Junior Review: Wings of Fire: The Lost Continent

Blue the Silkwing has always been a nervous, rule-following dragonet trying his best not to fall out of line. 

But his entire life changes at the time of his sister Luna’s metamorphosis (when they grow wings and are able to make silk). It turns out that he and Luna had some of the rarest silk a Silkwing could get.

When Luna is captured (inside her cocoon), Blue flees his home as a fugitive. 

When Queen Wasp sends the Hivewings to pursue him, Blue manages to find a secret entrance to a school library thanks to the help of his new friend, Cricket the Hivewing. 

 

Soon they are on the run going from hive to hive, making incredible discoveries and friends, like Sundew and Swordtail who help them discover Queen Wasp’s devilish plans and how she had deceived them their entire lives. They also discover that Leafwings still exist, despite what the Queen had said.

But suddenly Blue is captured by the Hivewings and has to wait helplessly to see if Cricket, Swordtail and Sundew can save him before his metamorphosis. Or will he stay in solitude and captivity forever?

I love this book because it shows how strong a person really can be despite other people’s beliefs as well as their own. At the start Blue is a really nervous dragonet and at the end he transformed into a strong, confident dragon.

I also like how Tui T Sutherland gives human qualities to my favourite creatures -DRAGONS!! The book also demonstrates how sometimes rules are worth breaking, despite what others say.

The only thing I did not like about this book – it ends with such a cliff hanger and I’m desperate to know what comes next.

Title: Wings of Fire: The Lost Continent
Author: Tui T Sutherland
Illustrator: Joy Ang
Publisher: Scholastic US
Publication Date: 1 July 2018
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 99781338214437
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Beverly, Right Here

It is 1979. Beverly Tapinski leaves her home and a mother who cares only for herself. At fourteen, she is determined to venture off into the unknown and see what is out there.  She is grief-stricken after burying her dog Buddy under the orange trees in their yard; the dog she shared with her best friends Raymie and Louisianna.

She stops in a town and immediately finds a job in a smelly fish take-away shop. The elderly Lola, who lives in a mobile home that is no longer mobile, offers her a place to live until she wants to leave. These are two people in need – old and young – that come together and benefit by each others’ presence and existence.

For the first time in her life, Beverly is cared for.

With thoughtfulness and love, Lola shows Beverly what she has been looking for all her life.

Beverly makes friends with the strangest people and finds her perception of life changing as she evolves as a person. Everything that was ugly in her life becomes beautiful as she is shown how to see herself through others’ eyes.

All Kate Di Camillo’s books carry strong messages and are totally trimmed of fat. She is an observer of life, its surroundings and realities. Every sentence provokes thought.

Using tools of brevity, style and precision and perfect minimalistic prose, she leaves the reader changed.

This book is woven of many themes. Age and how it marginalises is a main thread, along with what defines family. Emotions and friendships and how constant change takes place in people’s lives, is beautifully portrayed by images created with words and the supreme way Di Camillo uses them.

Another scintillating offering to fans old and new, and not to be missed!

Title: Beverly, Right Here  
Author: Kate Di Camillo  
Publisher: Walker Books , $ 19.99  
Publication Date: September 2019  
Format: Hardcover  
ISBN: 9781406391633  
For ages: 9+  
Type: Junior Fiction




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Review: The Something

The Something is a story of wonder and imagination after a boy loses his ball down a mysterious hole.

Told from the view of the child, we follow his adventure to find out what could be down the hole under a cherry tree in his garden. Over time and seasons, he watches the hole and asks family and friends what they think could be down there; frogs, trolls, a knitting mole and badger doing crosswords are just the beginning.

Will the mystery prevail or will we continue to wonder? His unlimited imagination, determination and curiosity are admirable and leave the story open and thought provoking.

The playful, loose illustrations feel warm and lighthearted, they work perfectly with the text and with endearing characters including a pet dog; they deliver much of the story on their own.

This book has been a favourite of mine for a long time, I love how so much wonder and story surrounds the simple concept of a hole and I enjoy making new discoveries in the illustrations each time I read it. Inspiring creative thinking and discussion The Something would make a great gift or class room addition.

Rebecca Cobb is a UK based author and illustrator, other books she’s worked on include The Paper Dolls, Aunt Amelia and The Day War Came.

Title: The Something
Author/Illustrator: Rebecca Cobb
Publisher: Pan MacMillan, $24.99
Publication Date: 28 August 2014
Format: Hardback
ISBN:  0230764827
For ages: 0 – 5
Type: Picture Book




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Giveaway: Win a Signed Kate DiCamillo Prize Pack!

To springboard into a sensational summer of reading, the generous people of Walker Books Australia are giving away this awesome collection of Kate DiCamillo books including her latest release, Beverly, Right Here. 

We’re giving just one lucky reader the chance to win a set of signed Kate DiCamillo books! The winner will receive signed copies of:

· Raymie Nightingale

· Louisiana’s Way Home

· The Tale of Despereaux

· Because of Winn Dixie

· Flora and Ulysses

· The Magician’s Elephant

· The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

· The Tiger Rising

As well as an unsigned copy of Beverly, Right Here. You can read Anastasia Gonis' review of Beverly, Right Here Monday 13 January 2020. 

To win, just tell us in 25 words or less which of these books you're most excited to read, and why!

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The three responses we like best will each win a book prize and rock box collection. 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 20 January 2020.

Competition runs from 5 pm 11 January 2020 to 5 pm 18 January 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: The Beach Wombat

The Beach Wombat is a captivating picture book about a wombat, and its young one, on an Australian beach.

The wombats run across sand, past kangaroos and picnics, explore around rocks and venture between the trees. Here the wombats encounter a thick blanket of smoke from a fire, an experience that many children in Australia (and other countries) will currently relate to.

The wombats escape the ominous smoke and the colours transform into rich blues and greens as rain sweeps over the pages, refreshing the wombats' world anew.

Susannah Chambers' rhyming narrative tells this story of the wombats' day utilising succinct, evocative language, with exciting page turns, encouraging children to eagerly anticipate the next word.

Mark Jackson's illustrations evoke the scampering movements of the wombats, beautifully capture the sandy, wind-swept coastal Australian habitat and bring the soothing coolness of cleansing rain and night sky.

This title complements The Snow Wombat, also by Susannah Chambers and Mark Jackson.

Title: The Beach Wombat
Author: Susannah Chambers
Illustrator: Mark Jackson
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $24.99
Publication Date: 3 December 2019
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781760631857
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book




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Review: The Besties to the Rescue

Ruby and Oliver are best friends. They’re Besties! They live next door to each other and they love hanging out together.

But when they find a baby bird that’s fallen from its nest, they know there’s no time for play.

They need to help the bird — keep it safe and help it get back to its nest.

The Besties to the Rescue is book one in a brilliant new junior fiction series from dynamic duo Felice Arena and Tom Jellett.

It’s a fun, light-hearted read, packed with funnies and delivered in an easy-to-read format with large text, short chapters and Jellett’s funky illustrations on every page. 

This is a perfect book and series for kids starting to read independently. 

The characters are real and relatable for kids, as is the plot. It’s a fun and simple story, easy for kids to follow as they focus on reading the words. 

The back of the book is also filled with awesome extras, including how-to advice (for book one it’s about looking after baby birds), a copy of Jurassic Yard, a hilarious comic penned by Oliver, the musical chords and lyrics of Ruby’s song, Little Bird, and the Besties’ best jokes about dinosaurs. 

If you’re looking for a new series for your junior reader to get stuck into or you want to provide an easy first book for them to try reading independently, I highly recommend The Besties to the Rescue.

Title: The Besties to the Rescue

Author: Felice Arena

Illustrator: Tom Jellett

Publisher: Penguin, $9.99

Publication Date: 7 January 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781760890971

For ages: 6 - 10 

Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: The Mouse Mansion: Sam and Julia

The Mouse Mansion is a storytelling concept that is built around dioramas created by Karina Schaapman.

She wanted to write the story of the mice, and to illustrate their story, decided to build and photograph the dioramas, which are made from cardboard boxes, papier-mache, fabric, and recycled materials.

In The Mouse Mansion: Sam and Julia, readers can enjoy a collection of 17 anecdotes about Sam, a shy young mouse, and Julia, who loves exploring.

Sam and Julia are great friends who complement each other.

They love discovering new things about where they live, like the perfect hiding spot for their box of treasures.

They help Sam's grandma make pancakes and his mum to do the laundry. Only child Julia learns what it's like to have baby brothers and sisters.

Sam and Julia have many adventures together, and it's the incredible dioramas of their home that really make this book and bring them to life. There is so much detail in the setting and lots to prompt young imaginations.

It took Karina Schaapman, who lives in The Netherlands, four years to finish building the first Mouse Mansion, which has 100 rooms, and she's since built another.

Visit The Mouse Mansion online to learn more (including how you can make your own). If you're in Europe, you can also see The Mouse Mansion in person on display in the Amsterdam public library and via The Mouse Mansion Shop and Studio.

The second Mouse Mansion (image credit: www.themousemansion.com/blog/)

Title: The Mouse Mansion: Sam and Julia
Author/illustrator: Karina Schaapman
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 29.99
Publication Date: December 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760876760
For ages: 4--8
Type: Picture book




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Review: Nevertell

There are stories about magic, and then there are stories about magic. 

Old magic. 

Deep, dark forest magic. 

Magic with a kernel of truth that comes from the old stories — myths and legends that can be neither proved nor completely refuted.

This is Nevertell. 

Eleven-year-old Lina lives in a prison camp in the cold Russian wilderness. Her mother was taken there as a child with her brother and Lina's grandfather. Lina was born there and has known no other life.

But when an opportunity arises to break free, Lina and her best friend Bogdan escape into the cold night. 

They set out towards Moscow, hoping to find Lina’s grandmother, but what they find instead is a powerful magic that fills the wilderness and hunts them at every turn. 

Ghosts, spirits and other-worlds that try to capture them. Hidden fortresses, hungry wolves and dark magic. 

If Lina and Bogdan are going to make it to Moscow, they will need to be braver than they’ve ever had to be before. And as strange things begin to happen, all seemingly connected to Lina, they’ll have to keep their wits about them or risk being captured by the evil that inhabits the wilds.

Nevertell is a brilliant and addictive middle grade novel. It’s an action-packed and mysterious read that pulls you in from page one. It’s the kind of book that infiltrates your mind and leaves a strange and mystic feeling in your belly — a questioning feeling that makes you wonder if the myths and legends you’ve heard of might be real.

This is a story for kids who love mystery, adventure and fantasy. It’s for the kids who love listening to tales of Bigfoot, Baba Yaga, the Loch Ness monster and Stonehenge. 

Katherine Orton is a master storyteller. This is her first novel, and I’m excited to see what she pens next.

Title: Nevertell

Author: Katherine Orton

Publisher: Walker Books, $16.99

Publication Date: 1 November 2019

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781406385182

For ages: 10+

Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Meet The Illustrator: Fiona Halliday

Name: Fiona Halliday

Describe your illustration style in 10 or less words:

a mix of traditional and digital techniques

What items are an essential part of your creative work space: honestly, just peace and quiet!

Do you have a favourite artistic medium: 

I start off with sketches which are invariably dreadful. I wring my hands for a while about that and then crawl into Photoshop - I like the perfect lines you can make.

Name 3 artists whose work inspires you: 

currently Errol Le Cain, Eyvind Earle, Beatrice Alemagna 

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

I would love to have the opportunity to follow Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi around for a while through the late 15 – 1600s – just to watch them harness all the dark, traumatic energy! And then I’d skip forward in time to dally with Joan Eardley in the late 1950s-60. She lived and worked latterly just up the road from where I grew up, and she put such strange, dear magic into our wild Scottish seas and skies.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

My family are all very artistic, but I never started dabbling until my early thirties. I had just moved to Austria and couldn’t speak German, I think maybe that was the impetus. I really like creating characters and watching them move across the page. I don’t think I’d be an illustrator if it wasn’t centred around telling stories about characters. 

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 is just a desk in the spare room, but my husband painted a wall in our kitchen with iron filings so it is magnetised, and it is great for doing dummy layout and just sticking up bits of artwork to see how it all looks together.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I find beginning a project really, really tough! I love the moment when I get the character right and they kind of look back at you from the screen and say ‘hello! Are we going on an adventure?’ I also love when I just know where a picture is going. Sometimes I scrabble around for weeks trying to get the balance right and it doesn’t work at all, and then something suddenly clicks, and you get this sudden surge of elation.  

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?

Find out what it is you love about illustrating and make that the fulcrum of what you do. For me I need to be in love with my character and the story. I can’t really draw a good picture without first knowing who my character is and what he/she is going through. Then the rest (kind of) falls into place. My only other advice is work hard, be steadfast and be true to yourself. 

Fiona Halliday is a Scottish Author- Illustrator with a passion for children’s books. She lives and works in Upper Austria. ‘Numenia and the Hurricane’ is her debut picture book. She has just wrapped up the illustrations for Zeena Pliska’s ‘Hello Little One,’ and is currently working on illustrations for ‘The Storm Goose,’ which she wrote. (All with Page Street Kids.) She is represented by Essie White of Storm Literary Agency.

For more information please visit Fiona's website and instagram or check out her wonderful book trailer here.

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Review: Wayward Son

Review: Bluey: The Beach, Fruit Bat & Time to Play!

Review: No Place for an Octopus

No Place for an Octopus is a whimsical and gentle picture book about a young boy’s encounter with an octopus. 

On the beach, exploring the rock pools at low tide, a young boy discovers an octopus. 

He wonders if it’s happy, if it’s lonely, if maybe he should take it home.

He wonders what it would be like to be friends with an octopus and all the things they could do. But is the boy’s home the right place for a sea creature?

This is a lovely and quiet tale about curiosity and wonderings. It has a lovely slow pace that forces you to read it slowly in a gentle voice. There are places to pause and explore the pictures and lots of questions to ask your audience as you read.

With a splendid die cut cover design that invites you to look in, this is a story about exploration and curiosity. It’s about having time to think about the possibilities and enjoying a moment of quiet reflection as the busy world rolls by.

It’s also about caring for others and respecting animals and where they come from. Expertly camouflaged within the story, there is a message there about leaving creatures be. Sometimes we think it would be lovely to take creatures home with us, but it’s important to put their needs before our own desires.

Known for her young adult novels The Sky is so Heavy and The Protected, No Place for an Octopus is Claire Zorn’s first picture book (as both the author and the illustrator). It is a loving and warm story, perfect for bedtime snuggles or quiet reading corners in classrooms. 

Don't forget to check out Claire's guest post on the necessity of nonsense.

Title: No Place for an Octopus

Author/Illustrator: Claire Zorn

Publisher: UQP, $24.99 

Publication Date: 5 November 2019

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 978 0 7022 6260 9

For ages: 3 - 6

Type: Picture Book

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10 Quirky Questions with author John Flanagan

1. What's your hidden talent? 
I’m an expert shot with a bow, But I keep it so well hidden that I usually miss.

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Erich von Stalhein from the Biggles series of books by Captain WE Johns. He was a Gestapo officer who was always trying to force information out of Biggles by cruel interrogation methods. I just think it’s a great name for a villain.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
 My two daughters, Katy and Penny, Kate McClymont, Michael Connelly, Kenneth Grahame.

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
Excalibur. 

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Always putting off getting started.

6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
He was a great storyteller

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
My desk is so cluttered that it’d be hard to find anything there.

8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word. (Please include the name of the book!)
Fernando was a mule – pig headed and stubborn like most of his kind. From Two Kinds of Truth, by Michael Connelly.

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I’d ask Shakespeare did he really expect to be remembered for hundreds of years.

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'? 
Since I love doing both, neither. (Figure that out)

John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice and Brotherband adventure series have sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. His books are available in more than one hundred countries, are regularly on the New York Times bestseller list, and have had multiple award shortlistings and wins in Australia and overseas. John, a former television and advertising writer, lives with his wife in a Sydney beachside suburb. For more information, see www.worldofjohnflanagan.com.

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Review: This Book Can Read Your Mind

I’ve been waiting for this day. I knew it would come. I have to admit I thought it would be some kind of robot or machine or super human, but there is now a book that can read your mind!

This Book can Read Your Mind is a fun and funny picture book that can literally read your mind. 

You have to be careful because whatever you are thinking will appear on the page, and the book knows!

So don’t think about pink elephants or silly pants or unicycles, because, well, you know what’s going to happen. 

But don’t worry, there’s a super smart scientist to guide you through the mind-reading experience. He is there on every page to help you not think about the things you shouldn’t think about. He chats to you throughout, gives you advice and he’ll try to steer you in the right direction, away from the silly thoughts that might put you and everyone around you in danger. How nice is that?

This book is sure to get the kids giggling (thank you word master Susannah Lloyd), and Jacob Grant brings even more fun and funky to the book with bright and colourful illustrations throughout. 

This is a great one for a crowd or classroom as it gets the audience involved on every page. Fun, funny, funky. Just remember not to think about pink elephants!

Title: This Book Can Read Your Mind

Author: Susannah Lloyd

Illustrator: Jacob Grant

Publisher: Francis Lincoln, $22.99

Publication Date: 6 January 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9780711241442

For ages: 3 - 6

Type: Picture Book

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Review: All Bodies are Good Bodies

A proud and positive book focusing on bodies and how body parts vary from person to person.

The story is told in rhyme by an energetic character with ginger hair and freckles, she shares her enthusiasm for body parts, from eyes to legs and tummies; ‘I love eyes! Blue eyes, brown eyes, eyes that are green – two different colours are sometimes seen.’

The illustrations are bright, bold and colourful, they work in unity with the text and further build on diversity, showing people with different abilities; wheelchairs, mechanical legs, glasses and more. I adore one scene which shows a variety of people washing and caring for a variety of dogs and one cat!

I love how books like this one plant a simple but important seed for acceptance, open-mindedness and diversity at a young age. This story was a joy to share with my children, we talked about how our own bodies were both similar and different to each other’s. A tickling prompt ending the story made it a better for lead on to energetic play rather than bedtime.

All Bodies are Good Bodies would be great to read in a group, promoting diverse mindset and conversation.

Title: All Bodies are Good Bodies
Author: Charlotte Barkla
Illustrator: Erica Salcedo
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont, $19.99
Publication Date: 1 January 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760503932
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book




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Review: Rules for Vanishing

Abstract Articulations: Anastasia Gonis and The Coat

Revered KBR reviewer, Anastasia Gonis takes us on a brief journey that many of you will be familiar with. That curious moment when rather than stumbling upon our next read or searching for it, it finds us. 

Here are her musings about this magical moment, the first of our random abstract articulations; moments in time that crystallise and mystify a love of literature.

When a Mistake is not a Mistake!

How many people have told themselves and others that their lives have been changed by a book that has come to them, fallen off a shelf at their feet, found them in a time of need? I’ve heard this comment many times from various people.

It has happened to me repeatedly. Last week it happened again. I was looking through a publisher’s list at what I thought were new releases. I didn’t look at the publication date just sent off a request for the book, The Coat by Julie Hunt, illustrated by Ron Brooks.

Here I must tell you that Ron Brooks is one of my favourite illustrators, that’s why I chose the title. I felt this intense connection to his work when I first read The Fox written by Margret Wild.

For those who haven’t read it, it’s about the lies we are convinced are truth told us at a time of weakness or need, and the betrayal of friendship. I believe that is my most loved picture book or close to it. It was an epiphany for me as it forced me to examine happenings and words that were untrue and which I desperately wanted to believe.

There is no need for a dissection of The Coat or why I believe it came to me. Simply that it did. You can read the review of it if you choose. Next time a book calls to you, speaks in a language of words with a voice only you can hear, listen to it.

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Review: Heartstream

Review: Anna At War

Daniel’s 90 year old grandmother Anna survived WW2 but never spoke about it to him. When she is informed that MI5 are preparing to release her war files, it coincides with Daniel’s history lessons at school. Gran knows it’s time to share her childhood with him.

Anna’s life is happy in the modern, comfortable home with her parents. Hitler orders the destruction of all Jewish businesses. On Kistallnacht, nothing is left standing. Anna, with limited knowledge of English, is sent away to the safety of the English countryside and a foster family.

Rose, Bert and their children Frank and Molly, embrace Anna as their own and she does her best to fit in. Anna finds adapting to farm life and a dunny in the yard has its challenges.

Within two weeks, Anna learns three important things: the freedom gained by females with wearing trousers; that bath time is once a week with water warmed on the kitchen stove, and that the same water is used by everyone in turn.

Anna is determined to find work close by for her parents so they can join her. She finds a position for them at the Manor House and just as her parents prepare to set out, Germany invades Poland and Britain declares war on Germany.

Classed as enemy nationals, her parents’ papers are cancelled. Being a German Jew, she is considered a suspect spy at school. Anna is traumatised by these accusations, for they come with the risk of being sent to an internment camp.

Life takes a dramatic turn when the children find a wounded soldier hiding in their barn loft. Can Anna undertake the role secretly allocated to her by the Commander? She is intelligent and courageous. She has seen what Hitler’s minions are capable of. If her actions are misconstrued, her life will be forfeited.

This thrilling war adventure full of secrets, espionage and betrayal will keep the pages turning. Helen Peters, author of Evie’s Ghost and many others, has created a tension-filled, visual narrative, using Anna’s voice. A powerful portrayal of those traumatic years and the courage needed to survive is established early in the book, building momentum as the story progresses.

While revealing prejudices and fears that turn to spite and revenge, Peters unerring, displays the decline of social structures, and how poverty and lack changes people when their life as they know it, is brought to a halt.

Title: Anna at War  
Author: Helen Peters  
Publisher: Allen & Unwin , $14.99  
Publication Date: Allen & Unwin  
Format: Paperback  
ISBN: 9781788004718  
For ages:12+  
Type: Historical Fiction




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Bookish Places: Hobbiton Movie Set

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places!

It was in the Shire where, 'in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole ... it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.'

And it's in the rolling green hills of New Zealand's north island that you will find the Hobbiton Movie Set, a place where fantasy meets reality.

Photo: L. Hannan

The Hobbiton Movie Set was first created for Peter Jackson's movies of the classic JRR Tolkien novels, The Hobbit and the The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

It brings to life a small part of the Middle-Earth world, where the adventures of Bilbo Baggins began. You'll really feel like you've been dropped in the midst of the story.

Photo: L. Hannan

Photo: L. Hannan

You'll be able to walk through Hobbiton, see the life-size Hobbit homes (there are 44 of them!), take as many photos as you can fit in, and have something to eat and drink at The Green Dragon Inn.

Photo: L. Hannan

Photo: L. Hannan

Photo: L. Hannan

Visiting Hobbiton is only available by taking a guided tour, which runs for approximately two hours. Advance booking is essential.

Photo: L. Hannan

Photo: L. Hannan

The Hobbiton Movie Set can be found at 501 Buckland Road, Hinuera, Matamata. Visit the official website for details of ticket prices, opening hours, how to get there, and more.

Interested in taking a Bookish Places trip around the world with Sarah? Enjoy this sensational map, also created by Sarah, and check out our other Bookish Places posts here.

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Review: Total Quack Up Again!

12 Curly Questions with author/illustrator Jasmine Seymour

 

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I am a Jazz singer.

2. What is your nickname?
Jas

3. What is your greatest fear?
A micro bat flying at my head and getting stuck in my hair. Bizarre and random, I know!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Simple, emotional, space, appreciative, beautiful, nature, Aboriginal, culture, generous and loving.
 
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Thoughtful, educational, informative, perspective, beauty.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Any of Alison Lester or Bob Graham’s children featured in their picture books. Those kids are how old I am when I write. Alison’s, because I always get a sense of being in the natural world through her kids. Bob’s, because of his very funny ‘being in a family’ humour.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
500 years into the future to see if we have managed to go to Mars and beyond.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Write a Babysitters Club book and become a hairdresser.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My Dad. I love you Dad.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I started writing because there were no Darug language books for children. I am a Darug woman and I live in The Hawkesbury. I am a teacher and I wanted to hear our language on children’s tongues.
I also love reading and that made me want to write. I read everything: picture books, fiction, young adult, history, biographies, science fiction and fantasy, information texts. I love it all.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
At the moment it is a Darug word:  manga manga, which means lightning.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. A fantasy book about the magic that words hold. Aboriginal words are like this too. They hold the pathway to our dreaming. 

Jasmine Seymour is a Darug woman and descendant of Maria Lock, who was the daughter of Yarramundi, the Boorooberongal elder who had met Governor Phillip on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in 1791. Maria was the first Aboriginal woman to be educated by the Blacktown Native Institute. She was married to carpenter and convict, Robert Lock, and their union resulted in thousands of descendants who can all trace their Darug heritage back past Yarramundi. It is Jasmine’s wish that through her books, everyone will know that the Darug mob are still here, still strong. Jasmine is a primary school teacher in the Hawkesbury area of NSW. Baby Business is her first book. 

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Review: Australian Baby Animals

Bestselling author/illustrator of A is for Australia, Frané Lessac gives us a delightful and informative new book, Australian Baby Animals.

The board book, is sturdy and ready for the drool covered fingers of our littlest readers, who will be able explore and discover a fabulous range of Australia's furry, scaly and feathery baby animals.

Lessac has taken a unique approach at introducing these animals by grouping them using their baby names; joeys, hatchlings, fry, chicks, puggles, pups and platypups.

Each bright double page spread introduces one animal at a time, using a single sentence with the animal's name in bold typeface, for example 'Cheeky Tasmanian devil joeys play all night long.'

To extend the knowledge of older or more inquisitive readers, Lesaac has include one extra fun fact for each animal, in a smaller sized font, eg 'Sea dragon dads carry the fry eggs on their tails until they hatch.'

Australian Baby Animals is also available in a hard cover format, ISBN: 9781760651756

Once readers of Australian Baby Animals get older they will be ready to explore Lessac's Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Notable Book for the 2018 Eve Pownall Award for Information Books, A is for Australian Animals.

Title: Australian Baby Animals
Author/Illustrator: Frané Lessac
Publisher: Walker Books, $15.99
Publication Date: 1 December 2019
Format: Board Book
ISBN: 9781760651763
For ages: 1+
Type: Board Book, Picture Book




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Review: Favourite Enid Blyton Stories

This collection of Enid Blyton's stories have been selected by famous fans such as Jacqueline Wilson, Andy Griffiths, Michael Morpurgo and other well-known people, who share the joy derived from reading Blyton's work and openly reveal which story they loved the best and why. 

Some focus on specific stories that influenced their lives and continue to live on in their memory. Within these testimonies lies the value of this collection.The contents are taken from the most popular books, and come under five titles: adventure, fantasy, funny, school, and true stories.

The excerpts come from another era and style of children’s writing that inspired many modern writers. The old and the new blend together. The older text is juxtaposed with the quirky, full colour illustrations by Mark Beech which offers new life and a resurgence of interest to Blyton’s ageless texts. The stories took me on a journey through my childhood where I relived the excitement,freedom and imagination those children lived through their adventures.

I was particularly impressed with Michael Morpurgo’s moving testimony. His life was a world of words that frightened him until his friends suggested he try reading Blyton’s books. Then there is Jacqueline Wilson’s stirring confessions on the role that these fabulous stories played in her life and writing.

The book winds up with an excellent insight into Enid Blyton’s inner world from her autobiography, The Story of My Life. She commends her father’s encouragement and constant company which helped shape her world. There are interesting revelations about how she never planned her stories but had dreams about what she wrote.

Highly readable, this marvellous collection is a wealth of information about the presenters as well as the stories they chose.

Title: Favourite Enid Blyton Stories
Author: Enid Blyton
Illustrator: Mark Beech
Publisher: Hachette, $39.99
Publication Date: October 2018
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781444934540
For ages: 8+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: I Am Love: A Book of Compassion

I Am Love is a heartwarming book that celebrates love.

Yoga and mindfulness teacher, Susan Verde, shares affirmations that will inspire readers to talk, connect, act and open their heart.

These wise words, combined with Peter H Reynolds soft and delightful illustrations, will help assist children in discovering how love can conquer hurt, anger, sadness and fear. Through love we are able to express compassion, comfort and gratitude.


We discover that outward expressions of love are shown in how we interact with others via words, actions and gestures.

When we look inward we are able to care for the health of our mind and body. The affirmations can help readers recognise that it is okay to seek help from others and  '...that no one is perfect.' Verde's book includes a heart meditation and instructions for three yoga poses that are heart-opening.

The book does not shy away from harder concepts that 'Love is effort' and it also about remembering '...those I've loved before.'

If you like the co-creations of Verde and Reynolds read I Am Yoga and You and Me. Also seek out these Peter H Reynolds books; Say Something, Ish, The Dot and The Smallest Gift of Christmas.

Title: I Am Love
Author: Susan Verde
Illustrator: Peter H Reynolds
Publisher: Abrams Books, $ 19.99
Publication Date: 17 September 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781419737268
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book




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Guest Post: 5 Crucial Pieces of Advice from Children’s Lit Experts

Review: Charlie's Shell

Charlie is a snail who is happy living with his shell, until the day three mean slugs taunt and tease him. Charlie then begins to question his shell's value and starts to focus on all its disadvantages.

Charlie makes the decision to be like the slugs and sheds his shell. At first he is delighted with his choice, but soon awkward, uncomfortable and dangerous consequences ensue.

The story is told in rhyme, with a flowing metre, by author/illustrator Marina Zlatanova.

Zlatanova's illustrations show Charlie and his adversaries in their garden world, with the perspective from a snail's height.

Whilst this story is a fun tale, it may also resonate with young children questioning the value of their own uniqueness in the face of teasing or bullying, providing an opportunity for discussion about Charlie and his choices.

Title: Charlie's Shell
Author/Illustrator: Marina Zlatanova
Publisher: New Holland Publishers, $16.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2019
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781760791377
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book




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Review: The Thing About Oliver

Tilly has become invisible. She is like glass. People see right through her. Her brother Oliver claims all mum’s attention. And Tilly’s too. Her dreams are what keep her going. They are locked in her head just like her precious possessions are locked inside her bedroom. The key is tied around her neck.

  

Oliver has autism. He doesn’t speak. Their house is a war zone of smashed belongings and holes in the walls. The family are under the threat of eviction due to Oliver’s noise levels. 

Tilly’s life has been set aside as all hers and mum’s energy goes into caring for her brother.  She wants to be a marine scientist and knows a great deal about fish and their habits. She studies them, keeps a fish tank in her room, and diligently adds entries to her illustrated journal of marine creatures so she won’t forget anything.

Change is not a good thing for Oliver. When mum loses her job, Tilly is forced to leave her beloved fish behind when they move to her aunt’s home in Townsville.

Aunt Janine has absolutely no experience of children, and even less knowledge of autism. Chaos reigns as the change they hoped would improve their lives, has the opposite outcome.

Oliver’s destructive habits lead Tilly to an explosive blowout that has dire consequences.  Ultimately, it is Tilly’s intimate familiarity of Oliver and these habits that bring events to their conclusion.

  

The Thing About Oliver is a stunning and profoundly moving portrayal of glass children. Deborah Kelly has deeply immersed herself in her characters. The result renders the story authentic and pure. The prose shines in the light that Tilly’s narrative voice creates.

Title: The Thing About Oliver
Author: Deborah Kelly
Publisher: Wombat Books , $14.99
Publication Date: October 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925563818
For ages: 8+
Type: Middle Fiction




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Meet The Illustrator: Eva-Maria Schull

Name: Eva-Maria Schull

Describe your illustration style in 10 words 

Simple, whimsical characters looking at the world with big eyes.

What items are an essential part of your creative space? 

There’s not much space on my 40 x 20 inches desk. My pencils, Micron-pens, some brushes, a stash of cheap sketching paper, and a small watercolour box are in close reach for impromptu sketches.



Do you have a favourite artistic medium? 

No, I don’t have a favourite artistic medium.  I like watercolour, because it is easily available and always ready to use. I love old book pages and I often paint on gessoed magazine pages. Recently I am working on photocopies of old letters and envelopes which once were sent to my grandfather. Adding pieces of collage is exciting as well. 

Name three artists whose work inspires you?

My favourite artists/ illustrators are Shaun Tan, Wolf Erlbruch and Timothy Basil Ering. I love their books, because the pictures are so imaginative and full of wonderful characters. 

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
That’s a tough one! Okay, I would love to time-travel to old Amsterdam and watch Rembrandt work on his tiny portrait etchings. How could he scratch all those details into the stamp-sized metal plate in the poor light of his studio?

Then I’d like to visit Picasso in one of his studios. Just watching him for a day or two ... wouldn’t that be amazing? 

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
My main inspiration and my favourite art-teacher is Carla Sonheim. When I saw her work for the first time many years ago, I instantly fell in love with her quirky, imaginary animals, she created from sidewalk cracks.

With Carla, drawing and visual story-telling was fun again, and I never went back to boring perspective studies and realistic painting.

                                   

Can you share a photo of your creative work space? Talk us through it.
Here’s my desk. It’s pretty small, but I don’t work on real big formats. Usually an A4 format is the right size for me.

Favourite pictures are taped to the wall; my pens and brushes handy in front of me, always ready to be used.

My little mascot Superpiggy is always watching me, waiting to appear in one of my stories.

                           

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
What’s the best part? That’s when the little guys actually appear on the page in front of me, giving me thumbs up, that they feel good on the paper!

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?

Sorry, I am hopeless with advice! Maybe one thing: Try to keep your desk tidy. That’s important for me. If you come to a messy desk and having to clean it up before starting your work, your good mood, your inspiration and the genius idea will get lost in the tiring process of tidying up your workspace. 

Eva-Maria Schull was born in November 1953 in Detmold, a small town in western Germany.

Instead of following her natural talent as a hairdresser (see pic above), she became a teacher. She taught Art and Maths at comprehensive schools for 38 years, until her retirement 3 years ago. She lives in Duesseldorf, Germany together with her husband Peter.

You can follow Eva on her instagram.

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