Review: A Footy Tail

A wonderful and timely rhyming story about working together and embracing difference, to move forward.

The fluffle of bunnies who play together as a footy team are dispirited, because all their adversaries are bigger, faster and stronger than they are. 

So, wily old Crow suggests a solution – he will go and find some other creatures to boost their side, and help the bunny team to play even better.

At first, the bunnies are hesitant to embrace this idea. What if it’s no fun? What if it feels too different? But eventually, they agree and so Crow brings back all manner of weird and wonderful Australian critters to fill up the football team.

It’s always heartening to read of young people or creatures working together for the common good, and this book is no exception. Penned by beloved NRL star Alex Johnston, and illustrated by celebrated First Nations artist Gregg Dreise in spectacularly unique, Aussie style, the book looks and feels clever and fresh.

The sun, for instance, is a glorious yellow ball in the sky with smatterings of other colours in its body, and surrounded in tiny yellow dots to depict the conventional sun rays. Landscapes and rivers are embellished with beautiful patterning that is typical in First Nations art, and the animals are all distinctly marked in this way too – it’s utterly captivating.

A Footy Tail is a fun read, a visual feast and an important, wholesome reminder that life’s better when we work together.

Title: A Footy Tail
Author: Alex Johnston
Illustrator: Gregg Dreise
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $19.99
Publication Date: 3 October 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761180316
For ages: 4 - 8
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Leeva at Last

Leeva Spayce Thornblossom is a bit of a homebody. She spends her days completing her chores, doing her daily exercises, watching The Winds of Our Tides and trying to find ways to use the "improve your vocabulary word" from the Nutsmore Weekly.

But none of this is really by choice.

Leeva yearns for school. She wants to learn and be with kids. She has questions that need answering.

So when her selfish parents (the mayor and treasurer of Nutsmore) refuse to answer them, she sets off on an adventure to find her own answers.

Along the way she meets lots of interesting people — like the librarian and the librarian’s nephew who live next door. And an orphaned badger. And a risk-adverse boy who likes to wear hazmat suits. She also discovers her no-good parents have been up to some serious no-good activities, and almost everyone in town is affected.

But despite the hard knocks she’s been given, Leeva’s heart is pure. She isn’t the kind of kid to let wrong-doings stay wrong for long.

Leeva at Last is a joyful and addictive middle grade read. It’s got mystery and intrigue and so much heart — heart that pulls you through the chapters as Leeva experiences the world outside her house for the first time.

It’s got big questions to ponder and many “what would you do” situations to test yourself on. But through all this, humour stands out on the pages. The story is fun and entertaining.

Leeva is a fabulous protagonist. The kid you want to be, with her boldness and refusal to let fear stand in her way. But under the mask she wears, she also has many insecurities, making her very relatable. She’s the underdog you’ll follow to the end.

A little bit Matilda by Roald Dahl and a little bit Costa Banana by Jozua Douglas, Leeva at Last is for kids who love to see the downtrodden rise up against the odds and fight for what is right.

Title: Leeva at Last
Author: Sara Pennypacker
Illustrator: Matthew Cordell
Publisher: HarperCollins, $16.99
Publication Date: 3 May 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780008606190
For ages:  8 - 13
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Junior Review: The A to Z of Who I Could Be

An inspiring book about Australian female athletes who have achieved greatness.

The A to Z of Who I Could Be tells readers about great athletes and how they went at the Olympics and in sports competitions. 

From Ash Barty, Caitlin Foord and Georgia Godwin to Tamika Upton and Zali Steggall, it’s got 26 great Australian females who kick butts at 26 different sports.

It was inspiring to read about these female Australians and learn facts about them. Did you know Caitlin Foord became the youngest Matilda at a world cup at just 16 years old? Did you know Taliqua Clancy became the first Indigenous Australian volleyball player to represent Australia at the Olympics?

The illustrations in this book are colourful, detailed and fun. I liked the alphabet tracking system at the bottom of the pages, and the book has got a great timeline that shows dates of when big moments happened in the athletes’ lives.

Kids who like sports will like this book, particularly girls who like to read about inspirational women.

Title: The A to Z of Who I Could Be
Author: Chloe Dalton 
Illustrator: Kim Siew
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $22.99
Publication Date: 3 October 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761180422
For ages: 7 - 12
Type: Junior Non-Fiction

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Winners: Eddie Woo's Wonderful World of STEM

Our lucky winners are ...

Alison Stegert, QLD

Norah Colvin, QLD

Jody Smith, NSW

Congratulations!

You have each won a copy of the Eddie Woo's Wonderful World of STEM by award winning maths teacher and YouTube sensation, Eddie Woo and illustrator, Alissa Dinallo. 

This comp certainly brought out the science-lovers in you. In the interests of accuracy, we fact checked entries and can safely say, we've learnt a lot!

Thank you to ALL who entered. 

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Review: A Swirl Of Sadie

With her blue-chalked hair, light-up sneakers and a twirling skirt, please welcome back seven-year-old baker, Sadie Le, in her latest adventure, A Swirl of Sadie. 

Including three stories in one book, A Swirl of Sadie follows Sadie, a determined yet kind character, who shows her love for friends, family and community through baking. 

In this latest book, Sadie creates a treat for her school movie night, puppy treats for a puppy play date and desserts for a family celebration. 

But of course, everything doesn’t always go to plan and Sadie must use creative problem-solving to make sure something scrumptious is dished up. A Swirl of Sadie is the third book in the series joining A Sprinkle of Sadie and A Spoonful of Sadie.

Lana Spasevski is a wonderful author who has written books such as Max’s Dinosaur Feet and Upside Down Friday. In A Swirl of Sadie she has an especially engaging style of writing for 6-9 year-olds. Spasevski’s ability to paint a picture with words, use of vivid language and expressive sounds, allows readers to jump right in with Sadie and imagine themselves swirling up mixtures, amongst wafts of baking biscuits. Further, Spasevski’s inclusion of characters with Asian-Australian heritage, helps to celebrate Australia’s wonderful cultural diversity.

Joanie Stone’s illustrations are inviting and engaging. Her black and white artwork pops thanks to her use of pattern and ability to capture emotion. Sadie’s range of emotions and her enthusiastic nature shine through the illustrations. Stone’s illustrations support the storyline helping readers to grasp the meaning of the words.

A Swirl of Sadie will suit those students looking for their own books to read, after mastering school readers. For these newly independent readers, it can be tricky to bridge this gap, but A Swirl of Sadie fills this role sweetly, with a happy medium of words and pictures. The typeset helps engagement and helps readers to chunk the information into manageable bites. This series is already a hit with my Year 1/2 students, in fact, one of my year two students dressed up as Sadie for Book Week, cakes and all!

If there’s one thing I love as much as books, it’s baking. A Swirl of Sadie combines both these loves. I had many mouthwatering moments when Sadie described the treats she had created. For instance, Sadie tears apart a rose-pink muffin. The soft pink centre PUFFS out like a strawberry cloud. Yum, I want one please! Luckily I can have one because the recipes have been included in the book, which help keep the conversation going after the stories are finished.

Now excuse me, I’m off to bake!

Title: A Swirl Of Sadie
Author: Lana Spasevski
Illustrator: Joanie Stone
Publisher: Affirm Press, $14.99
Publication Date: 28 March 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922848598
For ages: 6 - 9
Type: Junior Fiction

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Meet The Illustrator: Cat MacInnes

Name: Cat MacInnes

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Bright, quirky, whimsical, warm, strong and friendly.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My sketch book, pencils, iPad and iMac. Indoor plants and windows are relaxing to have around. 

Another important element is Fizzy the Jack Russell, who loves a cuddle and forces me to take a break and get outside every now and then to throw her a tennis ball! 

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I love my iPad and Procreate, it’s really given me so much more freedom and possibilities with my digital work. Almost all of my client work is digital, but if I have a bit of spare time (which is usually don’t!) I do love acrylic paint and oils. I studied in Seoul, South Korea for 6 months back in 2002 as part of my Swinburne uni degree, and we did weekly portraits in oil on big sheets of card. It taught me so much and I fell in love with the medium.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Isabella Di Sclafani, Elin Matilda Andersson and Abel Macias.
(…because I only used 7 words to describe my style in the first question, can I use the extra 3 to say: Richard Scarry too?)

  
Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I think I’d visit Mexico in the 1930s. I have loved Frida Kahlo’s work since I was a little kid. Growing up in a creative household, there were always heaps of art books everywhere. Frida’s work always fascinated me - the pain and strength in her paintings really grabbed me (I also was pretty taken with the pet monkey, deer and birds that sometimes featured!) I really love Diego Riviera’s murals too, and it would have been a really amazing place and time to be around.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I have loved drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. I originally studied graphic design because I thought it might have more career opportunities than fine art. But design never really came naturally to me and during the course I realised I only really wanted to draw and paint. My time at Hong-ik University in South Korea really solidified that for me, too.

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 love my big windows to let in some natural light. The aforementioned Fizzy is also pictured! Picture books on my desk as inspiration, and I just love looking though them when I need to take a break from the screen. I have two sculptures on my desk which were given to me by my Dad: the wooden one he sculpted, and the other is a butterfly made of two nail brushes. Apparently when I was about 2, I stuck the brushes together and said “butterfly”. Dad always kept them stuck together like that in his art studio. He recently attached the brushes to a plinth and gave it to me, in his final years. Mum and Dad always encouraged me and the butterfly is a beautiful reminder.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I get a bit of a thrill during the initial brainstorming and sketching stage. I feel like a bit of magic happens there. But I equally love it when I get to the stage of adding colour and finessing the illustrations. It’s very exciting and fulfilling bringing them to life.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
If you love it, keep at it, and keep practising. The times when work is quiet, I draw faces I love, or my pets, or scenes I’ve seen on holiday... Actually, about 15 years ago I did a drawing of Yoko Ono just for fun. And just last year, a music writer saw the portrait online and asked me if she could use it on the cover of her new book about Yoko. And to my delight, Yoko loves it. So you never know what might happen with illustrations you do ‘just for fun’!

 

Cat is a freelance illustrator based in the Dandenong ranges. With an artist father and ceramicist mother, Cat was always arty. She studied graphic design and fine art in Melbourne and South Korea. Her diverse range of clients runs across books, advertising, stationery, murals and portraits.
Her works are gentle, bright and whimsical. When Cat is not working, she likes hanging out with her family, thrifting, sticking googly eyes on things, and squeezing her dog, Fizzy.


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

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Review: Smarty Pup: To the Rescue

Smarty Pup: To the Rescue is book three in the series by Anh Do, starring a friendly canine companion with special powers.

This time around, JJ the Smarty Pup and his friends are learning about different occupations. The school hosts special guests to talk about their jobs as photographers and pilots and other things. 

In a neat crossover with Anh Do’s Weirdo series, the guests include Weir Do and his dad who is a firefighter. Mr Do has brought a real firetruck for the kids to see.

Lily, JJ and their friends get to try out some of the protective clothing (helmet, goggles, jacket and so one), and equipment like the fire hose. When aiming the hose goes a bit haywire, water goes everywhere! There are also fire drills, with the kids practising how to ‘get down low and GO, GO, GO!’

JJ has his own turn and like most other things is generally pretty good at being a fire dog. Later JJ and Lily discuss all the exciting jobs they might like to have. With their imaginations buzzing, they set about experimenting, causing some chaos along the way.

Then, in the midst of the school science fair, news arrives of a fire in the city and a dog family who are trapped. JJ’s science project turns out to be of particular use. It’s JJ to the rescue!

Science, surprises, and relatable adventures are at the heart of the Smarty Pup series. As with the other books there is a great book design and illustrations. As a special bonus, the cover has a special holographic illustration and stickers at the back of the book. 

Smarty Pup: To the Rescue is a great book for new and emerging readers, and adds a touch of 'magic' to everyday events.

Title: Smarty Pup: To the Rescue
Author: Anh Do
Illustrator: Anton Emdin
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 15.99
Publication Date: October 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761068959
For ages: 6+
Type:  Junior Fiction

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Review: The Book for Marvellous Minds

A joyful book made for kids to keep and treasure, The Book for Marvellous Minds is a goldmine of fun between two gorgeously illustrated covers.

It’s a follow up book to The Book for Happy Hearts and brings together two of Australia’s greatest children’s literature creators — Maggie Hutchings and Jess Racklyeft. 

Packed full of stories, poems and activities for kids, it’s a superb collection of things to inspire, entertain and challenge busy minds.

With idea sparks for creating your own comfort creature or fairy garden, mindfulness stretches and activities, making an indoor tent, and creating bookmark gifts, it will provide hours of things for kids to do and make. 

But those are just the activities. Between these are pages and pages of glorious short stories and poems to keep kids reading and entertained.

I love that there’s no contents for this book. It invites readers to jump in, flick through the pages and find a treasure. But there are three different sections (morning, noon and night), which help theme up the content and lead kids to particular activities depending on their mood, and they’re easy to find using the different coloured page borders.

There’s also a lovely bright neon ribbon attached to the book, so you can mark a page if you need to remember where it is.

Racklyeft’s illustrations are, as always, completely stunning. Funky, colourful, inviting and so so ‘kid’. They come alive on every page in a gorgeous pastel-y colour palate.

The Book for Marvelous Minds is the perfect best friend for creative kids. It would make a wonderful gift this Christmas for all the busy minds in your life.

Title: The Book for Marvellous Minds
Author: Maggie Hutchings
Illustrator: Jess Racklyeft
Publisher: Affirm, $35.00
Publication Date: 26 September 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922806796
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Fiction, Activity Book

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Review: Copycat

Skye and her cat Admiral Mittens, live in Seagulls Nest with her young-at-heart and very active grandmother, Sheila, the town’s head Librarian.

But it is chickens that are the most popular things in the area. 

So are egg sandwiches, a priority at every meal, and in every café, the town having been founded by an egg farmer.

Over three years ago, Skye’s parents left and never returned. The reason is still unknown.

Skye has written a mystery novel. 

She leaves her manuscript overnight on a shelf in the library, in a corner she frequents. 

Returning at opening time the next day, it is gone. Now she must become the sleuth she writes about, to track down the thief.

Her first suspect is Bailey, a volunteer who shelves books in the library.

He is ruled out when he admits he took it to read, but it was taken by someone in the cafe, when he left his seat for a minute.

The two become a team, determined to uncover the culprit even if it means spying on the whole town. They find they have a lot in common and quickly become friends.

Excerpts of Skye’s manuscript are shared with us as the investigation progresses.

When Skye’s novel crimes are copied, things become serious.

Who is doing this and what do they hope to achieve? Everyone is now a suspect. The pair hide, follow, and make lists to compare information. Finding any real clues becomes almost impossible, for situations seem one way, but are found to be the total opposite.

Things take a turn for the worse when Skye and Bailey are accused by the Head of Police, of working together on the crimes to call attention to themselves for reasons of their own.

When the animals in the Zoo are set free, things come to a head. New Policewoman Penelope is determined to help solve the mystery. This leads to other mysteries surfacing.

Terrific characters and lots of suspense keep the pages turning in this creative novel full of ups and downs, twists and turns.

Title: Copycat
Author: Anne Hawkins
Publisher: Harper Collins, $16.99
Publication Date: 6 September 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781460763315
For ages: 8+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: Solve Your Own Mystery: The Transylvanian Express

Solve Your Own Mystery: The Transylvanian Express is one of four titles in the series, and is a bit like the Choose Your Own Adventure books that were popular in the 1980s.

The idea is to start reading, and at certain points you're asked a question. Your choice of the available responses will direct what happens next. That means there are lots of permutations for the plot, so you can read and re-read the book and get variations on the story each time.

In The Transylvanian Express, as the central character (who has magic powers!), you work with a yeti detective named Klaus. 

Following the delivery of a mysterious letter, you and Klaus are aboard a train travelling to the home of Count Fledermaus, a vampire whose castle will be opened for an annual public event.

The trouble is that a VIP, Night Mayor Franklefink, has gone missing while on the train, and one of the suspects is his arch nemesis, Bramwell Stoker.

The story is written so the narrative speaks directly to the reader. This makes it feel like you are right in the middle of everything that happens. When your help is sought to find the missing VIP, your first decision must be whether to explore the last place he was seen, which was the dining carriage, or to examine his cabin. 

The Transylvanian Express sometimes seem like a kind of mash-up of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, and the world of Harry Potter. Illustrations are scattered liberally throughout.

As you progress through the story, and try to solve the mystery of the Night Mayor's disappearance, you'll find yourself trekking all over the train, looking in its nooks and crannies, and speaking to the eclectic bunch of passengers. Will you be able to work out what happened?

The Solve Your Own Mystery series, including The Transylvanian Express,  has been created by author Gareth P Jones, and is illustrated by Louise Forshaw. It's packed with a cast of kooky characters (think goblins, monsters, and werewolves and you'll get the idea), and has a touch of magic. Be prepared for anything when you start reading!

Title: Solve Your Own Mystery: The Transylvanian Express
Author: Gareth P Jones
Illustrator: Louise Forshaw
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, $ 16.99
Publication Date: October 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760656591
For ages: 8+
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Vlad: The Fabulous Vampire

As any vampire worth his garlic salt will tell you, vampire-esque activities are not wholly confined to Halloween. 

Indeed, for Vladislav Varnaby Roland Dragul,Vlad for short, being a stylish vampire is a year-long occupation.

Vlad is a horrifically huge fashionista you see. Fashion is his passion. However, Vlad harbours a toe-curling colourful secret.

Vlad's physical anomaly sets him far apart from his black haute couture counterparts. He is loathe to tell his vampire mates what lurks beneath his mysteriously black veneer for fear of the ridicule he is sure they will unleash upon him.

Going out on a limb (literally), he attempts to confide in his best friend, Shelly but falls short of full disclosure when inspiration propels him in a new direction. He reasons if he can't change who he is, he can at least camouflage the fact. All goes swimmingly for a while but as plans to conceal are want to do, things eventually unravel until Vlad decides he is better off alone. Just as he is about to sink into a quagmire of despair, Shelly reveals a stunning secret of her own and that, my friends, changes everything. 

I won't giveaway the colour-induced secret here, although clever readers will deduce that for themselves from the outrageously audacious cover. Suffice to say this is a lovely, Halloween flavoured take on the corrosion of self-esteem when ones identity is in question. Vlad is beset with feelings of failure and non conformity because he sports a unique and, it has to be said, very fetching feature which does set him apart from his contemporaries. That is part of life - or life after death if you're a vampire kid. What's more important is that with the help of an understanding and kind-hearted friend, he finds a new kind of confidence and sense of pride in his difference rather than shame. A useful life affirmation if ever there was one.

Engaging text is portrayed with the most delicious array of pecilled illustrations. Rich in detail, the monster-suffused drawings begin in muted shades of deep purples, greys and of course, elegant blacks but gradually develop into a lollypop land of bright fuchsia entoned fabulousness. It's like the most riotous trick or treat night imaginable which ensures a fun experience for young readers outside the message to love the skin you're in whether it be deathly shades of pale or otherwise.

Get your spook on with Vlad. 

Title: Vlad: The Fabulous Vampire
Author Illustrator: Flavia Z Drago
Publisher: Walker Books Australia,$27.99
Publication Date: 4 October 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781529509175
For ages: 3 - 7
Type: Picture Book

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Junior Review: Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems

Lily Halfmoon is a normal girl like everyone else, until her birthday cake explodes on her 9th birthday, and her pencils start levitating in art class. Something isn’t right, but Lily doesn’t know what it is until two girls from school (Gigi and Mai) tell Lily she’s a witch and has magical powers.

Lily has to go to a school for witches and wizards with Lily and Mai, where their teacher sets them a special assignment — find out who’s eating his precious flowers.

Each witch has a magical crystal that stores their witch powers. They also have a special animal sidekick who helps them along the way. Lily has to discover all of this, plus build new friendships, plus solve the mystery her teacher has set.

There are lots of twists in this book and it ends on a cliffhanger, which made me want to read more.

I like how the book explains how everything works. There’s a page about the crystals and what they all mean and do. And there are pages that tell you how to do spells. I also like the special pets everyone gets. They’re cute and really fun.

This is a graphic novel so there are lots and lots of illustrations. They’re detailed, colourful and mystical.

Kids who like magic, mystery and like to get hooked on a book are going to love this story. It's a perfect book for Halloween time, and I’m looking forward to book 2.

Title: Lily Halfmoon: The Magic Gems
Author/Illustrator: Xavier Bonet
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $16.99
Publication Date:  29 August 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761180354
For ages: 7 - 11
Type: Junior Fiction, Graphic Novel

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10 Quirky Questions with author/illustrator Inda Ahmad Zahri

1. What's your hidden talent?
Juggling household objects. I learned to juggle from friends at uni who even gifted me a set of juggling balls one year. I’ve since lost them, but found that juggling things around the house or from the pantry is just as fun. My favourites are onions, as they have a lovely way of peeling off midair.

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
Miss Trunchbull from Matilda by Roald Dahl, because she is so committed to her villainy! She is confident and proud, inspiring (even if she inspires fear) and cares so deeply about crushing souls that she embodies it from head to toe.  

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
I started drafting a list that was several times longer than this question permits, but I’ve narrowed it down to these 5 because I think there would be a nice dynamic of humour, world-bending, deep conversations about humanity and poetic genius: Ahdaf Soueif, Gerald Durrell, Haruki Murakami; George Saunders; Elizabeth Acevedo. 

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
The Alethiometer from Philip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Messy, intuitive, ebbs and flows.

6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
Emotive, truthful, poetic, loving, bright.

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
I made an illustration of my dream writing space for my website, and it had: a guitar, a dinosaur figurine, sketches and favourite photos tacked up on the wall, a mug of coffee and a shelf full of books.

8. Grab the nearest book, open it to page 22 and look for the second word in the first sentence. Now, write a line that starts with that word. (Please include the name of the book!)
Instead of muesli and oats, how about we have ice cream for breakfast today?
(Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus)

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I would ask (on behalf of my daughter who has often speculated on the answer) Mem Fox what her real name is.

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
Ooof, this question is cruel! I’m tempted not to answer it as an act of self-care! But if I absolutely had to choose, I’d rather ‘never write another story’ – there are other ways to tell my stories, but to be deprived of the stories of others might make this world a little too hard to bear. 

 
Inda Ahmad Zahri writes and illustrates stories that are often imbued with her fervent wish for a kinder world. Originally from Kuala Lumpur, she now splits her time between her garden home in Meanjin/Brisbane and a sandy spot in the Middle East. She counts books, languages, Malaysian rice dishes and the ocean as some of her greatest loves. Inda's debut book, Salih,was a Notable Book in the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Awards. She has written several other picture books and received an ASA/CA Mentorship Award in 2021 to develop a middle-grade novel. The Month That Makes the Year is her first author-illustrator title. Inda is also a surgical doctor, a vocation that has taught her to be meticulous while embracing chaos, and to appreciate the gentler moments in life. For more information, see www.indabinda.com.

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Review: Eddie Woo's Wonderful World of STEM

Eddie Woo made his name as Mister Wootube, the high school maths teacher who records lessons and shares them online, amassing millions of subscribers and views.

Eddie Woo's Wonderful World of STEM is an activity book, the kind that you can write and draw in. It takes a stack of STEM concepts and demonstrates them using simple explanations and activities. 

This is fun stuff and features marble runs, paper planes, and building with spaghetti.

Learn about the Fibonacci sequence and how to find patterns in nature. A photo and diagram of a sunflower demonstrate the spiral patterns which can be counted to discover a Fibonacci number.

Explore robotics with an experiment that helps explain balance and its importance to the movement of robots. It's a simple experiment using a pair of skewers and a bag of marshmallows. Another one uses paddle pop sticks to demonstrate the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy.

Other topics featured include shapes, fractals, symmetry, space, letters and words, clouds, building materials, and lots more. There’s also a 'top secret' section of the book with the answers to the activities.

It’s been a while since I was at school and learning these concepts myself, and this book is a great refresher. It’s the kind you can browse and dip in and out of. 

STEM is everywhere.
It's the Science that helps us understand the natural world.
It's the Technology that uses knowledge and principles to invent tools.
It's the Engineering that solves problems and builds our modern environment.
It's the Maths that explores the patterns in the universe.

Eddie Woo is passionate and gifted in helping to make sense of STEM concepts, and Eddie Woo's Wonderful World of STEM is a great book to have at home or school, for both children and adults to learn about and see the concepts in the world around us. Highly recommended.

For your chance to win a copy of this title, enter our Giveaway. Competition opens 4 November 2023.

Title: Eddie Woo's Wonderful World of STEM
Author: Eddie Woo
Illustrator: Alissa Dinallo
Publisher: Macmillan, $ 19.99
Publication Date: October 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761266843
For ages: 7+
Type: Activity Book

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Review: Ruby and the Pen

Ruby loves to draw.  Following in her artist father’s footsteps, she uses comic art as an escape from her poor relationship with her mother, Adelaide. 

She’d like to correct that problem but doesn’t know how. 

Since Ruby’s dad died four years ago, there has been a series of boyfriends in Adelaide’s life, and the current one is Dodgy Dave.

Another boyfriend, another school. Dodgy Dave has pulled strings somewhere and Ruby is now on her way to boarding school. It is his way of getting rid of the twelve-year -old as he has plenty to hide.

Ruby buys an old pen from a market stall, inscribed in Latin with the words, the future is in your hands. Seeing this as an omen, she feels optimistic about the path her life is now on.

 But nothing is as Ruby imagined.

She is constantly bullied by several teachers and her roommates, who throw her pen out of the window. Bad behaviour against Ruby continues and she can’t find support where it’s expected.

 The pen turns up in Ruby’s pencil case. It has a mind of its own and Ruby is determined to get the bullies back.

 Her drawings become real life. They help her through difficult situations but only for a while.

 When the pen gets out of control, and is no longer acting in Ruby’s best interests, she must find a way to rein it in. But the pen falls into the wrong hands.

 Many discoveries await Ruby. She uncovers Dodgy Daves connections involve personnel at the school, and secret dealings that threaten the environment, through destruction of the surrounding forest.  

 Ruby’s attempts to draw attention to the pending catastrophe sees her expelled.

Can she find a way to stop the felling of the trees to make way for a theme park?

 Will she be able to expose Dodgy Dave or revive her relationship with her mother again? Shall Ruby’s distanced friends rally around in her time of need?

 Fantastic artwork by Cherie Dignam enhances David Lawrence's story full of humour and clever prose. Xander and the Pen is Bk 2 in a highly entertaining series full of important themes.

Title: Ruby and the Pen
Author: David Lawrence
Illustrator: Cherie Dignam
Publisher: EK Books , $ 19.99
Publication Date: 5 July 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922539380
For ages: 10 – 14
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Meet The Illustrator: Helen Milroy

Name: Helen Milroy

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Whatever works at the time, lots of colour and movement

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Mess. I do like a lot of things to look at like cards, books, paintings, photos. I also like a lot of stuff like toys, pencils, paints, material, craft, canvases. I also like drawing in the garden. When travelling all I need is my iPad. I also love it when my cat sits with me.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I love acrylic paint on canvas but now I use the digital medium. It is great to be able to take your artwork with you wherever you go.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Shaun Tan
Shirley Purdie
Leonardo Da Vinci

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
I would love to go back and visit my ancestors and understand the stories from the cave and rock paintings.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I was always a visual reader and loved picture books more than words. I wanted to live in the images created so wanted to be able to create illustrations that stimulate imagination. I grew up on stories and drawings. Even if there was no paper, we would go down the backyard and pull a bit of paperbark off the tree and draw on that or draw in the sand. I also loved Aboriginal peoples art and the idea of painting stories.

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 photo is fairly typical of my work space. My cat Smokey, is asleep on his cat tower, my favourite puppet, Honey Possum (who always comes with me for storytelling) is on the desk, and there are papers, books, pictures and paintings easily visible. There is also one of my scarves which I may put on for zoom calls. I like to be surrounded by familiar things and I like a lot of colour. If I am painting, I will clear a space as I am a bit of a messy painter. Probably why I like using digital art now so there is less to clean up. I also feel inspired by what I see, patterns, shapes, textures and forms and how odd bits and pieces somehow fit together.

 

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
I some times find it hard to get started but once I am in the creative mind space, the illustrations literally fall onto the page. I love this process of allowing the images to draw themselves, it is a beautiful space to be in where everything around you just fades away and I can enjoy the moment. I also love looking at the finished image and smiling. Best of all though, is seeing how kids respond to the illustrations.

Helen Milroy is a descendant of the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia but was born and educated in Perth. She is Australia’s first Indigenous doctor and child psychiatrist. Currently Helen is the Stan Perron Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Perth Children’s Hospital and University of Western Australia and Honorary Research at the Telethon Kids Institute. Helen is the Chair of the Gayaa Dhuwi Proud Spirit Australia organisation and a board member of Beyond Blue. Helen is also an artist and published author and illustrator of children’s books. She has been shortlisted for several children’s literature awards and received the 2021 Whitley Award for best early childhood reader for Backyard Birds. Helen loves storytelling and promoting imagination and creativity as part of social and emotional wellbeing.

 

For more information, please visit Helen's website.

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Review: Millie Mak the Maker

Many readers will associate closely with the contents of this imaginative book by Alice Pung. Gorgeous black pen illustrations accompany the text.

With several interesting underlying themes racing through it, it is the doll’s house on the nature strip in the hard rubbish collection, that starts it all.

Story One introduces Millie and Granny, who are passionate curb side collectors. When they see the doll’s house, they can’t wait to get it home and restore it. 

But they are not the only ones who want it. First there gets it!

Most of the book is about seeing beauty in discarded things and repurposing, re-using and recycling pre-loved things that are treasures to the finder, but rubbish to those that discard them.

 

Against the background of Millie’s life, surroundings, and family situations, we discover that being without, is a state of mind.

Milly’s two Grannies have taught her how to find extraordinary objects of beauty and usefulness in the ordinary world, and teach us, how life can be beautiful with handmade things designed and created with imagination and know-how.

Each creative thought gives birth to a new adventure for Millie as she learns to search in op shops for things that she can reuse, renew, or remodel.

Story Two sees dad injured after being hit by a car while riding his bike and life becomes harder for Millie and family. They have to find a way to manage with less.

The background stories speak of acts of kindness, difficulties in creating new friendships, being responsible, and ways of overcoming unkindness meted out other children, whose reasons appear to be due to dissatisfaction in their own lives. These are threaded through beautifully with creative initiatives discovered by Millie or the Grannies.  

Easy-to-follow instructions for sewing lots of useful objects, clothes, and hair decorations from items you never imagined, will be invaluable to any budding Maker. 

How to produce something new from something old becomes easy, and the satisfaction of using your hands to create, can bring great pleasure.

I loved this book and the fact that it reflects the way many people have lived and still live today – by using things that others don’t need or want anymore, to create, restore or remake something necessary and meaningful to them.

Another stunning cover reflects the contents of the book.

Title: Millie Mak the Maker
Author: Alice Pung
Illustrator: Sher Rill Ng
Publisher:Harper Collins, $ 22.99
Publication Date: 30 August 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781460763773 
For ages: 8+
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Monster Island

There’s a mysterious island off the coast of Australia. No one knows it's there and no one knows how to find it. 

The only people who go there are researchers and scientists working for MeierCorp, because the island is full of… monsters.

Well, not exactly monsters, but certainly monstrous beasts. And also interesting beasts and absolutely whacky beasts that defy all logic — like giant toads, dinosaurs with apposable thumbs and a whole lot of strange fungus.

It’s probably a place you want to avoid, but when Bernie’s mum gets a new job with MeierCorp, it’s exactly where Bernie ends up after following her to the top-secret location.

There he meets Ivy Meier, daughter of Hugo Meier (the owner of MeierCorp), and eventually Mr Meier himself. Meier isn’t exactly happy about Bernie being on his secret island, and he plans to send him home.

But everything changes when Bernie and Ivy discover suspicious drones spying on the island’s creatures. Something fishy is happening on Monster Island, and Bernie and Ivy are determined to find answers.

Supernatural story fans are going to love this JF novel. It bends reality in the best ways possible and takes readers on an action-packed adventure from start to finish.

Title: Monster Island
Author: George Ivanoff
Publisher: Puffin, $19.99
Publication Date: 30 May 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761047244
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Millie Mak the Maker

Many readers will associate closely with the contents of this imaginative book by Alice Pung. Gorgeous black pen illustrations accompany the text.

With several interesting underlying themes racing through it, it is the doll’s house on the nature strip in the hard rubbish collection, that starts it all.

Story One introduces Millie and Granny, who are passionate curb side collectors. When they see the doll’s house, they can’t wait to get it home and restore it. 

But they are not the only ones who want it. First there gets it!

Most of the book is about seeing beauty in discarded things and repurposing, re-using and recycling pre-loved things that are treasures to the finder, but rubbish to those that discard them.

 

Against the background of Millie’s life, surroundings, and family situations, we discover that being without, is a state of mind.

Milly’s two Grannies have taught her how to find extraordinary objects of beauty and usefulness in the ordinary world, and teach us, how life can be beautiful with handmade things designed and created with imagination and know-how.

Each creative thought gives birth to a new adventure for Millie as she learns to search in op shops for things that she can reuse, renew, or remodel.

Story Two sees dad injured after being hit by a car while riding his bike and life becomes harder for Millie and family. They have to find a way to manage with less.

The background stories speak of acts of kindness, difficulties in creating new friendships, being responsible, and ways of overcoming unkindness meted out other children, whose reasons appear to be due to dissatisfaction in their own lives. These are threaded through beautifully with creative initiatives discovered by Millie or the Grannies.  

Easy-to-follow instructions for sewing lots of useful objects, clothes, and hair decorations from items you never imagined, will be invaluable to any budding Maker. 

How to produce something new from something old becomes easy, and the satisfaction of using your hands to create, can bring great pleasure.

I loved this book and the fact that it reflects the way many people have lived and still live today – by using things that others don’t need or want anymore, to create, restore or remake something necessary and meaningful to them.

Another stunning cover reflects the contents of the book.

Title: Millie Mak the Maker
Author: Alice Pung
Illustrator: Sher Rill Ng
Publisher:Harper Collins, $ 22.99
Publication Date: 30 August 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781460763773 
For ages: 8+
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Monster Island

There’s a mysterious island off the coast of Australia. No one knows it's there and no one knows how to find it. 

The only people who go there are researchers and scientists working for MeierCorp, because the island is full of… monsters.

Well, not exactly monsters, but certainly monstrous beasts. And also interesting beasts and absolutely whacky beasts that defy all logic — like giant toads, dinosaurs with apposable thumbs and a whole lot of strange fungus.

It’s probably a place you want to avoid, but when Bernie’s mum gets a new job with MeierCorp, it’s exactly where Bernie ends up after following her to the top-secret location.

There he meets Ivy Meier, daughter of Hugo Meier (the owner of MeierCorp), and eventually Mr Meier himself. Meier isn’t exactly happy about Bernie being on his secret island, and he plans to send him home.

But everything changes when Bernie and Ivy discover suspicious drones spying on the island’s creatures. Something fishy is happening on Monster Island, and Bernie and Ivy are determined to find answers.

Supernatural story fans are going to love this JF novel. It bends reality in the best ways possible and takes readers on an action-packed adventure from start to finish.

Title: Monster Island
Author: George Ivanoff
Publisher: Puffin, $19.99
Publication Date: 30 May 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761047244
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Junior Fiction

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12 Curly Questions with author/illustrator Peter Cheong

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
When I was very little in school, to go to the toilet you had to have a ‘buddy’ to walk with you to and from the toilet. I was chosen as a buddy for another kid, walked her to the toilet and waited outside for maybe 30 minutes. I finally came back to class by myself and discovered she had been back for ages. I was convinced for the longest time she could teleport. She probably still can actually.

2. What is your nickname?
Bababababa. My son is nine months old.

3. What is your greatest fear?
When the nappy leaks.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Chaotically, with a lot of Nutella, tea and hot showers.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Sometimes it’s actually all right.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. Because he has access to Wonka-Vites and Vita-Wonks, so everyone could live forever. Also he has a chocolate factory.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
The future! A thousand or ten thousand years. I’d love to see the technology.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. No, not really. He’d actually be pretty stoked that he would get to make books for a living. He wouldn’t say anything though, he’d be too shy.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
There are so many artists I’m influenced by, but Bill Watterson would be the biggest one. Calvin and Hobbes is just too good.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I’ve always loved creating characters and stories. But I had been focusing on illustration as a career and thought I was not good enough as a writer yet. But after seeing my portfolio, an editor said they’d love to see any of my own stories I had been working on. And I realised that, much like with illustration, I would just have to go for it and learn as I go. So I did.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
I’ve never thought about it. Probably ‘actually’ actually. It feels and tastes delicious.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Is this hell? Why can I only read one book? What have I done to deserve this? Can I have my Kindle? Is there a chance of parole? I’m imagining a prison where inmates are given one single picture book and told to read it out loud over and over again. When they ask why, they are told, ‘this is your life now’. Wait. Will this be my life when my son can choose his own bedtime story? Oh no. Oh dear.

Peter Cheong lives in Perth with his very understanding wife and less understanding cat. He is the illustrator of I’m a Hero Too and the Pow Pow Pig series. Every Night at Midnight is his first book as both author and illustrator. Peter unfortunately cannot turn into a wolf himself but is still trying. For more information, see www.petercheong.com.


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Review: Guinness World Records 2024

Guinness has been regularly publishing books about world records since its first edition in 1955. 

Fastest, tallest, first ... you'll find lots of them, and more, in Guinness World Records 2024.

This year's book has the theme of 'blue planet' and features records related to subjects like the earth and sea, and their landmarks and animals, along with many new world records. There are more of them than you could count.

In keeping with the theme, one of the featured records is the largest octopus, the Giant Pacific Octopus, also known as the GPO, which can travel at up to 40km/hr. The largest GPO on record weighed in at 71 kg and was 4 metres in length.

As well as the world records themselves, there are also 'explainers' in each chapter, like a fabulous labelled diagram of the octopus, and a range of additional information, including the name of a new octopus species.

Many records are wild and wacky. Records like 'Most Smarties eaten with chopsticks while blindfolded in one minute' (the answer is 25). There are twelve records involving pogo sticks (including the highest back flip), records about collections (like the largest collection of Pokemon cards which stood at 32,809), and records about robots (the fastest bipedal robot can run 100 metres in 24.73 seconds). World record sporting achievements are included, and historical records are a special feature. There's also a special double-page spread highlighting some of the people aged under sixteen who set records.

Photos and diagrams provide an important illustrative element of Guinness World Records books and make for a busy visual experience. The cover and end papers for the 2024 edition are bright and beautiful, incorporating some of the record holders.

Guinness World Records 2024 is packed full of enough trivia, facts and figures to keep most readers entertained (and recounting what they learn) for a good long while.

Title: Guinness World Records 2024
Author/Illustrator: Guinness World Records
Publisher: Guinness, $ 46.99
Publication Date: September 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781913484408
For ages: 8+
Type: Non-Fiction

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