Junior Review: Ninja Kid 6

Review: Esmeralda's Nest

A look into the life of Esmeralda the pig, is to discover story upon story. The cover is a portrait of Esmeralda and her joyful disposition. 

Inside the covers is like a box of chocolates. Where will your eye fall first?

Stunning end pages carry Farm Notes written and drawn by a child’s hand. These prepare us with information about farm animals and tools.

A black pig with a white stripe is called a Saddleback Pig. I didn’t know that! (I love a book I can learn something from!)

Did you know that a spinning jenny holds the wire for fencing so it doesn’t get tangled? Or that the name of the tool used to fix fences is a grapple tool?
 

That’s knowledge only from the front end pages. The back ones have Farm Notes on Pigs and Piglets.
 

Now into the story.
 

It starts on a very hot Sunday. Esmeralda rolls in a mud bath to cool down. She does some digging with her snout and takes her find down the hill. Each day for the rest of the week, sees the gorgeous filled out pig, digging and carrying her finds downhill.
 

But where is she taking them and what is she using all that she finds for?
 

The highly talented Mandy Foot has done a stupendous job in illustrating a week in Esmeralda’s life.  The animals, children and adults on the farm display their emotions with body and facial expressions that speak a thousand words.
 

The pictures in fine lines and brilliant colour, are full of activity with the images of farm life, real. From the lopsided fence to the washing on the Hills Hoist, the restringing of the fence wire, the dog house and the ladder made of fencing boards on the trunk of the tree, all breathe life onto the pages.
 

Robert Moore’s text in brilliant. Precise, minimal, and enough. It stands back and allows the images to take the lead. Two stories; words and pictures.
 

I loved this. Children will love it as much as the adults that share it with them.
 

Title: Esmerelda’s Nest

Author: Robert Moore

Illustrator: Mandy Foot

Publisher: MidnightSun Publishing, $29.99

Publication Date: October 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781925227666

For ages: 5+

Type: Picture Book

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Guest Post: Toni Brinstead on Patrick White

Look What I'm Reading! Pamela Rushby

I’m a writer for children and young adults with over 200 books published by trade and educational publishers. I’m a tiny bit obsessed with ancient Egypt so it’s no surprise that for my latest book, The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle, I’ve drawn on my experiences of volunteering on a dig in Jordan, visiting excavations in Egypt, cruising down the Nile (though sadly, not on a dahabiya) and haunting the Petrie Museum, University College London, and the mummy rooms of the British Museum!

Which children’s book are you currently reading?
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim, Allen & Unwin, 2019.

Can you tell us in two sentences what the book is about?
Anna Chiu has her hands full looking after her siblings and working at her dad’s restaurant – while her mum stays in bed.
Things aren’t right, and they go from bad to worse. A story of family, food, mental wellness and first love.

How much did you enjoy/are enjoying this title?

Haven’t yet finished it, and can’t wait to see what happens next.

What made you choose this title? Was it a review, advertising, the cover, the blurb, the author/illustrator, or the subject/genre?

Review and advertising in Magpies.

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

The Austen Girls, Lucy Worsley, Bloomsbury 2020, Radio Girl, David Dufty, Allen & Unwin, 2020, Ink Death, Cornelia Funke, Chicken House, 2007.

How did you come by these titles: personal choice/request, publisher’s review copy, or other?
Personal choice. Ordered from library, bought online, picked up while browsing in a bookstore.

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

I can rarely resist a good, well-researched middle-grade/YA historical. Especially about little-known events in history. I really like books that teach me something as well as entertain me. Don’t mind a bit of fantasy, either – but not too way-out. Needs to be rooted in reality.

Do you read from printed books or some other medium? Please expand a little on the why of your choice. Print. Always print. There’s nothing like the feeling of a book in your hands. Also, I find that the pages are so small when reading online. And you can’t flick backwards and forwards so easily. Call me old-fashioned!





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12 Curly Questions with author Nat Amoore

1. What's your hidden talent?  

Well I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but I have A LOT! I play the saxophone (so whilst I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, I’m more than happy to blow my own saxophone). I can juggle. I can open a champagne bottle and pour a glass, using only my feet – yep foil, wire, cork and all. I can do the Moonwalk. I am an exceptionally good tree-climber. My spaghetti bolognaise is to die for. Look, the list really goes on but I don’t want to sound too braggy. I’m also really good at sounding braggy!

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?  

Oooooohhhh, if we are sticking to kid’s books then it probably has to be Count Olaf from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events because I like a villain who is truly and wholeheartedly committed to their evil doings. If we are talking grown-up books then Annie Wilkes from Misery by Stephen King… for much the same reasons.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)  

Oscar Wilde, Paul Jennings, RA Spratt, Raymond Carver and Katherine Rundell. There would be so much clever and funny in the room that I wouldn’t even dare to participate in the conversation but I would be happy to sit back and just bathe in the genius surrounding me.

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?  

Daemons from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. I want one so bad and I want it to be a Tarsier.

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?  

Unplanned, optimistic, fluid, instinctual and rambunctious.

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

You mean like something that could be carved on my headstone? Always found a fart funny.

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?  

A standing desk, coffee, a view, silence, Uber Eats.

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!)  

Well I’m sitting at my desk and the closest book is the uncorrected proof of my new book The Power Of Positive Pranking. The second word on page 22 is ‘refocus’. Refocus on the task at hand Nat – that means stop picking your nose, playing with that Rubik’s Cube and imagining a hippopotamus made of chocolate.

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask? 

I would ask Paul Jennings out for ice cream. I bet he enjoys a good ice cream. And I can’t imagine anything better in this world than eating ice cream with Paul Jennings.

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?

What?!?! Why would you ask that question? Do you hate me? Did I do something to you? Why do you want to punish me? What a horrible question! Uuuuuuummmm, er, ah, I guess… never write another story? You know what… NO! I quit. I’m not playing this game anymore. 

Nat Amoore is a writer who is passionate about encouraging kids to read, write and explore their imagination without boundaries. With a background in writing for screen, she wrote and directed international award-winning short film Elemenopee and has a feature film screenplay and a kids' TV series in development. Nat was a recipient of the CBCA Maurice Saxby Creative Development Program for 2018. In February 2018, Nat (along with fellow hosts Kate and Liz) launched kidlit podcast One More Page (onemorepagepodcast.com), which was a finalist in the 'Best Newcomer' category for the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. The podcast has featured in publications such as Books+Publishing, Buzz Words and the SCBWI AUS&NZ newsletters. For more information, see www.natamoore.com.

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Review: The Little Engine That Could 90th Anniversary

With an enthusiastic and warm introduction, singer Dolly Parton recalls how this story, told to her by her mother, influenced, encouraged and gave her strength and hope.  She chose it for her gifting program in her home town.

Still inspiring generations, it is a powerful influencer. I think I can, I think I can, is still used as a mantra by many adults when life challenges appear too great to overcome.

Retold by Wally Piper and reimagined by Caldecott 

Medal winner, Dan Santat, this 90^th Anniversary edition reflects a glorious renewal.

A little train loaded with toys for the children sets out for her destination at the other side of the mountain. There are all types of toys within the carriages – animals, dolls with golden hair and teddy bears, clowns, aeroplanes, picture books and puzzles. Others are packed with delicious offerings of food; fruits and vegetables, sweets and treats.

While contentedly chuffing along, she suddenly stops, unable to turn her wheels no matter how she tries. What is she to do?

After help is denied three times by passing trains, the toys are ready to cry. A little blue engine comes into sight. Small but chugging along happily, it stops quickly at the sight of the waving flag in the clown’s hand. The toys once again explain their situation and beg the little blue engine to pull them over the mountain. 

She is small and has never been over the mountain as her role only involved switching trains in the yard. But she hitches herself to the toy train. 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can, she chants and pulls and tugs, refusing to give up. Failure is not an option. Off they go, the toys peering excitedly at the road from the windows, as they move ever upward.

The little blue engine doesn’t stop  repeating her words until they reach the crest of the hill and see the town below. They have made it!

Full of optimism and self-belief, it promotes a never-give-up mindset while its stunning illustrations illuminate positivity. This edition will be cherished by adults and children. Worth its weight in gold, I know it won’t leave my possession.
 

Title: The Little Engine That Could 90^thAnniversary

Author: Retold by Watty Piper

Illustrator: Reimagined by Dan Santat

Publisher: Penguin Random House, $32.99

Publication Date: 15 April 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9780593094396

For ages: 3+

Type: Picture Book

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Review: We’re going on a Treasure Hunt

We’re going on a Treasure Hunt is an exciting, lift the flaps book which follows a group of bunnies on their treasure hunting adventure.

Join four bunnies on a melodic journey to find 10 golden coins. Beginning on a beach on a beautiful sunny day, they sail the sea, travel over stepping stones, traipse through an island jungle, walk across swaying bridges and find something which sends them running swiftly back again. 

The bunnies encounter dolphins, snippy snappy crabs, coconut throwing monkeys and more. The text features repeated rollicking rhymes, which will have readers chanting “YO! HO! HO!” and “ARRRRR! OFF WE GO!” in no time. And, of course, the best treasure prevails at the end of the story.

I love Laura Hughes delightful illustrations; filled with motion, colour and character, they work in unity with the story, and set each scene beautifully. From cute cotton bunny tails to telescopes, pirate hats and patches, the details are superb. 

This is a fabulously fun adventure story that will have young ones reading ahead and grasping at each flap looking for golden coins. It’s perfect for creative minds and could easily lead onto role play and treasure hunting games.

Martha Mumford is the author of other joy filled books for a young audience including her debut title Shhh! Don't Wake the Royal Baby! Laura Hughes is one of my favourites, she’s illustrated many fun titles including Mummy’s Suitcase, Daddy’s Sandwich and The Birthday Invitation. 

Title: We're going on a Treasure Hunt
Author: Martha Mumford
Illustrator: Laura Hughes
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, $14.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN:  9781408893395
For ages: 0 – 5
Type: Picture Book

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Announcement: Teachers' Hub - Resources Update

HarperCollins Publishers Australia is thrilled to launch the new design of its Teachers’ Hub – a place for teachers and librarians to discover the company’s latest books, find out about upcoming author events, and download free teacher resources and activities to use in the classroom, library and at home.

Jemma Myors, Education Manager at HarperCollins Publishers Australia, said, 'I am so proud that we have created a truly unique online space for Australian teachers, where they can easily find books to meet a range of topics and all aspects of the Australian Curriculum.'

One can now search for books by keywords and find resources for specific learning areas and age groups. Individual book pages also list topics covered and link directly to their respective HarperCollins website pages.

This announcement comes a month after the conclusion of the Hub’s Learning from Home series, which supported parents, educators and children throughout the recent mass home-schooling phase.

'The fantastic feedback we had from this series told us that teachers and parents found it a wonderful resource to meet the diverse needs of children during the lockdown period.'

Teachers and librarians can also sign up for the Teachers’ Hub monthly email newsletter which covers news on HarperCollins’ educational titles, along with any announcements and special offers available.

To access all these free resources, visit teachershub.com.au

Visit this marvellous resource along with dozens of other helpful Teachers' Notes and downloadable resources via our KBR Teachers' Notes and Lesson Plans link via our comprehensive Resources Page.

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Review: What Do You Call Your Grandpa?

Grandparents all around the world are known to their families by names specific to their language, culture, or family.

In What Do You Call Your Grandpa? those names related to language and culture are explained using lovely rhymes.

There are grandpas like Babu who loves looking to the stars in he sky in Africa, Belo who races boats down the brook with his grandson in Spain, and Kaku who loves to fish and cook his catch, in Australia's Northern Territory.

The rhymes themselves don't state where the various grandpas live, however there is a one-page reference list at the back which tells you what language and countries the names are associated with. From Celtic Wales and Maori New Zealand, to India, China, and other places.

The rhymes convey special relationships between grandfathers and their grandchildren. The experiences they share, and things that children notice and remember most. Memories that last a long time.

The pictures in What Do You Call Your Grandpa? depict the different environments, homes and public places that grandfathers spend their time. The places that stick with us when we remember them.

Ashleigh Barton's text (in her first picture book), and Martina Heiduczek's illustrations, create a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality which make What Do You Call Your Grandpa? appealing.

A beautiful gift book and one to share with all the family, from the youngest readers to grandparents and great-grandparents.

Look out for What Do You Call Your Grandma?, being released next year.

Title: What Do You Call Your Grandpa?
Author: Ashleigh Barton
Illustrator: Martina Heiduczek
Publisher: ABC Books, $ 17.99
Publication Date: July 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780733340864
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture book

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Review: Goldfields Girl

This is a fictional account of the early life of Clara Saunders based on her own unfinished manuscript. 

It covers approximately two years from April 1892 of the gold rush era, through to March 1894. 

The Author’s Note at the beginning, gives us a strong introduction, addressing the background and origins of the manuscript and how the book came about.

The reader steps right into the life of fourteen year-old Clara, who with Mother and her older sister, set out from Brisbane to Western Australia to support Clara’s sister Mary and husband.

They own the Hotel in the gold mining town of Southern Cross and are expecting their fifth child.

Clara’s memories are clear, precise and very detailed as she recalls the incredible adventure on which she embarked. There she met Jack, her first love. It is a time of parties, music from tin whistles, banjos and accordions; sing-alongs, picnics and racing festivals.

Jack works for his father as water carrier to the dry areas of the diggings. Lack of water is the greatest problem. Clara and Jack become very close, spending all their spare time together.

In September 1892, when the richest reef of gold is discovered by Arthur Bailey and his friend William Ford, a flood of goldminers moves into a new town which they name Coolgardie. Another hotel goes up to accommodate the influx. Clara agrees to join the single female cook working there. She takes with her, Mother’s First Aid bible which proves to be more valuable than gold.

A second reef – a mile long of pure gold, is found close to Coolgardie. With this rush, the English girl Florrie turns up, looking for adventure and excitement. Both girls prove tough, resilient, and extremely hard working; able to stand up to the rough men and their indiscreet language. A friendship quickly forms.

Recorded recollections beautifully transferred by Elaine Forrestal into visual images, reveal the strength and perseverance exercised by all during those difficult, early Australian gold rush years. The camaraderie between men is made visible. Life is frequently tumultuous, for competition and dissent, typhoid and dysentery are rife. Camp life – descriptive and real, the good and bad, is presented in perfect prose.

The end of 1893 brings great change and additional dangers and threats, as criminals, conmen and individuals with no respect for women, pass through the mining towns. This danger finds Jack, shattering Clara’s life and rounding off her story.

There is a two-page informational reference to Clara’s life after Jack. This interesting addition gives answers to questions on what happened to Clara afterwards, that readers will enjoy discovering at the end of this well-told Australian story.

Title: Goldfields Girl

Author:Elaine Forrestal

Publisher: Fremantle Press, $16.99

Publication Date: May 2020

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781925816495

For ages: 10 - 14

Type: Historical Fiction/Biography

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Meet The Illustrator: Jedda Robaard

Name: Jedda Robaard

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Whimsical, lighthearted and gentle.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Pencil – palomino 602
Paper - any
iPad
Diary and pen
Comfy Chair
Drawing table
Desktop computer
Light, lots of natural light.
Pinboard

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Absolutely! Watercolour. However, these days I am working more and more digitally. But nothing beats the feeling of putting paint on paper and the beauty of the colours in real life. 

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
May Gibbs, Shaun Tan and the Eames (technicality the Eames are designers, but their use of colour and design was awesome) 

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I’d like to say art nouveau. The combination of organic and geographic forms is beautiful. But as there were barely any women practicing or just not acknowledged, I think the period we are in now would be my preference.

Just look at all the different ways we can create images. It’s mind boggling.
And although we have a way to go with equal representation of female artists (particularly in design) I feel very lucky to be doing what I’m doing right now. 

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator? 

Having worked in design and print I was initially a wanting to get away from the screen and paint more. But once I started to work on books I was hooked on the process. 

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
Problem solving. But as this applies to nearly every aspect of the Book illustration process i.e. coming up with ideas, story boarding, solving page sequencing issues, drawing a character consistently, choosing a colour palette… I’ll pick just one.

Creating and fine tuning the initial story idea is always the highlight for me. 

Can you share a photo of your creative workspace or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
My workplace is just a few steps from my back door. We built the studio (which is situated in my garden) a few years ago. I was lucky enough to design it how I wanted, so I made sure it had lots of light and lots of cupboards.

I have two desks, a drawing desk which I’ve had since I went to art school in 1992.
A table for my computer, a set of shelves for drying work, a very old light box
and an even older Tessa chair (which I share with my grumpy dachshund Evie).

Favourite tools:
Palomino Blackwing (602) Pencil. You can replace the eraser, love that!
Uniball Eye Pen
Faber Castell 3H grey lead pencil, well used!
Moleskin diary
And my Apple Pencil, not my favourite but essential 

Pinboard 

A mass of ideas and drawings. Somethings have even migrated from old pin boards to this one. There are photos, sketches, retro souvenirs, schedules, reminders and even the odd crochet mushroom. Anything and everything that brings joy. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Being a book illustrator isn’t just about the ability to draw. When I look back at my first drawings, I was mediocre at best! You will learn a lot along the way.

And skills like, a good sense of design and composition, vivid imagination,
and a willingness to listen and take on constructive criticism are equally important. 

Jedda Robaard is an Australian author, illustrator and designer, based on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. She is known internationally for her gentle and whimsical style of illustration. Jedda has been illustrating and writing children’s books since 2011 and has over 40 books published.

Jedda is represented by Jacinta Di Mase Management.

For more information please visit Jedda's website or follow her on facebook and instagram

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Guest Post: Tania Louise Smith on What Resilience IS and IS NOT?

Review: Encyclopedia of Insects

The Encyclopedia of Insects contains the ugly and the beautiful of the insect world. Over three hundred of them from all over the globe appear in this book, each with a role to play.

Insect bodies are divided into three parts: a head, thorax and abdomen.

Explored are their fascinating lifestyles, personal details, habits, habitats and appearance, Latin names, and their contribution to animals, humans and the environment.

Painted illustrations of all are displayed in vibrant colour. Known as the unsung heroes of the natural world, unfortunately, many species face extinction due to climate change and pollution.

Travelling through each entry via an astonishingly clever and informative narrative, we learn about these insects’ life stages – those of complete and incomplete metamorphosis, life spans, wing spans, where they are found and how they camouflage.

Especially interesting is the information available about insects of Australia (just a few). The Eusocial Weevil (Austroplatypus incompertus) found in eucalyptus forests, the gorgeous Jewel Beetles, (Temognatha Alternata) found in the forests of Queensland and the Golden Stag Beetle (Lamprima aurata) found throughout our country.

This is certainly an outstanding reference book for those interested in living things found in nature. Even the 200 species of nomad Army Ants (Hymenoptera) that carry their nests, the queen and larvae, plus the flesh-eating beetles and flies, play a significant role in the cycle of life.

Dragonflies, grasshoppers, slugs, Mayflies, spiders, snails and slugs. No matter how disgusting some people may find them, they exhibit a usefulness and rare value – each and every one of them.

  

Title: Encyclopedia of Insects

Author: Jules Howard

Illustrator: Miranda Zimmerman

Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $29.99

Publication Date: June 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9780711249141

For ages: 12+

Type: Non Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author Sarah Prager

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.  

In high school and college I’d imagine my future wife would wear glasses reading a book next to me in bed. This was the height of my idea of a perfect future life and luckily I met a bespectacled woman right after college. I was over the moon that she’d read in bed next to me before we went to sleep each night. Then she got LASIK (laser eye surgery)! I still love her even without the glasses!

2. What is your nickname?  

Our three-year-old goes by many names: Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Tinker Bell, Daniel Tiger… you get the idea. Whenever she changes character, the names for everyone else in our family changes, too. I go by Eric, Gaston, Genie, Mom Tiger, etc. Lately I’m usually Kristoff. (Her baby sister is always a sidekick like Olaf, Flounder, Abu, or Baby Margaret.)

3. What is your greatest fear?  

Like many parents, my fears most often involve my kids. I worry that I’m not being a good enough mom, about keeping them safe, about raising them well.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.  

I write my ancestors’ history for those of the future.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.  

Emotional. Representative. Diverse. Empowering. Evolving.

6. What book character would you be, and why?

I’d be Piggie of Mo Willem’s Elephant & Piggie series. Piggie’s always encouraging Gerald to lighten up and they have so much fun together.

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

I’d go to 1593 so I could meet Francisco Manicongo. Francisco is one of the 50 historical figures featured in my new book Rainbow Revolutionaries: 50 LGBTQ+ People Who Made History and we barely know anything about his life. He was taken from Africa to Brazil in the late 1500s and was put on trial for refusing to wear male clothes and for sleeping with another male slave. I don’t know what happened to him and I’d like to ask him… and also show him some support.

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

“OMG, I can’t believe you’re gay! You’re legally married to a woman, too?? And you have kids without a husband?? WHAT?!”

9. Who is your greatest influence? 

It’s cliché, but my parents. They raised me with love.

10. What/who made you start writing?  

I first started writing about LGBTQ+ history as a way to promote my free mobile app, Quist, that teaches LGBTQ+ history. I would do unpaid guest blog posts to get the word out since I didn’t have an advertising budget. Then one day a senior editor from HarperCollins Children’s emailed me asking for a call. She invited me to write a book about LGBTQ+ history for teens! I was floored. It felt like a dream book deal fell into my lap out of nowhere, even though it was the result of years of hard work making a name for myself in the LGBTQ+ history space. I got an agent and signed a contract within two weeks and turned in the manuscript less than a year later. That turned into my first book, 2017’s Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World.

11. What is your favourite word and why?  

It’s actually lesbian. I love that it’s tied to a sense of place, like I am a descendent of Sappho of Lesbos and actually from the Greek island. Fun fact: The residents of Lesbos actually tried to sue the Greek LGBTQ+ rights organisation for using the word 'lesbian' in their name. All of the residents of Lesbos are Lesbians, it's their demonym. They lost the case, but I like to think there is a lesbian Lesbian out there who finds it funny.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. While I was writing my YA book (Queer, There, and Everywhere), I tried to immerse myself in excellent YA writing so that mine would come out close to that. My wife and I listened to the audiobook over and over during the months I was writing; we couldn’t get enough. I was pregnant with our first child while I wrote my first book and that book certainly influenced our choice to name our daughter Eleanor, though she is named for Eleanor Roosevelt, one of the historical figures featured in Queer, There, and Everywhere. 

 

 

Sarah Prager is an advocate for LGBTQ history education particularly for youth. HarperCollins published her first book, Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World, in 2017. The book received three-starred reviews, was named an official selection of the Junior Library Guild, received five award nominations, and was named a Best Book for Teens 2017 by New York Public Library and Chicago Public Library. Her second book, Rainbow Revolutionaries: 50 LGBTQ+ People Who Made History has already been named a Junior Library Guild selection. Sarah’s writing has been published in The Atlantic, The Advocate, HuffPost, Bustle, JSTOR Daily, and various other outlets. Sarah has presented on LGBTQIA+ history to over 140 groups across five countries. She lives with her wife, two children, and three cats in Massachusetts, USA. For more information, see www.sarahprager.com.

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Review: Shadow

Mum and daughter have suffered some severe trauma. It’s the two of them now and they have moved to another home.  The child is afraid.  Mum assures her there is nothing to be afraid of here; that there are no dark places at all in the new house.

But under her new bed, hiding amongst cobwebs that hadn’t been swept for years, with dust piles big as rats, the child finds Shadow. She tells Mum, who can’t see him. In fact, she can’t see anything for days at a time. Lost in her thoughts, all she can see is what's in her mind, occupying her every moment.The girl is alone with only Shadow whom she has now befriended.

He becomes her playmate. As they explore the house together, the child’s aloneness dissipates.

She goes willingly from the house with Shadow and wanders into the forest. But her new friend has discovered others like himself there. Together the shadows play, flit and hide behind trees, then slip away.

Darkness falls. All alone, there were no shadows left, just tears.

Daybreak brings the sound of her name.

Full of metaphors and underlying meanings, this book, impressive in every way, could be describing depression, family break-up or violence, or all these things. It speaks of sorrow and internal isolation, but also the strength of love and overcoming personal difficulties.

Beautifully constructed, visually stunning, with illustrations by Anastasia Suvorova, the gentle prose insightfully reveals human frailties and personal agonies, the resilience of children, and how the scars on adult lives affect family members as well as the sufferer. Ideal for adults as well as mature children.

 Title: Shadow

Author: Lucy Christopher

Illustrator: Anastasia Suvorova

Publisher: New South Books, $24.99

Publication Date: December 2019

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781911373834

For ages: 6+

Type: Picture Book

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Winner: How Do You Make A Baby?

Our lucky winner is...

Liz Dorrington, WA

Congratulations!

You have won a copy the fascinating non-fiction picture book, How Do You Make a Baby?

Thank you to ALL who entered. We received some truly embarrassing answers! 

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Review: Beware! Ralfy Rabbit and the Secret Book Biter

A heartwarming story about book lover Ralfy Rabbit and the mystery of the bite mark found in his book.

Ralfy Rabbit loves all kinds of books and nothing more than snuggling up to read in a quiet environment. When his baby brother Rodney cries, shrieks, rattles, clangs, bangs and more Ralfy’s serenity is ruined, he tries all sorts of things to escape the noises of his little brother.

When Ralfy finally finds a wonderful place to read, he’s shocked to discover a huge hole in the book he opens, on further inspection, it’s not just a hole, it’s a great big bite! Ralfy immediately gets to work on unfolding the mystery, however things get worse before they get better, taking readers on a fun and suspenseful journey.

Ralfy’s actions and character show a delightful example of patience, kindness and sibling love while also promoting the joy of reading. A warming and amusing end prevails.

I adore the gorgeous illustrations which feature watercolour textures, a bright, cheerful colour palette and cute characters. This heartwarming book would be great for reluctant readers or book lovers alike and for children with younger siblings.

Beware! Ralfy Rabbit and the Secret Book Biter is the second book in the Ralfy Rabbit series, following on after Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar. Emily MacKenzie is a UK author and illustrator of many other books including There’s Broccoli in my Ice Cream and Trouble on the Farm.

Title: Beware! Ralfy Rabbit and the Secret Book Biter
Author/Illustrator: Emily MacKenzie
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, $15.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN:  9781408892091
For ages: 0 – 5
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Blood Moon

It might be 2020, but the double standard is alive and strong!

Sixteen year-old Frankie is a quiet, nerdy girl, who usually flies under the radar. She meets the equally quiet but extremely cute Benjamin and ends up having a spontaneous sexual experience with him.

It’s consensual, exciting and satisfying - but during their intimate moment, her period starts. He’s okay with it – after all, he wants to become a doctor. And Frankie assumes this to be the start of something beautiful.

Well, it’s the start of something! The next day, this private and otherwise loving situation suddenly bursts into everybody’s awareness via social media.

A meme that shows her face and makes her out to have disgusting sexual appetites circulates and gathers momentum. Frankie is being slut shamed.

As she had not told any of her friends about Benjamin, she has no idea how the story got out in the first place. Ben swears that he told nobody. But now that her meme is viral, everybody has an opinion about it.

Frankie turns to her friends. As it happens, she had been in the middle of a fight with her best friend Harriet when the meme went viral. A few days earlier, Harriet had made a poor decision to send a bra shot of herself to a teacher, and when the consequences of this hit, Frankie had been judgemental rather than supportive.

Is this Harriet’s revenge? After all, the meme first appeared on her page. Harriet protests her innocence, but Frankie is not convinced, and more concerned with saving her reputation, and keeping her parents oblivious to worry about that.

But as the trolls circle and she is threatened with rape by total strangers, Frankie must take drastic action to reclaim control of the narrative and to solve the mystery about the breach of her privacy.

Told in verse, this is a compelling story about how easily a cyberbully can ruin lives – and about turning a story of shaming around. Beautifully written with an exquisite use of sparse language, this powerful story is a must-read for every teen, and every parent of a teen.

Title: Blood Moon

Author: Lucy Cuthew
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, $18.99  
Publication Date: 1 July 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781406393446
For ages: 14+
Type: Young Adult Fiction

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The film Spies in Disguise follows the story of a secret agent who gets trapped as a pigeon by a smart scientist. Watch online at Kids World Fun. …]

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Review: A World Full of Dickens' Stories

A World Full of Dickens’ Stories presents eight best-loved classic tales adapted by Angela McAllister andretold for children. This is an eye-catching and beautifully designed book that will be treasured and enjoyed time and time again.

An elegant cover decorated with images of the stories’ characters and settings, heralds the contents. Stunning, fully illustrated end pages compete with the cover for first prize.

Reading Dickens in this simplified yet artistic form, younger readers will learn about the real struggles of children within these imaginative tales set in Victorian England.

It is a historically interesting era which reveals the exploitation of orphans and unwanted children, which seemed to be the accepted norm.

The Contents page delivers a single image attached to each story title. They are Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, A Tale of two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Nicholas Nickleby andHard Times.

Each of these stories is introduced by a page full of portraits depicting the characters, their name and role. The faces reflect the kind of person they are – harsh, sly, unkind, gentle etc. so the reader immediately identifies them as they begin the journey though the story. The names that Dickens chose for his characters describes them so well. Bold text throughout adds elegance to the layout of every page of high quality paper.

The stories are regularly interspersed with further delightful and expressive illustrations drawn in bold lines in full colour by the talented Jannicke Hanson. What an amazing job she has done!

The stories call attention to the overpopulation, poverty, hunger and lack of all basic human needs. Death was as common as the filth and waste that flooded the streets and gutters. This is an educational tour through history that will surely be a foretaste of all the literature that awaits to be discovered.

I loved this book which is so beautiful in every way, and am thrilled to see the classics being published in a form accessible and comprehensive to younger generations.

Title: A World Full of Dickens’ Stories

Author: Angela McAllister

Illustrator: Jannicke Hanson

Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $34.99

Publication Date:  28 April 2020

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 978011247710

For ages: 10+

Type: Classics

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