Meet The Illustrator: Katrin Dreiling

Name: Katrin Dreiling

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Quirky, European, friendly, whimsical and hopefully with an out-of-the-box focus on things.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
I would say gouaches and coloured pencils, Photoshop and Procreate but a lot of coffee and my fluffy dog Loki are definitely essential, too.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I can never decide which medium I like best and it seems to vary according to my mood or how much time I have in that moment. However, the first thing I usually grab just to put rough ideas down are either an ink pen or my beloved Palomino Blackwing pencil.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
They change a lot, too, but three of my all-time favourites are Russell Ayto and his quirky perspectives. 

Then Felicita Sala’s and Beatrice Alemagna’s playfulness and childlike visions and techniques. I can never get enough of their work. Tim Burton’s work has been an influence as well but that’s already four…..

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

I recently have formed a deeper interest for the Victorian Age mainly because of the detailed and restricting clothing. Living in that time would be a different matter. I don’t think I could fit in without inadvertently causing scandals…! I do stretch my pinkie out when I drink tea, though.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

The joy in creativity, watching the world through a different lens and reading cartoons was always there but I think my three children brought my wish to be an illustrator for children’s book alive. When they were small, I could see how much picture books had an influence on them and it deeply fascinated me. That’s how it all started and it has certainly not been an easy journey but I feel that it was a privilege to be able to show my children how you pursue a dream and never give up.

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 studio at home could be mistaken for a cupboard in regards to its size or a storage in regards to its chaos. I know exactly where everything is and declutter regularly, though. I love my desk with its inbuilt lightbox and that it is situated right in the middle of the house…and close to the coffee shelf.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I love when all sketches and storyboard are done and I can start on the coloured illustrations. I usually wrap up the process by digitally enhancing or texturizing my work and this always fulfills me completely as I see everything coming together. When I have finished a project I often go and reward myself with new art supplies…I like that part very much, too 😊

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?

Find someone whose opinion and experience you trust to ask questions and then try not to look left or right and just do your own thing.

Katrin Dreiling is a teacher-trained illustrator based in Brisbane who loves to come up with quirky creations that inspire children to get creative themselves. She has illustrated several picture books, and her first author/illustrator work, A Perfect Pig, has just been released. She contributes the Meet the Illustrator posts for Kids' Book Review and just recently took the role of SCBWI QLD Illustrators Coordinator. Katrin is represented by US literary agent Essie White at Storm Literary.

For more information, please visit Katrin's website or follow her on instagram or artfol.

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Junior Review: Dress Coded

Review: A Perfect Pig

Anton likes everything to be just right, from the part in his hair to the placement of food on his plate. So when it comes to planning his best friend Lola’s surprise birthday party, he has a picture of perfection in his vision. 

When Anton’s mission figuratively and literally tumbles in another direction, he’s perplexed but powers on without complaint. He pedals through the rain, even when mud splatters and his tired piggy legs feel like jelly.

After a busy, bewildering morning, it’s time for Lola’s party, will everything turn out as Anton had hoped? A joyous message about friendship, carrying on and finding perfection in imperfection prevails. 

Anton’s character is lovely, he’s a quaint, caring perfectionist with a heart-warming smile. I adore all the illustrated details and characters. A gorgeous scene showing animals lined up outside a bakery left me dreamily wondering about each and every one of them.  

A Perfect Pig is illustrated in a marvellous mix of media with a crafty cut and paste feel. A mix of textures, wobbly lines and pops of pink create motion and movement in unity with the text. It would be fun to share with groups or individuals and could inspire further discussion about friendship, personalities and getting through tricky situations.

Katrin Drieling is our very own Kids Book Review Meet the Illustrator Editor. A Perfect Pig is her first author illustrated book, some of her earlier illustrated books include Bedtime Daddy, The World’s Worst Pirate and Johnny’s Beard.

Title: A Perfect Pig
Author/Illustrator: Katrin Dreiling
Publisher: Scholastic, $17.99
Publication Date: 1 July 2021
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781760974374
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book

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12 Curly Questions with author Cameron Nunn

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I used to play drums in a variety of bands. I was never very good, and the bands never got very far.

2. What is your nickname?
As a school principal, I probably get called lots of things but the one that gets thrown around a bit is The Nunster.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Not being able to sleep. I know that sounds crazy, but I went through a period of insomnia and it was the worst time of my life. The fear that I might go through that again still sits there.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Character-driven, historical, young-adult fiction, with an unresolved twist.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Passionate, detail-driven, sound-obsessed and image-focused. I know that’s only four but I’ve cheated with hyphens.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Boxer, from Animal Farm. I have been blessed with a tireless ability to work. I’m loyal, optimistic and always believe the best in people, even when common sense says otherwise.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I’d love to go 50 years into the future and hope that people have recognised what we have been doing to the planet and fixed it before it was too late.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
I was such an insecure 10-year-old that I think any advice would be full of worry about what other people thought of me. If I could give my 10-year-old self some advice it would be, ‘relax, it all turns out okay in the end’.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
I’m a Christian, so I’d have to say Jesus. But I’m also married to the most wonderful, faithful and intelligent woman who sets me straight when I need it and gives me more inspiration than I deserve.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I’d been teaching English for nearly 20 years, telling students how wonderful creative writing is. A friend challenged me that I needed to do more than talk about it.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
I’m constantly learning new words, so it changes continuously but the word ‘ubiquitous’ seems to stick around. I love the way it sounds as it rolls off the tongue. The sound of words is really important to me as I write.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
At the risk of being overly religious, my Bible is the book I read every day. It is such a story of promise, love and hope. 

 

Cameron Nunn is well qualified to write for teenagers. An English teacher for 18years, at the time of writing Shadows in the Mirror (his debut novel) he was head of English at a major school in the outer Sydney suburb of Penrith. You can read our review of his latest book, Echo in the Memory here. For more information, see www.walkerbooks.com.au.

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Review: Toby the Rainforest Warrior

Toby and Charlie, two young tree kangaroos that live in the Daintree tropical rainforest, are the narrators of this story.

Men have come with loud chainsaws and have attacked their trees. Toby and Charlie raise the alarm. Destruction of the forest means the loss of habitat and food source of thousands of animals, birds and insects.

Toby spreads the word of a meeting at Smooth Pond. The cassowaries of the area are proud and strong. They will stand and fight!

All the animals continue spreading the word, from area to area. The quiet owls that only speak when they have something important to say, are now fluent and loud.

Some animals feel that they are too far away to be affected by the tree cutting.

But Toby quickly points out that a mass migration will take place if the men succeed in cutting down that area of trees. 

All the animals will then have to move into other areas to find food to survive. There won’t be enough for all then.

The meeting takes place. So does the attack!

All the animals follow the plan. First the noise. Then the physical attack.

The forest is saved!

Ideal for reluctant readers, this beautiful story tells of the power of unity, even in the animal world. Through the descriptive narrative, a view of the forest and the trees, and the way animals support and look out for each other, is made visible.

It also awakens awareness, and the motivation and interest in children to protect our wildlife, their surroundings and the beauty of the natural world.

Title: Toby the Rainforest Warrior
Author: Ron Day
Illustrator: Muza Ulasowski
Publisher: Morris Publishing, $ 17.95
Publication Date: 1 May 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN:9780648878254
For ages: 6 – 10
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: A Weekend with Oscar

Looking after a younger brother with additional needs for a weekend doesn't sound like an easy gig for a sixteen year old kid. 

Nor is it.

Jamie is a smart kid, in the accelerated class at school, who tries to live as straightforward a life as possible while grieving the loss of his dad and coping with the demands of Oscar, his gorgeous brother with Downs Syndrome.

When his mother needs to make a sudden interstate trip to support her own sister’s crisis, Jamie steps up and offers to look after Oscar for a few days.

The weekend passes with a few hiccups along the way, but Jamie rises to the challenges and manages to get Oscar to his various appointments and activities despite relying on the bus. 

He looks forward to life returning to normal.

But his mother never returns. 

At first, he assumes that a wild storm in Perth which has grounded all flights is the reason. 

But as the storm passes and he hears nothing from either his mother or aunt about a revised ETA, his disquiet steadily grows.

And he can’t call on help from the authorities, as this would risk Oscar being removed from the family home, something that Jamie promised his parents would never happen.

He needs to dig deep to solve this mystery with no adult help.

I liked that Bavati portrayed the affection between the brothers, and that Oscar was depicted as being more than just his disability. 

Bavarti gave Oscar the agency to come up with a strategy that Jamie hadn’t thought about. I also liked how she showed the reader the isolation that families with children with additional needs face daily as their social options quietly dry up. 

However, the school bully was never given a motivation to be so rude about Oscar to Jamie’s face and I felt this was a left as a loose end. Plus, having worked for social welfare agencies myself, I wanted to yell at Jamie that his fears would be unlikely to be realised as siblings are only separated as a last resort.

Otherwise, it was well written and left me guessing. Jamie and Oscar were both relateable, and Jamie's budding relationship with Zoe was also done well. 

This is author Robyn Bavati’s fourth book for young adults, and I’m sure it’s not going to be her last.

Title: A Weekend with Oscar
Author: Robyn Bavarti
Publisher: Walker, $19.99
Publication Date: 7 July, 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760653002
For ages: 12 years +
Type: Young Adult Fiction

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Winner: Wombat Nature Storybook

Our lucky winner is...

Liz Dorrington, WA

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of the beautiful picture book by Christopher Cheng and Liz Duthie, Wombat.

Enjoy!

Thank you to ALL who entered.

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Review: A Flair for Fun

A Flair for Fun is a new book from the team who created A Flair for Hair, Bilyana Di Costanzo and Mauro Di Costanzo.

Like A Flair for Hair (read our review), it takes animals and puts them in situations where you would usually expect to see humans.

The cover is a great example of this, showcasing a gorilla enjoying go karting.

In A Flair for Fun the anthropomorphic animals are all fit and active, taking part in a wide variety of sporting activities. 

The animals are full of expression and personality. However, they are never named, so readers can set out to see how many they can recognise.

Some are easy: a rodent who is proficient at karate, a surfing lion, a tennis-playing pig, and sheep playing rugby.

Those which might be less obvious include: an Afghan dog who is indoor rock climbing, a water-skiing hippo, and a cricketing rabbit (whose ears are a little hidden).

Rather than being a narrative story, this is a succession of colourful, bright, and bold illustrations accompanied by sentences that feature rhyme.

For a horse, the sentence is, 'I don't like wearing shoes at all, so I play beach volleyball.' 

In each of the sentences, the rhyming words are highlighted by use of a different colour.

A Flair for Fun is a fun book for young children, which encourages them to explore rhyming words, and will introduce them to many different sports.

Title: A Flair for Fun
Author: Bilyana Di Costanzo
Illustrator: Mauro Di Costanzo
Publisher: New Holland Publishers, $ 24.99
Publication Date: June 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760792862
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Prank Lab

This book will blow your mind (perhaps quite literally!).

Exploding with prank potential, this is THE book to get your little loves if they are into whacky science fun. Prank Lab ticks all the boxes.

Let’s start with design.

A beautiful curved edge cover and curved edge paper. Glossy pages with a colour explosion on each. 

Colour coded sections that help divide up each part of the book. Picture based instructions for all the experiments and pranks, helping kids to do it themselves.

All this makes Prank Lab a book to treasure. It’s beautiful to hold, and extremely engaging for kids and adults alike.

Now content.

Oh, wow, there is some cool stuff in this book. There are pranks that are a little on the messy side (so much fun!), classic pranks from way back, pranks that mess with your mind and pranks perfect to place a wager on.

Some of my family’s favourites included ‘edible poop’, where you make fake poop and leave it on the bathroom floor, and ‘your coin my coin’, where you use your mind reading skills to figure out which coin your victim has picked up.

Before each prank starts there's a shopping list to help you prep and a fantastic prank assessment, which tells you who the victim could be, how much mess the prank will make, the danger level, the funny factor and also how much science is involved.

There’s also a ‘warnings to future me’ section that gives you advice for making the prank the best it can be or dealing with potential prank fallout. There are hot tips, pro tips and science facts throughout. And a glossary at the end provides extra help if you need it. Every page is packed full of fun and information.

25 epic pranks, laughs and learning along the way, Prank Lab is brilliance in book form!

Title: Prank Lab
Author: Wade David Fairclough, Chris Ferrie and Byrne Laginestra
Publisher: Source Books, $24.99
Publication Date: June 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781728223742
For ages: 4+
Type: Junior Non-Fiction

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Review: Fearless Friends #1 Graffiti Fighters

It is the first day of the first year at High School for Evie, her cousin Willem, and friend Bella. As she leaves home, Evie can’t imagine what the day has in store for her.

She discovers her old neighbour, Mrs White, has had graffiti sprayed all over her fence. An old witch lives here, it says. (Strangely enough, lots of people in the town believe that’s what she is). The culprit has signed it, Leonardo.

Evie is determined to find out who this is.

The morning classes bring further disappointment for Evie. Her teachers are not what she hoped they’d be. Then there is the art teacher, Mrs Flowers. She is in a mess; acting strangely, and talking about a ghost.

For distraction, Mrs Flowers suggests that the class check out the art exhibition. Evie hopes to find a clue or similarity to the graffiti art, but is unsuccessful.

On the way home, they find Mrs White’s fence spotless. The old lady explains it away saying she found a cleaning product that removed spray paint.

Evie’s house is the next target. Then it’s the back of the public library. But the most shocking, is the desecration with spray paint, of her great, grandfather’s statue.

Enough is enough! Evie drags Willem into her plan to discover who culprit is. And they do.

But why is Jack, a talented artist, using graffiti as a tool for revenge against what he claims, is an injustice done to his father?

Who is the mystery ghost roaming the mansion that Mrs Flowers now owns, but which belonged to Evie’s grandfather? Is the story about grandma seeing the ghost true? If so, why did no one believe her?

What role does Mrs White’s magic pen play in this mystery, and can the children teach Jack the graffiti artist, to treat people the way he wants them to treat him?

Lots of threads are left hanging, with many questions waiting to be answered in the second book of a three-book mystery series.

Book 2 will be available in September. Ideal for reluctant and early readers. Its short chapters and fast pace add a sense of excitement and anticipation.

Title: Fearless Friends #1 Graffiti Fighters
Author: Elaine Ouston
Publisher: Morris Publishing, $ 17.95
Publication Date: 1 May 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780648878247
For ages: 6 – 10
Type: Junior Fiction

 

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Review: Have You Seen My Friend?

Rabbit has a friend. But she keeps disappearing. Like magic.

They’re playing cards, they’re playing table tennis, they’re playing chess, and then poof! Rabbit’s friend is just gone.

But Rabbit has a trick up her sleeve to stop her friend from magically disappearing, and it’s kind of genius.

Have You Seen My Friend? By author/illustrator Jo Dabrowski is a gorgeous lift-the-flap board book with both humour and heart.

With simple text, story reveals hidden behind flaps and lovely paper-art style illustrations, this is a great book for little ones. But it’s not like most lift-the-flap books written for young kids because the funny parts (which you’ll find when you lift the flaps) will seriously give the giggles.

It's a lovely choice for the whole family. It’s hardy physical design will withstand curious young hands and it’s a book new readers can also tackle independently.

Have You Seen My Friend? Is fun and quirky, and it brings lift-the-flap books to a whole new level.

Title: Have You Seen My Friend?
Author/Illustrator: Jo Dabrowski
Publisher: Affirm Press, $17.99
Publication Date: 29 June 2021
Format: Hard Cover, Board Book
ISBN: 9781922400819
For ages: 0 - 6
Type:  Board Book, Picture Book

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Review: Bots and Bods: How Robots and Humans Work

Review: Earth's Aquarium.

This over-sized book is a joy to look at. 

With richly detailed illustrations of the various aquatic environments, children will be fascinated and want to linger over each double-page spread.

 
This book explores a number of different wetland, river and ocean ecosystems found across the globe. 

From the arctic to the tropical oceans, from the Amazon to the Wadden sea, each is described and illustrated in rich detail.

As each single page is A3 sized, interacting with an open page would feel like an immersive experience for a smaller child.

Rodrigues illustrates the fifteen various water ecosystems found on the planet in full colour.

The author, Kaufnam, is an award winning journalist and a regular contributor to the HuffPost and writes on environmental policy and climate change. 

His passion is clearly expressed in this book.

He not only describes the worlds depicted, he provides a stark commentary on the effect of over fishing, pollution and climate change on the species that populate each ecosystem.

An important read for all.

Title: Earth's Aquarium
Author: Alexander Kaufman
Illustrator: Mariana Rodrigues
Publisher: Walker, $44.99
Publication Date: 2 June 2021
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781913520090
For ages: 7-10 years
Type: Junior Non Fiction

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Guest Post: Kesta Fleming on Stage Presence (or How NOT to Perform Magic)

Review: The Little Coven

The Little Coven is picture book magic!

Filled with golden flowing rhyme, it’s a delicious read that makes music with words.

There’s a clearing in the forest where the moss and mushrooms grow,

Where three little witches gather beneath the full moon’s glow.

Eve, Florence and Sabine are best friends — the little coven, witchy friends who have each other’s back no matter what. They may be different, with different witchy talents, but together they can do anything.

Together they mix magic — whisper secrets of the soul.
And the things that make them different, when together, make them whole.

This gem of a picture book explores how friends don’t have to be the same to be friends — how our differences are a good thing and come together to make us better as a whole. It’s about deep friendship that spans time. It’s a celebration of connections that never break no matter what obstacles are thrown our way.

Each has wandered their own path, through every twist and turn.
But always to this clearing these three witches do return.

The rhyme flows gloriously in The Little Coven, adding to the witchy feel of the book. Penny Harrison’s words warm your heart as you read, reminding you of all the special people in your own world.

Illustrator Vivian Mineker injects magic, mystique and atmosphere into each page. The colour palette is exquisitely lush with deep greens and purples conveying the mystery of the forest. There are lots of hidden treasures to find as you read: darling forest creatures and smiling trees.

I love how Mineker represents the witches. Are they kids playing witches in the forest or do they actually have witchy powers? The answer is really up to you, and I love thinking about it both ways.

l also love how the coven plays as they grow, even into adulthood. It’s a beautiful message to adults to let go and find their inner child, and a message too to kids to never forget what being a kid is all about. These are small jewels hidden in the story and illustrations — subtle and almost invisible — but they add so much to the story experience.

I highly recommend The Little Coven. It’s a joy-filled and magical read that celebrates the bonds of friendship and witchy-fun.

For more great picture books by Penny Harrison, make sure you check out Extraordinary, Rainbow is my Favourite Colour, and Bronte: Me and My Boots.

Title: The Little Coven
Author: Penny Harrison
Illustrator: Vivian Mineker
Publisher: Hardie Grant, $24.99
Publication Date: 7 April 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760508128
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Books

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12 Curly Questions with author Steve Heron

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I failed English at High School.

2. What is your nickname?
Fish – although it doesn’t get used a lot nowadays. When I worked with street kids many years ago, they called me Hubcap Head.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Being told I can’t eat chocolate anymore.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
A blend of humour, heart, hope, literary lunacy and reality.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Determined, funny, cheeky, heartfelt, hopeful.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would be the Puffin in The Sea-Thing Child by Russell Hoban. Why? It’s my favourite book and I love the way the Puffin discovers his true destiny, spreads his wings and soars. I can relate to that; I am encouraged by that.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Hmmm, hardest question. If pressed I would say 1965, so I could march with Martin Luther King Jnr on the civil rights protest march from Selma to Mongomery.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
I’m glad you stopped throwing stones at girls.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
Other than my mum, Baymax from Big Hero 6.

10. What/who made you start writing?
About 30 years ago, a 10-year-old boy asked me if I would write a story about a boy who was being bullied. I told him that I don’t write books. Not long after that I saw a charm of magpies on the side of the road. It looked like they were picking on the weakest one. I could see a story in that, so I wrote it. It became my first picture book, The Magpie Who Wasn’t a Chicken. After that, I read The Sea-Thing Child and I knew I wanted to write for children.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Fantastic. Because it’s fantastic. If someone asks me how I am, I say “fantastic”. It surprises people. Even if I’m not feeling fantastic, just saying it helps me feel better and they usually smile.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Sea-Thing Child by Russell Hoban

Steve uses his 40-plus years of working with children to inspire him and combines heart, hope, humour and help to create books that touch and tickle children’s hearts. His first middle-grade novel Maximus (Serenity Press) published 2018. His first trade-published picture book is Ling Li’s Lantern (MidnightSun Publishing) 2020. For more information, see www.steveheron.com.

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Review : Elsewhere Girls

This clever and highly entertaining novel is written by two authors, writing one voice each.

It is early 2021. Cat and her family have moved from country Victoria to the city. Cat has won a sports scholarship into Victoria College. But swimming is not her passion but she is good at it. 

The expectations that come with the scholarship are overwhelming for Cat, and she’d rather be back in Orange. But she can’t let her parents down. 

Her life is ruled by early morning training and a stop watch.

Fan longs to be a top swimmer. Her goal is the Olympics. It is 1908. She and her nine siblings work extremely hard with training fitting in around the endless chores that every day demands.

On an ordinary day, when both girls are swimming, the hands of the stopwatch measuring time for Cat, turn anti-clockwise at the same moment that Fan is being timed.

A time-slip occurs. The girls find themselves in the other’s world. Fan is in Cat’s body and looks like her but is still Fan, and vice-versa.

How it happens is a mystery to both girls who must work out how to get back home.

Meanwhile, wonderful descriptions of life and family in the early 1900s, become film tapes, projecting the past that Cat is forced to adapt to. Hilarious situations occur when both girls try to cover their mistakes in speech, attitude, dress and relationships within the family circle.

It is almost impossible for Cat to behave like she belongs in Fan’s era. She must dispose of dead rats, and use a chamber pot in the night. This she forgoes for the dunny with newspapers hanging on a string for toilet paper. Washing day is worse and she fears she will never survive the challenges each day brings.

The toaster is a mystery to Fan. How does it go up and down? There is the shower that produces hot water at the turn of a tap. A machine washes the clothes instead of boiling a copper and using the wash board. Mobile phones and Google are mysterious words, and how do laptops die?

Valuable historical information is used to create Fan’s life which can’t fail to be highly educational for younger people who have grown up in the internet age.

I loved everything about this lighthearted story built of swapped lives. The past’s difficulties put the present’s luxuries in focus, reminding us how lucky we are to live in the times that we do. At the same time, acknowledging that those early years had a lot of beneficial things that today’ society lacks.

Title: Elsewhere Girls
Author: Emily Gale & Nova Weetman
Publisher: Text, $16.99
Publication Date: 4 May 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922330451
For ages: 10+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: Richard Scarry's Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon

Richard Scarry's style is highly recognisable and has been much loved since his 'Busy World' books were first published in the 1960s.

Richard Scarry's Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon is a mix of the Busy World and the Middle Ages.

In it, readers will travel back in time to encounter knights and castles.

Just like other Richard Scarry books, the story is full of colour and movement and lively animal characters, including Lowly Worm, the court jester.

There's Princess Lily and her parents, the King and Queen, and a village of peasants who live and work around the castle.

What will happen when, amidst a holiday carnival, Princess Lily is captured by a dragon? Is the dragon even real?

A group of knights set out to rescue Princess Lily, but Peasant Pig is sure he can help, too.

Robbers in disguise, heavy armour, grape juice, a throwing machine (aka catapult), and a sack of pepper all play a part in the antics that ensue.

Will Peasant Pig manage to save the day? And how will they all celebrate when Princess Lily is returned home?

This is a classic children's story re-published so it can be enjoyed by kids today, along with adults who want to reminisce about reading Richard Scarry in their own childhood.

Visit the official Richard Scarry website for a stack of downloadables and things to colour, make and do.

Title: Richard Scarry's Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon
Author/Illustrator: Richard Scarry
Publisher: Faber, $ 16.99
Publication Date: June 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780571361229
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Giveaway: Wombat Nature Storybook

Review: Stud

Review: Who Fed Zed

This is one of the funniest, most clever rhyming picture books I have ever read!

I couldn’t stop laughing! The images and text are priceless!

But, the message is no laughing matter. 

So many children suffer from allergies or food intolerance, and at times labelling on food is a conundrum for parents shopping for safe food for their children.

The importance of this is relayed in bold type and full page images created with digital media. 

Told in humorous verse, with the funniest but effective storyline, it is impossible to miss the importance of the theme.

It is the story of Fred’s fish Zed who got fed bread, and nearly left this earth. Fred’s friends, Ted and Ned, and Fred’s dog Jed, are also in this together. Included is a box of flea powder. (Can you see why I couldn’t stop laughing?)

Super large images of the characters make them seem like you are in the room with them. But it’s what they say that’s more important.

Being serious again, is there a kid- friendly way of labelling food? Someway that even kids and parents can understand?

Awareness is a powerful word. It saves lives.

That’s the message this book brings. There is concentration on sugar content and calories. These are easy to locate. But what about information for the many thousands of children whose lives are dictated by what they can eat?

Unfortunately, a similar danger exists for our children as it did for Zed.

This book was written by humorous picture book author, Amelia McInerney to help raise awareness and acceptance of food allergy/intolerance, and highlight the importance of food label reading…. It was inspired by real life experience as her own child suffers from food allergies.

Other humorous titles by Amelia McInerney are The Book Chook, My Bird Bertie, and Bad Crab.

Title: Who Fed Zed
Author: Amelia McInerney
Illustrator: Adam Nickel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2021
Format:Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760524452
For ages: 6+
Type: Picture Book

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Meet The Illustrator: Julia Glukhoy

Name: Julia Glukhoy

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Vintage/retro, sweet, quirky, and sprinkled with a little bit of modern to reflect today’s world.

What items are an essential part of your creative space? 
Plants, yoga mat, meditation cushion, and crystals. I meditate and do yoga, which helps me fully transition into my creative space.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Yes I do. All of my illustrations are hand painted. I love using for my illustrations handmade watercolours, and watercolours in general.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
I love William Morris, Helen Beatrix Potter, and May Gibbs.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I would love to visit early 19th century before computers, to see how everything was hand painted from textiles to children’s books illustrations.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I'm a visual learner so picture books were always a vital part of my learning. In conjunction with raising my children and reading picture books to them inspired me to become a children’s book illustrator. 

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
I found two windows in my house that were not used, so I put a handmade shelf there, my art desk, and art supplies near by. I added old record player, plants, my favorite books, crystals, paints, pencils, rug, and before you know it, it became my dream studio.

What is your favorite part of the illustration process?
Honestly, everything. I love sketching, revising, picking out a color palette, and painting. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Forget instagram and Pinterest, lock yourself in somewhere and block the social media stimulation, instead go inward and just draw how you see the world, learn the basics, and spend many many hours repeating this process. Eventually, your style will emerge and your unique visual interpretation of the world. Most of all have fun during the process!

Julia grew up on homesteading land in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her childhood was spent picking strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, walnuts, roses, and Irises. She spent her days playing outdoors with her friends, fishing with her grandfather, and making jam with her great grandmother. Eventually, her life path landed her in a small town in Pennsylvania, where she graduated from Marywood University in 2011 with Masters of Science. After graduating in addition to her day time job she began freelancing professionally and teaching watercolour workshops. It was only a matter of time before her passion for illustration took over. Today, Julia spends her days illustrating children’s books with a style that is both modern yet classic, evoking playfulness, wonder and joy. All of her illustrations are hand-painted in her favourite mediums: watercolour, gouache, pencils and ink.

For more information, please visit Julia's website or follow her on instagram.

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Review: Echo in the Memory

What an enjoyable read.

This is a very original story, told in two separate viewpoints, both teenage boys called William, separated by 200 years of history.

The contemporary boy, Will Richards is a fifteen-year-old boy just trying to do his best in the face of neglect. 

He lives with his sister and mother, but his mum sometimes locks herself up in her room for days on end, leaving Will to care for himself and his sister Rosie.

His dad has other priorities. 

Nunn handles the next part of this delicately – Will’s mother is hospitalised, but the reader is not explicitly told why. 

A mature reader might be able to join the dots and surmise that there was self-harm involved, but the nature of the mother’s issues remains understated.

The outcome is that Will and Rosie live with their estranged grandparents – on a property in a remote and dreary part of rural New South Wales.

Historical William is also a teenager, living hand-to-mouth in nineteenth century London and transported to NSW for theft. He is also quite ambitious. Having heard that some convicts had bettered themselves once they had been freed, he is determined that he should one day become a person of importance in the colony. 

He is sent to labour on a property in remote NSW. But as the days draw into months, Will learns that convicts’ lives are expendable in this harsh environment.

It becomes obvious that although the two Williams are separated by two centuries, they share a link. Will Richards has memories about events on his grandparents’ property that he should know nothing about. Nunn weaves the clues between the two narratives. 

A hint of Will’s preternatural knowledge of historical events is later elaborated upon in convict Will’s thread. The two stories unfold in parallel, and the reader is drawn into the mystery and its tragic climax.

I like that although this is a type of ghost story, it eschews any of the tropes associated with ghosts. No jump scares, no spooky figures, no sudden drops in temperature. Just odd memories, as if the historical William is whispering in contemporary Will’s ear.

The writing is simply beautiful and the characters come alive in clear detail.

My only criticism is that whilst Nunn included some very confronting and historically accurate details of a massacre of First Nations people, there were no First Nations people in the contemporary thread to underscore the theme of the ongoing impact of historical tragedies, or to serve as a stark reminder of the reality of intergenerational trauma, which Nunn poignantly illustrates in his depiction of the relationship between Will and his grandfather. A missed opportunity.

Teachers’ notes are available.

And you could win a copy of this marvelous book - details to be announced shortly.

Title: Echo in the memory

Author: Cameron Nunn
Publisher: Walker, $ 19.99
Publication Date: 2 June 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760653088
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult Fiction

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Junior Review: Greystone Secrets: The Strangers

Reality. A word so simple yet it has so many layers that we can’t comprehend. 

A kidnapping and mysterious behaviors are only the beginning of a chilling series of events that take place in The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Chess, Emma, and Finn Greystone are three siblings that think nothing of it when their mom listens to a news report of three missing kids from Arizona. Until they continue listening and find out that they share the same exact names and birthdays with them. 

Their mom starts acting suspiciously and suddenly leaves on a business trip, leaving them in the hands of a stranger named Ms.Morales and her daughter Natalie. 

The three Greystone kids find that their mother has left her phones and computer at home, even though she’s on a business trip. 

On the devices they find a hidden letter which the siblings and Natalie have to decode in order to find out more about the secrets that are being hidden. Doppelgängers and dark tunnels send them spiraling into a completely different world.

Author Margaret Peterson Haddix has written a book filled with twists and turns, lies and secrets. This sci-fi novel will keep you on edge, wondering about this alternate reality. You’ll rev up your own creativity thinking about the countless possibilities this story could have. With a cliffhanger ending, you only HAVE to read the next book.

Title: Greystone Secrets: The Strangers
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books,$ 15.97
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0062838384
For ages: 9 – 12
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author/illustrator Gregg Dreise

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I have seven big brothers and sisters - five brothers, two sisters. Seven of the eight work in the education system.

2. What is your nickname? 
Bood. It is my Indigenous name that Family has called me my whole life.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Not having enough time to get all of the creative things in my head.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Honest, passionate, knowledgeable words of unity we need to share.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Impassioned, heartfelt, emotional, hopeful and unifying.

6. What book character would you be, and why? 
The Rainbow Serpent. Strong powerful and magical.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why? 
Back to when the first land ‘ownership’ of Europe began. I would implore them to understand that we are a part of the land just like the plants and animals. It should not be ours to acquire, seize, control, fence, fight over, exploit and destroy.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now? 
Keep enjoying yourself whilst standing up for what is right.

9. Who is your greatest influence? 
My late but great Uncle Reg Knox. A storyteller, an artist, an Elder; a caring, charismatic gentleman who educated with style and a smile.

10. What/who made you start writing? 
Uncle Reg could always captivate an audience and remind people of our wonderfully wise culture.

11. What is your favourite word and why? 
Wantima – it is an Aboriginal word from many Nations that means ‘Rise Up’. I love it because being ‘your’ best is better than being ‘the’ best.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I can’t go past this thought... A ‘Magic Book’ that could change its story every time you were ready to be filled with more exciting stories encapsulating the never-ending wonders of a multitude of authors’ imaginations.

Gregg Dreise is a gifted artist, storyteller, author, illustrator and musician, and he features the didgeridoo and guitar in his high-energy performances. He uses music and laughter to take audiences on a storytelling journey – that just might sneak in a lesson or two. Common Wealth is the latest book Gregg has written and illustrated – a Slam Poetry Persuasive about change and unity. For more information, see www.greggdreise.com.au.

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Review: Wolf Girl #5: Across the Sea

New adventures await Rupert, Gwen and the dog pack as they continue to search for their parents. With everyone caring and protecting for one another – dogs especially, and Gwen’s ability to communicate with the dogs, they continue their quest.

Winter has set in. Rupert, Gwen and the pack have left the Reptile Park behind them, staying close to tree covered areas to avoid detection. Sunrise the wolf, has chosen to leave his parents behind and stay with the pack. Without food, they are surviving a day at a time as the dogs hunt for food whenever it’s needed.

The printouts of the truck routes that Rupert made at the enemy base depict a familiarity in the destinations.

Again, the group is unprepared for all that can go wrong. Rupert drops the GPS tracker and it smashes. 

Tiny chases a snow fox across the frozen ice and falls through a crack into the chilly waters. Gwen is swept way on a sheet of ice after rescuing the little dog, but is saved by Eagle who manages to push the floating ice to the edge.

They reach the abandoned village of Gulfoss by the sea and immediately look for food in the stores that have long been looted, but find very little. But it’s a to sleep in for the night.

The sound of trucks moving about wakes them. They follow them, always moving like ghosts to remain invisible. A ship is docked at the jetty. Soldiers are herding people from trucks onto the gangboard from the dock to the ship. 

From their hiding place, Gwen checks the people in the hope of seeing her parents. But it is Rupert’s parents that are amongst the captives. Can they find a way to get to them?

There is nothing too hard for the resilient, agile and strong Wolf Girl and her pack. Determined to gain access to the prisoners, they must plan things carefully. Fate brings them into contact with the cleaning lady after they have secretly boarded the ship. The dogs fight off guards and find a way to get off the ship. 

Fights, challenges and escapades follow.

The captain’s dog, Pirate, joins the group as he has lost his master. Courage and resourcefulness play a big part, as the pack head out once again towards a road that leads to Tunny, the town that Rupert’s parents last saw Gwen’s mum and dad.

The adventures and challenges they have lived together binds the group even tighter together. Eagle will make a sacrifice, while Rupert makes an extraordinary decision.

A special mention must be given to the superlative illustrations by Lachlan Creagh that bring the fast-paced and gripping text to life.

There is a removable Bonus Wolf Girl Adventure at the end of the book.

Title:Wolf Girl #5: Across the Sea
Author: Anh Do
Illustrator: Lachlan Creagh
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 15.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978160879044
For ages: 8 – 14
Type: Junior Fiction

 

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Winner: Kokey Koala Book and Puzzle Combo

Our lucky winner is...

Kirsty Polujan, VIC

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of the exciting book and puzzle combo of Kokey Koala and The Bush Olympics. 

And you didn't even have to run far for it! We hope it stimulates a lot of fun for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Enjoy!

Thank you to ALL who entered.

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Review: Dinosaur Whack! / Dinosaur Whizz!

Dinosaurs and rhyme are a special combination in Dinosaur Whack! and Dinosaur Whizz! 

These books are part of a new eight-book series called The World of Dinosaur Roar! which is inspired by the popular picture book by Paul Stickland and Henrietta Stickland, in association with the UK's Natural History Museum.

Dinosaur Whack! and Dinosaur Whizz! are created by Jeanne Willis and Peter Curtis, and feature Stegosaurus and Coelophysis, along with other dinosaur friends including Iguanodon, Deinonychus, and Diplodocus.

You don't need to worry about the dinosaur names being difficult to get your tongue around, because the inside cover includes a pronunciation guide.

Dinosaur Whack is clumsy and manages to scare away her friends, accidentally knocking and bopping and bumping them with her tail.

Dinosaur Whizz is speedy, always active and moving. It frustrates her friends until Whizz is able to distract a much larger dinosaur from snapping them up for lunch.

At the back of each book there are a few fun facts about the dinosaur who features as the central character in the story. 

This series is smartly designed for frequent and robust use by young children. The cartoon-like characters are appealing, brightly coloured, and fairly leap off the page.

A must have for tiny dinosaur fans!

Be sure to visit The World of Dinosaur Roar! website for more dinosaur facts, and downloadable dinosaur activities including colouring in, dot to dot, a matching game, spot the difference, and posters.

Title: Dinosaur Whack! / Dinosaur Whizz!
Author: Jeanne Willis and Peter Curtis
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books , $ 14.99
Publication Date: July 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781509835676 / 9781509835683
For ages:  3+
Type: Board Books

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Review: The Watermelon Seed

Have you ever swallowed a watermelon seed? Did your skin turn pink? Did vines grow out your ears? That’s exactly what Greg Pizzoli’s quirky little crocodile is worried about in The Watermelon Seed.

The little crocodile LOVES watermelon but is petrified of the seeds. As he chomps his way through slabs of the juicy fruit, the worst thing happens: he swallows a seed! How will the little croc react? By completely catastrophising of course! 

He conjures up all sorts of hilarious consequences and with such a vivid imagination, this little croc will have you laughing.

Pizzoli writes about a common childhood worry, validating it and supporting it with just the right amount of humour. Using simple language, Pizzoli employs pauses expertly to produce comic timing.

Thanks to Pizzoli’s vibrant illustrations, the whole book looks and feels like a watermelon. Even the illustrations were created with a watermelon palette. Pizzoli has used screen printing to produce bold images that are full of shapes and textures. The simple cartoon style of the illustrations combine with the text to strengthen the characterisation of the worry-filled crocodile. The book finishes with delicious looking end papers.

For those who like to giggle, this Geisel award-winning book is for you. And what’s more it has the re-read factor. I have read this book with my little ones so many times and we all still laugh. I just know that this book will become a go-to book in your collection. I also note that The Watermelon Seed comes as a board book, perfect for those little people who like to chomp, crocodile style, on the book as they read. 

Title: The Watermelon Seed
Author / Illustrator: Greg Pizzoli
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books, New York, $29.99
Publication Date: 14 May 2013
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781423171010
For ages: 0 – 7
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Story Doctors

Nothing less than spectacular, Story Doctors is well-timed for NAIDOC week, 4 –11 July. The empowering theme this year, is Heal Country, from the meaningful words from the heart of Boori Monty Pryor, who was Australian Children’s Laureate in 2021– 2013. 

This book was written during the lockdown in 2020. Pryor's words are easily identified as healing words; for our country’s Covid illness, as well as the one between our Indigenous people and ourselves.

The cover depicts two outstretched hands reaching toward one other.

One is white, the other made of Indigenous coloured spirals with small Australian animals hidden within. Images and text speak of unity and repairing relationships.

The text is an ode to Country, hope, learning, Land, nature and culture. The poetry begins with footsteps showing the Indigenous trail left in the Earth; of people, animals, plants, fire and all living things.

Here you will acknowledge the astonishing detail in the illustrations created by Rita Sinclair. It will need concentration to take it all in.

Kookaburras, black cockatoos, emus, hedgehogs and countless other Australian mammals watch as charcoal drawings appear on the cave walls. The hand creating them is from a tall being represented by a flurry of colour, lifted up from the charred ground, that is part of all that was and is.

Countless hands use spit and ochre, to record the story of our First Nations people.

Double wordless spreads depict nature's beauty. It is an  opportunity to immersive yourself and create your own story. An eagle flies overhead. The ground is alive with movement as animals graze and the coloured whirly man stands watch behind the bushes.

Our future is the past. Twirling ribbons float like feathers in the wind toward twirling strips of paper with a visual history of Australia on the outside, and a verbal history on the inside.  

In us the dust we trust.

The story nears the end with charred trunks of trees and ground with shoots of green growth. Nature nurtures roots anew. Rebirth from the darkness of the earth.

The dance begins together – animals and beings; past, present and future, move together to a new sound, which is the pulse of the Land, found in the roots of trees, the sound of birds, of bees, of racing streams. All eco echoes.

Title: Story Doctors
Author: Boori Monty Pryor 
Illustrator: Rita Sinclair
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760526559
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: This is Not a Book!

Do you know what a book is? Our young protagonist does, and she’s convinced this is absolutely not a book.

She knows because books have characters and she’s not a character. She’s real!

 

Plus, books have events that happen and nothing is happening, except…

Then it does.

Mermaids, hungry lions, pirates... what is going on?

This is Not a Book! is a fabulous meta-fiction picture book that explores what a book is and isn’t. It explores characters, setting, plot, action, story problems and story solutions in a fun and entertaining way as the main character tries to prove she is not in a book, even as the story starts to unfold around her.

This is a brilliant look at what makes a story and would be a great book for classrooms to read and explore together. It goes through all the key elements of story and what’s needed to made a great book.

With funky and colourful illustrations, each turn of the page is engaging and fun. There are loads of details to explore and heaps of comedy packed into both the text and the illustrations.

Title: This is Not a Book!

Author: Kellie Byrnes

Illustrator: Aska

Publisher: EK Books, $24.99

Publication Date: 16 June 2021

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781925820508

For ages: 4 - 6

Type: Picture Book

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