Just So Stories

Hardie Grant Australia

October 2025

Imprint: Pantera Press

ISBN:9781763550735

Price:AU$22.99, NZ$24.99

After a hugely successful debut with their memoir Caught in the Act, Shane Jenek/Courtney Act now presents a timely book that encourages young people to understand the shades of difference between us all.

Confetti is one of a group of cousins each with their own individual colours and talents, all sprung from their grandmother’s garden. They are each named after one of the flowers that bloom in the garden. Confetti is just not sure for which flower their name has been given.

The reader meets all the cousins with their variations and their talents and Confetti’s talent is for painting and drawing. Sitting, painting happily, underneath the big golden wattle with the blossoms raining down like confetti – !!!! – Confetti finally knows for which plant they are named.

Together with their colourful cousins they make up a whole glorious rainbow, while each is beautiful in their own right. It’s a simple enough story but an excellent analogy which an astute educator can make as clear as needs be for the audience.

Dylan Finney’s illustrations are utterly magnificent as always! as is Hardie Grant’s gorgeous presentation – design and binding. It is always a treat to hold one of their books in my hands. This a terrific one to add to your own rainbow fiction collection and I’m giving it a 4 🌈🌈🌈🌈rating for readers from around Year 2-Year 4ish.