Review: There’s Only One Mum Like You

There’s Only One Mum Like You is a beautiful tribute to mums for all they do, with heart-melting watercolour illustrations and text so delightful text it feels like a big hug.

The story explores the many ways mums teach, care, love and protect their little ones. From crafts in the cosy lounge room to singing in the rain, we see mothers and their children in situations which feel relatable.

Each illustrated scene shows different creatures such as bears, butterflies, otters and giraffes. My favourite features a little yellow octopus with a bandaged tentacle and a tear in its eye, smiling in its mother’s embrace. Stunning artwork with bright colours, soft textures and sweet details like the creatures’ faces and clothing patterns create captivating scenes which work in perfect unity with the text.

This is a quality publication with a beautiful cover finish, thick strong pages and a message of love for mums, perfect for reading time and time again and for displaying in prominent places. Affirm Press have released it in perfect time for Mother’s Day—it’s number one on my recommendation list as it makes the perfect gift.

Jess Racklyeft is the illustrator of many titles including Merry Everything, The Year of the Dog and the award-winning Smile Cry. There’s only One Mum Like You is her first author illustrated title and I hope it’s the first of many.

Title: There’s Only One Mum Like You
Author/Illustrator: Jess Racklyeft
Publisher: Affirm Press, $19.99
Publication Date: 26 March 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925712902
For ages: 2 – 6
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Lost

Fluffy, Jet and Angel love playing hide and seek, which they are very good at, that is until Fluffy gets lost.

Set in Antarctica, Fluffy is a young emperor penguin who frolics in the snow and ice with his best friends Jet and Angel. 

However, one day when they are playing, his parents, Fifi and Floyd tell Fluffy he must come inside at once, there is a storm approaching. 

Does Fluffy listen to his parents? No, he thinks they are being too strict and stays outside playing even though it starts to snow.

Before he knows it, the winds become stronger and stronger, blowing the little penguin off his feet causing him to tumble out of sight of his family and friends. He cries out for his parents who are desperately searching for him, but he has been blown too far away. Once the storm subsides, Fluffy starts to look for his parents and friends, but a huge sea eagle picks him up with his claws thinking Fluffy might be dinner.

Scared and lost, Fluffy hangs on until the sea eagle grows tired and drops him. Bewildered, Fluffy has no idea where he is, he just knows that it is nothing like home. Tired and alone, Fluffy finds a safe place to sleep, hoping the morning will bring him closer to finding help.

Once morning arrives, Fluffy finds himself in the middle of a desert with red sands and very hot temperatures. He uses his beak, like he has been taught to locate water and then sets off on his long journey. He discovers new places and friends in his travels, all the while thinking he should have listened to his parents. Just when he starts to despair he meets Pete the Pelican who thinks he might be able to help him find home.

Australian author and illustrator Tracey Unthank has created a colour rich story that highlights listening to your parents is always wise, while showcasing the starkness of Antarctica with the deep red soil of Central Australia all without losing the message is just part of this story’s attraction.

Title: Lost
Author & Illustrator: Tracey Unthank
Publisher: Little Steps Publishing, $16.45
Publication Date: 1 October 2018
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781408868874
For ages: 4+
Type:  Picture Book

 



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Review: Sleep, My Bunny

Sleep, My Bunny is the latest creation of bestselling author and illustrator Rosemary Wells.

It features her trademark bunny characters, a child and its parents, as the sun sets and they undertake their evening routine.

First there's dinner, then a little time for playing.

Bath time and story time are next. Followed by a gentle song or lullaby.

Finally, it's bed time, when all wish to 'Let nothing be scary and nothing be loud' and the young bunny goes to sleep.

In Sleep, My Bunny, Rosemary Wells' illustrations are of the bunnies' routine, surrrounded by landscape and night skies that are visually inspired by Vincent Van Gogh. Most particularly, his artwork The Starry Night.

On the endpapers, framing the text, and through the windows throughout the story, the evening sky is shown in shades of colour and style that are a definite homage to Van Gogh's work.

The illustrations all depict recognisable activities for young children, and complementing them is the text, which is simple and lyrical. It's an excellent example of short but sweet, with just six sentences, which convey a strong sense of place and time.

Sleep, My Bunny is a perfect bed time book for young children.

Title: Sleep, My Bunny
Author/illustrator: Rosemary Wells
Publisher: Walker Books, $24.99
Publication Date: March 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN:  9781406382587
For ages: 2+ 
Type: Picture book




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Review: Leaving the Lyrebird Forest

In Leaving the Lyrebird Forest, the descriptive lyrical prose draws the reader into the surroundings immediately. 

In a uniquely Australian setting and within vivid scenes of the wild natural environment, young Alice Dorrit’s story emerges. 

The prose is accompanied and enhanced by the stunning woodcut illustrations of the gifted Julian Laffan.

Alice never feels alone although she is an only child. She is comfortable living with her artist parents in the isolated woods she so loves and knows like the back of her hand. 

This treasured area is populated by a creative community that survives on their modest produce, the selling of their handcrafts and art, and through the exchange of goods at their local marketplace. The Dorrit’s closest neighbours are the Browns at the end of a track which Alice passes each day on her long walk to school.  For reasons unknown, they have kept to themselves for some time now.

The highlight of Alice’s life is school and learning, and the early morning visits she gets every alternate day from a male lyrebird she has named, Birdy. He copies the sounds of the forest and any other peculiar noise that takes his fancy.

Unknown to Alice, Birdy has a secret other life. When Alice hears sounds and follows the track that leads to Cyril Brown’s house, a new and lasting friendship is formed with the returned digger. Birdy’s other life is revealed and so is the extent of his talent when Alice receives a porcelain bell from her father for her 14^th birthday.

Through the unfolding of this multi-themed story, the habits of lyrebirds are revealed. Crew has created with words, visual images of the simple life that people lived within the embrace of the natural world, and the strong sense of community that existed in early Australian life.

This is a delightful story about discovery, choices, friendship and the endless possibilities that life presents. Laced around the joys and sorrows of leaving the place you love are the new beginnings that go hand-in-hand with change and moving forward.

  

Title: Leaving the Lyrebird Forest

Author: Gary Crew

Illustrator: Julian Laffan

Publisher: Hachette, $16.99

Publication Date: October 2018

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9780734418432

For ages: 10+

Type:  Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: Melody Trumpet

Melody Trumpet is a fictional story about a small girl with a big secret. From the moment Melody Trumpet is born, the world expects her to be a musical genius, gifted beyond any other. After all, she is the one and only child of the extraordinarily talented, amazingly incredible, musical superstar parents, Mr and Mrs Trumpet.

Unfortunately for Melody, her self-obsessed, world-famous parents, with legions of adoring fans, have a reputation to uphold, and when Melody's first cries are anything but melodious, the Trumpets have no intention of letting a little truth get in the way of their extraordinary fame and fortune.

Author Gabrielle Tozer has developed a cast of characters with distinct and quirky personalities set within a musical microcosm.

So begins the life of Melody Trumpet, hidden away in Trumpet Manor, and schooled in secret, in a vain attempt to, somehow, cure Melody of her apparent total lack of musical talent.

Fortunately, Melody finally meets some people who begin to see her for the unique and wonderful person she truly is. Along the way, Melody learns to trust in her own abilities and her newly-formed friendships, discovering that love and family can be found in the most unlikely places.

Title: Melody Trumpet
Author: Gabrielle Tozer
Publisher: Angus&Roberston, $16.99
Publication Date: 29 January 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781460754979
For ages: 8+
Type: Junior Fiction




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Review: Maria Montessori (Little People, Big Dreams)

The Little People, Big Dreams series showcases the lives of outstanding people from across the globe.

Each of these amazing people have achieved amazing things, but each of them started as a child with a big dream.

The series is large, and you can find reviews for books on Stephen Hawking, Jane Austen and LM Montgomery here at Kids’ Book Review, but Maria Montessori is the first book I've personally read from this series, and I had no idea what to expect.

What I discovered was an engaging and fascinating journey of a young girl with determination, grit and a very big dream.

Maria Montessori, born in Italy, was a gifted student. She went to an all-boys technical college because she wanted to study science. She was the first girl in Italy to study and graduate in medicine. 

She worked in a mental health clinic with disabled children, and saddened by how they were treated, she gave them love and respect. She gave them opportunities to learn through games and fun activities, and soon Maria realised the same approach could help all children. 

The rest, you could say, is history.

I love how engaging and interesting this book is, balanced with simple and small chunks of text, which won’t overwhelm or confuse kids as they explore the book.

Teamed with funky and colourful illustrations, the story becomes so much more than amazing facts about an amazing woman.

At the back of the book, you’ll also find photographs of Maria Montessori throughout her life with an accompanying timeline, as well as more detailed information for those wanting to know more. 

Little People, Big Dreams Maria Montessori is a brilliant and engaging non-fiction picture book about an amazing woman, and I cannot wait to pick up more books in this fantastic series.

Title: Little People, Big Dreams Maria Montessori 

Author: Isabel Sánchez Vegara

Illustrator: Raquel Martín

Publisher: Francis Lincoln, $19.99

Publication Date: March 2019

Format: Hard Cover

ISBN: 9781786037534

For ages: 4 - 7 

Type: Picture Book, Junior Non-Fiction

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Review: Colouroos

The best picture books are so dynamic, clever and engaging, the reader doesn't notice there's a powerful message shining through.

Author and illustrator Anna McGregor's stunning debut is just that. Bursting with colour, rhythm and fun, Colouroos is about three different mobs of kangaroos.

The red, blue and yellow groups travel from different parts of the country and meet at the same watering hole.


At first, they think the other groups look strange, but they soon discover they all have plenty in common. Before long, the groups have become one and a rainbow of colours appears.

McGregor's inventive concept is beautifully executed with language as rich and colourful as her vibrant watercolour illustrations. She captures the essence and beauty of Australia in each colour, from the red country fire trucks and desert pea flowers of the country's centre to the yellow 'puffs of soft wattle' and golden sand of Queensland's Gold Coast, through to the bluestone cottages and blue-gum forest of the NSW Blue Mountains.

But the real spirit of Australia that is celebrated in this book is its diversity — the glorious multiculturalism that makes our nation shine. And that makes this book a must for every home and classroom.

Title: Colouroos
Author/Illustrator: Anna McGregor
Publisher: Lothian, $14.99
Publication Date: March 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780734418838
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Giveaway: We're Going on a Bear Hunt 30th Anniversary

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of this very special book, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, the kid crazy people of Walker Books Australia are running an awesome competition where one lucky winner can win an entire year's worth of books! You can read all about it, here. But hurry, there are only a few days left to enter.

To increase your odds of winning a copy of this memorable edition, KBR and Walker Books are giving away two special prize packs.

Each pack contains a copy of the 30^th Anniversary Edition of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, a 30^th Anniversary tote bag, a plush bear, and a pair of bear ears.

To enter, simply tell us in 25 words or less what is your favourite Bear Hunt memory?

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The responses we like best will eachwin a copy of the prize pack. 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 5 April 2019.

Competition runs from 5 pm 27 March 2019 to 5 pm 4 April 2019. 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: Dippy's Big Day Out

Attention wombat fans! Just when you thought it was not possible to find another hero to rival Mothball of Diary of a Wombat fame, along comes Dippy.

Dippy is a diprotodon, which is a giant prehistoric version of a wombat. He lived 100,000 years ago, yet has some incredible similarities with his modern wombat relatives.

Dippy just wants to sleep, eat and find friends. Surely that isn't too much to ask for a giant marsupial?


When Dippy wakes from a nap, he is hungry. He tries munching some leaves but after an unfortunate incident with a koala, goes in search of another snack.  He spies a rather large and delicious looking flower, but things don't quite go to plan. Poor Dippy. He just can't seem to find the right place to sleep or the right snack to eat. But don't worry, he'll persevere, because that's what wombats, I mean diprotodon's, do best.

The text is minimal, but just enough to give us a good sense of Dippy's delightful character. It is also interspersed with short rhymes that add humour and fun to the story. This is matched perfectly by Bruce Whatley's fantastic illustrations, which make us fall completely in love with Dippy. His friendly face and oblivious expression as he unknowingly causes chaos in his wake are simply irresistible!

If you explore the illustrations more closely with kids, you can also spot other extinct creatures such as the thylacine, megafauna and dinosaurs along the way.  And, of course, Dippy's little blue bird friend who accompanies him as he bumbles through his world in search of the perfect snack.

Another brilliant book from the winning combination of Jackie French and Bruce Whatley. I can't wait to see more of Dippy's adventures.


Title: Dippy's Big Day Out
Author: Jackie French
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley
Publisher: HarperCollins, $
Publication Date: 29 January 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN:9781460754061
For ages: 3 - 5
Type: Picture Book




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Review: Hugo

At a time when the world is desperately in need of greater empathy, inclusion and kindness, comes this stunning tale of the boy with the curious mark.

This debut picture book for exciting new children's publisher, Red Paper Kite, is a subtle and beautiful story that embraces difference and sings with enlightenment and acceptance.

Hugo was born with an unusual rainbow mark, a mark he has never seen on anyone else.

Even though the mark grows big and bright, and Hugo has a diverse group of friends at school, Hugo feels grey and alone.

One day, Hugo embarks on a quest to find someone 'just like him'. His journey takes him from a sunny beach to the city and on to a carnival. Difference is everywhere, but Hugo only has eyes for a rainbow. He catches a brief glimpse of one on a crowded train platform, but then it is gone and the grey consumes him again.

The prose of debut author Yohann Devezy is gentle and powerful, capturing the varying shades of Hugo's heart. Working with pencil and watercolour, Manuela Adreani is a champion of poignancy and beauty, filling each page with muted colours, from the cloudy hues of Hugo's misery to the colour and vibrancy of a world where difference is everywhere.

The book even invites readers to choose their own colours for two spreads at the back of the book, imbuing the story with their own sense of self. Such a thrilling and timely debut that will leave the readers and kid-lit world eagerly awaiting more.


Title: Hugo
Author: Yohann Devezy
Illustrator: Manuela Adreani
Publisher: Red Paper Kite, $26.99
Publication Date: April 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9780648450207
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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12 Curly Questions with author Amelia McInerney

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
When I lived in Katherine in the Northern Territory, I used to visit remote Indigenous communities as a flying sonographer.

2. What is your nickname?
I don't have one.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Being given a terrible nickname.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Funny, silly stories, written in a clever way. (Concise, too!)

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Hard-working, imaginative, fun, completely obsessed.

6. What book character would you be and why?
I think I already am one — Janine from The Book Chook!

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I think I'd go back to the eighties, so I could be a kid again. Grade 3 was a great year for me.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
You drive a MINIVAN?!

9. Who is your greatest influence?
I'd have to say watching decades of funny movies and TV shows. Or perhaps it's my three kids — knowing what they like and imagining how they (and their friends) would react to whatever story I'm currently writing.

10. What/who made you start writing?
My kids! I'd been reading picture books to them for years and one day I realised that I wanted to write for kids, too.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Pernickety. It just sounds silly. And reminds me of undies.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What a horrible thought! Let's see... I'd probably self-publish a digital compilation of the world's best picture books since 1985 (judged by me) and choose that. If I went to jail for copyright infringement, I'm sure people would understand. This is, of course, assuming Kindles are allowed in jail.
 

Amelia lives in the Blue Mountains and is the author of The Book Chook and several other picture books that are coming out soon. She enjoys yoga and snorkelling but not at the same time because that's really hard. Amelia has four chooks, three kids, two hermit crabs and a husband. For more information, see www.ameliamcinerney.com.

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Review: My Funny Bunny

When all you’ve ever dreamed of is a cool dwarf rabbit as big as a kiwi, you’d be pretty upset too if you opened your birthday present to find a big potato rabbit with patchy fur and wiry whiskers.

You’d storm to your room and yell and yell and tell your potato rabbit he’s ruined your birthday and you would never love him. You would.

But what if it turned out your funny looking potato rabbit was actually kind of nice? What if he made you smile and was helpful and always stayed by your side?

Would you love him then? Even if he was still a funny potato bunny and not a cool dwarf rabbit like you wanted?

My Funny Bunny is a fun and heart tickling picture book about finding love in things you don’t expect to love. It’s about really, really wanting something, not getting it and learning to love what you get instead. 

It’s a powerful and important message for kids (and adults) because the world is not always what we expect it to be, and we don’t always get what we want. But at the same time, joy can be found in anything, and if we open our eyes to the possibilities, we will see it.

Author Christine Roussey is a talented writer. The voice in this book is so strong and so ‘kid’. The story propels you back into childhood from the first page. The boy in the story comes alive on the pages and you feel his every sadness, wonder and joy throughout the book.

Roussey is an equally talented illustrator, and you will adore exploring this book. Simple blends with the detailed and complex. Lots of white space and pops of super bright colour make the book so engaging to explore.

I’m not an illustrator, and I do not know all the technical terms for the illustration style, but what I can say is every page pulls me in, and every page makes me smile. 

This is a book you’ll see on the shelf and be drawn to. You’ll flick through and look at the pictures and you’ll be sold. You’ll take it home and read it, and you’ll smile again because the story is brilliant and this book really has it all.

Beautiful, funny, heart-warming, truthful, relatable, funky and cool, My Funny Bunny is a stunning picture book about unexpected best-friendship.

And FYI, if you love My Funny Bunny, you might also be keen to check out My Lazy Cat and My Stinky Dog, also by Christine Roussey.

Title: My Funny Bunny

Author/Illustrator: Christine Roussey

Publisher: Abrams, $24.99

Publication Date: 12 March 2019

Format: Hard Cover with Dust Jacket

ISBN: 9781419736186

For ages: 3 - 6 

Type: Picture Book

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Winners: Enchantee

And our lucky winners are...

Amelie Guziak, VIC
Joseph Spagnolo, NSW

Congratulations! You have each won a copy of the enchanting new YA novel by Gita Trealease, Enchantee.


Enjoy!

Thank you to everyone who entered.
 

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Video: Zoo

Anthony Browne is a Kate Greenaway Medal winner (twice) and was awarded the prestigous Hans Christian Andersen medal for his body of work -- which continues to grow. The UK Children's Laureate from 2009--2011, Anthony is the author and illustrator of fifty books, one of which is Zoo, the story of a family visit to the zoo.


Title: Zoo
Author/illustrator: Anthony Browne
Publisher: Random House, $ 14.99
Publication Date: 1994
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780099219019
For ages: 5--7 years
Type: Picture book




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Announcement: KBR's CBCA Notables Shortlist Picks

Last month, the CBCA Book of the Year 2019 Notables were announced. Perhaps you've even read a few. Maybe you've come across some of these titles in our reviews. In case you weren't aware, the CBCA Book Week theme this year is Reading Is My Superpower. The KBR crew are firm believers of this; how could we not be when each children's story we encounter has the power to transport, enlighten, enthrall, entertain and mystify.

To celebrate the Notables List we asked each of our team members to think about their favourite award category and predict which of the long listed titles would be shortlisted in the announcements next Tuesday. And because it never hurts to have an extra superpower or two up your sleeve, we asked our reviewing team heroes what their's would be. Here are our picks and powers. What are yours?

Dimity:
Superpower: Flying - anywhere, anytime, any height. I’d love to have the ability to be in more than two places at the same time too but that would confuse everyone, me included.

Shortlist Pick: Lenny’s Book of Everything (Older Readers)

Amie:
Superpower: Ability to fuel myself from drawing and reading instead of sleeping… then I could stay up all night doing those things and still feel A++ in the morning!

Shortlist Pick:  Beware the Deep Dark Forest (Early Childhood)- It's a favourite in our house with many repeat read requests.

Sarah S:
Superpower: Time travel -- only to be used judiciously, of course!

Shortlist Pick: Cicada by Shaun Tan (Picture Books). Although, I think there are quite a few contenders for the short list (The Feather, Drought, Chalk Boy).

Cherri:
Superpower:  To be able to ease other people's pain.

Shortlist Pick:  Room on our Rock (Picture Book) - clever and wise and makes you gasp with a-ha moments and the amazement of realizing the flip side of hate and rejection is truly love an acceptance.

Plus, Everything I've Never Said (Younger Readers) because the character of Ava is feisty, fabulous and fun, with the most divine heart and soul, and every voice deserves to be heard.

Penny:
Superpower: Super-sonic enhanced memory powers (imagine the time I'd save never having to look for my keys or phone again!)

Shortlist Pick: Maya & Cat, by Caroline Magerl (Picture Book). It is everything I love in a picture book: warm, quirky, poetic, exquisite!

Leanne:
Superpower: The ability to duplicate myself so I could do everything that I'd really like and not have to bump things down the priority list. I could spend time with my family and friends, especially see my Grandmother every day. Then as I'm duplicated I could still manage to make time for self-care, writing, painting, reading more books, volunteer more and attend all the book events, even those not near home.

Shortlist Pick: The Feather by Margaret Wild & Freya Blackwood (Picture Book).  I found it an '...evocative and spell-binding story...'

Jo:
Superpower: Ability to perceive with the heart and mind of a seven year old, no matter what I was looking at.

Shortlist Pick:  A Song Only I Can Hear by Barry Jonsberg, but I expect to see Scot Gardner’s Changing Gear and Steve Herrick’s The Bogan Modrian in the shortlist, too.

Shaye:
Superpower: Wisdom. To know the right course of action in every situation would make life so much easier!

Shortlist Pick: Ottlie Colter and the Narroway Hunt (Younger Readers) I couldn't put it down, and I'm still thinking about it months after I read it!

Connie:
Superpower: I would love to be able to click my fingers and transport myself anywhere in the world. I’m not a huge fan of plane travel.

Shortlist Pick: The Bogan Mondrian by Steven Herrick and Between Us by Clare Atkins, (Older Readers).

Anastasia:
Superpower: Ability to read twice as many books as I do, and remember what each one was about.

Shortlist Pick: Lenny’s Book of Everything (Older Readers)

Karen:
Superpower: Ability to freeze time, especially weekends so we could all enjoy that extra time with our families or to have the time to celebrate the successes in life without the world rushing by at a million miles an hour.

Shortlist Pick: The Finder by Kate Hendricks (Older Readers)

Sarah:
Superpower: Invisibility. No, not to listen in on conversations (although that may occasionally come in handy), but to be able to have quiet moments without being interrupted.

Shortlist Pick: A Boat of Stars (Early Childhood). It’s great to see a beautifully illustrated collection of new Australian poetry for children.

The general consensus being this year's Notables List is particularly strong with many deserving titles making it exceptionally difficult to choose a winner. This also means that the treasury of children's stories has never been stronger. KBR congratulate all of our incredible children's writers and illustrators on their nomination and applaud them for enriching children's literature so profoundly.

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Review: Your Mind Is Like The Sky

Your Mind Is Like The Sky (A First Book of Mindfulness) is a meaningful and beautiful simile to help children recognise the vast array of thoughts that may flit through their minds every day. Bronwen Ballard's gentle text encourages readers to notice these thoughts, then introduces some simple techniques to help children focus on certain thoughts while letting others drift on by.

The analogy between the mind and the sky describes the mind as like days, some are clear with blue skies, some stormy and others dreary. Ballard, goes on to liken thoughts to clouds, with some white and fluffy, while others may be dark, 'raincloud' thoughts.

Laura Carlin's illustrations provide a superb visual narrative representing a child and some of the many thoughts inside this child's mind.


Carlin depicts the child in solid tones of navy, red and black, with their faithful dog in solid dark brown. They are surrounded by magnificent faint sketches, created in the manner of a child's pencil or crayon drawings. These sketches display the myriad thoughts passing through the child's mind throughout the day and reach the edges of the page, and sometimes beyond, in almost every spread, except for the pages where the child is feeling overwhelmed by 'raincloud' thoughts.

Your Mind Is Like The Sky provides children with some language around the concepts of mindfulness, allowing children to more easily understand, notice and accept their own thoughts and share their thoughts with others in their lives. Highly recommended.

Title: Your Mind Is Like The Sky
Author: Bronwen Ballard
Illustrator: Laura Carlin
Publisher: Quarto Group UK, $24.99
Publication Date: 4 February 2019
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781847809032
For ages: 7+
Type: Picture Book




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Review: If Wendell Had a Walrus

A story of daydreaming, friendship and the wondrous wonderings of a boy named Wendell.

In If Wendell Had a Walrus, Wendell imagines he has a walrus and that together they do many activities Wendell loves such as telling jokes, flying kites and drawing boats. They have ‘the most stupendiferous, cosmically colossal best time of their lives’. When Wendell goes in search of a real walrus to make his dreams reality, he discovers more than he’d hoped for and a fulfilling friendship prevails.

I loved the soft illustrations and colour palette, they work beautifully with the text. Speech bubbles are used for some dialogue including playful jokes sure to be loved by kids like ‘What do walruses like to chew?’ ‘Blubber gum’.

The story delivers a message that imagination can lead you to a wonderful place and that dreams, even daydreams, should be followed. The ending of the story is cute and will leave readers thinking, maybe even daydreaming.

Matt Phelan is also the illustrator of Xander’s Panda Party.

Title: If Wendell Had a Walrus
Author: Lori Mortensen
Illustrator: Matt Phelan
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company Inc, $24.99
Publication Date: 8 May 2018
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781627796026
For ages: 6+
Type: Picture Book




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Review: The Cow That Laid an Egg

In the vain of Emily Gravett's The Odd Egg, Andy Cutbill and Russell Atyo bring readers a funny and engaging story in, The Cow That Laid an Egg.

Marjorie felt very ordinary compared to the other cows, who can ride bikes and do cartwheels. Until the extraordinary happens. Marjorie laid an egg.

The other cows are not happy and they are very suspicious of the chickens involvement,  'We don't think you laid that egg,'. Did Marjorie really lay the egg?


Readers are in for quite a surprise, when the egg hatches and reveals who the baby really belongs to.

Just like Atyo's character Henry, in Henry and the Yeti, Marjorie stands strong and has faith, even when other's doubt her and her self worth is low. Sometimes things seem impossible but in the end with patience and love, the result can be quite extraordinary.

Both Marjorie and Duck, from The Odd Egg, both cannot biologically lay an egg however they are both extraordinary parents. Readers will discover how much love and care the character has for their egg and their baby.

Cutbill's imaginative and hilarious story is supported by Atyo's mixed media illustrations, that are equally zany and full of emotion. The Cow That Laid an Egg is the type of story that shows how families of all kinds, can be extraordinary places of love.

Title: The Cow That Laid an Egg
Author: Andy Cutbill
Illustrator: Russell Ayto
Publisher: HarperCollins, $14.99
Publication Date: 1 July 2008
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007179688
For ages: 2 - 7
Type: Picture Book




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Review: Wallaby Jack

Best mates Jack and Carl sign-up for their biggest adventure – fighting in World War I.

This easy to read chapter book is a great way to learn about Anzac Day. Interspersed with colourful character illustrations and real-life black and white pictures, the reader will learn about the hardship and mateship of war.

Keeping the story simple and entertaining for the reader is the inclusion of Pip the wallaby, who Jack has raised since she was a joey. Pip tags along with Jack and Carl as a good luck charm. But Pip isn’t the only animal to accompany the new recruits, there is also a Kangaroo called Captain who goes on their adventures and creates mayhem.

All through the rigorous training the animals keep the new recruits laughing. Boarding a ship to Western Australia Jack and Carl learn they are about to join a convoy and leave Australia for the frontline. As excited as Jack is, he soon finds the boat crowded with troops, hot and stuffy, so he sneaks off to sleep in a rescue boat with Pip. Whenever Jack is, Pip is never far away, and he soon earns the nickname Wallaby Jack.

Arriving in Cairo, Egypt Jack and Carl along with their mates Johnno and Chip relax before they receive further orders. They explore Cairo and make friends with Habib, a cameleer who supplies camels for the War. Upon receiving their orders, excitement ripples through the camp, they now know they are to fight the Turks and land in what we now call Anzac Cove.

As young men, Jack and Carl are lucky to survive the landing, when so many of their friends do not. Their only option to protect themselves and their mates is to start digging a trench. The fighting goes on for months, with both Jack and Carl thinking if they have Pip, their lucky charm, they are safe. That is until the Turks steal her . . .

This book by Lisa Thompson is part of the Sparklers series that features stories based on Australian history. 

At the end of the story, there are Anzac facts including a timeline of events, a glossary and comprehension questions. The story will capture the reader, whilst you are learning about one of history’s greatest battles in World War One and explains the Anzac legend.

Title: Wallaby Jack

Author: Lisa Thompson

Illustrator: Nahum Ziersch

Publisher: Blake Education, $10.95

Publication Date: 2017

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781760201111

For ages: 6 - 9

Type: Junior Fiction

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Meet the Illustrator: Kerry Ide

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less. Fun and colourful, sometimes quirky, hidden meanings, cheeky characters.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?  Traditional tools: sketch book, mechanical pencil, inks, brushes and watercolour paper. Digital tools: my Wacom tablet, stylus, scanner, computer with Photoshop and my iPad for reference images. Time and space - something I need to allow my creativity to flow but I don’t always get.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium? My favourite medium would have to be described as mixed media. A combination of hand drawn ink images and digital colouring using my ink drops.

Name three artists whose work inspires you. I would have to say the very first artist that inspired me was Monet. Since returning to the world of drawing I have been inspired by Bobby Chiu and Aaron Blaise. Bobby is a concept and character designer who works in the film industry. He also developed ‘Schoolism’, an online school to support artists and give them top quality training. I admire both his art and what he is achieving in the art world. Aaron Blaise is another digital artist I admire. He worked for Disney on many films including ‘Brother Bear’. He loves to draw animals and he freely shares his knowledge with the art community as well.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why? I would love to meet with Monet, so a trip to the impressionist period would be cool but, with my love of digital media, I would most like to head into the future to see what new art methods have been invented. This would be amazing.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator? Two things. Firstly, I loved sharing picture books with my children, they bring so much joy. Secondly, about six years ago when I was searching for a new career path I did an online Diploma in Graphic Design. Part of the course was a subject on illustration. I took so long to complete this subject because I was just loving drawing again, I discovered digital drawing and I was inspired and in awe of what you could achieve with this medium.

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 often do my rough sketches relaxing in an arm chair but the majority of my work takes place at the computer. Once I have finished my sketch and inking, I scan my image in to the computer. I then use Photoshop and my Wacom tablet and stylus to colour my images using ink drops (that I make by hand) on watercolour paper. My iPad is always close by for reference photos. By the way, my desk is never this tidy, I am a messy artist.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process? There are three stages to the illustration process that I love. Firstly, when I have the time to explore an idea and get that light bulb moment and just know I’ve hit on a great illustration. Secondly, after I finish a sketch and I am building up my ink work. I find this therapeutic and relaxing. Finally, I love, love, love the colour process. I never feel my drawings really shine until I have coloured them and I believe for me this is where the magic takes place.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator? Never give up!!! Believe in yourself and what you have to contribute. You are unique, no one does art like you. Listen to the advice and criticism of others but trust in your own knowing and follow what you know to be true for you. Support other artists - this is not a competition, there is room for all of us.

Kerry is a self-taught artist. During her studies of graphic design, her attention was captured by the world of digital art and she has remained captivated by the versatility of this medium. Kerry’s inspiration for her illustrations comes from the amazing animals that inhabit this planet. Her artistic mission is to use her art to help create an awareness of the current environmental threats that these creatures are facing. Kerry hopes that no more of our precious animals become extinct.
You can find follow Kerry on facebook and instagram or find out more via her website.



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Guest Post: Alexa Moses on Playing With Poetry

When I was younger, poetry seemed as stultifying as a hot church on a summer’s afternoon. Poetry had nothing to do with me and I wanted nothing to do with it. At its worst, poetry meant being recited lines I didn’t understand by a bristling adult who used a sonorous ‘poetry’ voice.

Turns out, I was wrong about poetry.

Walk past any school playground at lunchtime and you might hear something like this:

‘Miss Mary Mack, Mack, Mack,
All dressed in black, black, black …’

Or go to a sporting match:

‘We are the Wanderers, couldn’t be prouder!
If you can’t hear us, we’ll shout a little louder!’

Or listen to rappers like Kendrick Lamar, Missy Elliott and Jay-Z. Or watch the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team perform their haka.

There’s poetry bouncing all around us, even if we don’t categorise it as such.

Image accreditation Alice Achterhof

Poetry is an artform where words are arranged for rhyme and sound as much as for meaning. It’s ancient and sits on the continuum between prose and music. Although it’s often written, it doesn’t need to be because poetry is like auditory ice-cream: it hooks the part of our brain that responds to music.

Which is why poetry is effective in ad jingles, sports chants, clapping games and mnemonics to recall fiddly concepts.

'Thirty days has September,
April, June and November…'

(Did you mentally finish that poem?)

This ‘auditory ice-cream’ characteristic of poetry makes it the perfect tool to get kids playing with language.

When I go into a classroom, my goal is to get kids to love writing. I want them to feel as if they own their language. I want them to mess with words as if they’d been left alone in a studio with pots of paint, hunks of clay, a forest of brushes and stacks of paper and invited to go wild. I’m happiest when students are absorbed in making with words.

Why am I such an evangelist for the power of poetry? See, I’m a children’s author and I’ve always considered myself a writer of prose. So when I wrote poems for an anthology called A Boat of Stars, edited by Margaret Connolly and Natalie Jane Prior, it was the first time I’d written poetry since I was a kid. Writing those poems transported me to a place of joy and creative play I was finding harder and harder to access when I sat down to work. Because of this experience, my latest book, Bat vs Poss, is a picture book unapologetically written in rhyme.

When I run poetry workshops in the classroom, I make these points.

· Poems are usually shorter than stories, but not always. There are one-word poems and book-length poems. There are no rules.

· The sound of the words matters as much as the meaning. Fiddle with unusual sounds and words. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

· Your poem may or may not rhyme. I don’t care and you shouldn’t either.

· Poems can be about anything: friendship, sports, weird pizza toppings, your favourite pair of shoes, the sting of rejection, being nervous in drama class. Whatever you like.

· If your poem doesn’t work, you can always chuck it aside and write something else.

Sometimes I use a whiteboard and write a quick collective poem with a student group. Sometimes we rhyme, sometimes we don’t. In the same spirit of experiment, students write their own poetry. Older kids can have fun with more formal poetry structures like acrostics of their names, haikus, and diamond-shaped poems if they’re inspired by them.

I firmly believe that reading and writing poetry is transformative. Instead of stumbling blocks, words become tools with which to construct fantastical space-stations or cosy houses for mice or whatever else sparks the imagination.

The trick is to show kids that they, too, can play with poetry without sweating it too much.

Alexa Moses is an author, TV writer and yes, a poet. She likes cooking, dogs, going to the gym and arguing. She has strong opinions about chocolate-chip hot cross buns and apostrophes. Her latest book, Bat vs Poss, is out through Hachette. and she can be found at alexamoses.com.

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Review: Baz and Benz

Baz and Benz are friends. 

But Baz wants to know exactly how much they are friends, and in what circumstances Benz would or wouldn’t like him.

So he tests him. 

What if I turned purple and had spots? 

What if I said MEEP all the time?

With every challenge from Baz, Benz assures him he would still be his friend. 

But as Baz pushes things further and further, it seems more and more likely Benz may not stick out the friendship. 

Baz and Benz is a fun and funny bone-tickling picture book by the talented author/illustrator who brought us I Just Ate My Friend. It’s filled with delightful characters, oodles of humour and funky illustrations.

McKinnon has a talent for bringing to life heart-felt AND humour-filled stories that are entertaining and engaging for kids. Baz and Benz hits all these points. 

I love that McKinnon uses pared back text that gets right to the heart of the story in the fewest number of words. It allows kids to ponder on meaning and provides space for thinking and exploring the illustrations, which are packed with brilliant visual cues for kids and are simply adorable.

If you like funny picture books with lots of heart, this one is for you!

Title: Baz and Benz

Author/Illustrator: Heidi McKinnon

Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99

Publication Date: March 2019

Format: Hard Cover

ISBN: 9781760523688

For ages: 2+

Type: Picture Book

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Review: New York Melody

First we were up, up and away with Mary Poppins in London and then in Paris. Now Hélène Druvert helps readers discover New York in, New York Melody.

This series of stories belong to the category of, those delicate and unique books. The use of laser-cut illustrations, make lovers of paper cut and silhouette art swoon.

The exquisite rhyme and rhythm of the story, help the notes wriggle and jiggle and dance through the book, as they float in and out of the night air. They spill out of Carnegie Hall into the Jazz Clubs of Broadway and then burst out of the darkness into the daylight of Central Park, as a man strums his guitar and hums.


The laser-cutouts and the minimal use of colours (black, white and pale blue) are delicious as they reveal instruments and musicians as the story unfolds. But wait there is more! One page has the most shiny trumpet printed in gold gilding with one valve key showing the silhouette of the Chrysler Building.

The attention to detail is breathtaking. Readers will find a variety of instruments: harp, violins, trumpets, a piano, trombones, saxophones, drums, cymbals and the humble and portable guitar. Like music, the book will enwrap you, as you travel though the streets of New York.

Other books in this series are:
Mary Poppins Up, Up and Away
Paris Up, Up and Away

Title: New York Melody
Author/Illustrator: Hélène Druvert
Publisher: Thames & Hudson, $29.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2018
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9780500651735
For ages: 6+
Type: Picture Book




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12 Curly Questions with author Caz Goodwin

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I used to be a soldier in the army reserve when I was at university. I didn’t take it very seriously and thought charging through the bush in army greens with a self-loading rifle was a hoot.

2. What is your nickname?
Caz.

3. What is your greatest fear?
I’ve always been scared of the dark and I still am. My mind goes crazy, imagining all sorts of horrific things if it’s pitch black, so I still have a night light.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Irreverent, silly, amusing and ridiculous but also tender and heartfelt.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Observant, flexible, determined, humorous, perfectionist.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Dr Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat. He has way too much fun causing chaos, but gets away with it.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I’d go back to when I was nine years old, the year my youngest sister was born. It was such an exciting time.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Don’t worry. Just grab a book and read, and you’ll forget all your worries.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My two children. They have taught me so much about what’s important in life.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
My favourite word is tidious. It’s the opposite of fastidious and describes my approach to keeping the house tidy. (I might have made it up!)

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Roald Dahl Treasury – 444 pages of some of Dahl’s best writing. And if I was sick of the words, I could pore over Quentin Blake’s delightful illustrations.

Caz Goodwin is an award-winning author who writes picture books, short stories, poetry and junior fiction for children. She lives in Melbourne, but has also lived in Brisbane, Auckland and Singapore. Her work has been published internationally and illustrated by Gus Gordon, Ashley King, Kerry Millard, Loo Joo Hong and others. She is also head of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators in Victoria. Caz’s latest book is Lazy Daisy, the first in a series of picture books to be published by Little Hare, an imprint of Hardie Grant Egmont. They feature Daisy the lazy koala and are illustrated by Ashley King. For more information, see www.cazgoodwin.com.

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