Just So Stories

Wombat Books

July 2023

ISBN	9781761111143
Author	Hawke, Rosanne; Berry, Jasmine
Publisher	Wombat Books

This is the second in this series, with another due out in November. It is definitely pitched at your newly independent readers, and certainly deals with an interesting plot idea.

Zamir (Zam) lives on a farm in Australia with his family and his cat, Pepper Masalah, where they grow olives. Zam’s grandmother brought with her, from the old country of Kashmir, an ancient carpet which she maintains can fly, and will finds its way back to its rightful owner in her homeland. Certainly it flies for Zam and Pepper, but not directly to its original master.

In this adventure, the pair land in Ancient Egypt, and after a narrow escape from a very hungry Nile crocodile, find themselves taken in to a temple where cats are, apparently, revered. The problem is that the cats are used a source of mummification for ritual burials -eek!

As if that wasn’t enough drama, a greedy temple attendant has his eyes on both Pepper and the magic carpet. Zam and Pepper manage to escape, and lead the entire temple-ful of cats, destined for death, to a granary with a huge mouse problem – where they really will be revered.

This is certainly different for your emergent readers as it’s not the typical home/school based story, and, truthfully, some of the action might be a little intense for some little people – although, most of them like a good scare really!

Altogether, I think this a great little series to start promoting your Smalls who are just starting out on their easy chapter books. Kiddos in Year 1 or 2 will really enjoy it. I also think there is some value in promoting to your older Year 3/4 less-able readers, who will enjoy the action and adventure without it feeling like a ‘baby’ book.

Recommended for those readers about 6 years upwards.