Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Crazy Characters & Daft Deeds

      I’ve chosen to review these two books on the same post as to me they are similar in many ways all of which will appeal to their audience.  Both Colin Thompson and A.F. Harrold have a singular and individualised way of providing satirical humour for a pint-sized readership. They also both employ that  every Read more

  • Girl vs. Boy Band: The Right Track – Harmony Jones

    Bloomsbury Publishing Australia Published: 01-07-2016 ISBN: 9781408868546 Imprint: Bloomsbury Childrens RRP: $14.99 If you have girls who are pop fans and are looking for a little innocent romance along with an engaging story, this will be a very popular addition to your collection. It’s light and frothy and a bit bubble-gummy but perfect for tweens Read more

  • The Giant’s Necklace – Michael Morpurgo. Illustrated by Briony May Smith

    Walker Books Australia ISBN: 9781406357127 Imprint: WALKER HARDBACK Australian RRP: $19.99 New Zealand RRP: $22.99 Coming hot on the heels of my review of Michael’s ‘Such Stuff’ is this absolutely beautiful short story/novella which is both poignant and thrilling.  And of course, now I also want to know the ‘prompt’ for this particular story. A family is on their Read more

  • Spark – Adam Wallace/Andrew Plant

    Ford St Publishing ISBN: 9781925272406 (HC) 9781925272413 (PB) Publication date: October 2016 (HC) March 2017 (PB) Price: AUD $24.95 “Adam Wallace was 11 years old when the Ash Wednesday bushfires threatened his home. Forced to leave with his grandmother, no car and a budgie in a cage, it was only a wind change that saved Read more

  • The Adventures of Pipi the Pink Monkey – Carlo Collodi. Retold and expanded by  Alessandro Gallenzi and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

    Bloomsbury Publishing Australia Alma Classics ISBN 9781847495594 RRP $19.99 July 2016   What’s that I hear you ask? Carlo Collodi? You mean the Italian guy who wrote Pinocchio? Yep, that’s the one I mean. And no, I didn’t know he wrote anything else either! By the way, if you have never read the original story Read more

  • Willy and the Cloud – Anthony Browne

    Walker Books Australia ISBN: 9781406366969 Imprint: WALKER HARDBACK Release Date: October 1, 2016 Australian RRP: $24.99 Once again, one of my very favourite author/illustrators the immensely talented Anthony Browne takes a serious topic and transforms it into a sophisticated picture book that will be a perfect springboard for discussion with young readers. Willy the chimp has taken us all Read more

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