Little Ash: Goal getter by Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin

The fourth in this series of books ideal for young primary people, has Little Ash learning how to take defeat as she loses the lunchtime touch footy match. In year two, she is distraught at losing, but her friends take her to another game, lounge room golf to try out. When she loses this match she wants to give up sport altogether. Then she would never lose and so never have this awful feeling again.

Watching football that night, she is devastated when her favourite player misses the ball and the game is lost. Dad guess her some sage advice, to try her best and not worry about losing: a lesson she puts into practice the next day when she loses to James at tennis.

Each of the stories promotes open discussion between friends and family, they model supportive friends and family and promote determination and resilience. The stories are easy to absorb, do not preach and are attractive with information about Ash Barty, and the writer, Jasmin and illustrator, Jade inside the back cover.

And the HarperCollins website lists two more in the series.

Themes: Tennis, Sport, School, Choice, Family, Determination, Little Ash (series).

Fran Knight