Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Duck, Duck, Bruce! – Dannika Patterson and Jasmine Berry

    EK Books October 2026 Publisher: Exisle Publishing RRP: $AU$ 24.99 / NZ$ 26.99 ISBN13: 9781922539168 It’s always a pleasure for me to review a new Dannika Patterson book and this one is no exception. It is SO simple and yet so impactful. Just saying, sometimes [well, actually I personally think always] subtle is so much… Read more

  • With a Hopeful Hint of Wonder – Jackie Case

    Boolarong Press September 2026 ISBN: 9781923321304 RRP: $26.99 This is a sweet little book that is both gentle and thoughtful, probably more suited to your older Smalls. When Fen finds a mysterious and beautiful shiny thing she wonders what might be inside. The possibilities are endless in her imagination. But when she gets a little… Read more

  • The Flower Garden: a Changi Secret – Claire Saxby. Lucia Masciullo.

    Walker Books AustraliaMarch 2026 ISBN13:9781760657352 Australia RRP:$25.99 New Zealand RRP:$27.99 It’s not the only pieced quilt to survive Changi – read about the others at the AWM – but it is arguably the one that would speak most to young readers. Certainly, it strikes a chord for me as a former Brownie and Guide leader… Read more

  • How Our Garden Grows – Saurav Kiran Shrestha. Illustrated by Estee Sarsfield.

    WestWords October 2026 ISBN 9781923044708 RRP: $28.95 There is always something so warming about a feel-good community story and this one from WestWords is a fine example of this with something that is becoming more and more of a staple around the country – a community neighbourhood collective garden. Just as a plant starts from… Read more

  • Bella Grows a Bicycle – Lollie Lopter. Chiara Franceschetti.

    Five Mile, May 2026, 24 pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781923457720 Swap/trade/barter groups have been springing up all over in recent times. For many communities this is a terrific way to share abundance and cut down on expenses in supermarkets and stores. And it doesn’t hurt to start early finding about the power of barter. Bella… Read more

  • Picture Book Month Bonus: Lights Out- Saving the Night Sky – Marnie Ogg

    CSIRO Publishing New South Books Marnie Ogg 9781486319558/October 2026/Paperback/AUD$34.99, NZD$39.99 To round off the batch of CSIRO Publishing titles for now, is this one which is most definitely not a PB but is an excellent resource for your studies on the sky/day & night/light etc. The primary focus is on light pollution and I can’t… Read more

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