May I hug you? by Oleta Blunt and Katherine Appleby
Little Steps, 2024. ISBN: 9781922678119. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
May I Hug You?, written by Oleta Blunt and illustrated by Katherine Appleby, is completely engaging and cleverly educational; making complex emotional concepts accessible to children.
Young puppy, Basil, has moved into a new home with a little girl named Isla. As he adjusts to his new surroundings, both he and Isla learn valuable lessons about understanding and respecting each other's feelings, navigating friendships, and the importance of consent in physical affection.
Basil is feeling some uncertain emotions as he settles into his new environment. Through his experiences, young readers are introduced to the concept of empathy and the significance of recognizing and respecting personal boundaries. Isla, on the other hand, is excited and she is learning about patience and the importance of building trust and understanding.
Appleby’s artwork delightfully complements the text. The vibrant and colourful illustrations capture the attention of the audience and provides a visually stimulating experience that enhances the story’s emotional depth. The simplicity and brightness of the illustrations make the book appealing and approachable, drawing readers into Basil and Isla’s world.
May I Hug You? is more than just a charming tale of a puppy and a little girl. It’s a thoughtful resource for teaching children crucial social skills, such as listening to others, reading body language, and seeking permission before initiating physical contact. This beautifully crafted picture book is a valuable addition to any child’s library, offering lessons that are essential for developing healthy and respectful relationships.
A departure from the narratives featuring Detective Cormac Reilly and set in Ireland The Ruin, The scholar, and The good turn,What Happened to Nina? is set in Vermont and is the story of two families and their conflicting interests. Nina and Simon appear to be in love, but after a weekend away, Simon has returned home declaring that Nina broke up with him. She cannot be found. Nina’s mother, LeeAnne, is convinced that Simon knows what has happened to her and goes to the police, while Simon’s parents, Jamie and Rory, are quick to defend him. As the police led by Detective Matthew Wright are unsuccessful in their search, Simon’s father begins a vicious online campaign against Nina’s parents and rumours and negative comments abound.
The story is told in alternative first person voices of Nina’s parents, LeeAnne and Andy and of Simon’s parents Jamie and Rory. Occasionally the detective’s voice appears giving an alternative viewpoint. This strategy keeps the readers engaged as they get to know each of the parents and are left wondering how far they would go to protect a child.
There are many twists and turns as McTiernan explores the lives of the two families. Did Simon kill Nina? If so, will he be brought to justice? Meanwhile the viciousness of the media campaign and the nasty conjectures about Nina’s family highlights the power of the rich to manipulate society’s views about individuals.
This is a gripping page turner and fans of the author will not be disappointed. Readers interested in the solving of cases of missing persons may like Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French.
Themes Murder, Parental love, Missing persons.
Pat Pledger
Where is the green sheep? by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek
The 20th anniversary edition of Where is the green sheep? is sure to be a big hit with young children who have not yet encountered it. It will bring back fond memories for parents and grandparents who first read and loved it 20 years ago.
This edition is very handsome with a beautiful eye-catching gold embossed cover. Turning the pages, the reader will meet a blue sheep, a red sheep turning cartwheels, a bath sheep and a bed sheep, but where is the green sheep? The book carries on in this vein until finally the green sheep is found. With the use of rhyme, rhythm and repetition, the narrative by Fox flows beautifully and young children will learn about colours, opposites and alliteration along the way. The illustrations by Judy Horacek are delightful and complement the text with their bright colours and the wonderful expressions on the faces of the sheep.
This deservedly won the Children's Book Council of Australia Award for Book of the Year: Early Childhood in 2005 and is sure to remain a favourite gift to buy babies in the future. The repetition, clear black print and matching pictures would make this an excellent book for young children to use as a beginning reader, easing the way to predicting the text.
A firm favourite in many households, Where is the green sheep? is a book to treasure and to hand down to the next generation.
Themes Sheep, Colours, Repetition, Read aloud.
Pat Pledger
Urban Legend Hunters: The dreaded Mr Snipe by Joel McKerrow and Wayne Bryant
Readers who enjoy scary stories, fart references along with their smells(!), and children doing exactly what they have been asked not to do while on school camp, will enjoy this first time graphic novel from Joel McKerrow. Set in a forest where Shadow Grove Public School’s annual student camp is taking place, there is a rumour that living nearby is the dreaded Mr Snipe whose gruesome reputation send shivers down children’s spines.
The three main characters who take centre stage include Jeremy, the over-confident and perpetual storyteller of scary things, Sam, a bold fiercely independent sporty loner as well as a non-believer of scary things, and Bad Boris, a gentle giant of a child who does not deserve his name and dislikes scary things. The three unlikely friends work together to solve the mystery of the dreaded Mr Snipe which has a rather unexpected twist.
The story alternates between graphic-novel format and handwritten text complemented by illustrations and surrounded by plenty of white space. This duel layout works extremely well and allows a natural flow to the story. For those upper primary/early secondary readers who struggle with the amount of words in a more traditional novel, the Urban Legend Hunters series will provide a humorous, adventurous and engaging read. The second book: Urban Legend Hunters #2 The Hideous Mrs Mortimer is coming soon.
Themes School Camp, Storytelling, Scary Tales, Friends, Adventure, Humour.
I am a fan of Jackie Morris’ illustrations (The unwinding) and the gilt title and beautiful drawing of a golden hare on the dust jacket drew me in as soon as I saw the book. A young boy and his sister belong to a family that is special. They must follow the hares and watch for the time when the old queen leaves and a new queen takes her place. They see the hares sing their song in a competition to become the new queen’s partner. And they must ensure that hunters do not capture the old queen before she can journey to the Island of the Golden Hares, where she will be safe.
The narrative is captivating as the reader follows the story, watching with the boy when the hares dance in the twilight and easily imagining the music that he loves. The wild race following the hares as they run towards the queen is suspenseful, with hunters and hounds pursuing them, hoping to obtain a golden hide. Readers will be holding their breath as they watch to see who will win the new queen and hope that the old queen gains safety. However, it was the illustrations that held me captive, and I found myself going back two or three times to closely look at them, finding further details on each examination. The hares are gorgeous with beautiful long ears. The memorable drawings of the family show the love that they have for each other and the hares. A close inspection shows tiny foxes, moths and owls in the landscape, while the hunter’s hounds are huge and fierce. The brown colouring of the hares is highlighted by pale yellow and blue backgrounds with curling tree trunks and minute animals.
Song of the golden hare is a keeper. Its stunning illustrations are timeless and will ensure that the book is handed down to the next generation.
The Wolves of Greycoat Hall was the first book in this series and introduced this wonderful wolf family as they went holidaying in Scotland to discover their family roots. It continued with Boris in Switzerland where Boris attended an exclusive boarding school, discovered all things Swiss and made some human friends. This third and final book in the series brings the friends Boris made in Switzerland and Scotland to his home in Morovia at Christmas time. Aileen and Pierre enjoy the great wolfish hospitality, meet some of Boris’ wolf friends and learn all about the Christmas traditions in Morovia. Aileen is visiting to help write more about the history of the Greycoat family with Boris’ father Randall. Boris is excited about his friend Pierre visiting because they have planned to build some amazing snow castles and for Pierre to attend Boris’ school during the following term. But when Boris is given a rare book of Moravian fairy tales, a mysterious guest arrives at the house and items start disappearing from the Greycoat’s home. Luckily, Boris and his friends are on the case to find out who is behind these strange happenings. The book is peppered with Lucinda’s amazing illustrations, and we are treated to excerpts from both the Morovian fairy tale book and A guide to Morovia to give us all the information we need to know about life in this amazing Wolf country. Wolves have traditionally been viewed as the villains in stories, but this series has elevated them to being accepted as friends and colleagues, a useful way to discuss how people should be judged, by their looks, by who they are or by how they act.
Themes Wolves, Lost and found, Mysteries, Switzerland, School.
Gabrielle Anderson
Little Ash: Big break! by Ash Barty and Jasmin McGaughery. Illus. by Jade Goodwin
The series Little Ash is a wonderful collaboration between three Indigenous women who are all passionate about bringing quality literature to younger readers. The series, which has 10 titles in total, covers a wide variety of subjects including school, sport, family, friendships, sportsmanship, and decision-making.
A family beach picnic is featured in Book 9 and is called Big Break because Little Ash’s big sister has broken her wrist. One of the traditions on this family day is a game of beach tennis and the winners get to choose which dessert is bought from the local shop. Ash is desperate to win but then realises that she can make the day brighter for her injured sister even though it may mean she misses out on her favourite ice-cream. The story has some lovely exchanges between family members and will resonate with young readers who may remember family gatherings and recollect about different family members. The black and white illustrations are well-placed to assist young readers to understand the text. The chapters are short and there are some highlighted words to draw attention to the action or prompt readers to explore the meanings of unfamiliar words. A well-crafted, interesting series that will be popular in school libraries for emerging independent readers, even if they are not sports lovers.
Themes Family, Tennis, Picnics.
Gabrielle Anderson
Our flag, our story: The Torres Strait Islander flag by Bernard Namok Jnr, Thomas Mayo and Tori-Jay Mordey
Everybody knows the Aboriginal Flag, with its bold trio of colours, and the Torres Strait Islander flag, with its prominent head dress, but while most people will be able to say what the Aboriginal flag means they may not be as knowledgeable about the Torres Strait Islander flag. This book aims to overcome this lack of knowledge, showing along the way the development of the flag in the islands of the Torres Strait north of Australia, looking like a row of stepping stones from Papua New Guinea to Queensland.
The father of the author, Bernard Namok, was also a Bernard and he came to the understanding that while the Aboriginal flag represents the First Nations of Australia, there was a need for a flag for those people on the islands, a different group of people.
For many years the people of the islands traded with those people from the north and these are represented by the green stripe at the top of the flag, while the green at the bottom of the flag represents those people from the mainland of Australia, with whom they also traded.
The brilliant blue between the greens represents the blue of the sea surrounding the islands, where much of their food comes from.
The Dhari in the centre of the flag represents their culture. The five pointed star represents the ancestors and shows the way the people find their way from island to island. The star also represents the five groups of islands which make up the Torres Streets and importantly the peace which exists between the Torres Straits Islanders, Aboriginal people and the Australians who have come from many places. We are all one big family.
This uniquely presented story of the Torres Strait Islander flag reveals the background of the people of the Torres Strait. Through the story we see how they live, how they harvest the sea, where they live, how they interact with other peoples within their ambit.
Bernard Namok Jnr is a Torres Strait Islander man from Thursday Island. He is the son of the late Bernard Namok, designer of the Torres Strait Islander Flag and has worked on several projects celebrating his father’s legacy.
Thomas Mayo is a Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man. He is a signatory and advocate of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and has written a number of books.
Tori-Jay Mordey is an established illustrator and artist, born on Thursday Island and is known for her range of books. More about these people can be found on the Magabala website.
A charming story of a successful conservation program will have readers asking questions about the little horses and their vulnerability. Kelly follows the lives of a pair of seahorses in Port Stephens. In easy to read four line stanzas, Kelly outlines their lives below the waves. They eat small shrimp, their tails wrapped around a piece of sea weed for stability. They live amongst the corals and weed on the ocean floor, having the ability to change colour should a predator swim by. Their lives seem most agreeable, with the weed and coral making good hiding places. But one day the wind picks up, the waves crash causing the coral to crumble and the currents take the little horses away. They are swept to a barren place where there is no weed or sponges or coral to use as protection and food. But their eyes spot something new on the ocean floor. And this is part of the conservation program being undertaken in bays around Australia.
A crate of some sort is seen on the ocean floor and small amounts of weed and coral are growing around its sides. The seahorses investigate and find that this new addition will serve them well as a shelter and food source. They are safe once again in their garden, a seahorse hotel.
Children will love the tale of the little horses, rocked by nature and then finding a man-made place to live. The story behind this picture book is outlined at the end of the tale, with fascinating diagrams of the seahorse hotel and how it changes over time, allowing more of these little creatures to survive.
Information about the seahorse motels can also be found at the end of the book. A wonderfully positive book to be shared at home, in the library or in class.
Orbit Books, 2024. ISBN: 9780356522401. (Age:16+) Recommended for fantasy devotees.
For lovers of fantasy with an Asian flavour, this is an awesome epic tale that will inspire and intrigue. Set in Tiankawi, which is a safe haven for humans but also is a semi-submerged zone of conflict because of the polluted waters that impact the sea-creatures (Fathomfolk) who literally and metaphorically live beneath the feet of their human neighbours. There are some Fathomfolk who have defied their history and have woven a place into human society, there are others who utilise magical and mystical powers to shapeshift and there are some who incite rebellion to alter power imbalances. In this fraught world Chan allows us to follow the stories of half-siren Mira and water-dragon Kai who try to make the world a better place by exercising power in a moderate and considerate way. Their relationship is loving and generous, and Kai’s significant powers are controlled in order to benefit all of society, regardless of their origin or position in Tiankawian society. Mira has worked her way into a position of authority, despite her low-born beginnings. Into this world comes Kai’s sister, Nami, a young water-wielding water-dragon, imbued with angst and uncertainty and disdain for Kai and Mira’s measured approach to solving injustice. She is swayed by those who want change quickly and inadvertently becomes a pawn in rebellion. The disaster that follows floods all that was peaceful with a wave of uncontrollable uncertainty. Will a peaceful future be possible for them all?
With characters that mysteriously shape-shift and an environment that is far from recognisable (fantasy, post-global-warming, dystopia) and alternating between under-water and land existence, there are many confusing and conflicting elements in this complex story. However, this is a brilliantly written fantasy story, compelling in many ways and presents a fascinating insight into power imbalances in a complex world. It is not for the faint-hearted though - it is a work of fantasy fiction that requires a dedicated reader. The hints of East-Asian mythology and the layers of a mythical history created by the author are delicately but intricately woven together and yet it sometimes flows at an alarming pace. There is tension in relationships, hints of romance, powerful magic at play and political intrigue all washing around in almost whirlpool-like action. At times I struggled to maintain my head above water, but those with well-developed fantasy ‘gills’ will breathe comfortably under the waves of this fantasy epic. Nothing is simple in this story, there are many depths in the fantasy world and it does require a committed fantasy reader to immerse themselves into the deep … but those that do stay the distance will find a new fantasy writer to love.
Themes Fantasy, Oceans, Sea creatures, Power imbalances, Revolution, Love, Environmental disaster, Asian fantasy.
Carolyn Hull
This dark descent by Kalyn Josephson
Pan Macmillan, 2023. ISBN: 9781035027910. (Age:15+) Recommended.
When I saw that This dark descent was a pick for the ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2024, I was keen to read the book and I was not disappointed. Mikira Rusel is faced with a terrible dilemma. Her father has been taken away and to keep the family ranch where enchanted horses are bred, she enters the Illinir, a dangerous horserace. The odds of her winning are against her but when she meets an illicit enchanter named Arielle Kadar, Damien Adair, a lord with a mission, and Reid his horse master, she gains the assistance that she desperately needs.
Written in the voices of Mikira and Arielle, the reader is taken on an intriguing journey full of thrilling action, enchantment and romance. Mikira is a determined young woman who is focused on saving her family and their enchanted horses. She has the skill to win the Illinir and the magic that Arielle wields may give them all the revenge that they seek. The descriptions of the horse races will keep the reader glued to the page, while the evolving darkness that threatens Arielle’s magic is a page turner.
This Dark Descent is steeped in Jewish folklore, class inequalities, court intrigue, treachery and romance and is exciting reading. The dramatic ending will ensure that the sequel is picked up, and readers may be tempted like me to find other books by this author. People who enjoyed the horse races could enjoy The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, while those who like intrigue may enjoy Six of crows by Leigh Bardugo.
A wonderfull look at growing up within a family with high expectations, Abtin knows that he is very different from his forebears as he ponders the array of framed pictures on the walls. Each of his ancestors is sporting a medal of some sort, recognising their abilities and achievements. Ferocious, muscled bodies look down upon little Abtin, expecting that he will be next.
But Abtin is not like them, he is not good at sport, despite being told what to eat to become a champion, how to train to be a champion, how to sleep to better his chances of becoming a champion. He is always reminded how clever his relatives were, how they made great achievements and how they expected him to do just as well, not to dampen his family’s name. But Abtin loves different things: we see him reading and painting, and children will readily see how he is imposed upon by his family, wanting him to be like them.
Readers will love seeing the adults in the book leaning over the child, Abtin. On several pages the adult is enormous, dwarfing the little Abtin, encouraging the audience to feel at one with Abtin. They will see Abtin rejecting all pressure to fit in with the family, keeping true to himself and what interests him.
The use of a limited number of colours adds to the feeling of intimidation. The illustrator, Reza Dalvand brings a fresh and bold style to the book infused with humour and zest. More about this Iranian illustrator can be found here.
Abtin does not like making his family feel hopeless about him and determines to do something to make everyone feel good. What he does will tickle the readers, making them laugh out loud at his solution.
This lovely book promotes self worth, self knowledge, of being strong in the face of alarming and present pressure, but with a large dose of humour designed to keep readers laughing at what is an important part of growing up.
Bottoms are wonderful and all very different and this book celebrates the range of known and some unknown in a laugh out loud board book.
Easily held by younger hands, the images of the five bottoms on the cover will cause the first ripple of mirth. And the title will enthuse them further.
From stripey bottoms, to large bottoms, hairy bottoms to white bottoms, black bottoms and even some black and white bottoms, young children will get many laughs out of this book.
With the first page showing a rabbit, with its cute round bottom children will be eased into the world of bottoms through something they recognise easily. Then onto a large hippopotamus and an even larger elephant, taking up the whole page. Next we see the lovely stripes of a tiger and zebra, the wonderfully patterned bottom of the giraffe is next, with its tall neck striving to look at the readers, giving an impression of its height. Pandas, polar bears, a brown bear and a tapir come next. Following are the very bright bottoms of a monkey and a mandrill, then deer, sheep and llama with their soft fluffy bottoms. A rhinoceros shows a huge bottom and the hedgehog reminds us that his bottom is spiky.
A range of animals is given with the image of their bottom for young children to recognise the animal from a different perspective. Kids will love predicting the name of the animal, and finding out a little of its nether regions.
In a class lots of discussions will ensue, as all children love animals and this book shows many they may not have thought of when talking about bottoms. New words will be learnt as they brainstorm a whole range of words which also mean bottom. And who’d have thought there were so many different kinds of bottoms?
Kids will love looking all the bottoms, so seeing that everyone’s bottom is different, and theirs is just as different as every one else’s. The book encourages children to be accepting of their differences and those of others as well as getting a lot of laughs.
Maki Saito uses traditional Japanese art techniques along with collages to produce her images.
As you would expect from a Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel (2024), ALA Alex Award (2024), and Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science Fiction (2023), Starter Villain is an engrossing book. It has all the hallmarks of Scalzi’s science fiction: it is light-hearted and whimsical, satirical and thought provoking and very easy to read at 265 pages.
The reader first meets Charlie who is trying to hold it together working as a substitute teacher, battling overdue bills and step siblings who want to sell the house he is living in with his two adorable cats, Hera and Persephone. He has a dream of owning a pub but is unable to meet the criteria for a loan. Then his billionaire uncle dies, leaving his supervillain business to him. What follows is a hilarious series of events as Charlie tries to come to grips with international movers and shakers who want him dead, talking dolphins and sentient cats, bombs and missiles, and an island lair full of deadly secrets. His previous career was a journalist, but nothing could prepare him for the strange and dangerous world that he faces.
This is a novel for readers who love cats; Hera is a highlight of the story, and the talking dolphins are a treat, although some readers may object to their foul language. Those who like satirical humour will enjoy Scalzi’s take on big business and the type of people who own multimillion companies, and the scenes where eager young entrepreneurs try to sell their ideas are hilarious.
Starter villain is a unique light-hearted story highlighting the villainy of big business, animal rights, unions and cloning. Readers may also enjoy The Kaiju Preservation Society, another of his distinctive novels.
Themes Science fiction, Animals - Moral and ethical aspects, Humour, Satire, Big business.
Datsun Tran, in his powerful picture book debut Then and Now, has shared the refugee journey of his family using the past and the present. This is a picture book of few words but when combined with dramatic illustrations the harrowing, yet hopeful story becomes immediately recognisable.
Each step on the journey is spread across a double page. On the first side is one word, Then. On the other side is an event in the past, Knock, Knock, Knock. We hide under the table. On the next double page is the word, Now. On the corresponding page are the words, Knock, Knock, Knock. We open the door to welcome our guests. Each set of pages refers to a happening in the past, and how in the present the refugee family are living their lives.
The striking ink illustrations set in the past are in deep tones of brown and visibly covey the message of fear and danger. In the present the shades of blue give the reader a sense of lightness and freedom. Each illustration deserves a long, slow perusal with so much depth and meaning conveyed.
Then and Now is an important book to be shared with both children and adults. Startling in its presentation and simplicity of words, it shares a powerful not-to-be forgotten message.
