Just So Stories

Little Hare/Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing

October 2024

ISBN 9781761213335

RRP: $19.99

It’s the perfect gift for any new Small human in your circle. And it’s certainly going to be perfect for Little Miss M Daisy, who gave me the sweetest smiles when I saw her last week – showing off her four tiny teeth ❤️.

As one might expect the illos are espcially gorgeous in this one and show a lovely mix of traditional with contemporary. I love that the dinner table has a traditional pudding but also platters of fresh fruit and cheese, a trifle and a jelly, a roast ham with trimmings and a plate of smoked salmon. In other words, the kind of blended Aussie Xmas meal many of us serve up. There are baubles and bonbons, stockings and sparklers and, of course, family.

Cheryl Orsini has matched her delightful art with a simple but eloquent text with some lovely figurative language e.g. baubles drip rainbows and tasting sunshine. All in all, a really sweet memento for a little one’s first festive season. I’m giving it a 5 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 rating – obviously for newborns to toddlers.