Just So Stories

Little Steps Publishing

Boolarong Press

October 2024

ISBN : 978-1-922678-35-5

RRP: $16.99

This is a pretty simple picture book aimed squarely at those Smalls beginning their school journey. It offers a rhyming description of what might be expected to happen in an average classroom [except for the fact of just 11 children in front of the teacher is not average! as implied by the illo – I wish!]. Taking turns, hand hygiene, what might be learned e.g. science, reading, writing, maths and creativity all get a mention, as well as playtime and sharing time.

Brisbane author, Carly Gardiner, is an experienced teacher and this is her first book. The promo indicates it is ‘informed by the Australian Curriculum’ but doesn’t elaborate on that point. The illustrations are indeed ‘whimsical’ as described, bordering on painting a somewhat unrealistic picture of school days in some instances, which is something I personally found disappointing. [No, I have never seen, a teacher flying a kite as a demonstration of wind and weather – we have perhaps ALL made kites to fly though, in my classrooms].

However, in my own long experience, those first weeks of school and library visits are when we particularly focus on this theme of ‘starting school’ books so, in that sense, it’s always handy to have another with a different take on the topic. Overall, in one sense, I was slightly let-down with the somewhat subdued tone of the narrative. It’s not going to create a huge sense of excitement but it certainly might help some anxiety little ones with some reassuring ideas of what to expect. I’m giving it a 3 ✏️✏️✏️ rating.