Monday 27 February 2023

12 Curly Questions with author Brooke Hill

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I was 80 per cent deaf until I had an operation on my ears about 10 years ago. My hearing must have gradually declined and I never knew how deaf I really was – it turns out I’d been getting by with lip reading and reading body cues. It probably explains why I’ve always been more comfortable buried in a book!

2. What is your nickname?
Chickers (my maiden name was Chicktong).

3. What is your greatest fear?
Snakes – we live in the country now and while I haven’t spotted one yet, it’s only a matter of time!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Simple family moments captured with joy and fun.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Simple, joyful, optimistic, wry, pragmatic.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Anne of Green Gables. She’s headstrong, obsessed with reading and writing, and dreams of big adventures for herself.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I’d go back to 1938, when Enid Blyton was writing The Enchanted Wood. I’d ask myself in for a cup of tea, and ask her all about Moonface and Silky.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
(Gasps in disbelief) “You did it! You became an author.”

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My mum. She loves to read, and we are constantly swapping books. We both have a tendency to forget what we read the minute we’ve closed the book, so we are hopeless at sharing what we loved and loathed about the books we lend each other. Mum solved that problem by writing little notes about what she thinks (no spoilers!) and tucking them into each book. I have a huge collection of those notes, and I treasure them.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I taught myself to read at a very young age, and was obsessed ever since. Some of my earliest memories are sitting at a typewriter, clunking out fairy stories. I almost can’t remember anything else from my childhood except reading and writing. Other kids were out playing in the street; I was inside reading and writing. I even used to read in the shower (much to my parents’ horror – imagine the water bill).

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Platypup. It’s a baby platypus. Cute!

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Gerald Durrell’s My Family And Other Animals. It’s a tale of an eccentric family who find themselves living in on the island of Corfu in Greece, and is full of wildly joyful simplicity. Plus, I love Corfu! 

Brooke Hill has worked for iconic Australian magazine titles Harpers Bazaar and The Australian Women's Weekly and is currently the director of The Content(ed) Copywriter. She lives in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia. You Two, You Two is Brooke's first children's picture book. For more information, see https://www.brookehill.me/.




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Review: The Wish Sisters: The Party Wish

Sunday 26 February 2023

Review: Hello, Emma Memma

Emma Memma is a character brought to life by children's entertainer Emma Watkins (who used to be Emma Wiggle).

Emma loves music and dance, and also sign language. As her own special creation, the character of Emma Memma is introduced to young children in Hello, Emma Memma.

In the book, Emma Memma explains her name (it's Emma, and Memma is her nickname), and takes readers on a journey, talking to them as they turn the pages. 

You'll follow a butterfly, discuss colours and cocoons, and see another butterfly seeming to emerge from one. But it's not a butterfly this time, it's Emma Memma herself, with butterflies in her hair. Hello!

The illustrations are by artist Kerrie Hess whose stylish pictures also help lead readers through the book. Light, beautiful water colour flora and fauna (gum blossoms and leaves), and lots of white space, make it feel like a walk through a spring garden. 

Future books are planned for exploring more of Emma Memma's world, and there's already an Emma Memma album to listen to. If your youngest kids love that, then they will also enjoy Hello, Emma Memma as a prompt for conversation and learning.

Visit Emma's website for information and activities, including craft and colouring.

Title: Hello, Emma Memma
Author: Emma Memma (Emma Watkins)
Illustrator: Kerrie Hess
Publisher: Puffin, $ 19.99
Publication Date: 28 February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761341045
For ages: 3-5
Type: Picture Book



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Thursday 23 February 2023

Meet The Illustrator: Zoë Ellison


Name: Zoë Ellison
 
Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Atmospheric, colourful, and a little bit wonky.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
A comfy chair, lots of gouache, a Derwent drawing pencil in Chinese White, my watercolour palette, music and a pot of coffee.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I like to work in gouache and then add detail with either pencils and pastels or digitally on Procreate. 

Name three artists whose work inspires you. 
Laura Carlin, Raymond Briggs, David Hockney

  
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I’d love to visit around the time of Cubism to experience the reaction to it and see the way it influenced art around the world.


Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
My tutors on my foundation degree inspired me as they made me realise that illustration actually existed as a thing, before then I thought all the children’s books I loved were just a type of art that was out of reach for me. From then on it was all I’ve wanted to do.

  
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 don’t have a designated work space right now (the price you pay for living in London!) so I often alternate between coffee shops and the dining room table. I have the record player and the kitchen next to me which is great, but I often have to bribe my cat down from walking all over my work.


 What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
That moment where everything clicks and the image in your head is actually taking shape on the paper. It doesn’t always happen, though!


What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Draw every day.


 
Zoë is an illustrator in London specialising in children’s books. Her work is inspired by food, travel, and nature. She loves to convey atmosphere and you’ll find a bit of teal in every drawing! Her current favourite things to scribble are underwater scenes, snowy lands, the Mediterranean, and falafel.

For more information please visit Zoë's website.












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Wednesday 22 February 2023

Review: Enid Blyton: The Biography

As a child, I was a great fan of The Famous Five, and read just about any Enid Blyton books I could get my hands on. As an adult, I’ve not re-read them, probably because I’m pretty sure the experience would be disappointing. However, having been such a reader of them in the past, I was keen to read Enid Blyton: The Biography.

Authorised by one of Enid Blyton’s daughters, it’s written by Barbara Stoney. First written in the 1970s, less than a decade after Blyton's 1968 death, an updated edition was released in 2006. Stoney spent a huge amount of time researching the author, and had unprecedented access to letters and diaries, as well as interviewing people who knew or met Enid personally or professionally.

Enid Blyton was an incredibly prolific author who wrote far more than I realised. It was fascinating to read how she developed her craft, from writing poems as a teenager, to working as a teacher and writing newsletters for teachers and students, although she started out wanting to write for adults. It was through the newsletter and the poems and short stories for children that she progressed onto novels and other formats including magazines, comics, and plays.

Long before today’s commercially successful children’s authors and publishers, Enid Blyton also developed her own brand. It was amazing to discover how for years, starting in the 1920s, she received hundreds of letters from children each week, even before her novels were published. She also created children's clubs for her readers, and each club benefited a cause like children with disabilities or animal welfare.

Enid Blyton was however a complicated and complex woman whose life was surely impacted by a difficult childhood. Born in 1897, she left home to study and appears to have been mostly estranged from her family, living a very private and relatively isolated life. She had a compulsive, perhaps almost obsessive, desire to write, and a ‘card index’ memory that served her well in doing so.

Enid Blyton died at 71 following an illness which sounds like dementia or Alzheimer's, although the biography doesn’t specify it, instead describing her as retreating into her imagination and happier early days.

Controversy and criticism plagued particularly the later years of her career, but Enid Blyton wrote for children and they kept buying and reading her books, which was what mattered to her. Her stories were certainly a product of the times, yet even now, millions of Enid Blyton books are sold each year.

Whether or not you're a fan, I recommend Enid Blyton: The Biography as a valuable insight into one of the world's most popular children's authors. Enid Blyton is a phenomenon whose stories continue to live on as long as readers read and enjoy them.

If you'd like more information about Enid Blyton you can also visit The Enid Blyton Society and EnidBlyton.net 

Title: Enid Blyton: The Biography
Author: Barbara Stoney
Publisher: The History Press, $32.99/$13.19
Publication Date: 2006/2011
Format: Paperback/ebook
ISBN: 9780752440309/9780752469577
For ages: 12+
Type: Biography




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Tuesday 21 February 2023

Review: Pocket Treasure

Oh, pockets! They are a fabric delight. They are everyday essentials, and I am with our protagonist Allira 100% when she reveals on the first few pages of Pocket Treasure that she only wants to wear a dress with pockets.

Through Allira’s adventures, readers are taken on a delightful journey, collecting this and collecting that.

And pockets aren’t only good for putting things into. They're also great for pulling things out of, and Allira does so, coming to her classmates’ rescue when they need a “something”.

But after helping so much, and giving away all her pocket treasure, Allira runs into trouble when she needs a “something” of her own and there’s nothing left in her beautiful yellow pockets. What will she do?

Pocket Treasure by Wenda Shurety and Juliana Oakley captures the true essence of childhood. It's a celebration of seeing beauty in all the small things around us. Even the discarded things. 

It’s also a story about friendship and caring and helping others, which is just so warming. This balance of heart and curious adventure is perfection on paper, offering readers an engaging story that hits all the marks.

Oakley’s illustrations are nothing short of addictive. Allira is such a gentle soul, and Oakley brings her personality to life through funky colours, a gorgeous mop of soft and fuzzy hair, and expressions that speak to your soul.

Gosh I love this child. I want to be her friend, and the combined power of Shurety’s words and Oakley’s illustrations is what triggers this.

For a delightful and friendly adventure that is sure to get kids everywhere starting their own collections of special somethings, I highly recommend Pocket Treasure.

Title: Pocket Treasure
Author: Wenda Shurety
Illustrator: Juliana Oakley
Publisher: Affirm Press, $19.99
Publication Date: 31 January 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922848574
For ages:  3 - 6
Type: Picture Book



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Monday 20 February 2023

Review: My EPIC Dad Takes Us Camping

Dad is an adventurer and wants to go camping. The kids would rather glamping, but instead they get My EPIC Dad Takes Us Camping.

It turns out there are a few problems on the trip. Ants, bees, spiders, leeches, rats, mud crabs ... and a wild boar! Not to forget a snake and a fox. 

What Dad hoped for, a pleasant camping trip, turns out to be an unfortunate lesson in what to look out for and what not to do. 

Poor Dad probably won't be planning any more expeditions in a hurry, although the kids think it was a major success.

Author and podcaster, Dani Vee's rhyming text shares the story of a nightmare camping trip in a fun way. Kids will be laughing throughout.

Marina Verola's illustrations are lively, bright and entertaining, bringing the family, and all the animals and escapades to life. The endpapers are a fun map with a trail to follow, too.

My EPIC Dad Takes Us Camping is one of a six-part picture book series about a Dad who loves being involved but has some epic adventures and misadventures. Look out for them all!

Title: My EPIC Dad Takes Us Camping
Author: Dani Vee
Illustrator: Marina Verola
Publisher: Larrikin House, $19.99
Publication Date: February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922503909
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book



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Review: The Lesbiana's Guide To Catholic School

Saturday 18 February 2023

Review: The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea: Bunny Ideas (Book #5) and Otter-ly Ridiculous (Book #6)

Books 5 and 6 in The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea series are out, and owl/bunny duo Ollie and Bea are all about play in these fun instalments.

In Bunny Ideas (Book 5), Bea has a whole line up of games planned for playtime, but she doesn’t exactly love it when she loses… so she keeps changing the rules. Can Bea learn to have fun without winning?

In Otter-ly Ridiculous (Book 6), Bea really wants to play hide-and-seek, but when Ollie and Bea’s friends join in and the game gets super competitive, the friends end up in a giant fight. 

Can the crew sort out their quarrels and get back to playing? It’s not so easy when everyone has very strong ideas about the best way to play.

The Ollie and Bea series is a sweet and colourful graphic-novel addition to the junior fiction shelf. 

Super easy to follow and easy to read, the books are joyful and entertaining. 

Love the animal word play used throughout — words like owl-some, i-deer, unhoppy and toad-ally —and I love that the characters are beyond kid. They act and talk (and misbehave) like kids, making the books super relatable and just lots of fun.

These books are perfect for newly independent readers + juniors who love a bucketload of gorgeous illustrations with their stories.




Title: The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea: Otter-ly Ridiculous and Bunny Ideas 
Author/Illustrator: Renee Treml
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $12.99
Publication Date: 31 January 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761068119 (book 5) 9781761068126 (book 6)
For ages: 4 - 7
Type: Junior Fiction


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Review: Girl And Fish

This breathtakingly beautiful picture book chronicles the adventures of a mountain girl and a fish. The unlikely pairing is made all the more poignant by Girl’s urgent quest to find the right habitat and environment for Fish to survive and thrive within. 

Girl is riding her bike in the mountains when Fish literally falls off the back of a truck! Girl quickly realises that Fish needs salt water to survive, but she cannot cry an ocean of tears for her new friend. 

What on earth will happen – and will she be able to help Fish? 

Questions abound and are answered in turn through the pages of the book, but at its heart this is a story of looking after others. It explores through a stunningly simple and articulate narrative, that what we want to give is not always what someone else needs to receive. 

I cannot emphasise enough how special this book is. It’s subtle and clear and beautiful. 

The illustrations by author/illustrator Dr Carolina Parada are simply divine. Charming, endearing, soft and strong at the same time, they celebrate difference and uniqueness without even trying. Shapes and layering, texture and line work with a gentle colour palette which is both immersive and evocative.

An open-hearted and compassionate invitation into the challenges of friendship, Girl And Fish embodies what it is to love unconditionally, without ever mentioning those two words. 

Truly stunning. 

Title: Girl And Fish
Author/Illustrator: Carolina Parada
Publisher: Red Paper Kite, $28.50
Publication Date: February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780648502678
For ages: 3 - 8 
Type: Picture Book




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Wednesday 15 February 2023

Review: The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea: Otter-ly Ridiculous (Book #5) and Bunny Ideas (Book #6)

Books 5 and 6 in The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea series are out, and owl/bunny duo Ollie and Bea are all about play in these fun instalments.

In Bunny Ideas (Book 5), Bea has a whole line up of games planned for playtime, but she doesn’t exactly love it when she loses… so she keeps changing the rules. Can Bea learn to have fun without winning?

In Otter-ly Ridiculous (Book 6), Bea really wants to play hide-and-seek, but when Ollie and Bea’s friends join in and the game gets super competitive, the friends end up in a giant fight. 

Can the crew sort out their quarrels and get back to playing? It’s not so easy when everyone has very strong ideas about the best way to play.

The Ollie and Bea series is a sweet and colourful graphic-novel addition to the junior fiction shelf. 

Super easy to follow and easy to read, the books are joyful and entertaining. 

Love the animal word play used throughout — words like owl-some, i-deer, unhoppy and toad-ally —and I love that the characters are beyond kid. They act and talk (and misbehave) like kids, making the books super relatable and just lots of fun.

These books are perfect for newly independent readers + juniors who love a bucketload of gorgeous illustrations with their stories.




Title: The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea: Otter-ly Ridiculous and Bunny Ideas 
Author/Illustrator: Renee Treml
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $12.99
Publication Date: 31 January 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761068119 (book 5) 9781761068126 (book 6)
For ages: 4 - 7
Type: Junior Fiction


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Tuesday 14 February 2023

Review: Girl And Fish

This breathtakingly beautiful picture book chronicles the adventures of a mountain girl and a fish. The unlikely pairing is made all the more poignant by Girl’s urgent quest to find the right habitat and environment for Fish to survive and thrive within. 

Girl is riding her bike in the mountains when Fish literally falls off the back of a truck! Girl quickly realises that Fish needs salt water to survive, but she cannot cry an ocean of tears for her new friend. 

What on earth will happen – and will she be able to help Fish? 

Questions abound and are answered in turn through the pages of the book, but at its heart this is a story of looking after others. It explores through a stunningly simple and articulate narrative, that what we want to give is not always what someone else needs to receive. 

I cannot emphasise enough how special this book is. It’s subtle and clear and beautiful. 

The illustrations by author/illustrator Dr Carolina Parada are simply divine. Charming, endearing, soft and strong at the same time, they celebrate difference and uniqueness without even trying. Shapes and layering, texture and line work with a gentle colour palette which is both immersive and evocative.

An open-hearted and compassionate invitation into the challenges of friendship, Girl And Fish embodies what it is to love unconditionally, without ever mentioning those two words. 

Truly stunning. 

Title: Girl And Fish
Author/Illustrator: Carolina Parada
Publisher: Red Paper Kite, $28.50
Publication Date: February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780648502678
For ages: 3 - 8 
Type: Picture Book




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Review: The Wanderer

Review: Brain Is (Not) Always Right

Being yourself is an important message for children and adults, and one that features in many books including this fabulous new picture book from bestselling author and illustrator Scott Stuart.
Brain Is (Not) Always Right shares the story of two characters represented by a heart and a brain, and explores how approaching life from emotional and intellectual perspectives may differ, but one is not better than the other.

Heart is creative, loves puppies and fashion, and will jump right aboard when there's a chance to ride a roller coaster. Brain is a super-sensible list maker who doesn't take risks and wants to get things right all of the time.

When Heart wants to learn to play the trumpet and dreams of becoming a famous performer, Brain is not keen. In fact, Brain’s response is an outright no because it may not be perfect and people might laugh. 

Heart is devastated. 

Brain is always right, so playing the trumpet must not be for Heart. The impact of this on Heart and how Brain ultimately reacts is simple yet so real. We should use both our brain and our heart.

Scott Stuart's illustrations are bright and uncomplicated. Even without the words you can tell what's happening and what the characters are feeling. The change in colour and typeface also help to communicate the story.

Brain Is (Not) Always Right reminds us that we might easily crush someone’s spirit if we’re not careful and keep telling them they’re wrong or not good enough, and that we’re all unique and should be ourselves.

Whatever your approach to life, spontaneous or planned, creative, emotional, planned, perfectionist, risk taker or risk averse or something else, this heartfelt and carefully considered book is for you. 

Everyone should read Brain Is (Not) Always Right.

Title: Brain Is (Not) Always Right
Author/Illustrator: Scott Stuart
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, $26.99
Publication Date: February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761204685
For ages: 4 - 8
Type: Picture Book



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Monday 13 February 2023

12 Curly Questions with author Louis White

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I had the opportunity to work as a spy in my early twenties but I didn’t want to move to Canberra so I said no.

2. What is your nickname?
I am fortunate to have a pretty original name in Louis (pronounced ‘louie’) so I have only ever been called by my Christian name.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Heights. I don’t know why but I am terrified of heights and it only gets worse as I get older.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Creative, pertinent, witty, educational, informative, entertaining, rhythmic, innovative, concise and adventurous.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Persuasive, descriptive, reflective, personal, inspired.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would be Charlie Bucket in Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because I never give up and always believe that something positive can happen at any time to anyone.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I would go back to 1987 when the world was simpler, the music was actually original, people were more carefree, there was no social media and I was only 19 years old studying at university without a care in the world.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Well, you didn’t make it as an Australian Rules footballer but you have succeeded as a mainstream journalist and children’s book author, so at least your second love came to fruition.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
When it comes to children’s books definitely Julia Donaldson. I think her books are so clever across so many different themes. She is really very talented.

10. What/who made you start writing?
As far as I can remember I always loved reading books. I can remember as a boy spending hours in my bedroom, lying on my bed reading books. I think writing just emanated from that and I found it a great way to express myself as a teenager throughout school.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Facetious. It reflects my personality and it is only one of two English words that have all the vowels in order.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Probably the Bible because it is so big and has so many stories. You would always find something new.

 

Louis White is an experienced journalist and corporate writer who has written for major daily newspapers in Australia. Inspired by his daughter Lily and her curiosity and passion for nature, he began writing the Adventures of Lily series with an aim to encourage children to get closer to nature and understand the world around them. His other books include A Christmas Story and an adult fiction book titled One Season. For more information, see www.louiswhite.com.



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Review: Mama's Chickens

Review: Found in Sydney

Head out on a counting adventure in Sydney with Found in Sydney from Joanne O’Callaghan and Kori Song.

Written in rollicking rhyme, every page features a number and a special place in Sydney to explore.

Two baby koalas sleep in a tree.

Kangaroos, emus and giraffes to see.

Three cheeky seagulls are flying around.

Careful your hot chips don’t fall on the ground.


Count the objects and pour over the funky illustrations on each page. If you’re a Sydney local, you’re sure to recognise all the fabulous locations, but there are enough iconic landmarks that non Sydney-siders will also recognise most.

At the back of the book, all of the featured places are listed and included on a map, so you can find out more about them and learn where they are (maybe for a Sydney trip of your own). There’s also some fantastic facts about Sydney in a section called ‘Did you Know?’, helping kids learn more about one of Australia’s most famous cities.

A fun way to learn about the city of Sydney, Found in Sydney is perfect picture book fun.

Title: Found in Sydney
Author: Joanne O’Callaghan
Illustrator: Kori Song
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99
Publication Date: 10 January 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760526245
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book



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Saturday 11 February 2023

Review: The Secret Wild

Adventure and mystery in the city for a girl who loves the rainforest. That's The Secret Wild.

Fern Featherstone is not a city girl and when she has to move to London, she misses the green outdoors. 

Her life changes dramatically, when on the plane to London she discovers a plant that can talk! 

She ‘liberates’ it from a botanist who is secretly bringing it into the country. Fern names the plant Special. And so begins a series of unusual events.

On the way from the airport, Fern is driven through the Chelsea Coconut Grove, thought to have been planted by someone dubbed the Guerilla Gardener.

Then there’s Fern’s Uncle Ned who she’s going to be meeting for the first time, and staying with. He’s a rather eccentric writer and doesn’t have a green thumb. Fern isn’t very happy. Her life until now has been so different to what it’s like in London. 

Fern meets a boy named Woody, and she discovers there are strange things happening. Plants seem to be taking over the city. Will Fern be able to uncover what is going on? Can she save the city from the mysterious turn of events?

As a novel, this book doesn’t have illustrations. However, the first chapter of each page is decorated with pictures of plants – branches, vines and the like – winding around the edges. As the story progresses, they grow from a tiny plant with a few leaves to multiple large plants covering all the white space. It’s a clever way of creating atmosphere. Added to this is the use of botanical themed names, like Dandelion Road, and Oleander the botanist. 

The Secret Wild is full of the environment and fast-paced adventure, with Fern’s experiences brought to life through the imagination of Alex Evelyn, in her debut novel. A fun story for independent readers, or as a shared read-aloud book.

Title: The Secret Wild
Author: Alex Evelyn
Publisher: Walker Books, $19.35
Publication Date: May 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781406399394
For ages: 9 - 11
Type: Junior Fiction



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Friday 10 February 2023

Review: Dorrie

Have you read Mamie by Tania McCartney? If you haven’t, I highly recommend it. It’s a gorgeous retelling of the life of May Gibbs, creator of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.

But this isn’t a review about Mamie. This is a review about Dorrie (also by Tania McCartney), an equally stunning retelling of the life of Dorothy Wall, the creator of Blinky Bill.

In Dorrie, a young girl called Dorothy is born. She loves the piano, she loves to sing and she loves to dance. She’s a creative soul, a maker of beautiful things and an adventurer.

Eventually her adventures take her to Australia, and there she continues to create and create until one day… she starts to write about and draw a koala named Blinky Bill.

Filled with imagination, inspiration and whimsy, Dorrie is a delightful tale full of magic. There’s something warming in these pages. Something special that connects you to a true story, but also takes you away on a fantastical journey, with a koala who loves drawing and dancing and wears cool yellow sunglasses. I also love that Dorrie stays a girl throughout the book, even though that doesn’t add up to the real-life timeline. It makes the book super relatable for kids, engaging them from start to finish.

At the back of the book there is a page devoted to the facts, so readers can find out more about Dorothy Wall and the things that happened in her life. It wasn’t an easy life, and Dorothy experienced many ups and downs. McCartney goes through all this in a truthful, but kid-friendly way, so readers can learn about this great creator and her accomplishments.

I feel like a broken record when it comes to McCartney’s illustrations, but they are once again superb. Stunning colours, so perfectly chosen to create the setting, literally hundreds of tiny details to pour over, and deep emotions injected into every expression.

I have so many favourite pages, but I particularly like the ones where Dorrie is creating, because this is where those intricate details really shine  — books and paper and pens and pencils and drawings and scissors and pins and thread and paints and more. You can literally spend hours discovering hidden treasures on these pages. The time it would have taken to create them... they are a true gift.

I really love this kind of non-fiction/fiction/retelling story. It’s such a spectacular way to learn about a real-life someone who did amazing real-life things in a fun, engaging and feels-like-a-hug way.

Tania McCartney and Dorothy Wall have a lot in common. They are both HUGELY talented Australian author/illustrator/creators. Celebrate them both buy picking up a copy of the stunning Dorrie.

Title: Dorrie
Author/Illustrator: Tania McCartney
Publisher: HarperCollins, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781460760109
For ages: 3 - 6 
Type: Picture Book




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Thursday 9 February 2023

Review: Hope is the Thing

Hope -- anticipation and waiting and wanting -- is a concept that may or may not be somewhat difficult for a child to explain.

In their picture book Hope is the Thing, a note from Johanna Bell and Erica Wagner explains that in the book they aim to '[speak] to the many ways hope presents in the world'.

Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem Hope is the Thing With Feathers, Johanna and Erica use their main character, a creative young girl, and many kinds of birds to help 'create an imagined world filled with art and hope'.

The freedom and activity of birds offers a feeling of hope and exhilaration which the text of Hope is the Thing captures and celebrates beautifully. There are kookaburras singing, emus running, and pelicans patrolling. Mischievous cockatoos and the hungry ibis make themselves known. The birds featured offer insight into the wonderful birdlife we can experience.

The pictures in Hope is the Thing are created using mixed media collages which give wonderful texture, depth and movement, and the backgrounds are painted on paper. A note from illustrator Erica Wagner at the back of the book gives a bit more detail about the illustrations.

All the pictures are fantastic, however I particularly love the final two pictures, where the girl has dressed up as a bird, and a flock of birds is flying from her hand and out a window. Then you see the girl herself joining them as she flies on the back of a large bird.

A child’s innocence and the freedom of birds combine to create an uplifting story in Hope is the Thing.

Title: Hope is the Thing
Author: Johanna Bell
Illustrator: Erica Wagner
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $24.99
Publication Date: 31 January 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761180026
For ages: 4 - 8
Type: Picture book

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Meet The Illustrator: Georgia Stylou

Name: Georgia Stylou

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Digital free hand painting, semi-realist, whimsical, warm and innocent.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My Mac is my best friend, regular pencils are always on my desk as well as my digital ones, candles and a bottle of fresh water. A cup of coffee is also a must!

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
My pen tablet, for sure! Ever since I discovered the digital way I can’t go back! I used to be a traditional painter so pencils, brushes and colours are always somewhere around just in case!

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Roger Olmos, Sonja Wimmer and Rebecca Dautremer.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I’d say the present artistic period! I think that we are living in the most 'pluralistic' period of all time, there are all kind of artistic styles and so many talented artists around the world!



Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I have asked this same question myself many times before but, honestly, I don’t know exactly the answer! I draw and paint ever since I remember myself so I guess whatever inspired me in the first place to become an illustrator must be something I had experienced in my very early childhood life! I guess the fact that I was always a big fan of picture books and cartoons was a plus!


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 the workspace where I have been creating for the last 10 years. It is pretty minimalistic and clean because that is how I like to work: just my pen tablet, my Mac, some candles and a cup of coffee. However, right now it is emptier than usual because we are about to move in a new apartment and most of my stuff are in boxes!


What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
Definitely one of the last parts: the colouring! It is then when all the images look alive and I can have a clearer view of what the final creative product will look like.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
My advice would be to constantly learning and developing your techniques and just go after your dream.



Georgia Stylou works as an illustrator for children's books around the world.She has a degree in Graphic Design but she soon realized that what she really wanted to do was creating images for children´s stories. Books with her work have been published in Greece and abroad. She lives in Greece with her husband and their two children, who serve as inspiration for creating beautiful scenes and images.

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


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Wednesday 8 February 2023

Review: Brain Is (Not) Always Right

Being yourself is an important message for children and adults, and one that features in many books including this fabulous new picture book from bestselling author and illustrator Scott Stuart.
Brain Is (Not) Always Right shares the story of two characters represented by a heart and a brain, and explores how approaching life from emotional and intellectual perspectives may differ, but one is not better than the other.

Heart is creative, loves puppies and fashion, and will jump right aboard when there's a chance to ride a roller coaster. Brain is a super-sensible list maker who doesn't take risks and wants to get things right all of the time.

When Heart wants to learn to play the trumpet and dreams of becoming a famous performer, Brain is not keen. In fact, Brain’s response is an outright no because it may not be perfect and people might laugh. 

Heart is devastated. 

Brain is always right, so playing the trumpet must not be for Heart. The impact of this on Heart and how Brain ultimately reacts is simple yet so real. We should use both our brain and our heart.

Scott Stuart's illustrations are bright and uncomplicated. Even without the words you can tell what's happening and what the characters are feeling. The change in colour and typeface also help to communicate the story.

Brain Is (Not) Always Right reminds us that we might easily crush someone’s spirit if we’re not careful and keep telling them they’re wrong or not good enough, and that we’re all unique and should be ourselves.

Whatever your approach to life, spontaneous or planned, creative, emotional, planned, perfectionist, risk taker or risk averse or something else, this heartfelt and carefully considered book is for you. 

Everyone should read Brain Is (Not) Always Right.

Title: Brain Is (Not) Always Right
Author/Illustrator: Scott Stuart
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, $26.99
Publication Date: February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761204685
For ages: 4 - 8
Type: Picture Book



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Tuesday 7 February 2023

12 Curly Questions with author Karen Comer

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I can’t swallow tablets whole – I have to cut them up first! I envy people who can swallow a
tablet without a gulp of water!

2. What is your nickname?
Kaz – occasionally.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Being on a reality TV show – cameras, lots of people, competitiveness, lack of authenticity – no thanks!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Contemporary verse novels – sparse, lyrical, full of heart and symbolism.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Persistent, creative, determined, disciplined, daydreamy.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would like to be another member of the Silk family from Glenda Millard’s wonderful series
The Kingdom of Silk – they are such a warm and creative family.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
It would be fascinating to go to Paris in 1789 at the beginning of the French Revolution – and
observe from a safe distance!

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Thank you for not giving up on our writing dreams.

9. Who is your greatest influence?

Every book I’ve read – as in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, Ulysses, ‘I am a part of all that I
have met’.

10. What/who made you start writing?
A deep-seated need to express myself.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Possibilities – anything can happen! This word is full of magic and hope!

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
A book of fairytales – all those different characters, representing the different aspects of
ourselves.

Karen Comer is a freelance editor and presents writing workshops to children and adults. Earlier in her career, she worked in educational publishing and was the editor for children's
art magazine BIG. She lives in Melbourne. Grace Notes is her debut novel. For more information, see www.karencomer.com.au.





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Thursday 2 February 2023

Review: Suffragette: The Battle for Equality

First things first, I want to apologise that I haven't uploaded a review of David Roberts' Suffragette much earlier than this. It's a travesty. Much like the travesty women around the world have traversed to secure the basic right to vote. 

And no one tells the suffragette tale like Roberts; he has produced a book that spans not only the gamut of reading age, but a tome that will utterly delight anyone with a love of history, drama and an appreciation of beautiful art [read: most especially children].

Suffragette is one of my best-loved books in the past 5 years, including adult books. It is written with compassion, clarity and goosebumpelling verve that puts us firmly in the seat of those women who fought, lost, gained and even died to change history.

Beautifully crafted and laid out, this large format book is a chronological journey sliced into double-page spreads that highlight some of the key moments in the UK's suffragette movement.

Stars of the show include the world-renowned Emmeline Pankhurst, as well as Millicent Fawcett, Emily Wilding Davison, and militant activist and wheelchair user Rosa May Billinghurst. I mean, these are some astonishingly brave and feisty women who suffered repeat incarcerations, physical violence and oppression, and partook in debilitating hunger strikes with unbearable forced feedings by prison staff.


Sections in the book cover such insights as the loss of the right to vote in 1832 (thanks to the Great People's Reform Act), introductions to several suffragists and their supporters, the various groups, federations and unions that were formed, sustained civil disobedience and protests, arson, hunger strikes, firebombs - I mean, this is phenomenal rebel territory that will both stun and hearten young readers.

Although the stories are often dire (because, well, things were dire), the latter stories become more hopeful and encouraging. I haven't found anything in this book that would distress children, but if you feel inclined, look through the content beforehand. 

Frankly, this is the kind of history children need to hear, to develop compassion, humanity and a true understanding of human rights. Alas, to this day, not all of the world's women can vote, and in some countries that do have the legal right to vote, harassment, coercion and even violence prevents them from safely doing so.


A special mention to the illustrations featured throughout the book. Riddled with action, emotion, detail, depth, quirky character and the superb colour palette Roberts is known for, they are sheer delight, and form a stunning visual backdrop to a timeless, important history.

Suffragette is a keeper of a book, and is a vital historical recount for both schools and home.

Title: Suffragette: The Battle for Equality
Author/Illustrator: David Roberts
Publisher: Two Hoots, $44.95
Publication Date: 31 May 2018
Format: Hardcover, large format
ISBN: 9781509839674
For ages: 8+
Type: Picture Book, Non-Fiction




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Review: Pollination: How does my garden grow?

Told as a conversation between a young child and their grandparents, Pollination: How Does My Garden Grow? is an accessible explanation of the concept of pollination.

It begins with the child watching and learning how bees gather pollen and distribute it as they move from flower to flower, and that bees will also eat pollen. Other animals are also discussed and include butterflies, bats and possums.

The action takes place in the grandparents' garden. The child and adults observe what's happening. They eat lunch and talk about what they've seen and how colours and smells help attract some of the animals to pollinate, and some plants don't need animals at all because the wind helps to do that job.

Pollination helps highlight the importance of this process for the life of plants and the survival of animals. Without pollination there are many foods we wouldn't have access to, and items like cotton wouldn't be available for making clothes.

Wonderful, slightly retro-style colourful illustrations depict all these activities, so readers can feel a part of the experience.

Pollination: How Does My Garden Grow? is an important part of nature's life cycle. Christopher Cheng and Danny Snell have done a great job of creating a narrative nonfiction picture book packed full of details that will help children (and adults) understand something that happens around us all the time, but which we might not really see or take much notice of.

A great book for learning about the environment, sustainability, garden and animal life. Something that everyone can benefit from.

Teachers' notes are available to download from the publisher's website.

Title: Pollination: How does my garden grow?
Author: Chris Cheng
Illustrator: Danny Snell
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing, $24.99
Publication Date: February 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781486313235
For ages: 5 - 9
Type: Junior Non-Fiction




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