Friday 29 March 2024

Bluey - BBQ

Bluey - BBQ (Penguin Random House), RRP $14.99 Board Book ISBN 9-781761-344664

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

The Heelers are having a BBQ. Bingo sets the table, then sits in her relaxer chair to relax. But her cousin, Muffin, requests salads with the BBQ and Bluey asks Bingo to make them. She reluctantly agrees and has to get out of her relaxing chair to do so. When she’s made them and goes back to relaxing, Muffin, Bluey and Mum keep asking her to do more to the salads, so she’s continually up and down out of her relaxer chair to please them. When she finally gets to sit back and relax, the sausages are ready and Dad shoves the salads to the side.

 

The reader wants to scream the same thing as Bingo. “Isn’t anyone going to mention the salads?”

 

This is a short, fun story told with quintessential Bluey humour that will appeal to 3 to 5-year-old fans of the TV series.

Wednesday 27 March 2024

Our Family Dragon: A Lunar New Year Story

Our Family Dragon: A Lunar New Year Story by Rebecca Lim, illustrated by Cai Tse (Albert Street Books) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781761180637

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath

A young boy is bursting with excitement for the coming of the dragon, as his family buzzes with preparations for Lunar New Year. What will happen when the dragon comes?

This is an approachable introduction to Lunar New Year traditions exuding love, life, and joy. The story covers food, red money packets, the Chinese zodiac and family fun, and has a heart-warming twist at the end. There isn’t much in the way of plot, but the reader feels welcomed into the family of the narrator and becomes invested in his dreams for the festivities.

The generous illustrations help to convey the way modern Australian families celebrate. The dragon dancing over the Sydney Harbour Bridge draws the reader in, and the sumptuous, detailed food illustrations are tantalising.

A must-have for any kindergarten or junior primary classroom and a delight for anyone wanting to explore Lunar New Year with the 4- to 8-year-olds in their life.

Monday 25 March 2024

Mitchell Itches

Mitchell Itches by Kristin Kelly (EK Books), RRP $24.99 Picture Book ISBN 9-781922-539724

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

Mitchell was born with eczema. By the time he starts school, he has tried EVERYTHING possible to reduce his itching and he has a long list of what works and what makes it worse. Still, he can’t get rid of it and now he has to put up with teasing from kids at school who don’t understand that it’s not contagious. To make matters worse, they’ve made up a nasty rhyme – “Itchy Mitchy” – and he wishes that his parents had called him Peter instead.

 

But then Mitchell discovers two things that help: swimming in the sea over the summer holidays and learning the guitar. When he returns to school, he auditions for the school band, despite heckling from his classmates. It turns out that practising on the guitar not only takes his mind off his urge to itch but has also helped him to become a good guitarist and this does wonders for his self-esteem.

 

This is a sweet educational book targeted at children who suffer from eczema with fun and engaging illustrations by Amelina Jones. It includes an appendix page of facts about managing eczema as a useful reference for parents.

Saturday 23 March 2024

Amanda Commander: The Blues Day Tuesday

Amanda Commander: The Blues Day Tuesday by Coral Vass and Heidi Cooper Smith (Wombat Books) PB RRP $12.99 ISBN: 9781761111174

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Amanda Caomhanach – aka Amanda Commander because no-one can say her last name – and her friends Mai and Lu are back at it again in the fourth Amanda Commander book, The Blues Day Tuesday. Once again, they’re noticing when things aren’t quite right at school, and then working to do something about it.

This time, Amanda notices one of her classmates, Rosie, seems very left out after she returns to school following a few days away, sick. Not only does Rosie have to do her volcano poster by herself because everyone else is already paired up, but her usual group of friends seem to have forgotten she exists.

After a little bit of planning, Amanda, Mai and Lu – the Dolphin Squad – swing into action, making sure Rosie feels included again. Then more students start getting sick and needing days off, which keeps the squad busy until, suddenly, Amanda finds herself at home with a cold.

Surely, when Amanda returns to school, she won’t be left out – or will she? And what will have when Eve Kelly – Miss Popular – has a few days off?

If Amanda Commander: The Blues Day Tuesday had been around when I was in primary school, I know it would have really resonated with me because I was always super uncomfortable going back to school after a few days off … but I’d always thought it was a ‘me thing’. Turns out, it wasn’t. And still isn’t. As I read, I found myself wishing there had been an Amanda Commander and a Dolphin Squad at my school!

Coral Vass has crafted an immediately relatable story that is supplemented by Heidi Cooper Smith’s often poignant illustrations to bring forward a very real problem faced by most children at some point – being left out or feeling like they’re on the outer.

The Blues Day Tuesday is the perfect book for beginning readers, who are ready to move on to ‘chapter books’ and read independently. With its themes of kindness, friendship and inclusivity, it’s also an ideal ‘shared read’ for children aged 4–7 years with their parent or teacher as it is sure to inspire deeper conversations, reflections, problem-solving and personal connections.

Thursday 21 March 2024

Deadly Waters

Deadly Waters by Helen Chapman (Omnibus Books, Scholastic) PB RRP $17.99 ISBN: 9781743835104

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Growing up in New South Wales, Clifford ‘Digger’ Hopping had his sights set on playing cricket for Australia. Priorities change as you grow older, however, and with rumblings from Europe, Cliff signs up to train with the Royal Australian Navy.

Then, the telegram arrives and before he knows it, Cliff finds himself at sea, being fired upon by enemy ships and aircraft, all while trying to keep his fellow Australians, allies, and himself, safe.

That’s the abridged version of Deadly Waters by Helen Chapman. But, this summary barely scratches the surface as Chapman takes readers, with Digger, into the heart of the Second World War and all the action, excitement and devastation in a way I personally have not experienced before.

Part of Scholastic’s Australia’s Second World War series, Deadly Waters becomes extra special, and poignant, when we realise that the character, Cliff, is actually Helen Chapman’s father, and that the story we’re reading was told to Chapman by her father, who completed active service as a young seaman for the Royal Australian Navy during World War II.

Nobody without the same lived experience can possibly know what it is like to be at sea for months on end, without seeing your family – save for the occasional, often censored, letter. None of us could know the raw fear of wondering if you’ll survive the next submarine attack or raid from a Japanese kamikaze aircraft. And no-one can understand the joy of reuniting with loved ones after months of wondering if you’ll ever see them again. However, Helen Chapman brings her readers as close as possible to these emotions and experiences.

Deadly Waters does not glorify war in any way; instead, it’s honest and raw and heartfelt storytelling at its very best.

The backmatter, which includes maps, a historical timeline and links to virtual experiences related to the story, is a wonderful supplement to the first person narrative. In addition, Helen Chapman’s website contains additional teaching resources from Scholastic, photos of her father and family, and images of news clippings and other relevant materials, all working to deepen the story and enhance connection and understanding.

Written for children aged 9–12 (Years 4, 5 and 6), Deadly Waters is a perfect addition to the Australian Curriculum: History, giving readers an up-close understanding of Australia’s part in the Second World War from the inside perspective. I would also suggest the story is an excellent read for adolescents and adults alike who want to gain a greater, more personal, insight into historical events such as these.

Tuesday 19 March 2024

Revenge of the Chick-Oats

Exciting New Berk-Berk … er Book Release!

Award-winning children’s author, Aleesah Darlison, is thrilled to announce the release of the second book in her junior fiction series, Super Sloth. Revenge of the Chick-Oats is set in New York City and is an action-packed adventure featuring the brave (and often hilarious) deeds of an unbelievably brave, quick, and adorable sloth, and his vigilante offsiders.

About the Book:

Get ready for a feathered adventure with Romeo Fortez … the cutest sloth EVER … and the world’s most daring superhero!

Romeo’s nemesis, the unhinged Professor Ian Weird-Warp, is at it again. Bent on revenge, he concocts a quirky catastrophe. Mixing chicken and goat genes, he spawns a gang of eccentric chick-oats and they’re on the loose in the Big Apple, destroying everything in their path all the while chanting, ‘Berk-berk-baa!’

As the team faces off against Professor Weird-Warp’s sinister demands for Romeo’s surrender, they must hatch a brilliant plan to thwart the mad professor’s wicked schemes once and for all.

Can this unlikely crew save the city from the clutches of the chick-oats?

The series is illustrated by Cheri Hughes and published by Big Sky Publishing. More info at: https://www.bigskypublishing.com.au/books/super-sloth-2/

  

Sunday 17 March 2024

Look Me in the Eye

Look Me in the Eye by Jane Godwin (Hachette Australia) PB RRP $16.99 ISBN9780734420794

Once trust is gone, what is there to hold onto? From award-winning author Jane Godwin, here’s a novel about young teens navigating friendship and trust in a post-pandemic world of surveillance and control.

 

running late
drop it off without me

I type drop what off? I don't know what Mish is talking about.
While I'm typing, another message appears. don't tell bella
But I am Bella.

 

Best friends Bella and Connie live on the outskirts of the city in an area that was once full of open fields and paddocks but is changing as the suburbs creep closer. And now there is Mish, Connie's cousin, who must be included even though she is unfriendly and unpredictable. The pandemic lockdowns have lifted, and the three teens are eager to explore their newfound independence. But with the world opening up, there has been a rise in surveillance, from apps that track their movements to voice recorders and hidden cameras. It feels like everyone is watching them. But when does 'watching' become 'watching over'?

 

Do we have a right to know everything about those we love? Look Me in the Eye is a tale of young teens navigating freedom and trust-building, privacy and secrets, in an era of parental surveillance.