Review: Amanda Commander: The Pinky Promise

Book two in the Amanda Commander series by Coral Vass, illustrated by Heidi Cooper Smith, sees the Dolphin Squad faced with a new challenge. 

The cross country is coming up, and while Amanda quite enjoys running, one of her best friends, Mai, does not.

At Dolphin Squad headquarters (the small studio room in Amanda’s backyard), Amanda, Mai and Lucia hatch a plan to support Mai. 

They decide — they pinky promise — to run the cross country together so they can all finish at the same time. Except...

...that isn’t what happens, and somehow Amanda gets left behind.

Mai and Lucia have some serious friendship fixing to take care of, but how do you fix a broken pinky promise?

The Pinky Promise is the second instalment in the Amanda Commander series, a fresh and contemporary junior fiction series for kids who love real and relatable characters experiencing real and relatable life challenges. These books are fun, cheery and easy to read, but I love how they step into real-world kid life to look at some of the issues kids really do have to contend with, like friendships, school challenge and self-discovery.

I have a confession to make about this book. I actually read this one before I read book one, The Purple Invitation. But what I discovered is a really great benefit of this series — it really didn’t matter.

Each book stands alone, so you can read them in and out of order, jumping into different challenges facing the girls at different times. This makes the series really accessible for junior readers.

Heidi Cooper Smith’s beautiful illustrations also add to the magic. Scattered throughout, they support Amanda’s world and help with that jump into longer books.

This series is like a big hug for junior readers. It explores real life with humour and cheerfulness and helps readers tap into their inner strength to rise up and face their own life challenges.

Check out KBR’s review of The Purple Invitation to find out more about this great new series and look out for book 3 (The Yellow Dress) coming out in September 2022.

Title: Amanda Commander: The Pinky Promise
Author: Coral Vass
Illustrator: Heidi Cooper Smith
Publisher: Wombat Books, $12.99
Publication Date: June 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761110788
For ages: 6 - 9 
Type: Junior Fiction

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Giveaway: Finding Jupiter - YA New Release

What if Romeo & Juliet took place in Memphis in 2022?

Ray has no time for romance. She’s queen of the roller rink, she writes found poetry, and she’s got her eyes set on her own independent future. Besides, she’s seen what loving someone too much – and losing them.

Orion, on the other hand, would like to be smooth with the girls. Just once. He looks like the jock his father wants him to be, but really he’s a hopeless romantic. When he spots Ray at the rink, it feels like the stars have aligned.

But now it seems like something in their families’ past will stand in their way, and cross their stars forever…

For your chance to win a copy of this  honest, unpredictable, funny and heartbreaking dual-POV love story by Kelis Rowe, courtesy of  our good friends at Walker Books Australia, tell us in 25 words or less what’s the biggest risk you’ve taken?

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The response we like best will win a copy of the book. 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 8 August2022.

Competition runs from 5.00 am 30 July 2022 to 5 pm 6 August 2022. 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: Subbie And His Mate

Meet The Illustrator: Annely So

Name: Annely So

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Whimsical illustrations made using an assortment of techniques.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Natural light, a nice table, and several types of seating (big ball, wobble stool, chair with wobble cushion…)as I constantly need to move and change positions.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I love so many, it would be hard to choose one favourite. A recent favourite is Procreate with an iPad and Apple Pencil. But I really love so many mediums including collage, acrylic, watercolour, gouache, photography, sewing, and fibre arts.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Isabelle Arsenault, Vanessa Brantley Newton, Julie Morstad

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
The era when Herge was creating TinTin.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I have always liked making things and writing. In a children’s story writing class, I made a dummy book and the instructor suggested I illustrate my own work. It was the first time I had ever considered illustrating. Thank you Carol-Ann Sokoloff for planting this seed.

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 live in a very small house (420sq feet) so space is precious. My creative work space has shifted and transformed over time. I have mostly worked at the dining table until I recently reclaimed that piece of furniture and created a work nook. This area is filled with books and art supplies. The floor is covered in movement tools! I try hard to not be too messy but I often fail at this and learn to live with a controlled mess!

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

When I work in collage, mixed media and in Procreate, I really like moving parts around to get the right fit and set up for the illustration. I also really like to work with scissors.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Find a way to develop a community of illustrators in person and on-line. You will learn so much and can find mentors and collaborators.

Annely describes herself as an Outdoorsy girl, dancer of sorts, music maker, writer, illustrator, photographer, educator, hacker of many things and general mischief seeker. Find her on Vancouver Island.

For more information, please follow Annely on instagram.

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Guest Post: Marc Finks on Reading With Our Kids

12 Curly Questions with author Sarah Ayoub

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I desperately want to be a green thumb, but alas I kill every plant – even the succulents – I acquire.

2. What is your nickname?
Lemon – as in 'dud' or 'be careful buying a second-hand car because you might get a lemon'. My sister gave it to me because for someone who looks smart on paper, I am not very bright in real life. I love it.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Seagulls and pigeons swooping and flapping around me. I've always been afraid of birds, but I'm traumatised by an episode of Round the Twist, and, more recently, a pigeon eating off my plate at an outdoor cafe.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Partial to fanciful, flawed characters, hungry and full of heart.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Passionate, frenzied, hard-working, simple, curious.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I loved Claudia Kishi in The BabySitters Club books. Claudia was incredibly close with her Japanese grandmother, had her own phone line, was a great artist, could put together amazing outfits (and was ahead of her time buying second-hand) and despite having so many different types of snacks stashed around her room, she had perfect skin.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
This is a really hard question because I've always felt like I was made for a different time. Maybe the 1920s because there was a post-war zest for life in the air. Women were embracing new clothes, new hairdos, the right to vote and they'd just proven they could work and raise their families while the men were at war.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
You should have stashed more packets of BBQ Ruffles. I keep hoping they'll make a comeback, like Toobs.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
Jesus is a lot of things to many people and not much of anything to others, but I think his teachings are pretty timeless. I really appreciate philosophies that include loving other people as I would want to be loved, knowing my place in this big, wide world, and not being anxious about tomorrow, but instead living wholly in the moment (the last one's really tricky for me!)

10. What/who made you start writing?
There was a time in my late teens where I felt very lonely and misunderstood, which is totally normal for that period in life. It wasn't like today, where we had so many streaming services or ways to connect with friends. I started writing to escape my own world and found the characters I got to write about to be a pleasant distraction. Now I write if I need to get something off my chest, or if I need to understand something a bit more clearly.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Belligerent. It's just a very fun way to say hostile or aggressive. I love the way the syllables fall off the tongue. I am yet to put it in one of my stories.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
All the Ways to be Smart by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys. I love the way that it reminds us that being clever can look different to so many people, and that using our talents and embracing our hobbies is the smartest thing we can do. I gift it to all my friends and their kids. 

Sarah Ayoub is a journalist, bestselling author and academic with a PhD in migrant Australian YA literature. Her work has been published in The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, Sydney Review of Books, Meanjin and more. Sarah is a Stella Schools Program ambassador, has mentored the youth curators of The Sydney Writers' Festival YA program, contributed to the anthology Arab, Australian, Other: Stories on Race and Identity and most recently been a judge for the NSW Premier's Literary Awards. Sarah was elected to the board of the Australian Society of Authors in 2021 and is currently working on her first novel for adults as the writer-in-residence of Sweatshop Literacy Movement. For more information, see www.sarahayoub.com.

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Review: Meowster Chef

Winners: Who Dunit Eddie Woo? Prize Packs

Our lucky winners are...

Joseph Spagnolo, NSW

Liz Dorrington, WA

Norah Colvin, QLD

Congratulations!

You have each won a set of this mind-bending mystery Maths series, Who Dunit Eddie Who? Including, Team Trouble! and Time Out? by the amazing, Eddie Woo.

Thank you to ALL who entered.

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Review: Amanda Commander: The Purple Invitation

Amanda is the unofficial leader of the Dolphin Squad. With her two best friends Lucia and Mai, the Dolphin Squad likes to hang in squad headquarters, where they paint, plan and support each other as only best friends can.

But sometimes supporting friends is more challenging than you expect it to be. 

In book one of this great new junior fiction series, The Purple Invitation, Amanda finds out she’s the only girl in her year that wasn’t invited to Eve’s birthday party.

Mai’s invited, Lucia’s invited, and Amanda has no idea why she isn’t.

The squad are baffled, so they hatch a plan to try and convince Eve that Amanda should get an invitation. 

They try everything they can think of, and Amanda does everything she can to be a good friend to Eve and prove she deserves to come to the party. But the end of the week is getting closer, and Eve hasn’t even mentioned her birthday party to Amanda. What is Amanda going to do?

This is a great new series for junior readers, grounded in the real and relatable world of a group of best friends. The books are fun and breezy to read, exploring the things kids experience the most: friendship challenges, school dramas and activities kids love. They provide comfort and insight into real kid problems, but the tone is light and fun, and author Coral Vass has added some very special elements to make the book super fresh and current (like text messages and special notes).

There’s also a fabulous amount of illustrations throughout these books by illustrator Heidi Cooper Smith. They are detailed and gorgeous, and they draw the reader into Amanda’s world.

If your kids love contemporary junior fiction filled with relatable characters, the Amanda Commander series is the perfect next read for them.

Title: Amanda Commander: The Purple Invitation
Author: Coral Vass
Illustrator: Heidi Cooper Smith
Publisher: Wombat Books, $12.99
Publication Date: 22 March 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761110771
For ages: 6 - 9
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Floof

Floof is floofy.
Floof is very floofy.

Floof is the cat we all know and love. Floof spends the day disappearing in boxes, playing with friends, picking on the dog and not caring about what others think (I love Floof!)

At the end of the day, it’s time for lights out (and secret shenanigans), and tomorrow Floof will get up and do it all again.

Heidi McKinnon brings humour and joy to this splendid cat story. It’s a feel-good read for cat friends everywhere and will have you smiling with every page turn. With seriously cute (and floofy) illustrations in famously fabulous McKinnon style, you are going to wish you owned your very own Floof by the time you close the cover.

A short and easy read, this book is a great one for younger ‘listening’ audiences and also works well for learning-to-read kids (my six-year-old adores reading it herself).

For cat lovers everywhere, have the floofiest day ever with Floof! And then check out McKinnon's other amazing titles: I Just Ate my Friend, Baz and Benz and It's a Long Way to the Shops.

Title: Floof
Author/Illustrator: Heidi McKinnon
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $19.99
Publication Date: July 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761180088
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Willa and Woof: Mimi is Missing

Jacqueline Harvey, you’ve done it again!

Willa and Woof is a darling new series for junior readers from Australian children’s literature royalty, Jacqueline Harvey. It’s junior fiction for ages around 6 to 8, so aimed at a slightly younger audience than the Clementine Rose series I would estimate, and it is darling.

Willa is a young, daring and independent kid who lives across the street from her best same-age friend (Tae), and next door to her best old-age friend (Frank). She also has a best four-legged friend (Woof), who is her faithful all-round helper of everything Willa needs.

In Mimi is Missing (book 1 in the series), Willa discovers Frank’s beloved bird Mimi is missing, and she’s determined to find her. With help from Woof and Tae, Willa sets out on an adventure to find Mimi and return her to Frank.

With twists and turns throughout, this mystery ended in a way I did not see coming (which was delightful). It’s full of adventure, humour and sweetness, and it kept me guessing until the end.

Illustrated by A.Yi, glorious black and white pictures of Willa and her pals are peppered throughout the pages. The chapters end on fabulous cliff-hangers and the chapter headings are smile-inducing fun. Along with large and easy-to-read text, this is a book young readers will gobble up and then ask for seconds.

And seconds they can devour, because book two in the series (Birthday Business) is out in September.

If you’re junior reader is looking for a new series to jump into, and they love adventure, mystery and doggy pals, I highly recommend Willa and Woof by Jacqueline Harvey.

And once they are ready to move to the next level, there’ll be so much Jacqueline Harvey goodness waiting for them with the Clementine Rose series, Alice Miranda series and Kenzy and Max series, too.

Title: Willa and Woof: Mimi is Missing
Author: Jacqueline Harvey
Illustrator: A.Yi
Publisher: Puffin, $12.99
Publication Date: 5 July 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761043314
For ages: 6 - 8
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: A Shorebird Flying Adventure

What do you know about shorebirds?

Milly (Microlight Milly) tells readers all about them in A Shorebird Flying Adventure, by Jackie Kerin and Milly Formby (yep, Milly is the real life Microlight Milly). 

Shorebirds are migratory birds that spend some of their time in Australia and some in the Arctic.

Milly explains all about how they travel, the different species (more than 50), feeding and breeding facts, and where and how to find them (salt marsh, mangroves, mudflats, and other wetlands).

While Milly tells readers about the birds, and the varied facts and figures, they are illustrated with maps, diagrams, and labelled pictures. There's a touch of humour included, like the birds wearing sunglasses.

A Shorebird Flying Adventure is a fabulous introduction to migratory shorebirds and a reminder of the importance of wetlands for these birds and for the wider environment.

A great book to explore at home or school, and to take on a beach trip for some closer discovery.

Teacher's notes are available to download from the publisher's website, and you can find out more about Milly and the shorebirds at Wingthreads.com.

Title: A Shorebird Flying Adventure
Author: Jackie Kerin
Illustrator: Milly Formby
Publisher: CSIRO, $24.99
Publication Date: June 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781486314492
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Hey, Water

12 Curly Questions with author Trent Roberts

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I have the WORST sense of direction. I get lost daily! I can walk into a shop, have a quick look around then when I walk out I have absolutely no idea which direction I came from. It’s like a reverse superpower.

2. What is your nickname?
Wasi. Robson. Trentosaurus.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Cone snails.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
That’s a tricky one. Ahh, I just wasted my words!

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Hopefully I’m funny, silly, thoughtful, heartfelt and positive.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Mr Happy or Little Miss Sunshine from the Mr and Mrs Men series. They seem to have life sorted.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I would love to travel back 200 million years to when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. It would be scary but worth it to see those beautiful beasts in the flesh.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Cool shoes! (I dreamt for years about owning the sneakers I’m currently wearing)

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My family, my friends, my teachers and The Simpsons.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I’ve loved playing with words since I was little but I had two teachers in high school — Mr Carroll and Mrs Gitz1 — who really nurtured my passion for writing. Also, The Simpsons.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Aproximadamente. It’s Spanish for ‘approximately’ and such a fun word to say and write.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
It would have to be something incredibly long and complex so I discovered new things every time I read it. Probably Mr Happy, by Roger Hargreaves.

Trent Roberts is a screenwriter and author who lives in the western suburbs of Melbourne with his partner, two kidlets and French bulldog, Ziggy. He loves the ocean, weird animals, indie pop and choc-tops. While he can't do any of the stunts described in his book, he can do a half-decent forward roll and, in perfect conditions, remain upright on his surfboard for a few seconds. For more information, see www.panmacmillan.com.au.

 

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Stardiving

Guest Post: Jacqui Halpin on It’s Time All Possums Went To Bed

Giveaway: Who Dunit Eddie Woo? Prize Packs

Eddie Woo Super Sleuth is ready for action and mystery. With a mind for maths and a nose for adventure, he is about to skateboard into ... danger. Join Eddie and his trusty sidekicks, Rusty and DT, in back-to-back adventures!

Filled with intrigue, puzzling clues, daring escapades, fun and friendship! Announcing an exciting new series for young readers from Australia’s favourite Maths teacher, popular host of ABC Me's Teenage Boss and bestselling author, Eddie Woo! And thanks to our brilliant buddies at Pan Macmillan, we have THREE awesome prize packs to giveaway. Each pack includes a copy of Team Trouble! by Eddie Woo and Dave Hartley and Time Out? by Eddie and Jess Black. Both are illustrated by the talented, Mitch Vane.

When Eddie receives a cryptic message from Mr Appleby, a Woo family friend and resident of Sunny Side Aged Care, he is soon on a mission to thwart the evil plans of smugglers.

It's up to Eddie to crack the clues and improve his skateboarding so that he can enter the annual school Triple Threat Quest with his best friends Rusty and DT.

For your chance to win one of these mind-buzzing prize packs, tell us in 25 words or less what super sleuth skills you'd bring on an adventure.

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The response we like best will win one of these three prize packs. 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 25 July 2022.

Competition runs from 5.00 am 16 July 2022 to 5 pm 23 July 2022. 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: Lifel1k3

Meet The Illustrator: Briony Dixon

Name: Briony Dixon

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Quirky, shape driven, collage, textural, colourful, playful, unconventional

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
I couldn’t do without my scissors or tweezers. I use Fiskars sewing scissors and the tweezers are from some diamond art my daughter was doing a while back. Paint and glue and I guess I should include my Wacom cintiq.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Collage definitely. Because my style is shape rather than line driven, it is a perfect medium for me. I also see collage more like making than drawing which suits me best. As a child I felt more comfortable making things rather than drawing. I think there has always been a fear around drawing for me, I can ‘draw’ much better with a pair of scissors than a pencil!

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
David Mckee is a huge influence on my work. I grew up watching King Rollo and Uncle Ben, and Two can Toucan, Not now Bernard and Two Monsters are some of my favourite books. I love the slightly awkward feel there is in the movement of his characters especially in the animation. His early artwork is incredible, in the book Hans in Luck for example. His work manages to be beautifully line and shape driven, he was so talented.

 
I love the work of Spanish illustrator Carmen Queralt. She’s a collage artist and creates such wonderfully quirky characters. There’ s such a magical quality to her work, it just makes me smile. And while we’re talking about quirky characters, my third artist is Abner Graboff. He really played around with the proportions of his characters and the exaggerations created such personality and humour in them. I also love his use of bold colour and shape, so visually arresting.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
You may have worked out from my previous answer (excepting Carmen Queralt) that I would absolutely love to go back to the mid-century era of illustration. There was so much charm, so much life in the art, and it was so progressive! So much of it looks modern now and it must have inspired sooo many artists. To be in the presence of people like Miroslav Sasek, Bill Charmatz, Alice and Martin Provensen and Bernice Myers, oh my, where’s the time machine!

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
My fascination for stories and picture books started when I became a mum, then was further indulged during my time as a primary school teacher, librarian and online children’s bookshop owner. It got to the point where it wasn’t enough to consume the books, I just had to be part of making them. So I guess the inspiration was all the amazing illustrators in all the books I feasted on! Being able to use my creativity to make beautiful books for children, what heaven!

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
This is a photo of a very messy work space but I wanted to show it in action. I work mainly at this table because it is in front of the window and when it’s not dark I can watch the birds in the garden. They tend to distract me a little too much sometimes though!

 
I’ve also included a photo of my children’s book collection. It’s too big to keep in my studio but I consider it to be part of my creative space. It’s so inspiring to be able to delve into these whenever I feel the need.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I enjoy the final artwork part most. I find it the most relaxing because I’ve already worked everything out. I’ve thumbnailed, worked out composition and have my sketch. I’ve worked out the colour palette. Then it’s the fun bit, time to paint papers, start snipping and see my ideas come to life.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
I think of myself as an aspiring illustrator so I guess the advice I try to give myself is to enjoy the journey. In the past I’ve been in such a hurry to get to a creative destination that I haven’t enjoyed the process which results in BAD art. Enjoying where you are now means the joy and love in creating shines through and makes your art better. I often have to remind myself about this when I start getting a little impatient though!

 
Briony Dixon is an illustrator for children from the UK. She creates her art by collaging found and painted papers and uses influences from nature and magic to sprinkle it with joy, quirk and wonder.

For more information, please follow Briony on instagram .

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Review: Great and Small

Announcement: Imagine The Wonder Of Picture Books Exhibition - NSW State Library

NSW State Library celebrates the changing world of picture books.

 

Some of the most beautiful picture books and original artworks in the State Library of NSW's collection will go on public display - many for the first time - in the Library's major new exhibition, Imagine ... the Wonder of Picture Books, opening Saturday 9 July. Stories and characters from much-loved Australian picture books will come to life in this celebration of children’s literature.

According to State Librarian John Vallance: 'Some of the very best books published today are for children.'

Imagine … the Wonder of Picture Books celebrates the powerful and changing world of picture books through original illustrations by 44 illustrators, video and audio content featuring established and emerging authors and illustrators talking about their work, inspirations and creative processes, as well as hands-on activities.

Exhibition highlights include:

 

• Original illustrations by Junko Morimoto (The White Crane), Bronwyn Bancroft (Coming Home to Country) and Jeannie Baker (Circle);
• Newly acquired illustrations by Liz Anelli (Dry to Dry), Christina Huynh (Grandma’s Treasured Shoes) & Phil Lesnie (A Boy and a Ball) 
• Preliminary studies for Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan and unpublished character studies of Leigh Hobbs’ popular Mr Chicken
• Matt Cosgrove’s original pitch he sent to publishers for Macca the Alpaca.
• There's also a dedicated activity space, brimming with fun things to do. Learn how to draw popular book characters, make a zine, read books from the exhibition (including 10 produced with braille) and play with the giant textured tree and magnetic wall.

The free exhibition runs from 9 July 2022 to 9 July 2023. 

Family Sunday, 24 July, 10 am to 3 pm
To celebrate the launch of Imagine, we're hosting a special day for families. There’ll be author/illustrator workshops, exhibition tours, art-making activities, games, roaming characters and more. More information and bookings here.

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Winner: Old Fellow

Our lucky winner is...

Leo, Neeson, NT

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of the heartwarming picture book, Old Fellow by Christopher Cheng and Liz Anelli.

Thank you to ALL who entered. We had some truly uplifting entries from ALL around Australia! 

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Junior Review: Bravo Anjali

Anjali is an avid tabla player and is used to others assuming that she’s doesn’t play the 'manly instrument'. 

As her skills grow, and she quickly rises to the top of the class, Anjali is surprised to be hearing harsh words from her friend Deepak. 

Anjali feels pressured to do her absolute best and show Deepak that she can play the tabla as good or better than him. 

When the teacher mentions an upcoming concert, Anjali feels the weight on her shoulders to do extremely well. 

At school, Deepak continues to bully Anjali. When an older student tells Anjali, in her lowest moment she should never dim her light that’s when Anjali truly understands and shines bright,

Bravo Anjali by Sheetal Sheth talks about the tabla, which is an instrument resembling to the drum that originates in India. It also values female empowerment as it shows Anjali being able to stand her ground and prove that girls can do anything boys can do! This book teaches girls at a young age to always reach for the stars and never let anyone stop you. 

I would recommend this book because it has everything you want in a children’s book. Diversity, Representation, Female Empowerment, and a great message of breaking gender stereotypes for boys and girls.  I hope you enjoy reading Bravo Anjali!

Title: Bravo Anjali
Author: Sheetal Sheth
Illustrator: Lucia Soto
Publisher: Mango and Marigold, US$19.95
Publication Date: 15 September 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781737055013
Age Group: 3 – 10 years
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Where?

Where? is an impassioned plea from Jordan Collins to be seen as a human being like everyone else, not as someone different.

Where? is the question Jordan is so often asked, the question that creates a feeling of being 'other' rather than the same.

Where? is a poem Jordan wrote as a teenager and performed at a poetry event, where it garnered heartfelt responses from the audience. It also led to this picture book, a published version of that very poem.

Illustrator Phil Lesnie has taken Jordan's words and brought them to life in a way that helps translate and expand on them.

Where? is an opportunity for families and classes to explore the idea of identity and belonging, and reminds us that we all want to be seen as the same.

Title: Where?
Author: Jordan Collins
Illustrator: Phil Lesnie
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99
Publication Date: 5 July 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760526382
For ages: 8+
Type: Picture Books

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Review: Treehouse Tales: Too Silly To Be Told Until Now

Guest Post: Q & A with Kelly Jarris

Today we welcome Kelly Jarris to KBR and discover her world of children's books.

Tell us how you ventured into the world of children’s books.
After my fourth son started his first day of school, I was excited to get back into writing again. I attended a course in Melbourne several years before. 

Here, I was shown how to write, format and create a children's book. I then turned my book into an App, which was a success. 

Having two young children at the time, I focused on them and as technology changed my book was left behind.

Wonderful Wishes was revised in 2022 and turned into a physical book that I’m proud of. I worked with my mother-in-law as illustrator and hired another editor that specialised in rhyme for its fourth and final edit. I re-designed the front cover and changed its name. Now, how was I going to get this out there?

 
I searched high and low for some much-needed guidance and found a publisher that offered services I needed and got the ball rolling to help me move forward.

Describe your favourite writing style.
I adore rhyme. It’s fun, but it took me by surprise when learning how to write rhyme well. It’s harder than it looks. Getting a rhyme to work without sacrificing the story is a challenge.

Who has influenced you the most in your writing career?
To be honest I read a book when I was younger called, I Think I Just Saw Santa by Howard Rees. The clever way it was presented inspired me to write. It’s such a great book, simple yet smart in the way the pictures and the rhyme flow. I also love Mem Fox - Where is the Green Sheep, is fun. I used to read it to my boys a lot. Another book I never get bored with is Down the Back of the Chair by Margaret Μahy.

What books did you enjoy reading as a child?
I was a ‘Choose your Adventure’ kind of reader. I loved deciding my endings with those books. I loved flap books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I was the kind of kid that needed to have interactive ways to keep me reading. I also enjoy incorporating additional elements and characters in my books to entertain readers.

If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what would you tell her?
Someday, someone will finally see you for who you are and love you for just being yourself.

Always do what makes you happy.

It’s ok to be me (I have a book on this topic coming out 2023).

There will be heartache at the start of your family planning journey, but know that one day you are going to be totally blessed by a house full of sons.

You have recently released two picture books, both with strong themes of imagination but each with a different feel. Please tell us a bit about Wonderful Wishes and Imagine Our Special Place.
Wonderful Wishes was inspired by my sons' obsessions throughout their childhood. From trains to dinosaurs, I wanted to add characters and elements in my work that children tend to gravitate towards. It is an imaginative rhyming story full of wonderful wishes and stunning hand painted illustrations by Rosy Sale, that will get young minds thinking about what they could dream of before bedtime.

Imagine Our Special Place needed to be told as a story, not in rhyme form. It’s a delicate journey two siblings take while visiting the hospital. It is a book I wrote as a part of my healing process after losing my dad and sister to cancer.

 

Why were these stories important for you to tell?
Both stories have a unique place on the shelves. They are different but the same in a sense. I use imagination in my stories and hope it sparks that in young minds. It’s such a powerful tool to have even as adults. When things are difficult, we tend to imagine going on an amazing holiday or doing something that helps us cope. I wanted to share that level of comfort for my audience.

With your latest release, Imagine Our Special Place, what do love most about the illustrations by Sandunika Dissanayake?
I love that they are telling the story by just looking at them. I asked that we put the bunny (representing ‘hope’) on each page and she did that so well.

What are your favourite spreads?
My favourite illustration from Sandunika is the two siblings sitting on the clouds above the hospital. I loved how she used soft, yet bright colours throughout the book. The star ball challenge is another. That page took me to my own happy place when writing it.

What would you like your audience to know about you, as an author?
I’m a mum of four sons who has had a passion for writing for as long as I could remember. I just never did anything with it until now. It’s never too late to start to work on yourself.

List four fun facts about yourself:

1. I would be more than happy to sit in a room full of puppies.
2. I have rescued wildlife; from penguins and kangaroos, to magpies and wombats way back before my motherhood days.
3. My favourite all-time experience was watching whales from a boat. Something I’ll never forget. Also, swimming with seals and dolphins.
4. I’ve been honoured to be a part of six amazing weddings with family and friends, sharing their special day as part of their bridal parties.

As a mother of four boys, Kelly Jarris has been lucky enough to see the diversity in each child, which is how the characters came about for her first book, Wonderful Wishes. Kelly also writes and appreciates stories from life experiences, with her recently released picture book, Imagine Our Special Place. Her sister's journey with terminal cancer inspired Kelly to write a book that touches on sibling bonds, imagination and feelings of the unknown. Kelly has a background in veterinary nursing and was once an Australian wildlife rescuer.

Learn more about Kelly via her website or link up with her on Instagram or Facebook.

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10 Quirky Questions with author Jackie French

1. What's your hidden talent?
I can milk an echidna. (Do not try this).

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Confession time: I don't believe in villains, and can't quite believe in any of them. The people who cause the greatest misery may be misguided, ignorant, confused, have their good sides, or be psychopaths or sociopaths. The only psychopath I have known well never truly loved anyone, even herself. She was a victim as much as any of the many others she hurt. I mostly read books without villains, except maybe Violet Sepotho in The Ladies Detective Agency Series: beautiful, manipulative and sashaying from fraud to fraud, but as she never succeeds, I'm not sure she's a real villain. Real villains succeed, at least 'til the end of the book.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Dead authors wouldn't eat much and I like feeding people, plus there's never enough time to talk to other authors as I live so far from a city. How about Tania McCartney to add serene elegance; Susanne Gervay for her laughter and the best gossip ever; Bruce Whatley because whenever we meet conversation becomes more and more outrageous, plus he really loves eating cake and I love making it; Danny Snell because I love his work and haven't met him, and I suspect he is one of the wombat people in disguise; and Sue Degennaro because it is AGES since we have talked. 

Just as importantly, what can I cook? Chocolate almond macaroons with a white peach and champagne jelly; eggplant parmigiana (Sue is vegetarian plus I love eggplant parmigiana and it takes too long to make for one) and free range chicken with ricotta under the skin to keep it moist, with  a grape, lemon and tarragon sauce; purple potato salad; purple asparagus from the garden; and, to nibble before, perhaps tiny zucchini fritters with a beetroot or avocado vinaigrette topping. Plus homemade white chocolate fudge with coffee. Cherries, if in season, or caramelised seville oranges in winter. Ooops, nearly forgot: an apple crumble made from Bramley Seedling apples for Bruce, with vanilla bean ice-cream. Anyone want to come to lunch the next day to share the leftovers?

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
The tardis. I KNOW it isn't literary and it doesn't count but I WANT A TARDIS.

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Apples, watermelon, sticky keyboard, crumbs.

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

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
Neverbreaktrees; granite boulders tableclothed with rock orchids; a creek swaying through pink, red, grey and white bedrock; a vast overhanging Port Jackson fig tree; and me.

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!)
Gallipoli Diaries, edited by Jonathon King
Great the groaning and the moaning, that it is my fate, to write a sentence with that word, instead of 'abdicate'.

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
Shakespeare: Did you fake your death?

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
Dear Reeder,
Jackie wass last sene running shreeking up thee creek and hass notte been sene sinse. Hoppfully she will bee backk in time too feed us our carroots. If notte, thee dooormatt haz had itte. Culd sommthing in thee last sentance you rote hav upset her?
Yurs sinzerely,
Wilde Wizkers, 3rd Womboot Holle from the Rite
P.S. If it iz yur folt pls bringe caroots. Itt is yusually hoomans folt so bringe caroots enywayye. 

 

 

Jackie French AM is an award-winning writer, wombat negotiator, the 2014–2015 Australian Children's Laureate and the 2015 Senior Australian of the Year. In 2016, Jackie became a Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to children's literature and her advocacy for youth literacy. The Girls Who Changed the World: Ming and Flo Fight for the Future is out now. For more information, see www.jackiefrench.com.

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Review: Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise

From the prehistoric world to the modern world, Rex is a dinosaur who traverses time when he gets frozen during the ice age.

When the iceberg he's inside finally melts, Rex finds himself in unfamiliar territory. The 21st century is not made for dinosaurs!

Rex is given a helping hand to disguise himself so he doesn't scare the humans. He also learns about speaking and food (what is and isn't food in this new world), and gets a job.

Rex becomes an undercover creature living in the city and trying to avoid the dangerous humans. With the helping hands of other creatures in disguise he tries several different jobs, but employment for a dinosaur in disguise proves more difficult than he expects. He's also rather homesick.

Then when nine year old Sandra notices something unusual she begins to investigate. Will Sandra and her friend Anish solve the mystery? Will Rex lose his anonymity and that of the other creatures?

Elys Dolan's Rex is entertaining and humorous, but also has valuable underlying messages about anti-discrimination and inclusion.

Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise is a heavily illustrated novel that's great for newly independent or reluctant readers, or those who would like to escape for a while.

Title: Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise 
Author/Illustrator: Elys Dolan
Publisher: Walker, $19.95
Publication Date: June 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781406397703
For ages: 7+
Type: Junior Fiction

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Giveaway: Old Fellow

Renowned Australian creators, Christopher Cheng and Liz Anelli, have combined forces to produce a touching and tender picture book about the joy that can be found in companionship and community.

An old man and an old dog look after each other on their daily trip to the local park. Along the way they meet friends new and old who brighten their day in different ways. 

For your chance to win a copy of this beautiful, heartwarming picture book courtesy of Walker Books Australia, tell us in 25 words or less what’s your favourite thing to do with your friends? And Why?

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The response we like best will win a copy of the book. 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 11 July 2022.

Competition runs from 5.00 am 2 July 2022 to 5 pm 9 July 2022. 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: Tangki Tjuta Donkeys

Tangki Tjuta Donkeys is a wonderful bilingual story.

It's told first in Pitjantjatjara, then English, with each page featuring both languages.

The words are illustrated using special sculptures created by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers. They're made from grasses and are full of expression and personality.

All aspects of the artwork are sculpted fibre art, including the animals, people and landscape. Be sure to read the note at the back of the book about the Tjanpi Desert Weavers, how they got started and how they celebrate and share culture through fibre art.

The story itself is a simple one, showing how the donkeys arrived in the community of Pukatja (Ernabella) in South Australia, where they once didn't know they (donkeys) existed, and the value of the help the donkeys then brought to the community.

The donkeys are still there now, loved and with the freedom to roam.

Both the story and artwork have also been turned into a stop motion animation for the 2022 Sydney Film Festival.

Fantastically fun and friendly, Tangki Tjuta Donkeys is a great story for a range of ages and inspiration for different ways of storytelling.

Scan the QR code in the inside cover for a reading in both Pitjantjatjara and English made available by the publisher, and check out Tjanpi.com.au to find out more about the Tjanpi Desert Weavers.

Title: Tangki Tjuta Donkeys
Author/Illustrator: Tjanpi Desert Weavers.
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99
Publication Date: July 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761180149
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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