Just So Stories

Hachette Australia

September 2025

Imprint: Lothian Children’s Books

9780734418517 | RRP $24.99

This is a striking book by all standards. Whether we were personally involved with the tragic infernos of 2019/2020 Black Summer, or not, it was still a disaster that concerned us all. I was on high alert at my cousin’s place in the Blue Mountains – watching Mt York burn across the paddocks and poised ready to throw everything (her husband, my Kid, and a dozen small dogs plus one big one) into the two cars and take off. Fortunately we were lucky but many not so.

This sweeping-through-the-seasons narrative is inspired by the fires around Araluen [NSW] and the saving of the peach crop when the farmers knew the fires were roaring their way. Inga Simpson’s text is elegant and reads like a fairy tale – or, as described, a fable – expressing the wondrous way that nature can manage to heal itself and regenerate, even after near complete incineration.

The Peach King has presided over the peach orchard for generations, and kept the younger trees safe. When he holds fast against the fire, it consumes him but the saplings including Little Peach Tree sing him to a noble end. And they survive and recover.

In the backmatter Inga explains her connection with the peaches and her inspiration. Tanya Herricks’ illustrations are sensational with glorious representations of the entire landscape and the changing seasons, along with the deadly fires.

It is a very beautiful book despite the subject matter being a sombre episode from which people are still struggling to recover. With fire season well and truly upon us, with exceptionally at-risk areas (even here in Redcliffe, we’ve had a few weeks of fire restrictions for well over two months after a very dry winter,) it is a timely reminder that we should be making our kiddos aware of fire safety, and, especially, leading up to the Xmas holidays with camping, family bbqs etc on so many families’ agenda [I stick with the original Latin there], all the more important.

I give this a full 5 🍑🍑🍑🍑👑rating for readers from around 6/7 years old up to 10/11. Of course, be mindful of any triggers for any of your kiddos who may experienced fire tragedies.