Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • More School of Monsters – Sally Rippin. Art by Chris Kennett.

    Hardie Grant Australia April 2025 Price:AU$10.99, NZ$11.99 Series:School of Monsters Imprint:Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing ISBN:9781761213502 Bee makes a wish. The monsters stare.What’s that growing from her hair? ISBN:9781761213519 Bill and Ben both love to sing,but each one sings a different thing! It’s more rhyming fun and reading confidence with two new instalments in the hugely successful School of Monsters Read more

  • My Very First Britannica Encyclopedia: for curious kids aged 0 to 3 – Sally Symes, Hanako Clulow (Illustrator), Dr Amanda Gummer

    Walker Books Australia RRP: $44.99 I’m going to be completely frank with you. The kind of people who were rushing out to buy the board books of the ilk of the Nuclear Physics for Babies type, made me shudder. I’m sure there were some who were buying them with a sense of humour, but one Read more

  • Gone – Michel Streich

    Thames & Hudson Australia Pty Ltd  3rd June 2025 ISBN: 9781760764920 ISBN-10: 1760764922 RRP: $26.00 As you might expect, if you are familiar with our story, grief after the loss of her mother was an enormous obstacle for The Kid and I both ten years ago. At least I had, at my fingertips, a range of titles Read more

  • Rakali of the Riverbank – Stephanie Owen-Reeder. Illustrated by Rachel Gregg.

    CSIRO PublishingJuly 2025 ISBN: 9781486317547 RRP: $26.99 I’m well aware there are some people who are not fans of any kind of rodentia [inconceivable!] – honestly, I’m not sure why because not only do The Kid and I love them, but we find them absolutely fascinating creatures. I am yet to see a rakali for Read more

  • Inconvenient Women: Australian radical writers 1900–1970 – Jacqueline Kent

    UNSW Press 9781742237503 / May 2025 / RRP $34.99 You might guess that long extended adult reads do not happen all that often for me. I’m generally so snowed under reading kids lit that squeezing in the adult books is a mission – and usually reserved for the days at the beach while The Kid surfs or my occasional Read more

  • Volcano – Claire Saxby. Jess Racklyeft.

    Allen & Unwin April 2025 ISBN:9781761180644 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $26.99 I think we all know from their previous collaborations that the pairing of these two creators is always going to be a stunning result. And this one certainly is that. Kiddos love volcanoes. They love hearing about them, watching films of Read more

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