Just So Stories

Wombat Books

March 2025

Introducing a really sweet new reader series for your Smalls who are graduating to early chapter books. This is Ariana Treasure, her family, their thrift shop, their friends and their neighbourhood.

Ariana Treasure: The Missing Book

9781761111808

In the first book we are introduced to Ariana and her mum, and the thrift shop – The Treasure Chest. Ariana’s much-missed Grandpa started the shop and everyone in the community supports it. Ariana loves spending time there and helping out. She also loves her favourite book, one that was also her Grandpa’s favourite book.

When a newcomer and her son arrive at the shop Ariana tries to make friends with Alex but he’s not having it. When she later discovers that her book has been accidentally sold to them, she’s terribly upset. She and her mum go to try and retrieve it but Alex is not having a bar of it.

But the next day Alex turns up and says he’s read the message in the book “Happy to swap this precious item with an item from the Treasure Chest” – a clever idea, Grandpa had! Alex explains his bad manners and how much he misses his soccer ball so isn’t it lucky that there just happens to be a soccer ball in the Treasure Chest! Two new friends sorted!

Ariana Treasure: The Secret Ingredient

9781761111822

There’s going to be a food truck competition.

It’s where all the people who sell food from vans, just as you would see at events or markets, try to win a prize for their product. Ariana’s friends, Hunter and Jake, have great foodie parents, and they want to win, but these brothers just cannot seem to get themselves organised or even cooperate.

When their parents are both too sick to cook, it’s up to the boys – with Ariana’s help -to pull themselves together if they’re going to have a chance. Luckily they also have a stand-out recipe from a book donated to The Treasure Chest. But the real secret ingredient, as Ariana already knows, is teamwork.

These are cute and feel-good stories that will be perfect for your kiddos in their progression to a more challenging read. Liberally illustrated to break up the text, this is a pleasing collaboration between author and illustrator. With five more scheduled it will be a great series to get in for Smalls from Year 1 upwards. I’m giving them a 5 🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮 rating.