Just So Stories

Wollemi Press

July 2023

ISBN: 9780646874708

RRP: $26.99

Confidence can be a frail commodity for many of us, but, perhaps, particularly for little people. And, as a result, it is easy to imbue a particular object with special qualities that make us feel braver, stronger and smarter – whether professional golfer with a lucky tee or a toddler with a security blanket.

 Black Cockatoo has a very special blue feather. Of course, she has gorgeous black, red and yellow feathers as well, but she knows it is that one blue feather that gives her amazing skills of swooping and looping, soaring and sailing through the skies over her valley. All the other animals are completely in awe of her dazzling displays.

So when she wakes up one morning and discovers her special blue feather is GONE!, she is completely distraught, and feels both sad and alone.

 Luckily the bush creatures are only too willing to help her find it. Brave kangaroo, wise emu and the kind quolls all join in the search and when they discover it was the cheeky bowerbird who took the blue feather, the mystery is solved.

Black Cockatoo is so happy to have found her feather, but when Bowerbird’s beautiful collection of blue objects is suddenly whirled away in a willy-willy, leaving only the blue feather jauntily in his beak, she suddenly realises that she is just as special minus her lucky token. Being brave, wise and kind doesn’t depend on having a blue feather, just as our confidence doesn’t rest in any trinket we own. 

This is a delightful rhyming read-aloud with an easy, almost musical, flow to the text that is often lacking in other picture books of a similar format. The illustrations are superb, as one would expect from one of Australia’s leading flora and fauna artists with beautiful composition of text and illos. The setting for this, and the earlier books, particularly resonate with me – knowing and loving the Blue Mountains so much and with close family living in the area – and Eloise captures the beauty of this backdrop wonderfully. The themes of friendship, resilience and identity plus the connection with nature are ones that will easily transfer to either home or classroom setting and offer children much to consider.

You can hear the creators speak about this new book as well as their others here. You can also read more about Australia’s black cockatoos, including the red-tail star of this narrative, here.  I’m in love with this stunner, and I highly recommend it to you. As there will be a limited print run, I strongly encourage you to pre-order so that you don’t miss out.