Review: I'm Ready for Christmas and I'm Ready for Preschool

I'm Ready is a great series of books for toddlers and preschoolers.

The first two titles are I'm Ready for Christmas and I'm Ready for Preschool.

They're sturdy board books that tell a story to introduce and explain situations for young children.

The series is illustrated in super cute style by Jedda Robaard, with pictures beautifully complementing the text.

And the books themselves are just the right size for little hands to hold.

A little wombat narrates I'm Ready for Christmas, telling of her excitement as her favourite day draws nearer.

She describes seasonal preparations like the neighbourhood's celebrations, special Christmas food, and decorating their Christmas tree. Gift giving and family visits are also important.

In I'm Ready for Preschool, the narrator is a koala. He's both excited and nervous about reaching the milestone of starting preschool and being like all the older kids.

Koala tells how he has everything he needs ready for preschool: lunch box, water bottle, backpack, hat, and other things.

He makes new friends at preschool, plays with new toys, and dresses up. There are also lots of amazing stories to listen to.

One of the great things about this series is that it's Australian. That means the Christmas story is set in summer!

And the preschool environment looks and feels very Australian, too (visible wattle and gum trees help with that).

The stories address common questions children might have, and the friendly characters and recognisable situations will appeal to them and help gently allay any concerns.

Grab these books for the littlest book lovers in your family, and you'll be well on your way to preparing them for new experiences.

Other titles in the series are expected next year and include stories about a new baby, Easter, birthdays, and swimming.

Title: I'm Ready for Christmas / I'm Ready for Preschool
Author: Puffin
Illustrator: Jedda Robaard
Publisher: Puffin, $12.99
Publication Date: October 2019
Format: Board book
ISBN: 9781760891619 / 9781760891602
For ages: 2 – 5
Type: Picture book




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Review: Gregory Goose is on the Loose! In the Jungle

A colourful seek and find board book bursting with cheerful jungle vibes.

Search for Gregory Goose in each double page spread amongst other jungle animals, plants and objects. Each scene has Gregory hidden in a new environment such as in the trees with chimpanzees, a lion’s den, swimming in a river with hippopotamuses and more.

The text gently flows and rhymes, suiting the bright illustrations perfectly. I adore the colourful details and happy expressions on all the animals faces and the last scene featuring a special jungle cake.

Gregory Goose is on the Loose! In the Jungle is would be a great introduction to the jungle and to seek and find books for toddlers. Gregory can also be found in Gregory Goose is on the Loose! On the Moon and Gregory Goose is on the Loose! At the Fair.

Title: Gregory Goose is on the Loose! In the Jungle
Author: Hilary Robinson
Illustrator: Mandy Stanley
Publisher: New Frontier, $12.99
Publication Date: 1 December 2019
Format: Board Book
ISBN: 9781925594874
For ages: 0 – 3
Type: Picture Book




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Review: Rebel Girls: Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code

Guest Post: Claire Zorn on The Necessity of Nonsense

Reviews: Dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse

Wow, this is a cool book! It takes your common zombie tale and completely turns it on its head.

In Dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse, Seb downloads a cool new zombie apocalypse game, not realising that he’s agreeing to some strange game options. 

When he wakes the next day, his family is acting strange. They won’t look away from their devices, they’re not interested in food and they’re not even talking.

Worse than that, it appears most of the people in Seb’s town are the same. 

It’s a real zombie apocalypse, but instead of zombies that want to eat your brains, the town is filled with people completely addicted to their screens. 

With the help of his best friend Darren and Talia, the prettiest girl in school, Seb needs to figure out what is going on and how to cure everyone of zombification.

And he needs to do it fast — before the whole town falls apart and the zombie virus spreads.

This is a brilliant and engaging middle grade novel for fans of a wild adventure. With cool and relatable characters and non-stop action, it’s an addictive read. 

I love how Lee Murray balances the fantastical with real life. An apocalypse like this may not ever happen (or maybe it will!), but the family and teen dramas the characters experience throughout the novel are all real: crushes on classmates, outlandish grandparents, sibling rivalries and homework woes. 

Without hitting kids over the head with it, the book is also a discussion starter about electronic devices and how they can take over your life if you let them. The characters never talk about it obviously, but the themes are there, brilliantly disguised. 

There was a minor issue with the book layout (a couple of blank pages after chapters), but this does not detract in any way from the story. This is a brilliant middle fiction novel for kids who love action and adventure. I found it very difficult to put it down!

Title: Dawn of the Zombie Apocalypse 

Author: Lee Murray

Publisher: Novella Distribution, $23.95

Publication Date: 7 October 2019

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9781925956108

For ages: 12+

Type: Middle Fiction

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Review: The Sharp End of a Snowflake

Review: Hidden Wonders

In the busy bustle of day-to-day life it can be easy to miss the beauty and majesty of the world around us. Hidden Wonders entices us to look around and soak in the amazing sights of our world.

This extraordinary collection inspires awe and curiosity. Giant pink slugs, a miniature city, an underwater post office, an island for cats, sacred forests and sparkling caves. With appealing photographs and interesting narratives, this book reveals wonders from every continent.

Have you ever heard of a park full of monkeys who regularly bathe in hot springs? Or a valley with rocks so unusually shaped they appear like a moonscape? These and many other intriguing tales appear on every page.

With a hidden wonder on each page, an index for searching, and an extensive list of photo credits, future intrepid travellers can easily find their inspiration within the pages of this book.

Title: Hidden Wonders
Author: Nicole Maggi
Publisher: Lonely Planet Kids, $29.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2019
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781788683258
For ages: 9 - 12
Type: Non-Fiction




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Review: The Invincibles: Short Circuit (Book #2)

The Invincibles are back! And in this adventure they have a teeny bit of a problem.

While flexing their new super power muscles and testing their new skills, the team trigger a super power short circuit and shrink to the size of bugs.

While trying to stay alive, they discover Tricky Ricky is up to his old villainous tricks. But how can they save the day when someone might step on them at any moment?

The Invincibles series is an awesome junior fiction adventure for kids who love football, hanging out with friends and dreaming up cool super powers they’d love to have. 

It’s fast paced, filled with action and includes a healthy dose of hilarious toilet humour that’s sure to trigger fits of giggles from the kids.

With loads of funky illustrations, it’s an easy read for junior readers, and it’s the kind of series kids fall in love with and follow from book one through to the end, choosing a favourite character and sticking by them.

I love the outrageousness of these books. They are fun, silly, hilarious and entertaining. The series is a great one for reluctant readers and a perfect pick for young boys (though I wouldn’t say it’s just for boys!).

The book will make more sense if you start at the beginning of the series, so make sure you check out The Invincibles Power Up as well.

If you’re looking for a new series for your young readers to latch onto, I highly recommend this one. Peter Millet is a brilliant voice in kid lit and Myles Lawford’s illustrations are awesome. A perfect combination.

Title: The Invincibles: Short Circuit
Author: Peter Millet
Illustrator: Myles Lawford
Publisher: Scholastic, $12.99
Publication Date: 1 September 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781775436003
For ages: 7 - 10
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Can you Hear the Trees Talking?

Did you know that trees in forests live in families and support each other? That family members can merge their roots together so they can exchange messages and food? And that there is a forest internet that connects trees across the forest and helps them communicate with each other?

In this amazing book, Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees, brings his message to a younger audience to help them understand the beauty and complexity of trees. 

Kids will learn how tree children grow, are protected and go to school. As well as how trees learn to adapt to their environment and know what to do in different seasons.

This book is very accessible for reading with younger primary children, but also contains some more complex scientific concepts for upper primary children. I love that it encourages kids to get out and observe trees, and to do their own research.

There are plenty of high-quality photographs, with quizzes and activities to do along the way. Kids will learn to see trees as living and feeling beings that can express fear and stress and warn other trees of danger. They will also come to understand that trees can get sick and there are ways we can help them when they do.

This is a real celebration of the wonders of nature. A reminder that trees are such an essential part of our world, from making oxygen to housing and feeding birds, insects and animals. Trees can also make us feel good and make us healthier, and it is absolutely worth our effort to help them grow.



Title: Can You Hear the Trees Talking
Author: Peter Wohllenben
Publisher: Greystone Kids, $29.99
Publication Date: October 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781771644341
For ages: 7+
Type: Non-Fiction




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Review: Incredible Journeys

Here's an incredible book to ignite the imaginations of young adventurers and explorers.

Real-life explorer Levison Wood takes readers on some of history's most famous expeditions, tracing the routes of ancient explorers, such as Marco Polo and David Livingstone.

There are 20 different expeditions to study, each complete with bold and colourful illustrated maps and fascinating snippets of information to peruse.

Journey along the Silk Road, set sail with the Vikings, or take to the skies with Amelia Earhart. This sumptuous book covers everything from early explorers seeking to circumnavigate the world, to some of the women who explored the sands of Arabia, and on to astronauts striving to set foot on the moon, and scientists diving down into the Mariana Trench.

There's also a fabulous spread on how to be an explorer, encouraging readers to be observant and curious, learn how to read a map and discover other tales of adventure.

This beautiful tome is a must for anyone with a curious mind and adventurous spirit. Who knows what they'll discover!

Title: Incredible Journeys
Author: Levison Wood
Illustrator: Sam Brewster
Publisher: Wren & Rook, 29.99
Publication Date: June 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781526360434
For ages: 8+
Type: Non-fiction Picture Book

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Review: The Adventures of Crimson and the Guardian

When I was a child, I often fantasised about being chosen for a quest — for destiny to come knocking and have something epic to say. For kids who can relate, The Adventures of Crimson and the Guardian will take you on that epic quest.

Kinsey is an orphaned servant girl. She works in a castle kitchen, and while her employer treats her well, Kinsey knows she was meant to do more with her life.

Walking in the forest to visit her sister, Kinsey finds a magical cloak. A unicorn emerges from the trees, and Kinsey’s life changes forever.

There is trouble in the kingdom, and Crimson the unicorn needs Kinsey to help fight it. Reluctant and unprepared, Kinsey isn’t ready to be a hero. But as evil closes in and threatens the people she cares about, Kinsey is faced with a choice: run from her destiny, or face it head on.

The Adventures of Crimson and the Guardian is an epic adventure filled with unicorns, dwarfs, elves, shadow-bloods and many more magical and fantastical creatures. Some of these I was familiar with, but others I had never heard of (and I suspect are Cossey’s own creation). I love this about the book. It pushes fantasy outside the box and delivers fresh content full of imagination. 

I also really liked and related to Kinsey as a character. She has great inner strength and a strong desire to do the right thing. But like everyone, she has doubts about her abilities and must dig deep to be brave when danger looms. 

As she journeys with Crimson the unicorn, Kinsey’s confidence grows. She stands up for what she believes in, and she finds her own path to victory. I love this message for kids. Sometimes things are hard, and sometimes we want more than anything to run away and hide. But believing in yourself, standing up and saying ‘I won’t run,’ can lead to the most amazing adventures.

Without illustrations, I’d put The Adventures of Crimson and the Guardian at the older end of junior fiction or younger end of middle grade. It’s an easy read, so it’s a good choice for chapter book kids ready for their next reading challenge.

Filled with magic, fantasy and action-adventure that never stops, this is one for the kids ready to say yes to the quest.

Title: The Adventures of Crimson and the Guardian

Author: Karen Cossey

Publisher: Stolen Moments, $14.97

Publication Date: April 2016

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 9780473381196

For ages: 7 - 10

Type: Junior Fiction, Middle Grade

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12 Curly Questions with author Cori Brooke

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I got the highest final grade in Grade 11 Latin (98 per cent) in the history of that Junior High School.

2. What is your nickname?
Coco

3. What is your greatest fear?
This is a tough one. I think my greatest fear is losing people I love.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
I write from the centre of my heart and being.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
I hope that my writing gives readers: hope, joy, imagination, beauty and kindness.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would be the girl in Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger and I would use my Magic Finger to do good (and maybe a bit of mischief). A quote from the book: ‘I can’t stand hunting. I just can’t stand it. It doesn’t seem right to me that men and boys should kill animals just for the fun they get out of it.’ I own the book with the original illustrations – they are a bit dark and disturbing, which I admire.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I would travel back to when both of my grandmothers were alive and healthy and have a tea with them. I would ask my Grandma Momo to cook for me and to make me her macaroni and cheese and hamburger patty, with ketchup on the side – literally the best lunch ever.  But, also, because it is top of mind right now, I would travel back to 1997 and try to help Michael Hutchence (a very underrated talent who died a lonely, sad death, far too young) to get help for his mental health issues (I watched Mystify recently – it is sad and very moving).

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Do you really live in Australia? Aren’t you scared of all the spiders?

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My Mom and Dad. They both worked hard and they never let anyone push them around.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I was always thinking of stories in my imagination (and still do) and I used to write little stories when I was a kid (either for school or for fun). But I really started writing as an adult after I had my son. I was pretty bored because he would only sleep on me during the day so I started writing stories one-handed (because my son was asleep on me) on a little laptop. That is when I wrote my first published book, Max & George.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
So many tricky questions! Oh right, it is called Curly Questions! I do love the word ‘tenacious’. I love the way it sounds and what it means. I often use it as a word to describe me. I also love the word 'beautiful' because I remember how I learnt to spell it when I was a kid. I made up a little song in my head where I would sing each vowel, eg, BE-A-U-TIFUL. I still sing that song when I spell it!

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. It is so full of characters and is so rich in detail. It is one of my all-time favourite books.

Cori Brooke is a CBCA shortlisted picture book author (All I Want for Christmas is Rain, 2017 CBCA shortlist), which is something she never thought she would be able to say. Cori spreads herself thin doing too much and multi-tasking to the extreme. At a school visit a little boy pointed at her and said ‘you’re crazy’. Cori found it hard to disagree. But then again, sanity is very subjective. Cori is originally from Canada and lives in Brisbane with her husband, son, dog and cat. Cori loves reading, cooking, camping and, of course, writing. Cori works full time as a proud Australian Public Servant. For more information, see www.coribrooke.com.au.

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Review: Cake

Cake is an amusing story of a sponge cake’s first time at a party... with an alarming surprise.

He has never been to a party before, so when Cake is invited to one he doesn’t know what to wear.  He asks for advice and tries on different costumes but is still unsure, so he goes shopping and buys an irresistible new hat.

Cake has a fabulous time dancing and playing games at the party, but when the other guests begin to sing, he experiences a moment of startling realisation. What’s in store for Cake next? With a flash of darkness and a clever twist, an amusing end prevails.

The bright and bold digital drawings work perfectly with the story and add funny details to each page. I adore the extra characters, especially a cute crocodile in a pink tutu and a rabbit dressed as a robot, they ooze happiness and set scenes wonderfully.

Cake is another hilarious story with charm, wit and a dark twist from the fabulous duo of Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet. Some of their other books include No-Bot the Robot with No Bottom, Barry Fish Fingers,  Supertato, Run, Veggies, Run, and Supertato Veggies Assemble.

Title: Cake
Author:  Sue Hendra
Illustrator: Paul Linnet
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $14.99
Publication Date: 2018
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781509827435
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book




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Review: The First Christmas

Review: En Pointe

En Pointe: A true story of hope, hardship and never giving up on your dreams is a revelation to read. This is an inspirational, heartfelt memoir suitable for ages 12 to adult.

Written by Australian author, dancer and actor, Chloe Bayliss, En Pointe is bursting with hope, persistence, growth, and ultimately, joie de vivre, the joy of living one's best life. It is my favourite book of the year, and my 12 year old daughter's (a feat never achieved by any other book), leading to wonderful discussions.

The story begins at one of the highest points in the author's teenage life, auditioning for and being accepted into an International Dance School, when suddenly everything changes. A mystery illness renders Chloe unable to walk more than a few paces. Her world of dance and music is suddenly replaced by hospital beds and beeping machines.

Chloe's story definitely does not end here. This determined teen, with the support of her family and the medical team, begins the longest and most difficult journey of her life, the journey to recovery. Along the way, Chloe discovers the spark that drives her forward with every step, and realises there is more than one way to reach her dreams.

The author's writing style is honest, like sharing a story with a friend, drawing readers in to understand and empathise with her experiences. Highly recommended for anyone questioning their path in life or facing challenges that sometimes seem insurmountable.

Title: En Pointe
Author: Chloe Bayliss
Publisher: Pantera Press, $24.99
Publication Date: 16 September 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925700756
For ages: 12+
Type: Young Adult Memoir



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