Just So Stories

Penguin Australia

• ISBN: 9781761048975
• Imprint: Puffin
• RRP: $19.99

All good things come to those who wait: like the box of books from Penguin that mysteriously arrived by camel train (seemingly) eventually ,or a slow-cooker lamb curry – NO!! sorry, that just slipped out by mistake. Do I look like the kind of person who would eat a poor innocent lamb?? [Perhaps don’t answer that one…..]

Kevin [named after my father, obviously, thanks JH! 😉] is our favourite sheep, and he’s back in his third lively rhyming book from Jacqueline Harvey. He’s finally realising his dream of opening his own classy vegetarian restaurant, the Happy Herbivore, and who should he engage to be the head chef but Wolfie! One time nemesis, now reformed (or is he?) the epitome of big bad wolfishness is full of ideas about a menu in his new guise as a laid-back veggo hippie [LOVE the goatee and tie-dye t-shirt – I assume he now lives in Maleny or Nimbin].

All is full steamed veg ahead as Kevin gears up for the big restaurant opening. His flock -Shaun, Shauna, Sheryl and Shane – are enlisted as wait staff and the decor is sumptuous. But – BERSERKNESS! – Kevin finds Wolfie’s lists of cuts of meat, and there is pandemonium in the place. Things calm when Wolfie, as contrite as only a miscreant (found out) wolf can be, turns things around for a new menu that is completely attuned to the vibe of the Happy Herbivore. The opening night is a raging success all round – all goes as smoothly as butter in a warm pan. Although there is a twist in the tail – kangaroo tail, at that.

What a triumph! and what a triumph for one of our most favourite authors, Jacqueline Harvey – clever duck that she is, with an enormous talent no matter which genre she writes – and her illustrator (and former student) Kate Isobel Scott.

Kevin has proven to be a real hit with the kiddos who totally get the humour and are only too eager to offer up their opinions on eating meat, Wolfie, trust, forgiveness, second (or even third) chances and sheepish behaviour.

I love it even more than I love lamb loin chops grilled on the bbq [but like my Aunty Shirl always said, we don’t eat those little lambs gambolling around the paddocks. We only eat the ones from the butcher shop] – no, seriously, these are such fun picture books that will delight your readers from around 3 years upwards.

As always for JH books because there’s never any doubt, it’s a 5 🐑🐺🐑🥕🐑rating.