Review: Eyes on Flies

For most people a fly is a pesky little, or not so little, creature.

For Dr Bryan Lessard, aka Dr Bry the Fly Guy, they're fascinating.

So much so, his job is all about flies, and he's written this book to share his love for them. You might just be surprised at how much you enjoy it yourself.

Eyes on Flies is packed with fly facts. Learn about fly anatomy and life cycles, and move on to diverse trivia (biggest, smallest, oldest, most colourful, weirdest, and so on). You'll also discover how flies are scientifically classified, the importance of flies and just what they do, and what the future could hold.

Did you know that without flies we might not have chocolate? That's because some flies pollinate certain plants including cocoa beans (similar to what bees do for other plants). From flies that help make cheese, to flies that scuba dive or are great snorkellers, and flies that dance or disguise themselves, this book explores a lot.

Flies even have cool names and Dr Bry has named at least fifty of them. There are flies named after singers, Greek gods, and comic superheroes. Flies (or rather their larva, the maggot) are also used in medicine, composting, and solving crime. And did you know that glow worms are actually 'fancy fly maggots'?!

Kids will love Eyes on Flies. It's full of trivia they can memorise and share, and information to gross out themselves and others. Dr Bry is a great science communicator, writing in a way that will appeal and be understood by young children (look out for the jokes, too).

Being a large format hardcover book with chapters and lots of subheadings makes this easy to dip in and out of. There are also heaps of photos, including microscopic ones, to help illustrate and bring the flies zooming to life off the page.

Wild and wacky, weird and wonderful, Eyes on Flies will amaze, inform and entertain readers of all ages. Great for a personal library collection or for school projects.

Title: Eyes on Flies
Author: Dr Bryan Lessard
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $26.99
Publication Date:  30 August 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760986629
For ages:  4+
Type: Junior Non-Fiction

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Review: The House on Pleasant Street

Alby and his family have just moved to Pleasant Street, and there’s lots to like — great house, a giant tree and even a pool. But Alby is having trouble fitting in.

The other kids seem shocked and nervous about Alby’s family, and Alby doesn’t understand why — I mean his grandparents only do their experiments in their workshop, and Alby makes sure to keep his pet dragon Delia in his yard.

But none of that matters on the night of Halloween. It’s Alby’s favourite night of the year, and nothing is going to get in the way of having fun.

So Alby heads out into the street, ready to share his love of Halloween with his neighbours. And even though his dad and his giant tree are kind of embarrassing, Alby finds the best way ever to connect with the kids on Pleasant Street.

The House on Pleasant Street is a fun and quirky picture book from award-winning creative duo Sofie Laguna and Marc McBride. It’s about friendship and family and learning to love what makes you unique.

But it’s also just fun. With lightning-making dragons and a tree that’s alive, it’s a feast for the imagination that kids will adore. Funky, colourful illustrations in famous Marc McBride style, bring Pleasant Street alive. Make sure to take time with the details, because there are heaps of hidden gems to uncover.

Halloween is right around the corner, so get into those spooky vibes with The House on Pleasant Street.

Title: The House on Pleasant Street
Author: Sofie Laguna
Illustrator: Marc McBride
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $19.99
Publication Date: 30 August 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760526450
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Books

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12 Curly Questions with author Paula Stevenson

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
When I was in primary school, maybe year 1, we had exercise books ruled up with lines to keep our printed letters in order. I quickly mastered these exercises, so I thought it was time to move on. I skipped a few pages and began to fill up the fresh pages with my newly acquired skill of cursive writing. It was all fine until the teacher asked us to hand in our books to her! I felt very sick and shuffled off to the sick bay. Think my teacher must have had a quiet giggle at my transgression. But it was the origin of my brilliant writing career.

2. What is your nickname?
Don’t really have a nickname though an uncle used to call me ‘Pauby’. My grandchildren in one family call me Nana P to differentiate me from the other Nana.

3. What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is to drop off the perch before I have more of my books published!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
My style is lyrical, connected to nature and influenced by my environment.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Determined, dogged, persistent, resolute, optimistic.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would be Sybylla in My Brilliant Career. She is feisty, a girl from the bush and determined to write and get published.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I would return to the year when I started at Sydney University and have greater wisdom about the opportunities that were offered. I was too young at 16 and naïve.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
My 10-year-old self would say to hurry up and start writing sooner. Don’t leave it till you think you have heaps of spare time.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My deepest, maybe subconscious, influence was my father who was a frustrated creative but sent off stories to various magazines when we were young.

10. What/who made you start writing?
After being a high school English teacher for many years, I started writing seriously when I enrolled in a Continuing Education Course at Sydney University with Kate Llewellyn. She encouraged us to post off our writing and send it to journals, competitions or newspapers. So I did and wrote for adults until I diverged to kid-lit when my grandchildren began to appear.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
My favourite word is ‘serendipitous’ because I love it when things happen that connect with an idea you have or a piece of writing you have started. Suddenly there are stories on the radio or TV or Instagram about powerful owls or echidnas!

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I think it would be To Kill a Mockingbird, though lately I am entranced by Cloud Cuckoo Land and have re-read it many times. 

Paula loves to write stories that entertain, surprise and inspire children. Her picture book Buster Follows His Nose was recently published. Three of her poems have been published in The School Magazine and a number of children’s stories published in three different anthologies. One of her stories is included in the CBCA anthology, which was launched in May 2021. She has been shortlisted in a number of awards, including the Scribbles Creative Writing Awards in 2018 and 2019. Paula belongs to the ASA, CBCA and SCWBI and a number of groups including The Duck Pond, Just Write for Kids and Creative Kids Tales. She is a farmer in the Upper Hunter Valley of NSW, as well as a writer, and she is passionate about her environment, drawing inspiration from it for many of her stories. Although she lives in a regional area, she regularly attends conferences and workshops and runs children’s sessions in the local Scone Library during the Scone Literary Festival and during Book Week. She is a Role Model for Books in Homes and visits regional primary schools in that role. She posts regularly on her website www.paulastevensonwriter.com.au, blogging about books, writing, newborn calves, old kelpies, crazy chooks and cute echidnas.

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Guest Post: Ashleigh Barton on Cultivating Creative Writing Through Childhood

Review: Whodunnit, Eddie Woo? Time Out! (Book #1)

Eddie Woo loves maths, loves adventure and loves his two best friends Rusty and DT.

Together they hang out, have fun and have each other’s backs. They are also curious and keen to find answers to problems that come their way… like when Eddie discovers the founder of their school may have hidden a scavenger hunt leading to a secret fortune.

The kids decide to follow the clues and try to solve the mystery (and find the hidden treasure). And it turns out there a heaps of puzzles to work through in this epic scavenger hunt, so Eddie and the gang get a good brain workout to move forward in the hunt.

But it turns out they aren’t the only ones looking for the treasure, and with every step, it feels like someone is there, watching and waiting.

Who’s out there? And what do they want?

The Whodunnit, Eddie Woo? series is a fabulous new offering on the junior fiction shelf. These books are seriously addictive, the adventures Eddie and his friends go on make me want to head in search of mysterious to solve. Time Out! is book one in the series, and it brings a splash.

Throughout the book there are puzzles and maths challenges, and the mysteries are layered with twists and turns you won’t see coming.

Large text and illustrations throughout make this a great book for junior readers ready to step up to something more challenging. And the book is a fast and action-packed read.

Australia’s favourite maths teacher, Eddie Woo, plus Dave Hartley plus Mitch Vane deliver in this awesome new junior fiction series for maths and mystery lovers everywhere.

Title: Whodunnit, Eddie Woo? Time Out! (Book #1)
Author: Eddie Woo and Dave Hartley
Illustrator: Mitch vane
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $14.99
Publication Date: 28 June 2022
Format:  Soft Cover
ISBN: 9781760982997
For ages: 7 - 13
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Koala Ark

Koala Ark tells the story of a community of animals who experience their homes being threatened by a bushfire.

The fire appears suddenly and Koala is worried for all his animal friends, so he sets out in a small boat to find and help them.

Echidna is alone and grateful for rescue. Mr Wombat and his son are injured, and Joey is separated from his mum. Donkey and Chicken travel a long way and are thankful for a place on the boat.

As Koala travels around the billabong, many animals, each with different experiences, join him on the boat (the ark). Some have lost everything, while others are fortunate to still have their homes, but choose to join their animal friends in a safer place for now.

When the animals arrive at the shore, friends are waiting for them (including Joey's mum). And soon the rain arrives too, cooling the land.

Author and illustrator Stephen Michael King explains that he was inspired to create Koala Ark by his own experience and the observation of people's 'bravery and humanity' during the 2019 and 2020 bushfires in Australia. He made a koala the hero as a way to acknowledge the loss of so many koalas during the fires.

Stephen Michael King has such a gorgeous illustration style, and his characters are appealing and relatable. This story is one that can be used to introduce or discuss the subject of bushfires with young children, showing some of the reality of bushfires, with a hopeful message of renewal.

The endpapers in Koala Ark are a beautiful map of the land featured in the story. The homes of each of the creatures who live there are labelled, and readers will be able to track the animals' journey, and perhaps be inspired to try drawing a map of their own.

Koala Ark is highly recommended.

Title: Koala Ark
Author/Illustrator: Stephen Michael King
Publisher: Scholastic, $24.99
Publication Date: June 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761128257
For ages: 3 - 6 
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Four Bad Unicorns

Inspired by her own childhood, Roald Dahl prizewinning author and illustrator Rebecca Patterson has created a quirky fun story that tackles the theme of disability and inclusion with warmth and humour that will resonate with both children and parents.

Unicorn mad sisters Frankie and Connie love playing everything with unicorns - unicorn cereal for breakfast, unicorn speed, unicorn yawning and dreaming of unicorns when they finally go to sleep at night.

Narrated by Connie, it showcases the relationship of sisters and the protectiveness of family – they will go to great lengths to protect each other.

The story centres on Connie and Frankie and their love for each other and their current obsession – unicorns. They are playing unicorns farmers, their favourite game, when their next door neighbours Ada and Colin Beswick turn up and invite themselves in to play with the sisters.

The only problem is Ada takes over and Queen Ada is born. Ada dismisses their game of unicorn farmers as being silly and instead creates the unicorn palace of wonder. Ada then proceeds to banish Connie, Frankie and Colin into a prison of chairs and cushions. Ada even takes over Frankie’s wheelchair, and turns it into the throne of rolling power. 

But enough is enough and they rebel – Connie takes umbrage at Frankie being made part of the prison wall and being turfed out of her wheelchair. So a new plan is born and the three decide to turn into bad unicorns and escape on the bad unicorn train.

Will they make up or has Ada ruined a great friendship?

This picture book celebrates and encourages children’s imagination and innovation and is

the perfect book for sharing.

Title: Four Bad Unicorns

Author/Illustrator: Rebecca Patterson

Publisher: Anderson Press, $29.99

Publication Date: 3 May 2022

Format: Hardback

ISBN: 9781839131035

For Ages: 4 +

Type: Picture Books

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Meet The Illustrator: Sandra Severgnini

Name: Sandra Severgnini

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Heartfelt, sensitive, realistic with character, a bit humorous, bit quirky

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Pencil, paper, eraser, computer, oh and my new Wacom!

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Traditionally pencil & watercolours but have been won over with Photoshop on my new Wacom

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Charles Fuge
Robert Halpern
PJ Lynch

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I’m living in it, it’s such an innovative and exciting time for anyone creative.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
Inner voice. Drove me mad until I did something about it!

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
The moment I first read the story, the moment I press the send to the publisher and every step in between!

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?

Listen to your inner self. By all means learn from others but each illustrators work is so unique, let yourself shine through.

 

After being the owner of a botanical art gallery and retail store, Sandra decided it was well and truly time to nurture her passion and focus on children’s picture books.

A fascination for the amazing natural world around her inspires Sandra's words and brings sensitivity and humour to her illustrations.

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

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Review: Answers In The Pages

Answers in the Pages is many things, but the core of it is pure reading joy. From start to finish,

it’s fresh, fun and intelligent. 

Yes it’s a hard-hitting, issues-based novel which interrogates book-banning and homophobia; and yes it’s a sophisticated, nuanced and layered action-story that would give many of today’s online worlds a run for their money. 

And it’s certainly an insight into

being brave and fighting for your own story. But alongside and despite all of these things, it’s really just pure joy on the page.

Donovan’s grade 5 class are stoked to be reading ‘The Adventurers’ for school. This book’s main characters Oliver and Rick, along with their friend Melody, are on a mission to save planet earth from an evil genius. But Donovan’s mum has decided that the book’s main characters are gay - which doesn’t please her. So she complains, ‘The Adventurers’ is embargoed and soon the whole school is embroiled in a debate.

Meanwhile, Gideon and Roberto work on a book project together, and find they are drawn

closer through their shared love of turtles, among other things.

One of the standouts in this book are the believable and engaging characters, who really care about each other.

In Answers In The Pages, three story threads are deftly intertwined into a sometimes bewildering – but always compelling – action-packed story. I particularly love that the fast-paced and layered mish-mash of information is squeezed into this one, elegantly crafted narrative. An exploration of friendship, self-acceptance and finding your authentic voice, this book dives into the hard stuff and comes out the other side with just a head toss and a little bit of a dusting down.

At less than 200 pages, it’s definitely not an ‘easy read.’ The actual structure leaves you a little

breathless, but there’s enough forward momentum and high-stakes-action (alligator pits and burning houses feature!) to hold reluctant and/or confused readers. We are firmly invested to keep turning pages in order to find the answers to the millions of questions that arise! The book’s title is clever and very apt.

There are unexpected backflips and genuine surprises that will keep everyone on their toes.

Some might even re-start the book as soon as it’s finished – I was certainly tempted. This book explores love, acceptance, friendship, bravery, speaking your truth and caring. Such important themes. And such a clever, compelling rendering of these.

Title: Answers In The Pages

Author: David Levithan

Publisher: Text, $16.99

Publication Date: 2 August, 2022

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781922458872

For ages: 8+

Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Legendarium

Enter the world of fast paced gaming in this adventurous sequel to Wonderscape. We meet back up with friends Arthur, Ren, Cecily and their robo dog Cloud as they navigate this magical world at breakneck speed.

This story is a mashup of video games and history in this time travel action adventure.

As they try to return home and to their own time, the friends are pulled even further into the

future. What they find is the video game they have entered is actually real life – where they must enter a tournament to regain, the key to get home.

Once they enter the ISports tournament they find themselves in a series of mini quests that enable them to pass each level in order to win. 

On their travels they encounter outlaws, pirates, Vikings and hidden temples each with their own dangers, clues and riddles.

Each mini quest transports them to a different historical setting, together they explore the lost city of Atlantis, Viking battlefields, subterranean Incan tunnels, Great Library of

Alexandria and the infamous Bermuda Triangle.

But there is a new villain whose sole aim is to thwart them at every turn – the evil raider

Deadlock. Deadlock has discovered time travel technology and he is determined to change

the course of history as we know it.

Can Arthur, Ren and Cecily save the universe and find their way home? Or will Deadlock

succeed and change history and forever trap the friends in this video game?

Strap yourself in for this action-packed adventure that will leave you trying to guess the end.

Title: Legendarium

Author: Jennifer Bell

Publisher: Walker Books, $16.99

Publication Date: 3 May 2022

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781406391732

For Ages: 9 – 12 years

Type: Middle Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author Sigi Cohen

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I worked as a fashion and advertising photographer in the era of ‘big hair’, when men had perms and wore pastel-coloured shirts. Back then, I was passionate about producing exciting images, although I did hope to someday work as an advertising copywriter.

2. What is your nickname?
I don’t have a nickname but I am often called Ziggy – so often that I don’t notice anymore.

3. What is your greatest fear?
The fear I experienced when teaching my children parallel parking.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Consistency of rhythm and rhyme, traditional in form, unconventional in content.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Irreverent, humorous, non-mainstream, fussy/fastidious (in a positive way, I hope!)

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Jack Reacher, or some similar kickass hero-who-doesn’t-play-by-the-rules (ie the opposite of me), at least for a while. It would be cathartic (especially for a lawyer)!

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I missed out on being a peacenik hippy in the late 60s, the counter-culture, music, Woodstock, bellbottom jeans. Also, I would so love to see the original Broadway musical Hair, so I guess 1968.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
My 10-year old self would probably say to me: “What happened? How did you get so old?” I would then give 10-year-old-me some advice about not eating too much sugar or letting shyness and a lack of confidence hold him back.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
Two Leonard Cohens: first, my father – his unrestrained humour, integrity and kindness inspire me; and, that other Leonard Cohen – the singer and poet, for his creative talent and powerful, economical use of words. Poetry-wise – Ogden Nash, with his madly original poetic style, has influenced me to maybe be adventurous and break some rhythm rules in the future.

10. What made you start writing?
I did a course in creative writing at uni. One assignment was to write a ballad, and so I wrote my first humorous poem: The Phantom Orthodontist, about an orthodontist who strangles his bride with dental floss on their wedding night (she had poor dental hygiene). It was not exactly kid-friendly, but fun to write, and it led to me write some PG-rated kid-friendly stuff like My Dead Bunny and other morbid
attempts at humour.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
The word ‘koeksister’ (as in ‘would you like a koeksister?’) Ask any South African. For some reason when I hear that word I start drooling like Pavlov’s dog.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Collected Works of George Bernard Shaw. There’s a lot in it (4643 pages) and it would help me while away the years and work upon becoming an articulate man of words (one of my ambitions).

Sigi Cohen writes rhyming picture book stories for kids who don't mind grime, slime, brain-eating schoolteachers (the zombie kind), and school bullies with scary secrets. His book titles include My Dead Bunny, Filthy Fergal, There's Something Weird About Lena, Zombie Schoolteachers, The Vampires Next Door and Imogen Baddley.

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Winner: My Dad Thinks He's a Pirate Prize Pack

Our lucky winner is...

Joseph Spagnolo, NSW

Congratulations!

You have won a My Dad Thinks He's ...  Prize Pack by Katrina Gemein and Tom Jellett including, My Dad Thinks He's A Pirate and the side-splitting original, My Dad Thinks He's Funny.

Thank you to ALL who entered.

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Review: A Way with Words

Sam spoke no words.
Not once.
Not ever.

But even though Sam doesn’t speak out loud, she still has lots to say. 

She watches the world closely. She listens and thinks deeply. She stores her words in things around her and finds other ways to communicate — through music, art, dance and fabric.

People in her community think she’s strange, but Sam shows them that speaking with words isn't the only way to get your message across.

A Way with Words is a gorgeous picture book that explores being different, being quiet and being unique. The other kids don’t understand Sam at first, and neither do her teachers. But Sam doesn’t stop being who she is to please them.

I think this is the thing I like most about this story. Sam knows who she is. She knows what is right for her and she fights for it. Without words, she finds a way to reach out to the people around her and tell them — in her own way — what she can offer the world.

The language in this picture book is dreamy and whimsical (aka stunning!). Teamed with playful illustrations in gorgeous earthy tones, it weaves its way into your head and lingers there after you close the covers.

We aren’t all the same. We all do things differently. A Way with Words celebrates difference and diversity, and I love that about it.

Title: A Way with Words
Author: Stacy Burch
Illustrator: Lucy McLoughlin
Publisher: Ethicool, $22.00
Publication Date: 14 June 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780648872375
For ages:  3 - 6
Type: Picture Book

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Review: My EXTRAordinary Mum

Review: Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

Like every other kid on the mainland, Skandar dreams of acing the hatchling exam and being chosen to move to the Island to train a unicorn. 

He doesn’t care that unicorns are bloodthirsty and dangerously powerful animals. From the time he was born, it’s all he’s ever wanted.

But things take an interesting turn when a dangerous enemy, the Weaver, threatens the Island and the Mainland, and Skandar is ordered not to take the hatchery exam. 

His hopes and dreams are smashed, until a mystery unicorn rider arrives and takes him to the Island after all...

Skandar's arrival is surrounded in mystery, and he knows he must keep it a secret. But as he joins the other recruits and hatches his unicorn, Scoundrel’s Luck, he discovers he isn’t the only one with secrets. Scoundrel’s Luck is…different, and Skandar needs to hide these differences from his teachers.

But no matter the secrets he’s tied up in, Skandar is on the Island. And alongside a few trusted friends, he works to train his sometimes-uncontrollable unicorn and control the magic that comes with that responsibility. There are many challenges to overcome, and hiding secrets isn’t easy, but Skandar works to find his place— for both himself and Scoundrel’s Luck — on the Island.

Enemies, however, don’t tend to care about boys and their desire to fit in. When unicorn riders are attacked and Islanders start disappearing, it’s apparent the Weaver has big plans, and Skandar won’t stay away from the danger if there’s something he can do to help.

But what does the Weaver really want? And is this threat bigger than anyone on the Island is willing to admit? Can Skandar and his friends be part of the battle when they haven’t even finished the first year of unicorn training?

Skandar and the Unciorn Thief is a brilliant new fantasy series for middle grade readers. I love that it turns the unicorn trope on it’s head and offers something completely different. In Skandar’s world unicorns are not friendly, magical creatures. They are dangerous, powerful beasts that pose a threat to everyone if they cannot be controlled.

The book has a Harry Potter vibe in that you’ve got a bunch a kids thrown into a school environment to learn the magic they’ve been destined to wield. But through the year as they learn their crafts, they also uncover important secrets. And when enemies come knocking, they rise up to battle them head on.

That said, this is not Harry Potter, and it brings a fresh new story for fantasy lovers. There are loads of mysteries to unravel and so many twists and turns I didn't see coming.

Character development is spot on and connecting with them is fluid and effortless due to the care author AF Steadman has taken to build them and the world around them.

This book is a winner for all fans of fantasy adventure. It’s got that familiar comforting vibe of stories you’ve loved, with a super fresh, and unpredictable, storyline.

Title: Skandar and the Unicorn Thief 
Author: AF Steadman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster , $19.99
Publication Date: 28 April 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781398512429
For ages: 9 - 99 
Type: Middle Grade

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Guest Post: Ellie Royce on The Fantastic Journeys of Storytelling

12 Curly Questions with author Karen Ginnane

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I once taught a Catholic nun how to bellydance.

2. What is your nickname?
Most people call me Karen, a few friends call me Kaz, but I’m just grateful that nobody has called me Ginnanny Goat since school days.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Being called Ginnanny Goat.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Immersive journeys through known worlds and stranger places just beyond.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Lyrical, immersive, imaginative, warm (and occasionally) funny.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I wanted to be Pippi Longstocking with her freedom and exuberance, her strength and her monkey, as well as Sam Gribley with his peregrine, Frightful, in My Side of the Mountain. I also wanted to be Mrs Pepperpot, so I could be tiny and irascible.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
London in 1858, so I could feel for myself the excitement, possibility and energy of the biggest city the world had ever known (and to see if I’d got all those details right in my books.) Then I’d pop back to pre-settlement Australia, to see for myself the incredible cultures that have lived here for millennia.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
You took long enough.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
The incredible Ursula le Guin.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I’ve always written to make sense of the world. It’s how I process life.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Discombobulated. It’s like marbles tumbling in my mouth.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
This curly question makes me too anxious to answer.

Karen Ginnane is a Melbourne-based author for middle-grade/young-adult readers. Her debut novel, When Days Tilt, was published in July 2021 and the sequel, When Souls Tear, was released in July 2022. These exciting historical fantasy adventures, set in Victorian London and a parallel city, are part of The Time Catchers series. For more information, see www.karenginnane.com.

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Review: Flipper and Finnegan

Based on a real event in 2001, Flipper and Finnegan is the story of two Little penguins, and how hand knitted jumpers from a caring community helped save them after an oil spill. 

The story begins by describing Flipper and Finnigan’s cosy home and environment on Phillip Island. Details of their days and evenings are beautifully portrayed. When disaster strikes, Flipper, Finnegan and their penguin friends endure a scary journey covered in oil. A brighter ending prevails thanks to wildlife rangers and the kindness of many people knitting tiny jumpers to help the affected penguins.

I especially adore Anil Tortop’s illustrations, her use of colour and lighting express time, place and mood wonderfully while her characters are cute and loveable. 

Details of the story origins including photos of penguins in jumpers at the back of the book are lovely and informative. 

Sophie Cunningham and Anil Tortop are also the creators of Tippy & Jellybean, a true story of a koala who saved her baby from a bushfire.

Flipper and Finnegan is an educational story which would be great for primary aged children, reading in groups and prompting further conversation. 

Title: Flipper and Finnegan
Author: Sophie Cunningham
Illustrator: Anil Tortop
Publisher: Allen & Unwin , $19.99
Publication Date: 16 August 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761064814 
For ages: 3 – 6
Type: Picture Book

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Book list: Cyber safety and digital wellbeing picture books

Check out this great range of picture books exploring cyber safety and digital wellbeing. There's something here for everyone.

The Internet Is Like a Puddle by Shona Innes and Irisz Agocs

Swoosh, Glide and Rule Number 5 by Barbara Uecker and Peter Viska (this can be read online, and listened/watched online via the link)

The Fabulous Friend Machine by Nick Bland 

The Internot by Josh Lawson and Sofya Karmazina

 

Chicken Clicking by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino

It's a Book by Lane Smith (check out our review here)

Once Upon a Time Online by David Bedford and Rosie Reeve

Nerdy Birdy Tweets by Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies

Further reading for parents can be found here.

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Giveaway: My Dad Thinks He's A Pirate: Katrina Germein Prize Pack

Captain Dad and his crew are having a day at the beach, and of course Dad is bringing his treasure trove of jokes. Whether it’s a ship he bought on sail or an earring that costs one buccaneer, a day with Dad is shore to be hilarious! At least he seems to think so.

You’ll be hooked on this addition to the 'My Dad…' series by Aussie author, Katrina Germein and illustrator, Tom Jellett. Sail the seven seas with Dad with more jokes to make you laugh (and cringe!) – arrr arrr arrr! 

And thanks to our maties at Walker Books Australia, we have a copy of this hilarious new title to giveaway, along with a copy of the original, My Dad Thinks He's Funny.

For your chance to win this side-splitting prize pack, tell us in 25 words or less what a day at the beach looks like to you?

Email your answer along with your name and postal address to dimity. The response we like best will win a copy of these books. 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 22 August 2022.

Competition runs from 5.00 am 13 August 2022 to 5 pm 20 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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Guest Post: Teacher Librarians: The Aunty Of The School

Review: Group Hug! A Collective Noun Safari

A flamboyance of flamingos. A troop of orangutans. A bloat of hippos.                    

This book is a joyful adventure into the very strange world of animal collective nouns. A playful homage to our (at times) ridiculous English language, Group Hug! is wonderfully quirky.      

Wilbur is a city kid who loves animals and shares with us those that have the strangest group-names and habits. He does this through asking questions in cheerful rhyme that is clever and unpretentious.                                          The glorious illustrations – a combination of pencil and photoshop watercolour, topped off with a sneaky, smudgy sense of pastel – are dynamic and oozing with fun. Here’s my favourite double spread:                                                                                                                  

Standing beneath a burning sun, swatting flies from around our bums, bellowing out the latest news, we’re an implausibility of gnus!                                                                                     

The illustration here is gold. Gnus in a whirl of dust so viscous that it catches in your throat, smiling cheesily toothy grins straight at you, to totally charm your little socks off.   

The endpapers are fabulous and contain world maps front and back – one listing types of animals and the other, their collective nouns. As with the rest of the book’s content, these contain loads of potential fun and discovery for engaged readers to match up and source further information.                                                                        

Younger readers will adore this book, and I can see that it will also be a wonderful coffee table accent or even dinner-party fodder (ie: the conversation, not the meal itself!), appealing to all ages and stages of life.                   

Feelgood factor: This book supports The Lion’s Share, a fund backed by the UN’s Development Program - mentored by David Attenborough - and its work protecting our most vulnerable wildlife groups.

Title: Group Hug – A Collective Noun Safari
Author/Illustrator: Andy Fackrell
Publisher: Ford St $24.95
Publication Date: April 1, 2022
Format: Paperback/Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925804997
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Meet The Illustrator: Connah Brecon

Name: Connah Brecon

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Hopefully it’s believable to the audience. Contains essence. 

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Can’t live without pencil & paper. Music or a good podcast for my ears. My Mac, which is where the magic happens after the pencil & paper bit.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Currently I work digitally on Final Art, but I love the initial exploration of a story in pencil; finding out who the characters are, how the scenery might look etc.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
I admire many illustrators but I tend not to scrutinise their work too much. As for past artists, I am a big fan of Turner especially, but also many other artists. I tend not to lean to other artists for inspiration, instead allowing the story text to drive much of that.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I love the period we are in right now. I feel if I went back in time, the many negatives would outweigh the artistic positives. Now is fine thanks. Also, I think my family would probably miss me… probably.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
A very nice lady introduced me to illustration when I was pretending to be an artist. I thank that lovely lady very much.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often. Talk us through it.

Welcome to my studio. Firstly, you’ll note the large size sketch pad front & centre, working on my next picture book, roughing characters & storyboarding the pages. Left of the Mac is my scanner, very important for transferring roughs to Photoshop, where all the colour work happens for the Final Art. Obviously hard not to notice the big 27inch Mac, which I love working on, the big screen is perfect for viewing complete spreads when producing a book. Wacom tablet from which I paint up the final art in combination with Adobe Photoshop. & it all sits on my table, which is perfect for sitting or standing, & given I spend so much time here it is really important to look after my body.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
This is a little tricky to answer, as each part of the process of putting a book together has it’s own challenges & pay-offs. I do really love the initial exploration of what the characters in a story might look like, how they feel they might be if they could walk off the page. Equally, that final moment when you have completed the finished art & look back into this world you have brought to life, that is pretty cool.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Don’t stop. You’ll feel like giving up many times, honestly, it’s something that never goes away, questioning if you are up to the job, but that is the challenge. Also, read a lot, read a lot of whatever tickles your fancy, reading is good imagination food.

Lastly, remember to have fun.

 

Connah Brecon, originally from the UK, is an author-illustrator based in

Victoria, Australia, where he lives with his wife and daughter and cat

and plants. Connah has written and illustrated six picture books, and illustrated

many more stories written by Australian authors. While it is true that

dogs like books, Connah illustrates books mostly for people, some of

whom happen to be temporarily short.

For more information, please visit Connah's website or follow him on instagram.

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Thunderstorm Dancing

Books with spark come around again and it’s Thunderstorm Dancing’s turn to return with a ‘crackling zap! sizzling snap!’ First published in 2015, this 2016 CBCA Book of the Year, Early Childhood, has now been released in paperback. Perhaps you remember Tania McCartney’s original review of the hardcover version?

Katrina Germeinweaves a story about a little girl and her family harnessing the hurly-burly of a thunderstorm. The little girl’s family feel energised by the storm and their bodies and voices move to the intensity and rhythm of it. The little girl, on the other hand, feels the storm’s enormity and stays small and still. Finally calm descends and it’s time for Granny and the girl to tap into the new mood. This story revels in the mayhem of a large family and reminds me of my own. My husband, four kids and I often break into spontaneous dancing and singing, especially as a way of cheering someone up.

Germein’s words roll around my mouth and pop and fizz, enticing me to read the book aloud with my kids, again and again. The poetic prose captures the verve of a storm, expertly employing rhythm, rhyme, and my favourite, onomatopoeia. Think, ‘ga-bang’, ‘ga-boom’.

I am captivated by Judy Watson’s expressive illustration style as I detailed in Searching for Cicadas. That superb scratchy line work. It flows and billows, undulating across the page, visualising the storm’s energy. Watson has used varied perspectives captured in mixed media, ink, watercolour, gouache, as well as, digital colour. Watson’s use of complementary colours, blue and orange, make each spread pop.

Thunderstorm Dancing is a wonderful read-aloud book for families and as a primary teacher, I highly recommend it as a resource for classrooms. Imagine writing a poem inspired by the use of onomatopoeia in the book. Also Germein is an early childhood teacher and so has lots of suggestions on her websiteand her Pinterest. There are also teaching notes here. What’s more, this story is a wonderful model for how to express big emotions as a means of catharsis, a real interest of mine at the moment.

Thunderstorm Dancing captures the vitality of life in words and pictures. A book of gusto, sparkle and spirit.

Title: Thunderstorm Dancing
Author: Katrina Germein
Illustrator: Judy Watson
Publisher: A&U Children's, $14.99 RRP
Publication Date: 5 January 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760527150
For ages: 2 - 8
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Animal Migrations: Flying, Walking, Swimming

Many animals migrate, but why some and not others? 

What prompts them to move from one place to another?

You may have many questions about this particular animal behaviour and Animal Migrations by Diane Jackson Hill sets out to answer them.

Animal Migrations has ten chapters, the first being about animal migration in general, and then chapters about three different types of migration.

Walking migration includes animals like caribou, plains zebras, and bearded pigs.

Marine animals that take part in swimming migration include turtles, whales, and northern elephant seals.

Those that fly are perhaps best known and include about one-fifth of bird species, as well as some bats and insects like butterflies.

Lots of facts and figures and examples are given for each type of animal migration. From the longest migration (Greenland to Antarctica), to how whale migration is monitored (tags tracked by satellite), and more, there is plenty to learn about this aspect of animal life.

There are surprises (hummingbirds migrate alone), and examples of accidental migration (frogs that hide in bunches of bananas and end up in a different part of the country when the bananas are transported for sale).

The connection between animal migration and human culture is also explored. For example, the migration of particular animals like eels and caribou being linked to the timing of community gatherings and celebrations.

The importance of animal migration to our environment and future is highlighted, too. We need to be aware and active in making sure the survival of these animals isn't threatened.

Animal life cycles, behaviour, and biodiversity are all covered in Animal Migrations, with detailed information, many photographs, a glossary and recommended further reading in a well-designed package.

Animal Migrations offers a wealth of information, perfect for assignments, or for anyone wanting to learn more about the animal world.

Teachers' notes can be downloaded from the publisher's website.

Title: Review: Animal Migrations: Flying, Walking, Swimming
Author: Diane Jackson Hill
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, $29.99
Publication Date: August 2022
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781486315413
For ages: 8+
Type: Non-Fiction

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Review: Oceans of plastic: understanding and solving a pollution problem

Plastic often seems to be found everywhere, and it equals pollution, especially when it's in the ocean.

In Oceans of Plastic readers will uncover a wealth of information about the the importance of our oceans, the issue of plastics, and how to help solve plastic pollution problems.

All presented in ten chapters, with glossary and further information recommendations.

There are staggering statistics, such as the fact more pieces of plastic are estimated to be in the ocean than stars visible in the milky way!

Ocean ecosystems are explained and explored, with excellent diagrams. And animals are celebrated with creature feature spotlights (turtles, albatross, and others).

It shares information on 'science in action' including magnetic fields used for navigation, and 'communities in action' making efforts to change the future and deal with the plastic problem. One example being a student who developed a natural, degradable bioplastic material, and other examples of citizen scientist projects and plastic-free activity alternatives.

Oceans of Plastic is carefully designed to make it easy for students to identify and follow concepts, and is accompanied by photographs.

Highly recommended, especially as a fantastic resource for school assignments, and for inspiration about how we can make a difference in big and little ways.

Teachers' notes are available on the publisher's website

Title: Oceans of plastic: understanding and solving a pollution problem
Author: Tracey Gray
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, $29.99
Publication Date: June 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781486312573
For ages: 8+
Type: Non-Fiction

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Winner: Finding Jupiter

Our lucky winner is...

Carmela Catalano, QLD

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of the new YA novel, Finding Jupiter by Kelis Rowe.

Thank you to ALL who entered. We admire your pluck as risk takers!

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Review: Shine, Star, Shine!

Stars can be captivating, but how much do you know about them? 

What could you tell kids about them?

Shine, Star, Shine! is a book that will help explain some of the mystery of stars, using our closest star, the sun, as its principal character.

Written in a narrative form, Shine, Star, Shine! takes readers on a journey, beginning with the birth of a star.

At sunrise, animals come out to play and people go about their day. The star (sun) turns as the day progresses, and ultimately as the seasons come and go.

The star (our sun) is important in many things we take for granted, such as growing and ripening plants, and heating and cooling the earth. And there are many more stars than just the one that is our sun. Trillions of them. Some of which form shapes we know as constellations.

Author Dom Conlon is a poet with a background in advertising, and he's used this experience well to select and write about starry facts in an unusual and expressive way. The lilting narrative is complemented with beautiful pictures by illustrator and graphic designer Anastasia Izlesou.

Shine, Star, Shine! is a great STEM-themed book to add to home libraries, and to use in classrooms.

Teachers' notes can be downloaded from the publisher's website.

Title: Shine, Star, Shine!
Author: Dom Conlon
Illustrator: Anastasia Izlesou
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing and Graffeg Books, $24.99
Publication Date: July 2022
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781486316823
For ages: 5 - 8
Type: Picture Book, Junior Non-Fiction

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