A breathless recreation of a famous Cobb and Co trip is brought to life within richly illustrated words for a younger generation. Even those with no links to horses or travelling on dirt roads will be swept along with the images of the runaway horses. The words describing this true incident will thrill, as they read of young Fenton going to Geelong with his father in 1855.
All sorts of images will spring to mind: the gold rush in Ballarat, travelling by horse drawn coach, avoiding the ever present danger of bushrangers on roads outside the few towns, and simply surviving the perilously rough ride that going by coach implies.
The story begins in Ballarat as Fenton and his father board the coach. Fenton has been allowed to sit with the driver, who introduces himself as Edward Devine, known as Cabbage Tree Ted.
Along the way Ted gives Fen a time holding the reins of the horses pulling the coach. Along the way, the horses begin to pull up as two men appear on the roadway, hanker-chiefs across their faces and guns drawn. Ted tells Fen to wait while he raises his hands in mock surrender, then gives Fen a shout to go. The boy uses the reins to get the horses going and they flee along the roadway. They escape the bushrangers but then their brake fails as they try to calm the horses and they tear along the roadway, the horses out of control.
This wonderful evocation of life in early Australia is wonderfully told, and the illustrations are marvellously presented, giving young readers a great deal of detail to look at. Large sweeps of Australian bush land and vistas of blue skies will make them feel part of Fen’s world. The images of the horses are engrossing, drawing the eyes into the detail of their role in pulling the coach, mesmerised by the way they are linked to the driver and the coach itself.
A wonderful read. Full of humour, history and adventure.
Themes Bushrangers, Coach travel, Cobb and Co., Australian history, Ballarat, Gold rush.
Mim and the Vicious Vendetta, written by the amazingly talented Katrina Nannestad and interspersed with some lovely black and white illustrations by Cheryl Orsini, will appeal to all ages. The fifth book in the enchanting series The Travelling Bookshop, this time taking readers on a wonderful journey to picturesque Venice.
Mim’s family and their menagerie of special pets are off again, travelling around in their magical caravan filled with wonderful books. Guided by the steady hooves of Flossie, their trusty Clydesdale horse, each destination is a place where stories yearn to be read, as problems beg for solutions.
A longstanding feud between two families, who have lived in Venice for generations, is causing much unrest and bad behaviour. Mim quickly discovers that individually, all the family members are actually kind and caring people, but whenever they are together this rift brings out the worst in each other.
Mim is sure that the travelling bookshop’s delightful books will have something for them to read that will change their thinking and bring happiness back into their lives. However, Mim is concerned by the books her Dad keeps sharing. Will Mim’s Dad gift the right books to be read or will this feud be unable to be rectified?
Nannestad's narrative weaves a spellbinding tale, blending elements of fantasy, adventure, and heartfelt moments. Mim and her family, with their keen sense of empathy and intuition, serves as the beacon of hope for those in need. Sharing the joy of stories, bringing kindness, care, acceptance and of course the consequences that every action entail; this story has it all.
The right story at the right time has the power to illuminate our path forward, and Mim and the Vicious Vendetta is one of those right stories that will enchant readers of all ages. Nannestad has once again created another beautiful and captivating novel that will be a favourite for many.
Lawrence stays close to home because "out there" is too big and loud and crowded. Sophia stays high up in the tree branches because "down there" is too bumpy, dark and dangerous. When they meet and become friends, they find ways to enjoy each other's company without leaving their own safe spots . . . until a storm comes, and both are so worried about the other that they are finally able to take a huge, scary leap into the unknown. Together they feel brave, and the future is suddenly a lot more interesting.
This is a story about feeling vulnerable and scared, and your imagination making things more fearful than they actually are. How gradually taking the first step and then another, can lead to something so amazing that the things you feared just fall away. How sometimes your concern for someone or something else can lead you to do things you would never have considered possible when you are the only one in the picture. And it's particularly appropriate for this time of the year when new schools loom for so many of our young readers and anxiety increases. So much easier to stay in your comfort zone than risk being where it seems big and loud and crowded. Talking about the joys that Lawrence and Sophia shared because one day Sophia got the courage to walk to the very end of her branch might just be the impetus for encouraging your child to take their first step.
On a broader scale, research and data gathered since COVID, particularly, are showing that the levels of anxiety in children and school refusal is at an all-time high, and while one gently written and illustrated picture book is not going to solve such a complex problem, nevertheless it may be a starting point. With its deceptively simple text and soft palette, this is a story that offers neither solution nor judgement but allows the anxious child to see themselves in a story and offers them some hope that there can be a life beyond their self-imposed prison that they can be a part of, and that might start with a conversation after sharing the story. Perhaps musing on why both Lawrence and Sophia only feel safe and comfortable in their own space, putting the conversation at arm's length so the child doesn't feel threatened, will offer an insight into what is causing the child to feel so anxious, because it is certainly more than "laziness" and "being okay to stay home" as one commentator recently opined.
This interview between creators Doreen and Brian Cronin offers an insight into the story behind the story including how there is a bit of both Lawrence and Sophia in both of them.
Themes Anxiety.
Barbara Braxton
Look me in the eye by Jane Godwin
Lothian Children's Books, 2024. ISBN: 9780734420794. (Age:Middle years, from ages 13+) Highly recommended.
Look Me in the Eye is contemporary story dealing with the complexities of being a teenager in these unprecedented times – how to navigate life after a worldwide pandemic and the increasing impact of mobile technology on privacy and autonomy. At it’s core, it is a story about trust – how you earn it and how you keep it.
The story is narrated by Bella, a year 7 student who has just come out the other side of the world’s longest COVID lockdowns in Victoria Australia.She lives with her mum and stepfather, who are on the brink of having a baby together, after 13 years of Bella being an only child. Bella and her best friend, Connie, have their friendship tested with the impact of, Mish, Connie's cousin, who has moved to their area and whose behaviour seems risky and at times, manipulative.
There are tensions and a sense of mystery the author Jane Goodwin cleverly weaves throughout the story – Mish’s behaviour and worrying relationship with her parents, the stealing, Mish’s whereabouts after meeting up with someone she met online, Connie's sisters health and the impending birth of Bella’s sibling, all make for a captivating read.
COVID and the lockdowns in response, are mentioned many times throughout the story, but rather than seeming repetitive, these only serve to illuminate the impact the pandemic has had, especially on those living through their formative years. Readers from middle school age to adults will find this story engaging and enlightening.There is some profound wisdom in the story about how in these times of increasing surveillance, we can’t in reality guarantee safety and the lack of trust it fosters may only serve to erode relationships with those we love. As Pete, Bella's stepfather says, ‘trust is complicated, Bells...but aside from being really foolish about it, we have to do it.Otherwise, we’d go crazy’. Teacher's notes are available.
Who has the biggest mouth? by Judy Cannon and Verena Heirich
Little Steps, 2023. ISBN: 9781922678096.
On a trip to the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa the children are looking for the creature with the biggest mouth. While they discover lots of interesting and unique information about a number of individual species, do they find the one with the biggest mouth?
Young readers will have fun predicting who they think is the winning candidate as they share this book and they may be surprised by their discoveries. If the reserve list for the latest Guinness Book of Records is any indication, little ones are fascinated by these sorts of extremes and so this could be the start of an individual or group display of investigating who, in the animal kingdom, has the biggest, longest, heaviest, smallest whatever encouraging young naturalists to delve deeply into the 500s collection to read and interpret with purpose while learning about measurement, comparison and adaptation.
Long ago, the men hunted kangaroo while the women ground the seeds from the grasses where the nymphs lived, and nearby the ibis worked the swamps. Things were balanced, not too many people, nor grasshoppers or ibis to eat them. But two hundred years ago, settlers came, cutting down the trees, clearing the swamps, planting vast crops. And so it was that the grasshopper numbers increased, the ibis had moved, and those vast farmlands were eaten away, even the green hoses and washing on the line were food for theses plagues of locusts. Poison was sprayed from above, the locusts killed, but enough lay low for the next season. In the meantime, the land was poisoned, the animals and birds died.
The locusts can hear those from the past laughing at the attempts to kill them, and sometimes they hear sobbing. Those gone can see what an impact the poisons have had on the land and cry.
A hymn for the country, for people to think about how we use the land and the ramifications of our attempts to impose ourselves on the land, the story is one we see repeated over and over again, in the abuse of the rainforests, of the sea, of the rivers, each a black mark against human intervention. French wears her heart on her sleeve as she cries out for the land and its animals and birds, looking at the devastation from the grasshopper’s perspective.
Coupled with Wheatley’s magnificent watercolours, each page is an image that will live with the reader long after the book is closed.
I loved the grasses on the endpapers, and the study of the hands holding the dead hoppers, and the image of the little plane about to cause so much destruction, the wonderful detail of city life, complete with the raiding ibis … each page has a story in itself, giving many layers to French’s powerfully sparse words, which plead with us to listen to the land.
The destruction caused by colonisation meant not only were we giving plentiful food to allow the hoppers to breed, the draining of the swamps meant the ibis had to look for somewhere new to live, causing the plague of bin chickens seen in towns and cities around Australia.
A beautiful book to present to younger readers to encourage thinking about the land they live on.
See Jackie French reading the book and talking about the reasons behind the book here.
Themes Environment, Grasshoppers, Colonisation, Ibis, Australian history.
Fran Knight
When the world was soft: Yindjibarndi creation stories by Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation
This impressive book by Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation tells the Creation stories of the Yindjibarndi people. In the Wanthiwa (Greetings) Lorraine Coppin CEO Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation talks about storytelling and the way it influenced and guided past generations and still does today. These are stories from the Pilbara, ready to be shared with the Yindjibarndi people and respectfully heard by others all over the world.
The striking cover, in its tones of black, white, grey and blues depicts the Wirrangga (River Red Gum) whose name in the story of Bunggaliyarra (Fallen) is Mandirrinha (Tree of the Moon), will immediately draw the reader’s eye. Inside the book are glorious photographs of important Country connected to the stories as well as stunning traditional paintings by members of the Juluwarlu Art Group. The contents page clearly sets out the stories beginning with Ngurra Nyujunggamu (Creation) ‘where the world was as soft as clay and the sky very low. The Creator, Minkala sang the songs and from which all life and Ngurra evolved’. This story is followed by a number of significant and sacred stories about animals and people ending with the Barrimirindi (Water Serpent) story.
In the final pages there is further valuable information about the Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation followed by detailed information about the paintings and the artists as well as the illustrator Alex Mankiewicz. There is a dual language glossary and index included as well as a QR code to hear the story and source educational materials.
The unique and dramatic presentation of these wonderful stories in a graphic novel-style illustrative format will appeal to and create a wider audience. These stories have so much depth and meaning and to have them visually enhanced allows greater understanding for all readers.
As an adult reader of World War Two historical fact and fiction, I felt slight trepidation when given Courage Be My Friend: The Vivian Bullwinkel Story to review. I am familiar with the horrific story of the brutal massacre of nurses by the Japanese troops as well as the cruel ill-treatment suffered by Vivian Bullwinkel and her fellow captives and was not sure how this new release for upper middle-grade to young adult readers would be presented. Fortunately, author Jenny Davis has primarily focused on the important aspects of the strong connection between the nurses and the growing friendship between Vivian and 15 year old Edie, all the while being true to the timeline of events and glimpses of the horror suffered.
Born in Kapunda, South Australia, Vivian (affectionately known as ‘Bully’ to her friends) has been keen to join in the war effort and enlists in the Australian Army Nursing Unit. She travels to Singapore with a group of nurses and along with others already in Singapore, form an incredible bond that will support them through horrendous experiences.
Young Edie has been separated from her beloved grandfather and left with her step-grandmother who is always angry. Edie is lonely and as the only teenage girl in captive, looks to Vivian for comfort and friendship. Edie in fact provides an anchor for Vivian who constantly deals with death and deprivation but is determined to stay alive to ensure Edie does too.
Throughout this book, the tenacity, work ethic, compassion and courage shown by the Australian nurses is simply outstanding. Without the nurses those prisoners who survived the appalling conditions, malnutrition, fevers, starvation, and beatings may not have done so.
After three and a half years in captivity those who were found deep in the jungle had a devastating story to tell. Vivian Bullwinkel was determined that she would survive to tell of the massacre and the deprivation suffered by her nursing companions. Each of Vivian’s nursing companions’ names are written in full throughout the novel as a mark of respect and remembrance.
This powerful story is one that is important to be shared and one where the role the Australian nurses played in the war should not be disregarded. Teaching notes and an activity can be found on the publisher's website.
Themes Historical Fiction, World War Two, Nursing, Friendship, Courage, Survival, Resilience, Hope.
Sanctuary, the latest book from Garry Disher held some surprises for me. I am a fan of his Paul Hirschhausen series, and without reading the book’s blurb expected a similar outback noir featuring a police officer investigating crime. There is crime galore in Sanctuary but the emphasis is not on police procedure, but on the life of Grace, a thief who specialises in stealing valuable items like stamps and watches that are easy to carry. It is a lonely life and when a man from her past spots her at a stamp exhibition, she goes on the run again, ending up in the Adelaide Hills. Seeing an ad for a job in an antiques shop, she hopes for a different life working for Erin the owner. But someone is after Erin and Grace is on her old colleague’s radar. Will she be able to finally settle down and stay safe from these two dangerous men?
Sanctuary is a memorable and absorbing crime thriller. Disher ramps up the suspense as he details the life of the two women, Erin who rarely leaves her house and Grace who is trying to have a normal life. It is very easy to relate to Grace, even though she is a thief, and I found myself on the edge of my seat wondering if her old colleague would catch up with her or if she would get caught by the police for her thefts. Other characters, including the two villains and police officers are rounded and believable. Disher’s descriptions of different antiques, the terror that abusive women feel and the shady machinations of criminals and how they operate are vivid and often eye-opening.
Disher is an outstanding crime writer and Sanctuary is another page turner that will thrill his readers.
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761069505. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
A stunning look at a tree, from its roots to the upper branches, its bark and leaves, the animals that live on and in it and depend upon it for their survival.
The opening pages are stunning, welcoming the reader to peer through the mists of the morning to spy the tree, older than us, younger than the earth it springs from. As each page is turned new information is given about the tree: the tree breathes in the air we breathe out, its roots share food, birds, like a lyrebird, thrush, wren etc scratch the litter beneath for their meal, lizards and echidnas use its undergrowth for their survival. Rain feeds the trees, pools attracting birds and animals: the treecreeper, rosellas and possums all call it home, and at night possums come out from their hollow, a glider surveys the night sky, while down on the ground, a wombat tears at the grass, wallabies thump by, a bush rat digs and a boo-boo owl swoops.
Water is taken up by the tree so it grows, but quietly the night is over. Eventually the tree will die and fall over, its form giving shelter again to small animals, insects and birds as the cycle begins anew.
The most beautiful of illustrations adorn each page, using a multiplicity of techniques, including water colour and pencil, to give the reader an intimate knowledge of the image presented in the text. The eye-catching cover will draw in the readers, then opening they will find wonderful endpapers, enough to encourage the readers to go out and collect leaves to try and draw them themselves. The mist on the first double page covers most of the mountain and eager eyes will try and find the one tree, the mountain ash, that the book is about. Pages following show different aspects of the tree, an underground look at its roots and the activity there, a close look at the leaf litter at the base of the tree, visions of the sky as a range of birds fly overhead, and stunning images of the forest at night. Readers will love checking out the detail, finding the animals mentioned in the text, seeking out other animals, while a fold out page at the end of the book has a poster sized image of the tree sure to be wondered at. A vision to behold, this book impels kids to get outside and look at those in their neighbourhood with a clearer understanding of how indebted we are to these magnificent trees.
Extreme Planet: Journey to the Earth's core by Emily Bone. Illus. by Rodrigo Cordeiro
Usborne, 2023. ISBN: 9781474998710. (Age:6+)
From crust to core, dig down and uncover the amazing things deep inside the Earth.
This book takes you on a fascinating journey deep inside the Earth. From the rocky, moving plates that make up the surface, to the core hotter than the Sun, lift the flaps to discover what explodes out of volcanoes, how nearly everything we use each day comes from under the ground, how digging down can take you back in time, and even where the water we drink comes from.
Using a lift-the=flap format and a first-person narrative , this is an intriguing book for both the young reader who just wants to know what's underneath their feet as well as the one who wants some new avenues to explore. Used in conjunction with the Usborne Quicklinks which accompany it, readers can develop a sound awareness of the structure of the planet, and its changing landscapes and land shapes. More mature readers might like to venture onto the Jules Verne classic Journey to the Centre of the Earth while others might like to explore the companion volumes, The Deep or the upcoming Journey Across the Arctic.
Whichever direction they choose, this book has the potential to open up new horizons.
Those Girls, written by well-known author Pamela Rushby, is Australian historical fiction giving an engaging account of the role the Australian Women’s Land Army (AWLA) played during World War Two. Land Army girls often dealt with prejudice, petty jealousies from local communities, unwanted advances from males, some dire living conditions yet quietly set about making an invaluable contribution to Australia’s war effort on the home front.
Set in Queensland between 1942 to 1945, this entertaining story is about young sixteen-year-old Hilly who has just finished school and longs to do her part for the war effort. Her brother Graham is missing-in-action in Singapore and her fractured relationship with her parents is a source of constant bewilderment for Hilly.
Hilly is accepted in to the AWLA and with her close friend Liz is sent to the Lockyer Valley to harvest potatoes. There they meet other land girls and while it does not work out for Liz, Hilly forms a strong bond with Aileen and Glad. The three travel together to farms across Queensland where they experience tough conditions, some difficult farmers, backbreaking work but always manage to find a sense of purpose and fulfilment in their role. The three girls also deal with personal and family issues and support each other with humour and wisdom. When Hilly decides to head off on her own to a farm to assist with shearing, she is surprised at how strong, tough and resilient she has become.
Throughout the book, it is heartening to see how Hilly matures and grows into her own person. With an American fiancé pressing her to join him at his family farm in the USA, indifferent parents with a long-held secret and an uncertain future, it is reaffirming to see Hilly choose her own path.
In the final pages of the novel Pamela Rushby gives further valuable information about the AWLA and the struggles they had for recognition. Those Girls is fascinating read that is important for learning about the AWLA and looking at the changing roles of women in Australia during and after World War Two. An excellent resource for Australian Curriculum Year 10 History – World War Two studies.
Themes World War Two, Historical Fiction, Women’s Land Army, Social Expectations, Friendships, Loyalty, Romance, Adventure.
Kathryn Beilby
The Ultimate Book of Reptiles by Ruchira Somaweera
National Geographic Kids, 2023. ISBN: 9781426373732. (Age:8+)
Snakes, tortoises, chameleons, crocodiles, lizards, even dinosaurs - reptiles are found all over this planet and have been for about 300 million years when insects (including centipedes as large as alligators) ruled and a new predator Hylonomous evolved to eat them.
And regardless of how scary they might look, how creepy they might feel and how dangerous to humans they might be, there is a certain section of the population that is fascinated by them. Thus this book with its full colour photographs, accessible text and attractive layout is going to appeal to them as well as any others who have an interest in finding out more.
Arranged in sections such as deadly hunters, amazing adaptations and super creatures (featuring the extremes of each type) their stories are told by a leading herpetologist and includes suggestions on ways we can help these creatures survive the threats of habitat destruction, climate change, being a food source and even being smuggled to be someone's exotic pet. Even though we might not become one of the conservation heroes featured, nevertheless the school playground and the backyard garden can become a haven for lizards and other little creatures. Skinks, geckos and blue tongue lizards (if not the unique tuatara of New Zealand) will thank you.
On a clear day, when the sea and the horizon stretch endlessly around, the flock of puffins takes flight from their rocky island home - except for one, who is a little tentative and anxious. But, when he has the courage to follow his mates, the fog rolls in and things become murkier and murkier until it is so thick, he stumbles and can't find his way forward. Perhaps it would be safer to stay just where he is, but when a walrus looms in front of him, he realises that that can be dangerous. And so, he summons his brave that let him leave his home in the first place, and goes forward learning that "the closer you get, the more you see. And the more you see, the clearer the path becomes." And eventually, the fog lifts and the world and the horizons spread in front of you again.
On the surface this is a story about a little puffin separated from his flock, lost, afraid and bewildered until he finds them again, but it has been deliberately written as an allegory for helping young ones navigate uncertainty, open their minds and finding their way back to a place of safety and certainty. It helps them understand that, at times, we all face feeling lost and unsure, having to make decisions and having faith that what we decide will lead us to clarity.
While there are lots of stories that celebrate being happy and positive, and others that deal with anger and sadness, there are few that confront confusion and uneasiness in such a way that makes it easy to start conversations and explore those emotions so that the child not only understands that there can be a pathway through without becoming too anxious, but others feel the same way at times.
An exceptional addition to your mindfulness collection for little ones, while useful for teaching older students about allegories and learning to read between and beyond the lines to what the author is really saying - an essential skill in being a critical reader.
Themes Mindfulness, Allegories.
Barbara Braxton
Pidge's poppies by Jan Andrews and Timothy Ide
Ford Street Publishing, 2024. ISBN: 9781922696380. (Age:5+) Highly recommended.
Pidge’s Poppies is a delightful picture book based on a true story of two pigeons who built their nest with poppies placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia. This is an engaging story with detailed and striking illustrations that provides a glimpse into the role pigeons played during two World Wars. As well, this story offers an introduction to the Australian War Memorial and Remembrance Day for young readers.
Pidge and Henry were best friends who would happily fly around playing I Spy. One day Pidge spotted the Australian War Memorial and they went for a closer look. Pidge remembered stories from her father about her great-great relations who had been sent to war as carrier pigeons. They were responsible for carrying messages in little tubes strapped to their legs and over time saved many soldiers’ lives. Some pigeons were awarded the Dickin Medal for ‘Conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict.’
Pidge and Henry decide to build their nest at the War Memorial and became quite famous. Their presence provided the opportunity for guides to talk about the role pigeons played in the war and opened up conversations about animals in war. February 24 is now recognised as Purple Poppy Day where animals that have served during wartime are honoured and remembered. Resources include Pigeons in war, and Pigeon steals War Memorial poppies to carefully craft its nest | 7NEWS.
Themes Pigeons, Wars, Australian War Memorial, History, Nests, Remembrance Day.
