Review: Iceberg

Claire Saxby is well-known for her superlative, well-researched work, and carefully chosen words. In Iceberg, her use of poetic language, alliteration and assonance could be construed as musical: but mostly the sky swirls snow or ice crystals in this frozen desert. Winter tides swell and ebb… the narrative appears to float on the same movement as that of the ice.

Jess Racklyeft keeps reinventing herself through an astonishing ability to use colour by immersing herself in her projects. Shades of blues and greens, and dazzling whites form shadowy backgrounds for the life that depends on them. With the collaboration of these two gifted artists, a world of frozen beauty has been created.

The birth and death of the Iceberg is revealed in stages and seasons, and shared with the living creatures during the shifts in winds and currents which offer life and continuity.

How many of these birds and creatures are we talking about? Countless ones are mentioned and depicted above and below the sea. Displays of their presence is presented on two exquisite double page fold-outs in the middle of the book. It gives a panoramic view of the many types of fish and sea animals that exist in those frozen waters.

The habits of these creatures blend with the shifting shapes of the icebergs. The migration of birds during the Antarctic summers speak of life as does renewal of the Iceberg.

This is an exceptionally beautiful book designed to call attention to the melting Antarctic snows and the repercussions on the animal life that depends on the Iceberg for food and survival. It demands that the effect climate change is having and will have on this magical place be acknowledged and addressed. Words cannot solve this problem; they can only draw attention to it.

The rest depends on action taken quickly to preserve and protect all the life that depends on this environment. 

Title: Iceberg
Author: Claire Saxby
Illustrator: Jess Racklyeff
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: 2 February 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760526047
For ages: 5 – 8
Type: Non Fiction/Natural History

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Review: Poopy Pants and Potty Rants

Review: Wild Symphony

Music, rhythm, rhyme, nature, and animals. You'll find them all in Wild Symphony.

Just as an orchestra is made up of different instruments, each with their own musical personality, so is Wild Symphony. 

The pages each feature a different animal and poem to read. They all combine to create something special, a symphony.

The animal who begins the story is the conductor, Maestro Mouse, who explains the journey about to be travelled.

Mouse is soon joined by birds, kittens, kangaroos, boars, ponies, whales, crickets, and others. They're all part of the orchestra.

Wild Symphony also hides puzzles. There's an anagram to find on each page which spells out the name of a musical instrument. The letters are hidden well, so look carefully!

Wild Symphony is the creation of bestselling author Dan Brown (best known for his adult novel The Da Vinci Code). In a note at the end of this book, his first picture book, Dan Brown tells readers that before he wrote books he wrote music, and that it offered him a special place as a child.

The storytelling nature of music, and wanting to share his love of it, was something that drove Dan to create Wild Symphony. It comes with a free app and website, so you can experience the music and turn it and reading the book into an immersive experience. 

The music of the Wild Symphony orchestra is like the animals in the book, full of personality, humour and movement, unique to each animal.

Illustrations for the book are by Susan Batori. They're cute and colourful, with cartoon animals in the wild landscape offering exxploration of the natural world (along with some imagined things like a hippo eating a hamburger!). And the endpapers depict orchestral instruments.

Wild Symphony can be experienced on different levels depending on what you want. You can simply read the book, dip in and out, add in looking for the hidden clues, or download the app and read and listen to them together. It would make a great family activity, and is suitable for classrooms as well.

Visit the Wild Symphony website to watch the world premiere concert performance of Wild Symphony (including Dan Brown reading the poems), and for a behind the scenes video about the book, Q&As with the author, and answers to the anagram puzzles.

Title: Wild Symphony
Author: Dan Brown
Illustrator: Susan Batori
Publisher: Puffin, $ 27.99
Publication Date: 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN:  9780241467916
For ages:  3+
Type: Picture Book

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Giveaway: YA Prize Pack: Concrete Rose, All Our Hidden Gifts, Game Changer

Review: Backyard Magic

Tilly wants to hang inside, but when her mum turns off the television, she has to find some other way to entertain herself.

Drawn outside by the call of a bird, Tilly steps into the wild to discover a world of interesting things. A tree becomes a climbing frame, a stick becomes a broom, a pond becomes a fishing lake and leaves become a skirt.

And while she plays and sings in nature, she searches for the cheeping bird that called her into the wild. 

Backyard Magic is exactly what the title says it is. It explores the secrets and magic of backyards and all the fun that can be found if we go outside and look. 

With stunning illustrations by Harriet Hobday, the story comes to life. Deep blues and greens play on the pages, with glorious splashes of red, orange and pink hues throughout. And while Tilly may not be able to find the bird that sings to her throughout playtime, readers will definitely love spotting the bird with every turn of the page.

The stunning end pages are also a delight to point out to your readers, showing inside toys at the beginning and a colourful splash of nature at the end. It’s a beautiful summary of the book in two gorgeously illustrated pages.

This is a perfect picture book for classrooms and homes alike, encouraging kids to find fun in nature and sparking loads of topics for discussion about the power of make-believe, and perhaps questioning the need for plastic toys when there is so much in nature waiting to be found. 

A charming story about making your own fun and the endless possibilities of outside play, Backyard Magic is brilliant inspiration for kids and a lovely prompt to get outside and explore the world.

Title: Backyard Magic
Author: Wenda Shurety
Illustrator: Harriet Hobday
Publisher: Affirm Press, $19.99  
Publication Date: 27 January 2021
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781922419187
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Macca and AI, Super Pals

Review: Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Matthews is seventeen. She’s in the middle of a yearlong feud with her best friend Alex. She wants Joey Milano to talk to her, notice her, like her. She has lots of family responsibilities and her beloved grandmother just passed away.

This is Ruby’s story. This is her life. But after the night of a party gone wrong, Ruby’s life goes from challenging to unbearable. 

How can she ever trust anyone again? How can she face her class? How can life ever be the same?

As she struggles to deal with what happened at the party, Ruby’s world starts to expand as old friends and family she didn’t know existed come back into her life. 

She wants nothing more than to hide from the world after what happened, but she must find the strength to figure out who she is and who she wants to be in the future.

Ruby Tuesday is a coming of age story that sucks you into Ruby’s world from chapter one. It’s raw and emotional, exploring real life issues. It’s relatable and addictive.

Ruby is a brilliant character, filled with that contradictory mix of doubt and bravery so many of us have. She thinks she’s weak, but her actions say otherwise. It just takes her a while to realise just how much courage she has.

Sex, boys, best friend dramas, school gossip, sexism, family and identity are all here in this compelling read. It’s like stepping inside someone’s diary — someone else’s world — and walking in their shoes. 

Ruby becomes a real person on the page thanks to Lawrence’s immersive writing. She delivers an authentic teen voice and a narrative that brings to the surface all the things we think but never say and all the things we do but don’t want to admit to.

If you like thought-provoking contemporary YA, Ruby Tuesday is for you. 

Title: Ruby Tuesday
Author: Hayley Lawrence 
Publisher: Penguin, $19.99  
Publication Date: 1 September 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760894894
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult Fiction

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Review: The World Between Blinks

Cousins Marisol and Jake have lost their beloved grandmother and the family has gathered to pack up and sell her beach house. 

Familiar with restarting and leaving his life again and again with his travelling mum, Jake is used to change and accepts what must be done. 

But Marisol can’t let go. All she can think of is finding a way to get the money they need to save Nana’s house.

So when Marisol and Jake find a map with an X on it, that once belonged to their adventurous Nana, Marisol leaps at the chance to follow the breadcrumbs. They end up at the strange lighthouse just out at sea, and when they climb the stairs…

They fall into the World Between Blinks — the world that sits beside ours, where all the lost and forgotten things disappear to.

The World Between Blinks is a magical place, where Curators catalogue magnificent lost things, people and places: whole towns, ships lost at sea, odd socks, the Loch Ness Monster, mountains of lost treasures — it all goes somewhere, and this is where it goes.

But Marisol and Jake’s appearance in the World causes problems. They aren’t meant to be there and if they stay too long they’ll lose their memories and get catalogued just like everything else.

They make a deal with the Curators to bring them something in exchange for getting home, but Jake wonders if ending up in the World is really a mistake, and Marisol keeps getting distracted by the treasure that might save Nana’s house. If they can’t work together… if they can’t deliver what they promised to the Curators… the World Between Blinks will become their home forever. 

The World Between Blinks is a magical middle grade novel filled with adventure, wonder and whimsy. With ancient places and extinct and forgotten creatures, it’s an exploration of the past and a very cool way to highlight things in our history. Amelia Earhart is only one famous someone who makes an appearance. 

Marisol and Jake are both brilliant characters — different but balanced so you get to see different perspectives on the same topic and question who might have it right in different circumstances. 

The World Between Blinks is an exciting adventure that will crack open imaginations and fill them with fuel for years. And I also spied a little “Book 1” image on the spine of the book, so I hope that implies this won’t be the last adventure in the World Between Blinks.

Title: The World Between Blinks
Author: Amie Kaufman and Ryan Graudin
Publisher: HarperCollins, $16.99
Publication Date: 3 February 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781460711286
For ages: 8 - 12
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: Listen, Layla

Review: The Violet Veil Mysteries: A Case of Grave Danger

This new detective series set in the mid to late 1800s, boasts an amazing, independent, and courageous leading female character with her equally amazing dog, Bones.

Violet has grown up amongst the dead. In fact, she was born on a slab in the mortuary, Mother told her. As her father owned the funeral parlour and they lived next to the graveyard, living and dying was something she learnt about from an early age.

Soon after Violet turns thirteen, the body of Oliver is brought to them for burial. He is the fifth unidentified person to be murdered in the same way. When a shocked Violet finds his coffin empty, the first link to a strange mystery surfaces. 

A deep wound at the back of Oliver's head caused him to remain unconscious, therefore presumed dead.

 

Homeless and orphaned, Oliver is cared for, and Mr Veil takes him on as apprentice. It is what Violet longed for herself, knowing it an impossible longing for a girl.

Oliver asks Violet to help him find who tried to kill him. This is not an easy task. Oliver’s papers are stolen from the office. Then, an anonymous a tip-off has the police turn up to search the premises. Mr Veil is taken away in handcuffs and charged after a hammer, the supposed murder weapon, is produced.

Convinced her father is being framed, the two decide to investigate the other four murdered persons, in the hope that they will uncover information to save Mr Veil. Then there is the Black Widow that wanders the graveyards. Can she be connected in some way to this ever-growing and complex web of mystery? She is added to the list of suspects.

With the help of Violet’s dog, the intelligent Bones whose highly developed sixth sense is invaluable, their inquiries reveal many similarities between the four deceased. But they must seek the truth secretly, as Violet’s parents have forbidden her to undertake any action that will risk her safety.

But there is no choice. Mr Veil’s pending hanging, forces Mother to accept Violet and Oliver’s help as a last resort.

Full of mystery, excitement, adventure and suspense, this fantastic beginning to the series, sees Violet evolve and assert her individuality. She casts off the handicap of restriction and invisibility that her gender demands, to set up a new and daring identity.

Title: The Violet Veil Mysteries: A Case of Grave Danger
Author: Sophie Cleverly
Illustrator: Hannah Peck
Publisher: Harper Collins, $16.99
Publication Date: 3 February 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780008297350
For ages: 8+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

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Review: All Our Hidden Gifts

It feels like a deck of tarot cards has selected Maeve – following her, in fact.

But that’s impossible, isn’t it?

Yet they just seem to end up in her school bag even when she swears she’s locked them away in her desk at home.

Regardless, the cards are Maeve’s ticket to social popularity.

Since she started doing readings at school, she’s discovered that she has an eerie accuracy with her predictions – which is like crack cocaine to her teenage classmates.

They line up for her readings and pay.

The only person unimpressed by this is Lily, Maeve’s ex-best friend.

The girl that Maeve dropped once they started secondary school, because she was detrimental to Maeve’s image amongst the cool set.

When a bunch of girls harass Maeve to read a very reluctant Lily’s cards, Maeve is stunned to find a mysterious card, the Housekeeper, in the deck.

The card makes no sense as it isn't part of a normal tarot set, yet it is clearly a part of this deck. Everybody watching is spooked by Maeve’s reaction, but more so when Maeve tells Lily she wishes she would just disappear.

Then Lily goes missing.

The cool girls immediately accuse Maeve of being a witch, and suddenly the long-sought after popularity is gone. But not that this matters to Maeve anymore. She is now frantic with worry, and also blames herself for Lily’s disappearance.

So Maeve has to dig deep, both into her own conscience and her investigations, in order to uncover secrets about the school and another girl who went missing years ago.

This is a gripping supernatural thriller, with very real, relatable characters. Caroline O’Donoghue maintains the pace and suspense throughout. I especially liked that Maeve was imperfect, a teenager craving to fit in, as many teenagers do, and that she had to face up to her conscience in order to fix the mess that she created.

The book stands well on its own, but I can see the ending left potential for Maeve and her friends to face more supernatural threats.

Title: All Our Hidden Secrets
Author: Caroline O’Donoghue
Publisher: Walker, $ 18.99
Publication Date: 3 February 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781406393095
For ages: 14+
Type: Young Adult Fiction

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Review: Girl of the Southern Sea

This beautifully structured and moving novel is a blend of powerful emotions, that include love, loss and grief, the power of belief in yourself, and rich in folk tales.

Nia lives in the slums of Indonesia along the train tracks. She has just finished middle school. A promising student, her dreams of continuing to High School and becoming a writer, have been wrenched from her by her Bapak – father, who drinks away the money they make from the family food cart. 

His excuse is his grief at the death of his beautiful wife during the birth of their second child, Rudi, now five years old.

Nia cares for Rudi. Her fried bananas at the market place are the most popular food. She lives with hope that Bapak will reform and save money for her education.

She has filled countless notebooks with her favourite stories about Dewi Kadita, the Sea Queen, that her mother frequently spoke of.

An accident at the market place leaves Bapak burnt and in jail. Nia nurses him while alone, runs the food cart to make a living.

When she is involved in a bus accident and is the only passenger to escape unscathed, the people of the area begin to believe she has been blessed with good -luck magic.

Her sales increase even when she doubles the price of her fritters. Nia is determined her father will not get a penny of the money.

But she is a female child with a child to look after. Vulnerable and alone after her father runs off to an unknown place, she is open to the many dangers that face young girls in the slums. After her money is stolen and she is told she has been promised in marriage by her father to a rich man, she sets out to find him to undo his promise.

What she discovers is beyond belief, but serves to reveal, her strength of character, and the power of the dreams she clings to for herself.

Built into the layered story are mesmerising Javanese folktales, traditions and customs. It reveals how superstition can rule and change the course of people’s lives, and how power is abused and fuelled by the persistent bribery that keeps people poor. Title: Girl of the Southern Sea
Author: Michelle Kadarusman
Publisher: UQP, $16.99
Publication Date: 2 February 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 97807022629371
For ages: 11+
Type: Junior Fiction  

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12 Curly Questions with author Jevita Nilson

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
Normally I am quite a reserved person, until someone breaks out the boardgames, then I morph into this overly enthusiastic, ultra-competitive monster. No one in my family wants to play charades with me anymore.

2. What is your nickname?
When I was younger, some people would call me ‘Jev’, but I don’t get that much anymore. My husband and his family call me ‘J’. Having an unusual name, people call me all sorts of things — Jacinta, Yevita, Javinta, Guanita, Jebita. If someone gets my name right, it’s a good day!

3. What is your greatest fear?
If we’re talking on a deep level, then my greatest fear would be losing the people I love. If we’re talking more about phobias, then I would have to say enclosed spaces. I watched a TV show recently where the main character was buried alive, I almost hyperventilated!

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Whimsical, emotive, imaginative, sensory, inspiring, with a sprinkle of joy.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Dedicated, thoughtful, authentic, curious, grateful.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
The snail from The Snail and the Whale. I can empathise with her feelings of inferiority and her longing for adventure. Wouldn’t we all like to hitch a ride on the tail of a great big grey-blue humpback whale right about now?

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
Probably around about 1993 – when we would go on family holidays down south. Such simple times, but these are some of my happiest childhood memories. Van Morrison playing on the stereo, the smell of barbecues cooking in the balmy evenings, the excitement of being the first to the playground each morning. Pure joy!

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Mum would be so proud of you!

9. Who is your greatest influence?
That’s an easy one — my mum. She is a positive influence in all aspects of my life. Whenever I doubted myself, she always believed in me, and she encouraged me to keep going when I wanted to give up. Books were a central part of our childhood and I loved listening to my mum read stories and poetry in her eloquent teacher’s voice. She had a beautiful way with words, and I think she could have been an exceptional writer.

10. What/who made you start writing?
I have always loved writing. When I was young, I enjoyed writing poems and songs. But I had this ingrained belief that I wasn’t a creative person, so I never even thought to pursue a creative endeavour. In 2018, after the death of my mum, writing helped me grieve. This is when I wrote my first picture book, Happy Hearts. Creating this book helped me believe in myself as a writer and trust in my innate creativity.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
I’m a mother of two children under six, so my favourite word is ‘bedtime’! Literally.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
That’s a tough one, but it would have to be The End of the World is Bigger Than Love by Davina Bell. I read this beautiful book a few months ago and it still consumes me. If this were the only book left on earth, my heart would be happy.

Jevita Nilson is a children’s author from Perth, Western Australia. She writes meaningful and uplifting stories for young children and is passionate about creating books that inspire readers to discover their imagination and creativity. Jevita is a busy mum of two young children and a cheeky labrador. When she's not writing children's books, Jevita works as an Organisational Development Consultant. Her debut picture book is Happy Hearts, published by New Holland Publishers. For more information, see www.jevitanilson.com.

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Review: Let's Go, Little Roo

Little Roo doesn't want to go out and meet other animals.

She would much rather stay inside her mother's pouch.

So Mummy Roo tries to tempt Little Roo.

The delicious grass and fun playing with the other joeys isn't enough to entice Little Roo, though.

Little Roo has a secret though. She wants a friend, but not quite enough to leave Mummy's pouch.

So Mummy Roo makes a plan to help her joey overcome her fears.

And when Little Roo bravely emerges, it's her turn to help Little Wallaby overcome his fears and make a new friend.

The illustrations in Let's Go, Little Roo by author/illustrator, Renee Treml are gorgeous. There's a different single colour wash for each double page spread, in which the black and white images of the kangaroos roam, seen from both afar and up close.

Let's Go, Little Roo is a sweet and simple story about overcoming your fears and making friends, which can be enjoyed by readers young and old.

Title: Let's Go, Little Roo
Author/Illustrator: Renee Treml
Publisher: Puffin, $ 19.99
Publication Date: January 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760896751
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: E-Boy: Robofight

Action packed, fast-paced and sci-fi filled. That’s the E-Boy series by Anh Do.

I haven’t read book one in this junior fiction series, but book two got me up to speed in a couple of pages, so it was easy to jump in and enjoy E-Boy Robofight without going back. 

We start at a robot fight. Ethan and Doctor Penny are spying on the corrupt President, and trying to find Gemini — the robot healer Penny created, which has now been turned into an assassin. 

Not an easy task, except Ethan isn’t a normal kid anymore, and he has some amazing and helpful abilities. 

Ethan is E-boy now, and he has strong telepathic abilities that allow him to connect with anything tech. This means listening to phone conversations, changing traffic lights, opening electronic locks — all with his mind!

When Ethan and Penny uncover a plot by the president to cause havoc across the world, they must work together to stop him. But where is Gemini? And what orders is he following now?

This is a great junior fiction novel for fans of action, robots, cool gadgets and evil schemes that must be thwarted. There are action packed robot fights, car chases, lots of sneaking into places, kidnappings and evil villains. 

Packed with illustrations from Chris Wahl (at least one on every spread), it’s very graphic novel like. The illustrations are detailed and exciting, with lots of ‘thwacks’, ‘zooms’ and ‘screeches’. Together the story and illustrations create an immersive action-adventure all action/sci-fi fans will adore.

Title: E-Boy: Robofight
Author: Anh Do
Illustrator: Chris Wahl
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $15.99  
Publication Date: January 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760877859
For ages: 7 - 10
Type: Junior Fiction

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Review: Challenger Deep

Review: The Sad Ghost Club

 Have you ever felt like you were invisible; sad and didn’t fit in? You are not alone. The main character in this interesting and insightful first graphic novel in the series, The Sad Ghost Club, has a sheet over their head. Their gender is undisclosed, and they are a faceless person who is depressed, negative and friendless.

They get a message inviting them to a party. Everyone will be there. The defeatist voice in their head breaks them down. A hundred excuses flow as to why they shouldn’t or couldn’t go.

The one positive thought wins and they turn up. Loud music, dancing, conversation, but the ghost is alone. No one comes to talk to them.

They decide to leave and their head is filled with justifiable reasons why they should, as they did make the effort to come.

They see someone who looks exactly as they feel. Sad, alone and uncomfortable in a room full of people. They walk up to the other ghost and say hello. Although it is clear that ghost is alone, pretexts of friends bailing out pour from their mouth.

But ghost one knows how ghost two feels. Words get stuck in the back of their throat. Sounds exit their mouth that make no sense, for they have forgotten how to speak to others because others don’t speak to them. They have been silent too long.

They start to share words; exchange names. Socks and SG walk together. They find they have things in common even though they are very different. Their sadness and loneliness seem to be a common bond. Talking about it helps. One advises the other. Could there be others that feel the same as Socks and SG do?

There is one way of finding out. Ask!

Lize Meddings lives in Bristol and is the founder of thesadghostclub.com. Mental health surfaces in many different forms. Today it is a subject that is frequently mentioned as it is recognized as a common health problem, especially, but not only, in young people.

I applaud Lize’s move to make mental health more visible in her own, individual way. There is a list of Resources at the end which are accessible On-line. If you or anyone you know is experiencing mental health problems, you are not alone. Help is available!

Title: The Sad Ghost Club
Author/Illustrator: Lize Meddings
Publisher: Hachette, $22.99
Publication Date: 27 January 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781444957358
For ages: 10+
Type: Graphic Novel

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Review: Can We Talk About Consent? A Book About Freedom, Choices and Agreement

Meet The Illustrator: Zeno Sworder

Name: Zeno Sworder

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Warm, expressive, vibrant and really, really fun (I hope!)

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
A high stack of scrap paper, preferably already used on one side, is the most important part of my space. When I am drawing there are many dead ends, mistakes and restarts so scrap paper is ideal for working through ideas. The other essential parts of my space are my small army of pencils and, of course, quiet and solitude.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Yes, I love using graphite pencils and kneaded erasers. I love the calm and steady process of filling in a page with pencil safe in the knowledge that mistakes can be pulled back with an eraser. When I paint with watercolour it always feels like a tightrope walk by comparison. Where any mistake could completely ruin things. 

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
Windsor McKay was an early 20th century cartoonist who created Little Nemo. I think his technical mastery in comics has still not been matched.
Shinsuke Yoshitake is a Japanese childrens’ book maker. His books are full of offbeat charm and humour.
Aron Wiesenfeld is a contemporary painter whose work is beautifully atmospheric and mysterious.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
The Edo period of Japanese art in the early 18th century would have been fascinating. I would have taken the pilgrimage with Hokusai as he painted the different views of Mount Fuji.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
During my younger years we didn’t have a TV at home so I would spend a lot of time at the library with books and comic books. The power that books have to take you out of the real world and into someone else’s imagination never lost its grip on me. It has always been magical. Its a real pleasure to now be making books that others can step into.

Can you share a photo of your creative work space or part of the area where you work most often? Talk us through it.
Sure, my workspace is normally a bit messier than this – I like to be surrounded by towers of books. My work desk is on the left covered with drawing pencils and paper. On the right is a drawer unit for completed work with my A3 printer sitting proudly on top. There is a poster of Astro Boy in the centre, which I drew. Over the years this has become water damaged, which I think gives it a bit of extra charm.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?

I work late at night when everyone else is asleep and if I am lucky I get at least an hour each night where I am completely absorbed in the drawing and time and the world slip away.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Don’t let bad drawings discourage you. Making mistakes and starting over are a big part of the process. So make big mistakes and make new mistakes because that will mean you are challenging yourself and making new and interesting work. I wish you the best. 

Zeno Sworder has worked as a window washer, a journalist, a consular officer, a telephone crises supporter, a tribunal advocate for migrants and refugees, and a jewellery designer. But he has always felt most himself sitting at a desk drawing pictures and making up stories.

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

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Review: Be Your Own Man

Be Your Own Man is a book celebrating all the different boys in the world, and what makes them each special in their own way.

It's a reminder that everyone is unique, and that it's ok to be different. It's ok to be smart, sporty, artistic, or anything else.

Be Your Own Man points out that boys can be good listeners, but that you don't have to be good at everything.

The advice in the book is to celebrate your strengths, be kind and respectful, to others and yourself. 

Not everyone looks the same, and not everyone feels the same, and that's ok, too.

In Be Your Own Man there are tips for expressing your feelings, not keeping them bottled up inside, and what you can do if you're feeling angry, sad or worried -- including asking for help. 

Be Your Own Man is filled with pictures of boys of all kinds, in many different situations. It was written to normalise so-called 'softer' behaviours like sensitivity and creativity, and support a broad spectrum of ideas about what masculinity is.

Aimed at primary school aged children, this is a book that would be best read by children with a trusted adult, so they can ask questions and freely discuss the subjects raised.

Title: Be Your Own Man
Author: Jessica Sanders
Illustrator: Robbie Cathro
Publisher: Five Mile, $ 24.99
Publication Date: September 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922385062
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Non-Fiction

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10 Quirky Questions with author/illustrator Briony Stewart

1. What's your hidden talent?
Crafting. I’m a mean crafter. I can make just about anything out of a bit of paper, yarn and glue. Throw in some wire, a glue gun and the contents of that draw you hide all your junk in and I’ll build you your Pinterest dream castle!

2. Who is your favorite literary villain and why?
Scarface Claw. That page where he hisses at Hairy Maclary is terrifying. But I also have a soft spot for mean, angry looking cats.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Ew, well not the dead ones! Haha! Perhaps, Julia Donaldson, Neil Gaiman, Patrick Ness, AJ Betts and Anita Heiss – I think that’d be a good, fun mixture of entertaining and illuminating. (And okay, as long as the dead ones aren’t 'undead': Roald Dahl, Beatrix Potter, Jane Austen, May Gibbs and Maurice Sendak).

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
The ‘Scourgify’ spell from Harry Potter – and other cleaning spells. And of course wands. And wand magic. Just, something that makes my house clean with zero effort, okay?

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Quiet, giddy, immersive, tinkering, obsessive.

6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
“Author of classics such as…”

7. Picture your favorite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
A nice big desk, a hot cup of tea, a laptop, a sketch book and a mechanical pencil.

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!)
Get back into bed if you want to, if it’s safeness you are after; for every step beyond here has no way back. (Bridge of Clay, by Markus Zusak)

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I’d Ask JK Rowling what she did with the painting I gave her in Cheltenham. Is it hanging in a loo somewhere? Or is it in warehouse F of junk she gets given by fans? Or did she like, regift it to Stephen Fry or something?

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
Strangely, since having children, this feels like it has been the actual question of my life. Turns out I CAN live without reading books, but I absolutely must, must be able to write or I wither and die and turn into dust and blow away into a chasm of cold and unforgiving darkness.

Born in Perth, Briony Stewart is the internationally published author and illustrator of several award-winning books for children. At 17, Briony received a scholarship from the Art Gallery of Western Australia towards studying a double degree in Fine Art and Creative Writing at Curtin University. After graduating, she won a Queenslan-based writing prize. The story soon became her first published book, Kumiko and the Dragon, and went on to win an Aurealis award for children’s short fiction in 2008. In 2012, Briony completed a nine-month creative development fellowship in the UK after being selected by the British Council as one of five young Australian artists excelling in their creative field. Since then, Briony has published numerous successful titles. Most notably, her book Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers won the 2012 Queensland Literary Prize for Children's Fiction. Passionate about fostering creativity in Australian children, Briony now lectures on children's literature at university and conducts talks and workshops with children across Australia. She currently lives and works in Fremantle, writing, illustrating, and creating amidst the chaos of two cheeky toddlers and a silly dog. See www.brionystewart.com for more information.

 

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Review: The Hospital Dog

Julia Donaldson’s emotive text in The Hospital Dog has lively rhyming verse that keeps time with Sara Ogilvie’s stunning illustrations. 

They move across the page full of activity, in brilliant colour, and with the main character, Dot the Dalmatian. 

Ogilvie pays attention to detail, especially the expressions on the character’s faces and their body language. The small but significant additions here and there in the illustrations add a personal touch, allowing them to visually contribute something that expands the story.

Spectacular covers and matching jacket covered in images of children having fun, guarantee the reader’s interest.

Dot is a hospital dog. Her daily routine is standard. After breakfast and a swim with her owner Rose, there is a bus ride to the hospital and a walk straight to the Wallaby Ward.

There, Dot’s job is to cheer up and entertain the sad, bored, scared, noisy and sick children and babies that Dot and Rose love to visit. A pat, hug, lick, play, or an offered paw from the caring canine, makes all the difference to every one of them.

But when the brave Dot’s heroic actions put her in the same position as the children on Wallaby Ward, how will she visit them, if she can’t walk and play?

This delightful story reflects the important role of hospital dogs, what they offer to sick people – especially children, and the ties of love that bind together humans and animals.

Another wonderful title by the gifted Donaldson to be added to her list of award-winning titles that include The Detective Dog, The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child and What the Ladybird Heard.

Title: The Hospital Dog
Author: Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Sara Ogilvie
Publisher: Pan Macmillan, $26.99
Publication Date: 24 November 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781509868315
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: Glassheart

Review: Mountain Arrow

After their trip to the abandoned city to fine medicine to save their village, Pandora and her friends have returned to the river. But one of them didn’t make it back and is still out there somewhere, and another is carrying the deadly virus that turns people into feral creatures.

Going back to the way things were before seems impossible, but Pandora tries, all the while battling her feelings for the mountain boy, Bayat, who protected them on their trip to Melney, and trying to accept her fate to be paired with Matthew.

But when the Mountain People appear looking for shelter, other refugees start to flood the river village and Pandora’s visions of the past and future come back, she knows trying to restart a normal life was naïve. 

Pandora and a few others head back into the wilderness to find the truth about what really happened to their world all those years ago, where the deadly creatures came from and how they might be cured.

River Stone, book one in The Burning Days series, was intertwined with letters from Pandora’s mother as she explained to her daughter the choices she had made that led her to the river and the things she had down that played a part in the destruction of the world. In Mountain Arrow, the chapters are dispersed with recordings from the friend who was left behind in the wild, explaining another world she has stumbled across and the secrets it is hiding.

These features are a brilliant form of storytelling, allowing readers to follow two storylines throughout the book that link up secrets and mysteries. The result is you, the reader, silently screaming at the characters to turn around because you know things they haven’t yet discovered.

Mountain Arrow is a brilliant read and a fantastic follow up to River Stone. Addictive and thrilling, I found it hard to put it down. Hennessy is a master of thrills, keeping your heart pumping in every chapter and making you question things all the way through, even though the flow is slower in this instalment than it was in book one, with a longer focus on life in the village.

Like River Stone, Mountain Arrow explores the ethics of actions serving the greater good and why an enemy is an enemy (and why they might not be). With the creatures featuring more in book two, this line of questioning is ramped up, and the story forces you to think about things from lots of different perspectives. Everyone always thinks they’re on the side of good. But are they?

Pandora is a strong and wild heroine, brave and determined, but flawed like all of us. She wants to do what she’s been told is the right thing, but she also wants to follow her heart, and she questions her options and choices throughout the book, giving readers insight into who she is deep inside. She is sometimes brave, she is sometimes selfish and sometimes she gets it wrong — but don't we all?

Mountain Arrow sets up the series for something huge to come in book three, and I’m eagerly looking forward to cracking all the secrets of this wild book world. If you like dystopian YA, definitely check out River Stone and Mountain Arrow.


Title: Mountain Arrow
Author: Rachel Hennessy
Publisher: MidnightSun Publishing, $19.99
Publication Date: November 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925227741
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult

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Review: Feathers

Feathers is about a young boy whose mother has died.

He collects feathers because his Mum told him they keep bad dreams away, and he believes he will dream of her if he can catch them.

The boy chases the feathers as they float from above.

Sometimes they are just out of reach. Other times, a feather will land close by. 

One day when a brown feather is caught, the boy calls it his wish feather and places it under his pillow. He waits for dreams of his Mum, and feels her with him, always.

The feathers in the story are symbolic, and used as a reminder for the boy of the mother whose no longer with him.

Death, loss and grief can be a difficult subject to explain to children. Some instinctively understand, while others may need something more.

Feathers may be a helpful story for children who have a loved one who has died, and reminding them they are not alone, that memories are always with them.

There are teachers' notes and colouring pages available to download.

Title: Feathers
Author: Karen Hendriks
Illustrator: Kim Fleming
Publisher: Empowering Resources, $ 17.00
Publication Date: September 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925592214
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book

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Review: The Diary of William Shakespeare, Gentleman

Review: Fly On The Wall

Review: Pandemic

12 Curly Questions with author Amelia Mellor

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
These days my computer is my most valuable tool, but the first time I used a computer, I was so scared that I cried. My teacher had told us that a monster in the ceiling would chomp our legs off if we were naughty, and I was terrified that it would chomp me for pressing the wrong button.

2. What is your nickname?
Mim, because my sister couldn’t say ‘Amelia’ when she was little.

3. What is your greatest fear?
Being forced to play sport on TV, or a weird picture of me becoming a meme.

4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Colourful worlds, quirky people, emotional rollercoasters, might give you nightmares.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Imaginative, intense, persistent, industrious, open.

6. What book character would you be, and why?
I would like to be a gutsy fantasy heroine or a wise mentor, but I am most like the optimistic, dorky, ambitious, slightly oblivious word-nerd Bindi Mackenzie, from Jaclyn Moriarty’s The Betrayal of Bindi Mackenzie. We have similar strengths, flaws, habits and challenges – but I have nicer parents.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I think I could have a lot of fun exploring in 100,000 BCE. Draw a helicopter on a cave wall to mess with archaeologists. Be the first person ever to swim in my favourite waterfall. See all the weird prehistoric animals. Pick up handfuls of gold nuggets before anyone else found them. Best safari ever.

8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now? }
My 10-year-old self would probably ask if we could read each other’s books! I started writing when I was nine.

9. Who is your greatest influence?
Mother Nature and Father Time – I get my best inspiration from real times, places, events and creatures. As for authors, I couldn’t pick just one!

10. What/who made you start writing?
I decided to be a writer when I was a toddler because I loved being read to so much, but I attempted my first book in Grade 3 to give myself something to do on the school holidays. Since I started working as a teacher, I still do most of my writing on the school holidays.

11. What is your favourite word and why?
Shemomedjamo, which means ‘I accidentally ate it all’ in Georgian. It’s fun to say, and it makes me think of feasts and celebrations with my family.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. Not only is it full of interesting words, expressions, history and summaries of famous stories, but it’s also very thick, so if I ever got bored with it, I’d have lots of pages to cut up and reassemble into something new.

Amelia Mellor began her writing career as her secondary school’s resident playwright in Year 11. In 2018, she won the May Gibbs Children’s Literature Trust’s Ian Wilson Memorial Fellowship for The Grandest Bookshop in the World. She is an English teacher in regional Victoria. For more information, see www.ameliamellorsfantasticnarratograph.wordpress.com.

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Review: Let's Go!: On a Digger

Lots of kids love diggers! They are fascinated by their size, ability, and that their movement is close to robotic.

In the brilliant Let’s Go! series of board books for toddlers, the latest one is On a Digger. With vivid colours and rhyming verse, little ones learn the names of each part of this huge piece of machinery and how the parts function.  

Operated by a girl driver, the giant yellow digger scoops up mud. She sits in a high seat that allows her a clear and safe view of everything around her.

Two boys take charge of the wheelbarrow and cones. All wear visy vests and hard hats. They examine the details on the papers. One is in charge of the plan and the depth the digger must dig.

The joysticks are moved around to operate the boom and the scoop. The drive rods control the caterpillar treads. How exciting! There is work to be done, so they get on with it!

Each page has a wealth of information; visual and textual. Conversations can be created through questions about the images. Sturdy pages defy damage.

This is another excellent learning opportunity for ages up to three years and perhaps older. New words pop up throughout the book to be used as tools to improve speech, confidence and knowledge by picking up the names of the parts and the roles of their favourite wheeled machines. 

I loved the book’ s subtle messages through the main character,. They reinforce the fact that girls are now accepted and excel, in jobs which have mainly been allocated to boys. Gender is no longer an obstacle in a workplace choice, and this beautifully presented book reflects that freedom.

Title: Let's Go!: On a Digger
Author: Rosalyn Albert
Illustrator: Natalia Moore
Publisher: New Frontier, $ 12.99
Publication Date: 1 October 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781921928710
For ages: 0 – 3
Type: Board Book

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Winner: Picture Book Magic Pack: There Is No Magic In This Book and How To Make A Bird

Our lucky winner is...

Jane Harris on behalf of Miss 7, VIC

Congratulations! 

You have won a copy of, There Is No Magic In This Book by Michelle Macwhirter and Sophie Beer and How To Make A Bird by Meg Mckinlay and Matt Ottley. 

We hope you enjoy these two exquisite titles and that they help you rediscover a little magic in your life.

Thank you to ALL who entered. This was a close one and we wish we could combine all of the suggested magical abilities into one giant one because then we'd be unstoppable! 

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Review: Little Gem

Review: Come Home Ella

Having a new baby in the family is an exciting event, a cause for celebration.

But what happens when the new baby arrives early? What if you can't visit the baby?

Come Home Ella is the story of just that situation, when an older sibling discovers their baby sister couldn't wait to see the world, but isn't quite big and strong enough to come home yet.

We share the experience with the older sibling, who is never named.

There are lots of things they want to share with their new baby sister. Things like hugs (which is why there's a hug chart to record all the hugs that Ella will get when she comes home).

It's a confusing time though, because Mum and Dad are often busy at the hospital with Ella.

When the time finally comes to visit Ella, there are other babies there, too, but the best thing is the special kangaroo cuddle they can give Ella. 

Then the countdown is on for Ella to come home, and it will be soon.

For children experiencing the premature birth of a baby in the family, Come Home Ella will provide reassurance. Its simple explanations of what's happening, and exploring how you might feel are relatable, and the illustrations are realistic and meaningful, without being non-confronting.

A special, informative story for families.

Teachers' notes and colouring pages are available to download.

Title: Come Home Ella
Author: Chelsea Davies
Illustrator: Lisa Coutts
Publisher: Empowering Resources, $ 17.00
Publication Date: September 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925592351
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture book

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Review: Monstrous Devices

Meet The Illustrator: Shirley Shelby

Name: Shirley Shelby

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Heartwarming, humorous, textured, bright, sweet, a little quirky and joyful.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My sketchbook, set of pencils, iPad, laptop, Wacom tablet and watercolor paints. I usually work digitally these days using Procreate and then sometimes take my work into Photoshop, but I also like to hand draw my illustrations from time to time as well.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I think that would be Procreate on my iPad and Photoshop on my laptop since I work most of the time digitally, but I also love sketching too.

Name artists whose work inspires you.
When I was young, I was inspired by Shirley Hughes and Beatrix Potter.
Their illustrations are so amazing and detailed.

Which artistic period would you most like to visit and why?
Possibly to visit the Surrealism era, as I had been quite interested in that, especially Salvador Dali’s work, since studying art at school.

Who or what inspired you to become an illustrator?
I just always loved to draw, especially nature and animals, and was always encouraged to be creative. My passion for illustration and visual storytelling began when I was five years old, when I would spend hours illustrating my own stories. I loved coming up with new ideas. I have aspired to be a children’s book illustrator ever since then.

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 have a table where I paint, but as I work digitally most of the time, it makes it much easier to work using my iPad.

What is your favourite part of the illustration process?
Coming up with new ideas, sketching them out and choosing the best one to develop. I also really like trying out different textures, adding patterns sometimes to my work too and seeing everything comes together.

What advice would you give to an aspiring illustrator?
Learn as much as you can. Look also at certain aspects which you think you need to work on more. For example, backgrounds, poses etc, and practice that until you get better at it. If you love it, keep at it and have fun. 

Shirley is a children’s book illustrator and designer. She loves illustrating nature, animals, creating inspiring lettering pieces and has also taken various courses in illustration and design.

For more information, please follow Shirley on her instagram.

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Review: Love from Giraffes Can't Dance

Reflecting the same joy that was contained in the picture book, Giraffes Can’t Dance, these two popular and talented creators have collaborated again in Love from Giraffes Can’t Dance.

Gerald the giraffe and his friends surface again in a board book full of love spread through poetry. The stunning images by Guy Parker-Rees reinforce the text, making it twinkle like spitting sparklers.

The rhyming verse reminds us that music can be found everywhere if your heart is open to love. In the trees, in the breeze, in the sounds of life moving about, the chirp of birds and crickets; of grasshoppers and the noises of the night. Music is in the stars. That music can make you want to dance.

Most of all, the best sound of music can be heard in the words, I love you!

Although this is a board book which is directed at children, it will probably be given to many others that are not children. Declarations of love do not belong to an age group. Love is the music of the soul, so it is there for all.

This beautiful book with animal characters, large and small, reflects the diversity within relationships. It holds the glory of life in bold statements of what makes it worthwhile. Love.

In these turbulent times that the world is experiencing, joy can be given and found in many forms. Even in a board book.

Title: Love from Giraffes Can't Dance
Author: Giles Andreae
Illustrator: Guy Parker-Rees
Publisher: Hachette, $14.99
Publication Date: 12 January 2021
Format: Board Book
ISBN: 9781408364833
For ages: 0 – 3+
Type: Board Book

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Review: Colin Cockroach Goes To Caloundra

10 Quirky Questions with author Sue Lawson

1. What's your hidden talent?
That’s a tricky one. I’m pretty open about everything, so not sure I have any secrets, or hidden talents. Actually, I LOVE cleaning out and organising cupboards, drawers, etc. Drives my family nuts as they can’t find anything, but I love it. And I love following organisers on Instagram.

2. Who is your favourite literary villain and why?
For sheer terror, IT from Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time. Our Grade 4 teacher Mrs Phillip read it to us. While I couldn’t remember the name of the book, I have always remembered IT. Then as an adult I stumbled across A Wrinkle In Time and met IT again. That thing still disturbs me. As an adult, my favourite villain is Lady Macbeth. I love how she changes from a ruthless manipulating wife into a tortured soul.

3. You're hosting a literary dinner party, which five authors would you invite? (alive or dead)
Hmmmm. That’s a toughie. There are so many authors I admire. These are the first to spring to mind for all kinds of reasons: Tim Winton, Helen Garner, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, John Irving. How is that for a mix? They’ve all written books I’ve loved and have stayed with me well after I turned the last page.

4. Which literary invention do you wish was real?
Hermoine Granger’s Time Changer. There’s so many places and eras I’d love to visit.

5. What are five words that describe your writing process?
Messy – I throw ideas all over the place and wrangle them into a story.
Absorbing – the rest of the world disappears when I’m in the flow.
Distracted – When I start a new project I’m easily distracted, especially when researching.
Magical – there’s something magical and fantastical about writing.
Supported – I have the most incredible support crew - family, friends and my publisher.

6. Which are the five words you would like to be remembered by as a writer?
That’s a really tough one, as none of us can know how we will be remembered. I guess I hope my words will have an impact in some small way.

7. Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
At the moment, loads of technology as I have updated my computer system. I’d have my NUC computer and backup system (no more manual back-ups. Phew!), my Sonos (a speaker that plays my music via wifi.), a router, a scented candle – my current favourite is vanilla. And pens and notebooks. I know that’s more than five, so let’s say stationery. Oh, and if we’re having perfect writing spaces, an uninterrupted view of the ocean.

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!)
Were you hoping for a more interesting word than were?
(I had Davina Bell’s The End of the World Is Bigger than Love on my desk as I am editing my interview with her for Portable Magic. The book is completely fantastic.)

9. If you could ask one author one question, what would the question be and who would you ask?
I would ask George R R Martin if he will ever finish the final books in the Songs of Fire and Ice (Game of Thrones) series. I am desperate!

10. Which would you rather do: 'Never write another story or never read another book'?
The first. I’d rather give up writing than give up reading. Reading is my escape, delight, release and inspiration. 

Sue Lawson writes fiction and non fiction books for children and young adults. Her books have won and been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Family Therapists Award, the Prime Minister’s Literary Award and the Children’s Book Council of Australia Awards. Her latest young adult novel Freedom Ride was shortlisted for the Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Awards, the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards, the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards and longlisted for the Davitt Awards. For more information, see www.suelawson.com.au.

 

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Review: Be An Artist Every Day

It's early in a new year, and if you're looking for something to do, something to encourage yourself or your children to explore creativity and imagination, then look no further.

Be An Artist Every Day has a whole year's worth of activities to keep you occupied, and help develop the artist within.

It's appealing right from the front cover and endpapers. 

An introduction reminds you that being an artist is about having fun, and that there is no right or wrong in creating art.

There are 365 activities in this compact paperback activity book. They're created by Susan Schwake who is an artist and art educator and Charlotte Farmer who is an illustrator.

Drawing and collage. Patterns and doodles. Word art. Faces. Nature. Food. Abstract art. It's all here, and lots more.

Some of the activities are expected. Others, not so much. There's one that asks you to imagine 'What if cats went to school?' and then draw them!

You'll design your own car on one page, and on another design a book cover. Imagine and illustrate a new planet.

Try drawing different textures, or connecting dots to create a picture. 

Other activities might ask you to write something and then decorate it, or make a tiny model of a human.

Not all the activities stay just within the bounds of the book (one will ask you to go outside and find a leaf to draw), but all will be recorded in it.

By the time you finish all 365 of the art activities, you will have a colourful and creative journal.

Although the activities are all numbered, and you can start from one and work your way through in order, you could also dip in and out of them freely as you feel like it.

Be An Artist Every Day will inspire and encourage artists of varied ages and experiences. It's a journey you can take without leaving home, and one the whole family could enjoy together.

Title: Be An Artist Every Day
Author: Susan Schwake
Illustrator: Charlotte Farmer
Publisher: Ivy Kids, $ 19.99
Publication Date: 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781782408321
For ages: 8+
Type: Activity Book

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