Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe



  • A Very Dinosaur Birthday – Adam Wallace. Illustrated by Christopher Nielsen.

    Harper Collins Australia July 2023 We know most kids are wild about dinosaurs. Certainly The Kid, and her mother before her were besotted with them as littles, but right up to loving every gritty, Velociraptor moment of the Jurassic Park franchise. And who wouldn’t want to have a shebang dino birthday party?? (in actual fact, Read more

  • My Family Kitchen- Tommy Pham

    Penguin Australia July 2023 Ok, I freely admit it. I’m one of those tragics who loves looking at beautiful cookbooks without necessarily making any of the dishes – but there are exceptions to that. This is truly a very beautiful cookbook with loads of colour pages, with, also, full page colour photographs to accompany each Read more

  • Being Jimmy Baxter – Fiona Lloyd

    Penguin Australia This is often a very funny book. This is often a very moving book. I ate it up in one sitting because Jimmy’s story is one that demands to be read. Jimmy is not so good with school stuff, and he has a kind of innocence in his thinking that completely reminds me Read more

  • Nanette’s Baguette – Mo Willems

    Walker Books Australia March 2017 ISBN13:9781406376210 Australia RRP:$16.99 New Zealand RRP:$18.99 Honestly, the kiddos go nuts for Mo’s books – which you probably already know. This one is my absolute favourite of all and I have used it several times. This past week I’ve been back in my happy place being teacher-librarian for a one Read more

  • This Spells Trouble – Paul Collins/Sean McMullen

    Ford St Publishing July 2023 ISBN:9781922696311 RRP: $17.95 This is just a riotous, joyful comic adventure from the very first page, and, I tell you now, your kids from middle school to upper will eat it up with relish! 14 year old Winton is apprenticed to a very dodgy wizard named Faramond – a lazy, Read more

  • One Little Duck – Katrina Germein/Danny Snell

    Harper Collins Australia July 2023 This is a sweet picture book with a fun twist on an old rhyme and illustrated delectably, which will be an engaging read for your teenies and easily segue into some useful learning activities. Mother Duck is, as you would expect, a nurturer and is quite equable about every animal Read more