Review: The Little Coven

The Little Coven is picture book magic!

Filled with golden flowing rhyme, it’s a delicious read that makes music with words.

There’s a clearing in the forest where the moss and mushrooms grow,

Where three little witches gather beneath the full moon’s glow.

Eve, Florence and Sabine are best friends — the little coven, witchy friends who have each other’s back no matter what. They may be different, with different witchy talents, but together they can do anything.

Together they mix magic — whisper secrets of the soul.
And the things that make them different, when together, make them whole.

This gem of a picture book explores how friends don’t have to be the same to be friends — how our differences are a good thing and come together to make us better as a whole. It’s about deep friendship that spans time. It’s a celebration of connections that never break no matter what obstacles are thrown our way.

Each has wandered their own path, through every twist and turn.
But always to this clearing these three witches do return.

The rhyme flows gloriously in The Little Coven, adding to the witchy feel of the book. Penny Harrison’s words warm your heart as you read, reminding you of all the special people in your own world.

Illustrator Vivian Mineker injects magic, mystique and atmosphere into each page. The colour palette is exquisitely lush with deep greens and purples conveying the mystery of the forest. There are lots of hidden treasures to find as you read: darling forest creatures and smiling trees.

I love how Mineker represents the witches. Are they kids playing witches in the forest or do they actually have witchy powers? The answer is really up to you, and I love thinking about it both ways.

l also love how the coven plays as they grow, even into adulthood. It’s a beautiful message to adults to let go and find their inner child, and a message too to kids to never forget what being a kid is all about. These are small jewels hidden in the story and illustrations — subtle and almost invisible — but they add so much to the story experience.

I highly recommend The Little Coven. It’s a joy-filled and magical read that celebrates the bonds of friendship and witchy-fun.

For more great picture books by Penny Harrison, make sure you check out Extraordinary, Rainbow is my Favourite Colour, and Bronte: Me and My Boots.

Title: The Little Coven
Author: Penny Harrison
Illustrator: Vivian Mineker
Publisher: Hardie Grant, $24.99
Publication Date: 7 April 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760508128
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Books

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12 Curly Questions with author Steve Heron

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I failed English at High School.

2. What is your nickname?
Fish – although it doesn’t get used a lot nowadays. When I worked with street kids many years ago, they called me Hubcap Head.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Being told I can’t eat chocolate anymore.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
A blend of humour, heart, hope, literary lunacy and reality.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Determined, funny, cheeky, heartfelt, hopeful.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would be the Puffin in The Sea-Thing Child by Russell Hoban. Why? It’s my favourite book and I love the way the Puffin discovers his true destiny, spreads his wings and soars. I can relate to that; I am encouraged by that.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Hmmm, hardest question. If pressed I would say 1965, so I could march with Martin Luther King Jnr on the civil rights protest march from Selma to Mongomery.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
I’m glad you stopped throwing stones at girls.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
Other than my mum, Baymax from Big Hero 6.

10. What/who made you start writing?
About 30 years ago, a 10-year-old boy asked me if I would write a story about a boy who was being bullied. I told him that I don’t write books. Not long after that I saw a charm of magpies on the side of the road. It looked like they were picking on the weakest one. I could see a story in that, so I wrote it. It became my first picture book, The Magpie Who Wasn’t a Chicken. After that, I read The Sea-Thing Child and I knew I wanted to write for children.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Fantastic. Because it’s fantastic. If someone asks me how I am, I say “fantastic”. It surprises people. Even if I’m not feeling fantastic, just saying it helps me feel better and they usually smile.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The Sea-Thing Child by Russell Hoban

Steve uses his 40-plus years of working with children to inspire him and combines heart, hope, humour and help to create books that touch and tickle children’s hearts. His first middle-grade novel Maximus (Serenity Press) published 2018. His first trade-published picture book is Ling Li’s Lantern (MidnightSun Publishing) 2020. For more information, see www.steveheron.com.

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Review : Elsewhere Girls

This clever and highly entertaining novel is written by two authors, writing one voice each.

It is early 2021. Cat and her family have moved from country Victoria to the city. Cat has won a sports scholarship into Victoria College. But swimming is not her passion but she is good at it. 

The expectations that come with the scholarship are overwhelming for Cat, and she’d rather be back in Orange. But she can’t let her parents down. 

Her life is ruled by early morning training and a stop watch.

Fan longs to be a top swimmer. Her goal is the Olympics. It is 1908. She and her nine siblings work extremely hard with training fitting in around the endless chores that every day demands.

On an ordinary day, when both girls are swimming, the hands of the stopwatch measuring time for Cat, turn anti-clockwise at the same moment that Fan is being timed.

A time-slip occurs. The girls find themselves in the other’s world. Fan is in Cat’s body and looks like her but is still Fan, and vice-versa.

How it happens is a mystery to both girls who must work out how to get back home.

Meanwhile, wonderful descriptions of life and family in the early 1900s, become film tapes, projecting the past that Cat is forced to adapt to. Hilarious situations occur when both girls try to cover their mistakes in speech, attitude, dress and relationships within the family circle.

It is almost impossible for Cat to behave like she belongs in Fan’s era. She must dispose of dead rats, and use a chamber pot in the night. This she forgoes for the dunny with newspapers hanging on a string for toilet paper. Washing day is worse and she fears she will never survive the challenges each day brings.

The toaster is a mystery to Fan. How does it go up and down? There is the shower that produces hot water at the turn of a tap. A machine washes the clothes instead of boiling a copper and using the wash board. Mobile phones and Google are mysterious words, and how do laptops die?

Valuable historical information is used to create Fan’s life which can’t fail to be highly educational for younger people who have grown up in the internet age.

I loved everything about this lighthearted story built of swapped lives. The past’s difficulties put the present’s luxuries in focus, reminding us how lucky we are to live in the times that we do. At the same time, acknowledging that those early years had a lot of beneficial things that today’ society lacks.

Title: Elsewhere Girls
Author: Emily Gale & Nova Weetman
Publisher: Text, $16.99
Publication Date: 4 May 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922330451
For ages: 10+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: Richard Scarry's Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon

Richard Scarry's style is highly recognisable and has been much loved since his 'Busy World' books were first published in the 1960s.

Richard Scarry's Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon is a mix of the Busy World and the Middle Ages.

In it, readers will travel back in time to encounter knights and castles.

Just like other Richard Scarry books, the story is full of colour and movement and lively animal characters, including Lowly Worm, the court jester.

There's Princess Lily and her parents, the King and Queen, and a village of peasants who live and work around the castle.

What will happen when, amidst a holiday carnival, Princess Lily is captured by a dragon? Is the dragon even real?

A group of knights set out to rescue Princess Lily, but Peasant Pig is sure he can help, too.

Robbers in disguise, heavy armour, grape juice, a throwing machine (aka catapult), and a sack of pepper all play a part in the antics that ensue.

Will Peasant Pig manage to save the day? And how will they all celebrate when Princess Lily is returned home?

This is a classic children's story re-published so it can be enjoyed by kids today, along with adults who want to reminisce about reading Richard Scarry in their own childhood.

Visit the official Richard Scarry website for a stack of downloadables and things to colour, make and do.

Title: Richard Scarry's Peasant Pig and the Terrible Dragon
Author/Illustrator: Richard Scarry
Publisher: Faber, $ 16.99
Publication Date: June 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780571361229
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Giveaway: Wombat Nature Storybook

Review: Stud

Review: Who Fed Zed

This is one of the funniest, most clever rhyming picture books I have ever read!

I couldn’t stop laughing! The images and text are priceless!

But, the message is no laughing matter. 

So many children suffer from allergies or food intolerance, and at times labelling on food is a conundrum for parents shopping for safe food for their children.

The importance of this is relayed in bold type and full page images created with digital media. 

Told in humorous verse, with the funniest but effective storyline, it is impossible to miss the importance of the theme.

It is the story of Fred’s fish Zed who got fed bread, and nearly left this earth. Fred’s friends, Ted and Ned, and Fred’s dog Jed, are also in this together. Included is a box of flea powder. (Can you see why I couldn’t stop laughing?)

Super large images of the characters make them seem like you are in the room with them. But it’s what they say that’s more important.

Being serious again, is there a kid- friendly way of labelling food? Someway that even kids and parents can understand?

Awareness is a powerful word. It saves lives.

That’s the message this book brings. There is concentration on sugar content and calories. These are easy to locate. But what about information for the many thousands of children whose lives are dictated by what they can eat?

Unfortunately, a similar danger exists for our children as it did for Zed.

This book was written by humorous picture book author, Amelia McInerney to help raise awareness and acceptance of food allergy/intolerance, and highlight the importance of food label reading…. It was inspired by real life experience as her own child suffers from food allergies.

Other humorous titles by Amelia McInerney are The Book Chook, My Bird Bertie, and Bad Crab.

Title: Who Fed Zed
Author: Amelia McInerney
Illustrator: Adam Nickel
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2021
Format:Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760524452
For ages: 6+
Type: Picture Book

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Meet The Illustrator: Julia Glukhoy

Name: Julia Glukhoy

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Vintage/retro, sweet, quirky, and sprinkled with a little bit of modern to reflect today’s world.

What items are an essential part of your creative space? 
Plants, yoga mat, meditation cushion, and crystals. I meditate and do yoga, which helps me fully transition into my creative space.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Yes I do. All of my illustrations are hand painted. I love using for my illustrations handmade watercolours, and watercolours in general.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
I love William Morris, Helen Beatrix Potter, and May Gibbs.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I would love to visit early 19th century before computers, to see how everything was hand painted from textiles to children’s books illustrations.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I'm a visual learner so picture books were always a vital part of my learning. In conjunction with raising my children and reading picture books to them inspired me to become a children’s book illustrator. 

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 found two windows in my house that were not used, so I put a handmade shelf there, my art desk, and art supplies near by. I added old record player, plants, my favorite books, crystals, paints, pencils, rug, and before you know it, it became my dream studio.

What is your favorite part of the illustration process?
Honestly, everything. I love sketching, revising, picking out a color palette, and painting. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Forget instagram and Pinterest, lock yourself in somewhere and block the social media stimulation, instead go inward and just draw how you see the world, learn the basics, and spend many many hours repeating this process. Eventually, your style will emerge and your unique visual interpretation of the world. Most of all have fun during the process!

Julia grew up on homesteading land in Kyiv, Ukraine. Her childhood was spent picking strawberries, raspberries, apples, pears, walnuts, roses, and Irises. She spent her days playing outdoors with her friends, fishing with her grandfather, and making jam with her great grandmother. Eventually, her life path landed her in a small town in Pennsylvania, where she graduated from Marywood University in 2011 with Masters of Science. After graduating in addition to her day time job she began freelancing professionally and teaching watercolour workshops. It was only a matter of time before her passion for illustration took over. Today, Julia spends her days illustrating children’s books with a style that is both modern yet classic, evoking playfulness, wonder and joy. All of her illustrations are hand-painted in her favourite mediums: watercolour, gouache, pencils and ink.

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

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Review: Echo in the Memory

What an enjoyable read.

This is a very original story, told in two separate viewpoints, both teenage boys called William, separated by 200 years of history.

The contemporary boy, Will Richards is a fifteen-year-old boy just trying to do his best in the face of neglect. 

He lives with his sister and mother, but his mum sometimes locks herself up in her room for days on end, leaving Will to care for himself and his sister Rosie.

His dad has other priorities. 

Nunn handles the next part of this delicately – Will’s mother is hospitalised, but the reader is not explicitly told why. 

A mature reader might be able to join the dots and surmise that there was self-harm involved, but the nature of the mother’s issues remains understated.

The outcome is that Will and Rosie live with their estranged grandparents – on a property in a remote and dreary part of rural New South Wales.

Historical William is also a teenager, living hand-to-mouth in nineteenth century London and transported to NSW for theft. He is also quite ambitious. Having heard that some convicts had bettered themselves once they had been freed, he is determined that he should one day become a person of importance in the colony. 

He is sent to labour on a property in remote NSW. But as the days draw into months, Will learns that convicts’ lives are expendable in this harsh environment.

It becomes obvious that although the two Williams are separated by two centuries, they share a link. Will Richards has memories about events on his grandparents’ property that he should know nothing about. Nunn weaves the clues between the two narratives. 

A hint of Will’s preternatural knowledge of historical events is later elaborated upon in convict Will’s thread. The two stories unfold in parallel, and the reader is drawn into the mystery and its tragic climax.

I like that although this is a type of ghost story, it eschews any of the tropes associated with ghosts. No jump scares, no spooky figures, no sudden drops in temperature. Just odd memories, as if the historical William is whispering in contemporary Will’s ear.

The writing is simply beautiful and the characters come alive in clear detail.

My only criticism is that whilst Nunn included some very confronting and historically accurate details of a massacre of First Nations people, there were no First Nations people in the contemporary thread to underscore the theme of the ongoing impact of historical tragedies, or to serve as a stark reminder of the reality of intergenerational trauma, which Nunn poignantly illustrates in his depiction of the relationship between Will and his grandfather. A missed opportunity.

Teachers’ notes are available.

And you could win a copy of this marvelous book - details to be announced shortly.

Title: Echo in the memory

Author: Cameron Nunn
Publisher: Walker, $ 19.99
Publication Date: 2 June 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760653088
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult Fiction

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Junior Review: Greystone Secrets: The Strangers

Reality. A word so simple yet it has so many layers that we can’t comprehend. 

A kidnapping and mysterious behaviors are only the beginning of a chilling series of events that take place in The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

Chess, Emma, and Finn Greystone are three siblings that think nothing of it when their mom listens to a news report of three missing kids from Arizona. Until they continue listening and find out that they share the same exact names and birthdays with them. 

Their mom starts acting suspiciously and suddenly leaves on a business trip, leaving them in the hands of a stranger named Ms.Morales and her daughter Natalie. 

The three Greystone kids find that their mother has left her phones and computer at home, even though she’s on a business trip. 

On the devices they find a hidden letter which the siblings and Natalie have to decode in order to find out more about the secrets that are being hidden. Doppelgängers and dark tunnels send them spiraling into a completely different world.

Author Margaret Peterson Haddix has written a book filled with twists and turns, lies and secrets. This sci-fi novel will keep you on edge, wondering about this alternate reality. You’ll rev up your own creativity thinking about the countless possibilities this story could have. With a cliffhanger ending, you only HAVE to read the next book.

Title: Greystone Secrets: The Strangers
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books,$ 15.97
Publication Date: March 3, 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0062838384
For ages: 9 – 12
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author/illustrator Gregg Dreise

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I have seven big brothers and sisters - five brothers, two sisters. Seven of the eight work in the education system.

2. What is your nickname? 
Bood. It is my Indigenous name that Family has called me my whole life.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Not having enough time to get all of the creative things in my head.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Honest, passionate, knowledgeable words of unity we need to share.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Impassioned, heartfelt, emotional, hopeful and unifying.

6. What book character would you be, and why? 
The Rainbow Serpent. Strong powerful and magical.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why? 
Back to when the first land ‘ownership’ of Europe began. I would implore them to understand that we are a part of the land just like the plants and animals. It should not be ours to acquire, seize, control, fence, fight over, exploit and destroy.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now? 
Keep enjoying yourself whilst standing up for what is right.

9. Who is your greatest influence? 
My late but great Uncle Reg Knox. A storyteller, an artist, an Elder; a caring, charismatic gentleman who educated with style and a smile.

10. What/who made you start writing? 
Uncle Reg could always captivate an audience and remind people of our wonderfully wise culture.

11. What is your favourite word and why? 
Wantima – it is an Aboriginal word from many Nations that means ‘Rise Up’. I love it because being ‘your’ best is better than being ‘the’ best.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I can’t go past this thought... A ‘Magic Book’ that could change its story every time you were ready to be filled with more exciting stories encapsulating the never-ending wonders of a multitude of authors’ imaginations.

Gregg Dreise is a gifted artist, storyteller, author, illustrator and musician, and he features the didgeridoo and guitar in his high-energy performances. He uses music and laughter to take audiences on a storytelling journey – that just might sneak in a lesson or two. Common Wealth is the latest book Gregg has written and illustrated – a Slam Poetry Persuasive about change and unity. For more information, see www.greggdreise.com.au.

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Review: Wolf Girl #5: Across the Sea

New adventures await Rupert, Gwen and the dog pack as they continue to search for their parents. With everyone caring and protecting for one another – dogs especially, and Gwen’s ability to communicate with the dogs, they continue their quest.

Winter has set in. Rupert, Gwen and the pack have left the Reptile Park behind them, staying close to tree covered areas to avoid detection. Sunrise the wolf, has chosen to leave his parents behind and stay with the pack. Without food, they are surviving a day at a time as the dogs hunt for food whenever it’s needed.

The printouts of the truck routes that Rupert made at the enemy base depict a familiarity in the destinations.

Again, the group is unprepared for all that can go wrong. Rupert drops the GPS tracker and it smashes. 

Tiny chases a snow fox across the frozen ice and falls through a crack into the chilly waters. Gwen is swept way on a sheet of ice after rescuing the little dog, but is saved by Eagle who manages to push the floating ice to the edge.

They reach the abandoned village of Gulfoss by the sea and immediately look for food in the stores that have long been looted, but find very little. But it’s a to sleep in for the night.

The sound of trucks moving about wakes them. They follow them, always moving like ghosts to remain invisible. A ship is docked at the jetty. Soldiers are herding people from trucks onto the gangboard from the dock to the ship. 

From their hiding place, Gwen checks the people in the hope of seeing her parents. But it is Rupert’s parents that are amongst the captives. Can they find a way to get to them?

There is nothing too hard for the resilient, agile and strong Wolf Girl and her pack. Determined to gain access to the prisoners, they must plan things carefully. Fate brings them into contact with the cleaning lady after they have secretly boarded the ship. The dogs fight off guards and find a way to get off the ship. 

Fights, challenges and escapades follow.

The captain’s dog, Pirate, joins the group as he has lost his master. Courage and resourcefulness play a big part, as the pack head out once again towards a road that leads to Tunny, the town that Rupert’s parents last saw Gwen’s mum and dad.

The adventures and challenges they have lived together binds the group even tighter together. Eagle will make a sacrifice, while Rupert makes an extraordinary decision.

A special mention must be given to the superlative illustrations by Lachlan Creagh that bring the fast-paced and gripping text to life.

There is a removable Bonus Wolf Girl Adventure at the end of the book.

Title:Wolf Girl #5: Across the Sea
Author: Anh Do
Illustrator: Lachlan Creagh
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 15.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978160879044
For ages: 8 – 14
Type: Junior Fiction

 

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Winner: Kokey Koala Book and Puzzle Combo

Our lucky winner is...

Kirsty Polujan, VIC

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of the exciting book and puzzle combo of Kokey Koala and The Bush Olympics. 

And you didn't even have to run far for it! We hope it stimulates a lot of fun for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Enjoy!

Thank you to ALL who entered.

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Review: Dinosaur Whack! / Dinosaur Whizz!

Dinosaurs and rhyme are a special combination in Dinosaur Whack! and Dinosaur Whizz! 

These books are part of a new eight-book series called The World of Dinosaur Roar! which is inspired by the popular picture book by Paul Stickland and Henrietta Stickland, in association with the UK's Natural History Museum.

Dinosaur Whack! and Dinosaur Whizz! are created by Jeanne Willis and Peter Curtis, and feature Stegosaurus and Coelophysis, along with other dinosaur friends including Iguanodon, Deinonychus, and Diplodocus.

You don't need to worry about the dinosaur names being difficult to get your tongue around, because the inside cover includes a pronunciation guide.

Dinosaur Whack is clumsy and manages to scare away her friends, accidentally knocking and bopping and bumping them with her tail.

Dinosaur Whizz is speedy, always active and moving. It frustrates her friends until Whizz is able to distract a much larger dinosaur from snapping them up for lunch.

At the back of each book there are a few fun facts about the dinosaur who features as the central character in the story. 

This series is smartly designed for frequent and robust use by young children. The cartoon-like characters are appealing, brightly coloured, and fairly leap off the page.

A must have for tiny dinosaur fans!

Be sure to visit The World of Dinosaur Roar! website for more dinosaur facts, and downloadable dinosaur activities including colouring in, dot to dot, a matching game, spot the difference, and posters.

Title: Dinosaur Whack! / Dinosaur Whizz!
Author: Jeanne Willis and Peter Curtis
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books , $ 14.99
Publication Date: July 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781509835676 / 9781509835683
For ages:  3+
Type: Board Books

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Review: The Watermelon Seed

Have you ever swallowed a watermelon seed? Did your skin turn pink? Did vines grow out your ears? That’s exactly what Greg Pizzoli’s quirky little crocodile is worried about in The Watermelon Seed.

The little crocodile LOVES watermelon but is petrified of the seeds. As he chomps his way through slabs of the juicy fruit, the worst thing happens: he swallows a seed! How will the little croc react? By completely catastrophising of course! 

He conjures up all sorts of hilarious consequences and with such a vivid imagination, this little croc will have you laughing.

Pizzoli writes about a common childhood worry, validating it and supporting it with just the right amount of humour. Using simple language, Pizzoli employs pauses expertly to produce comic timing.

Thanks to Pizzoli’s vibrant illustrations, the whole book looks and feels like a watermelon. Even the illustrations were created with a watermelon palette. Pizzoli has used screen printing to produce bold images that are full of shapes and textures. The simple cartoon style of the illustrations combine with the text to strengthen the characterisation of the worry-filled crocodile. The book finishes with delicious looking end papers.

For those who like to giggle, this Geisel award-winning book is for you. And what’s more it has the re-read factor. I have read this book with my little ones so many times and we all still laugh. I just know that this book will become a go-to book in your collection. I also note that The Watermelon Seed comes as a board book, perfect for those little people who like to chomp, crocodile style, on the book as they read. 

Title: The Watermelon Seed
Author / Illustrator: Greg Pizzoli
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Books, New York, $29.99
Publication Date: 14 May 2013
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781423171010
For ages: 0 – 7
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Story Doctors

Nothing less than spectacular, Story Doctors is well-timed for NAIDOC week, 4 –11 July. The empowering theme this year, is Heal Country, from the meaningful words from the heart of Boori Monty Pryor, who was Australian Children’s Laureate in 2021– 2013. 

This book was written during the lockdown in 2020. Pryor's words are easily identified as healing words; for our country’s Covid illness, as well as the one between our Indigenous people and ourselves.

The cover depicts two outstretched hands reaching toward one other.

One is white, the other made of Indigenous coloured spirals with small Australian animals hidden within. Images and text speak of unity and repairing relationships.

The text is an ode to Country, hope, learning, Land, nature and culture. The poetry begins with footsteps showing the Indigenous trail left in the Earth; of people, animals, plants, fire and all living things.

Here you will acknowledge the astonishing detail in the illustrations created by Rita Sinclair. It will need concentration to take it all in.

Kookaburras, black cockatoos, emus, hedgehogs and countless other Australian mammals watch as charcoal drawings appear on the cave walls. The hand creating them is from a tall being represented by a flurry of colour, lifted up from the charred ground, that is part of all that was and is.

Countless hands use spit and ochre, to record the story of our First Nations people.

Double wordless spreads depict nature's beauty. It is an  opportunity to immersive yourself and create your own story. An eagle flies overhead. The ground is alive with movement as animals graze and the coloured whirly man stands watch behind the bushes.

Our future is the past. Twirling ribbons float like feathers in the wind toward twirling strips of paper with a visual history of Australia on the outside, and a verbal history on the inside.  

In us the dust we trust.

The story nears the end with charred trunks of trees and ground with shoots of green growth. Nature nurtures roots anew. Rebirth from the darkness of the earth.

The dance begins together – animals and beings; past, present and future, move together to a new sound, which is the pulse of the Land, found in the roots of trees, the sound of birds, of bees, of racing streams. All eco echoes.

Title: Story Doctors
Author: Boori Monty Pryor 
Illustrator: Rita Sinclair
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760526559
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: This is Not a Book!

Do you know what a book is? Our young protagonist does, and she’s convinced this is absolutely not a book.

She knows because books have characters and she’s not a character. She’s real!

 

Plus, books have events that happen and nothing is happening, except…

Then it does.

Mermaids, hungry lions, pirates... what is going on?

This is Not a Book! is a fabulous meta-fiction picture book that explores what a book is and isn’t. It explores characters, setting, plot, action, story problems and story solutions in a fun and entertaining way as the main character tries to prove she is not in a book, even as the story starts to unfold around her.

This is a brilliant look at what makes a story and would be a great book for classrooms to read and explore together. It goes through all the key elements of story and what’s needed to made a great book.

With funky and colourful illustrations, each turn of the page is engaging and fun. There are loads of details to explore and heaps of comedy packed into both the text and the illustrations.

Title: This is Not a Book!

Author: Kellie Byrnes

Illustrator: Aska

Publisher: EK Books, $24.99

Publication Date: 16 June 2021

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781925820508

For ages: 4 - 6

Type: Picture Book

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Review: Lucy and Copper

Lucy has grown up with Smudge her little pony always at hand. They have experienced many first things together and Lucy loves him very much. 

Now Lucy is big. Her legs no longer need the help of a crate. But Smudge has remained small.

She longs to be able again, to ride free across the paddocks and through the streams as she had when she was younger.

Copper comes into their life. Neglected and longing for love and attention, he is ignored by Lucy and cared for by dad.

His hands tenderly brush the knots from Copper’s mane as he whispers words of comfort with each stroke.

Growing up means letting go; leaving certain things behind. It is a hard lesson for Lucy to learn, but dad is patient.

Seeing Smudge and Copper running side by side, attracts Lucy’s attention. Is there a way to share and enjoy the outdoors with Smudge once again?

Mandy Foot’s delightful illustrations bring her story to life. Things unsaid with words find their voice in the illustrations.

Her palette preference adds a soft and tender aura to each image intimating her characters are shy, uncertain, questioning.

Her double spreads of the fences and paddocks in the morning absorbing the light from the surroundings, are like photographs in cinemascope.

It is evident through the visuals, that Mandy Foot sees animals with different eyes than others would or do. Her portrayal of the horses and the people that love them, speak of her love for all creatures.

Title: Lucy and Copper
Author/Illustrator:Mandy Foot
Publisher: Hachette, $16.99
Publication Date: 30 June 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780734420282
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Growing Pains

Finn is curious about trees and he wonders if they feel the cold. 

He wonders if the tree in his yard would like a scarf. Does it get hungry? Would it like some toast?

When his feet fidget and ache with growing pains, Finn wonders if the tree has growing pains too. 

When the dark seems too dark, he wonders if the tree gets scared.

Growing Pains is a lovely exploration of curiosity and a child’s world from a child’s perspective. It’s filled with wonder and questions and imagination, and I love how far it pulls the reader into Finn’s home and life.

This story is about being a kid, growing up and learning about the world around you. Through Finn’s eyes, it’s filled with the questions kids would think of — filled with the amazing possibilities that may not make sense to anyone else but kids.

Beautiful collage-style mixed media illustrations by Melissa Johns bring whimsy and wonder to the story. They are quirky, fun and detailed, and they perfectly match the story world author Alison McLennan has created.

Title: Growing Pains

Author: Alison McLennan

Illustrator: Melissa Johns

Publisher: EK Books, $24.99

Publication Date: 16 June 2021

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781925820522

For ages: 4 - 6

Type: Picture Book

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Announcing: New KBR Team Member: Leigh van der Veen

Our loving KBR family is forever swelling and ebbing, like a winter's tide. 

Today we take much pleasure in welcoming another member into our illustrious reviewing team, Leigh van der Veen. Leigh is an avid lover of Kids' Lit - an absolute pre requisite in our eyes! 

She is also part superhuman, juggling a large family, burgeoning writing career and baking cakes. Welcome, Leigh! Let's get to know you better with your first 12 Curly Questions...

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
My gorgeous husband and I sang at the Opera House in the same combined schools choir in the same section when we were in Year 6. I lived in the Southern Highlands and he lived in the Blue Mountains. We didn’t actually meet until years later when we were teaching at the same primary school. I’d love to see photos of the choir and see if we happened to be standing next to each other.

P.S. I can twist my tongue and roll it too. I used to be able to do blackflips into the pool. I wonder if I still can?!

2. What is your nickname?
My family nickname is Possum or ‘Possie/Pos’ for short.

3. What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is that I won’t be ‘present’ enough in my life. Being a writer and illustrator help with this though, as I can use all my senses to really notice things.

4. Describe your writing style in ten words.
Layered, meaningful, funny, deep, short and sweet, rhythmic, sound-oriented, vivid

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Messy, creative, determined, thoughtful, curious

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Bastian from the Neverending Story. Imagine reading a book and becoming a part of the story? So cool!

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Back to 1965 so I could meet my Dutch grandparents before they died. I miss them so much, although I never knew them.

My grandparents inspired me to research my Dutch family history. This research was the basis of my honours thesis and beyond. I finally reconnected with my Dutch family in 2018 in the Netherlands!

8. What would your ten-year-old self say to you now?
‘Come on write that story. You know it’s a good one. Remember when we were ten, we lived above that restaurant built by the convicts and it was haunted by a ghost! Trust yourself. You can do it.

P.S. You could still do a backflip into the pool. You’ve done it like a hundred times.’

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My curious, passionate, giggle-your-head-off children. I have four them. Whoa. Plus my angel baby. She makes five all up.

10. What/who made you start writing?
My Year 5 and 6 teachers got me writing. They are part of the reason I become a primary teacher.

We had creative writing on Mondays at school. It was beautiful, free writing in response to different stimulus e.g. a photo or a newspaper article. When we were finished, we sat in a circle and each person took a turn to read their work. After each person read, others could give feedback.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
My word for this year is ‘connection’. I have connected with so many wonderful creatives and publishers through my reviews for ‘In a Nutshell Book Reviews.

I also love words that make my ears fizz like, ‘bonkers’, ‘wooshka’, ‘clunky’. I always try to slip a few interesting words into my stories.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. It’s such a beautiful story about the love between a parent and child. ‘A stodgy parent is no fun at all. What a child wants and deserves is a parent who is SPARKY.’ (Roald Dahl)

Leigh van der Veen, a primary teacher, creates stories and art in the Blue Mountains. Her writing has featured in Australian and international educational publications for fifteen years. Leigh’s writing has also placed in competitions run by CKT and KBR. Leigh is the founder of In a Nutshell Book Reviews.

Connect with Leigh via her website and Instagram channel @leighvanderveen. Stay tuned for Leigh's first KBR review in a couple of days.

 

 

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Review: The Prison Healer

Review: Pear of Hope

Anna spends a lot of time beneath the pear tree playing, enjoying its wonder, climbing with friends, swinging on branches, embracing the trunk and sitting in its shade.

The wonder disappeared when the clouds rolled in.

The darkness that comes with sickness and the time spent in bed waiting for it to pass, is visually portrayed by the changing of the seasons: 

Anna felt like something was missing… like a tree bare, standing against the cold…

And the sickness passed. Anna is able to go again to the pear tree and embrace it, beneath the branches covered in buds that promise new life.

A butterfly wings past and Anna knows her hair will grow back again in time.

The buds have burst and become blossoms on the pear tree. Anna has company as she lies on a blanket beneath the snow-white flowers that drop their petals on, and around her.

When the pears appear, Anna finds a seed in the fruit she eats. She plants it and waters it every day. As it grows, so does Anna’s hair, and her strength, and her hope.

Wenda Shurety has created a story full of hope and love for children and others in times of severe illness. Her use of the pear tree as a metaphor for the passing of time needed for growth and change, is perfect. This is juxtaposed superbly with the changes in Anna – her sickness, her loss of hair, then its regrowth that symbolises her recovery.

The stunning, full page illustrations by Deb Hudson, transform the text into poetic movement. The immersive visual narrative makes use of the weather, the seasons to imply time as a healer. Her illustrations do justice to the powerful alliteration used to describe nature and Anna’s emotions.

 I loved the dog that was in the story; silent, loyal and supportive. I also loved the addition of the symbolism of the pear added on the last page of the book. It was a beautiful touch to a superb book.

Title: Pear of Hope
Author: Wenda Shurety
Illustrator: Deb Hudson
Publisher: Exisle, $ 24.99
Publication Date:1 May 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925820867
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: The Bark Book

Dogs bark. A lot.

They have all kinds of barks. And emotions, just like people.

In The Bark Book, you'll hear the many barks of a family dog. 

Sad barks, perfect stick barks, and please help barks, are just three.

Victoria Mackinlay has made clever and sparse use of language to share a dog's eye experience of the world.

Repetition, adjectives, opposites and other concepts are all part of The Bark Book.

Beth Harvey, an artist and animator (including on Bluey), has brought the dog's experiences to life with a playful and appealing canine friend.

The pictures are simple and humourous. Look out for camouflaged faces in some of the trees, not to mention the mischief the dog gets into.

You will definitely be able to spot your favourite dog in the antics of this dog; whether chasing a skink, relaxing after being fed, or anxiously waiting for a walk.

The Bark Book is a perfect book for dog lovers and beginner readers in particular.

Title: The Bark Book
Author: Victoria Mackinlay
Illustrator: Beth Harvey
Publisher: ABC Books, $ 19.99
Publication Date: July 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780733341397
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Where the Heart Is

Where the Heart Is is the beautiful true story of Dindim the penguin and Joao, the man who saved him.

On a beach in Brazil a tiny penguin was washed ashore. He was covered in oil and so sick that he couldn’t open his eyes.

Joao took the little penguin in and named him Dindim. He cleaned him and took care of him, and when he tried to take Dindim back to sea, Dindim wouldn’t leave.

Dimdin stayed for a year, but did finally make his way back home to the Patagonia Coast. Until...

...months later, he heads back to Brazil to find his friend Joao.

The story of Dindim and Joao is incredible and truly inspiring. Before this book begins, the details of their entwined lives is revealed to audiences, so going in you understand the power and wonder of this loving tale.

Then the story begins and author Irma Gold pulls you right into the emotion of this true story with a retelling that tugs on heart strings and inspires bravery and caring for others.

The best of times were when Dindim lay in Joao’s lap and sang to him, a lullaby of belonging.

With stunning illustrations by debut illustrator Susannah Crispe, Joao and Dindim come alive. Blues of the ocean, greens of the Brazilian jungle and the soft grey and bold black of Dindim’s coat as he grows are beyond beautiful. Crispe builds emotion in so many layers — in Joao and Dindim’s expressions, in their body language and in the detailed landscapes.

A beautiful story to share at home, and equally as perfect to explore as a class, Where the Heart Is is a powerful and joyful tale that proves friendship and love know no distance.

Title: Where the Heart Is
Author: Irma Gold
Illustrator: Susannah Crispe
Publisher: EK Books, $24.99
Publication Date: 16 June 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925820874
For ages: 4 - 6
Type: Picture Books

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Giveaway: Kokey Kola Book and Puzzle Combo

Review: Life Sucks!

Life Sucks! is Clancy Tucker’s third book in the ‘Kick Ass’ series featuring the bold, intelligent and proactive, Sam Tyler. 

She is a dynamic character; a fighter for lost causes who believes in giving everyone a fair go. Many important issues are addressed through her thoughts and dialogue.

After beating brain cancer, Sam is now a Law student on a scholarship at Folkestone University. She immediately becomes involved in the Student Council, continues her karate at which she excels, and gets a part-time job at Ollie’s Tavern near the campus.

She is eager, willing and able to be the best she can be in every area of her life.

Past hardships have taught her to be compassionate and grateful, and ready to serve where she is needed. Just like her dad who died when she was twelve.

Sam meets the wealthy Mrs Chandler who owns a mansion close to the University. She is the now elderly daughter of the first Governor of Folkestone. Mrs C is impressed by Sam’s honesty and forthright manner. It doesn’t take long before they spark up a warm friendship.

When Sam learns that the University is working in an insidious manner to take Mrs C’s home from her, Sam’s is determined to stop them. Research on the manor uncovers many important facts; about the people on the board as well as the historical and Indigenous significance of the land. This is the first uncovering of a cluster of unknowns.

Then Sam learns that her dad and Ollie from the tavern were mates during the Vietnam War. At last, there is someone who can give her information about her dad’s war life!

There is more than Law for Sam to learn at Folkestone. 

Mrs C has secrets she won’t share with anyone. Sam’s roommate and three friends, who refuse to buckle down and study, are facing expulsion. There is the matter of homelessness that tugs at Sam’s heart. Her ability to show kindness and understanding is her greatest weapon against things that need changing. Then there is the Varsity Karate Tournament. It has never been won by Folkestone. Can she be the first to bring home the trophy?

Challenges are what Sam thrives on. But sometimes, life sucks!

Always with positive and inspiring messages, award-winning Clancy Tucker’s writing is spellbinding. A Human Rights Activist among a string of other things, his work with street kids puts him in a perfect position to write about young people authentically, passionately championing those in need. Issues that are close to his heart always surface in his books, with his leading characters their conduit.

Life Sucks! is another terrific, no-holds-barred look at society’s shortcomings, and the scandalous manipulation and abuse of power that occurs within the political ranks. More so, it explores the secrets people keep, the importance of acts of kindness, and giving everyone a second chance, regardless of their mistakes or shortcomings.

Title: Life Sucks!
Author: Clancy Tucker
Publisher: Morris Publishing, $ 40.00 (includes postage)
Publication Date: 27 April 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780994601049
For ages: 14+
Type: Young Adult Fiction

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Meet The illustrator: Xin Li

Name: Xin Li

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Painterly, colourful, dream like.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Pencil and office printer paper. I often draw thumbnails on loose sheets of paper - it feels less serious, and leaves room for experiment and play.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I produce most of my final artwork digitally, mainly due to the tight schedules and flexibility for client work. But I always keep lot of art supplies around me and I use them when I just want to play, or when I hit a creative block. I love Chinese calligraphy brushes, and watercolour. I would like to do a picture book using watercolour paintings one day. 

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
This is a really hard question for me, the answer changes all the time. I took a couple years of painting class when I was a teenager. Back then I was very into impressionism. It was when I read Neil Gaiman´s Sandman in my early 20s that I realised that art can do more than hanging on the wall. I think Scott Mccould´s book  Understanding Comics had a lot of impact on me as a storyteller.

 
In terms of picture books, my favourite artist would be Shaun Tan. For me, his artwork feels like postcards from a parallel universe, with secret messages in them. If only I look harder, I will discover something profound.

   
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
It would be the impressionist era - late 19th century and early 20th century of  Paris. Impressionism was my first love crush with art.

 Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?

I tried to get into the fine art program after high school. But I did not get in because I could not draw well enough. So I majored in graphic design and worked as a designer more than a decade. I never considered I have the talent to draw and paint. After becoming a mom, I started looking for picture books so I can read with my daughter. I see all kinds of art styles, subject matter, and ways of telling stories in the picture book world. I was very inspired. When I read enough of picture books, I could not help to start drawing and painting again, wanting to write and illustrate my own picture books.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most
often? Talk us through it.
My studio is a temporary setup. We just moved out of the capital city partly due to the pandemic. Currently, we are renting an apartment and looking for a house to buy at the same time.

 
I normally paint on a 13 inch Cintiq. I have a A3 printer, mainly for printing out my illustration and see it in real size physically. More than half of the drawings hanging on my studio wall currently are by my 3 years old daughter - she loves decorating my studio. I also print out illustrations I love in postcard size and hanging next to my desk for inspiration.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I love the beginning, the phase which all possibilities are still open.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Spend as much time as you can to learn the craft, and learn about yourself. Every piece of artwork you are making is essentially an experiment.

Xin Li was born and raised in China and currently lives in Norway with her husband and their daughter. After years working as an interaction designer in the software design industry, she found her true passion in visual storytelling. Xin loves quiet magic, surrealism, and stories that evoke imagination.

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

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Review: Fairy!

Best friends Lena and Luka are back, and this time life has changed a little for Luka.

She has a new baby sister!

Luka loves Daisy, but baby sisters do bring challenges.

When Lena sleeps over and baby Daisy won’t stop crying, they try everything to calm her down. 

But everyone knows there’s only one thing that can help. 

A fairy!

In a whisp of starshine, a fairy flutters through the window to help. There is much calamity, bunnies turned to frogs and sticky crumbs on the pillow, but fairies know just what to do to help babies get to sleep.

Fairy! Is the fourth book in this gorgeous picture book series from Maggie Hutchings and Cheryl Orsini, following Unicorn!, Mermaid! and Dragon!

These books are so much fun. They capture what it’s like to be a kid and believe in the fantasy worlds you find through hidden doorways at the bottom of the garden. They explore all your favourite creatures and invite you into a reality where imagination makes them real.

Orsini’s illustrations are bright and bold. Every book in this series is filled with colour and glorious details to explore. They're funky and oh so delightful.

For the fans of the fantastical, Fairy!, and all the books in this series, will inspire wonder, curiosity and eagerness to step into the unknown.

Title: Fairy!

Author: Maggie Hutchings

Illustrator: Cheryl Orsini

Publisher: Affirm Press, $19.99

Publication Date: 25 May 2021

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 9781922400772

For ages: 4 -6 

Type: Picture Book

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12 Curly Questions with author/illustrator Heidi Cooper Smith

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
I can throw a pot (on a pottery wheel, not across a room) in under 30 seconds with my eyes closed.

2. What is your nickname?
I swear, I don’t have one – isn’t that incredibly sad?

3. What is your greatest fear?
Accidentally forgetting to wear clothes... I assume so anyway, as I’ve had that nightmare for as long as I can remember!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Whimsical, succinct and verb-heavy, with a tendency toward the absurd.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Passionate, sporadic, image-driven, changeable and hopeful.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
These questions really are curly! I’d quite like to be Alexander in Too Many Ducks to be honest. I’d love for my biggest problem in life to be a big flock of friendly ducks following me around.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Around 2030, to see if I can lay my hands on an enormous iPad to bring back for my illustration work. While I’m there I’ll check to see if my kids survive their teenage years.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Why on earth did you wait 25 years to pursue your dream as a picture book creator?

9. Who is your greatest influence?
My author-illustrator friend, Suzy Houghton. We chat every day and send each other stories and sketches/illustrations for feedback. Having someone like that in this industry, who you trust and admire, is an absolute godsend.

10. What/who made you start writing?
When I started creating illustrations for Tania’s 52 Week Illustration Challenge, there was usually a story behind each one. I felt compelled to go ahead and tell those stories!

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Epiphany – it’s just such a lovely concept.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If I had to pick one that I’ve read more recently, I’d say either Small Spaces or Deep Water by Sarah Epstein. She’s utterly brilliant and I can’t get enough of her writing.

In 2014, Heidi Cooper Smith found herself with three kids under four and joined an online illustration challenge during naptime to stay sane. Six months later, she was offered her first contract and began writing shortly after. Her illustrations incorporate watercolour and digital techniques and she writes in both prose and rhyme. For more information, see www.heidicoopersmith.com.

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Review: The Art of Words

Many of us as children at school, were given a list of letters or a big word, and told to see how many new words we could make from them. What fun that was, and we learnt so much!

If you have never considered how spectacular the alphabet can be, thought-provoking proof lies between the covers of this book.

Clever, colourful, and creative, with full page illustrations, Robert Vescio’s The Art of Words is highly imaginative, entertaining, and a unique early learning tool.

Hats off to Joanna Bartel, who makes art out of words with her stunning illustrations.

Letters! Everywhere you look, there they are! Communication depends on the alphabet. Put letters anywhere. They’ll always behave the way you want them to.

Opposites and basic punctuation are explored. They boast about how the use of a comma, full stop, exclamation or question mark, has the power to change the role of a word.

Words! What more valuable thing can you own? They come in different sizes and can be joined to others to change their meaning.

They can be read back-to-front and still make sense, cut in the middle, added to, or reformed. You can take them anywhere with you. They are very social.

They are free to collect. Kids can put as many letters on a line as they want and test themselves to see what they can create with their chosen ones. Games are not only played on electronic devices, or with toys. Try something new with letters and words.

At this moment, I am stringing letters together to create words for this review. Ask yourself, what is the greatest tool used for learning and literacy?

This will make a wonderful and valuable addition to all classrooms, homes and libraries and preschools. Highly visual, The Art of Words is an adventure through learning and expression.

 Title: The Art of Words
Author: Robert Vescio
Illustrator: Joanna Bartel
Publisher: Exisle, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 5 April 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925820843
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: How To Hug A Cactus

Winner: Wonderful Shoes

 

Our lucky winner is... Liz Dorrington, WA

Congratulations!

You have won a copy of the gorgeous picture book, Wonderful Shoes, by Emma Bowd and Tania McCartney, and published by Windy Hollow Books.

Enjoy!

Thank you to ALL who entered.

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