headings make the book fun to explore and welcoming for new readers.

Mother-daughter duo Sally Gardner and Lydia Corry deliver something so special with The Tindims of Rubbish Island. This is a fabulous new junior series, and I highly recommend it for all junior readers looking for something new.

Title: The Tindims of Rubbish Island

Author: Sally Gardner

Illustrator: Lydia Corry

Publisher: Head Of Zeus, $12.99

Publication Date: 2 September 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781838935672

For ages: 7 - 9 

Type: Junior Fiction

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