Just So Stories

Magabala Books

Hachette Australia

Apr 8, 2025 | 9781922777591 | RRP $17.99

It’s certainly been a long time since I reviewed one of Brenton McKenna’s books but it’s great to see that he continues to engage young readers with First Nations titles that are unique and innovative.

This is the second in this series which combines a range of concepts to particularly engage reluctant readers. It blends Blak humour (which is a great learning experience for non-Indigenous kiddos), the prevalent obsession with online gaming, supernatural characters and events and surviving in the outback. I’m no fan of graphics as everyone knows but I can definitely see how this will appeal to a certain demographic and intend testing it out with a 9-year-old boy who has worked hard with his reading but is not always keen for every title.

Hairy monster brothers Begley and Redley are always up to some sort of crazy action and when Beg is busily promoting products on his Headtwerk social media platform, with predictable resistance from Red to be his guinea pig, they don’t realise that the mysterious Crypt_hunter19 is tracking them – hoping to prove the existence of hairy monsters. Not only that but now Lieutenant Major Bartholomew Tuxedo, head of the government’s agency for shady stuff, is on the trail of Ned aka Crypt_hunter19 as well as the outback brothers. It’s all a colossal rollercoaster of laughs, bum jokes and improbability.

It’s quite chaotic and crazy – which is exactly what a lot of kids love, whether mob or not and given the first in the series was shortlisted in the 2024 Comic Arts Awards, as well as longlisted in the ASLA DANZ 2025 Awards, you can be assured of the quality.

While of course I love the First Nations titles which focus on traditional culture, knowledge-sharing and important events and issues, I also love these titles which breath a new life into that and combine it with a more contemporary take to appeal to a broader audience. We want ALL kids to have a greater understanding of Blak culture – and that includes the humour – no gammin! It gets a big hairy 4 😄😄😄😄 rating from me for kiddos from around Year 3 upwards.