Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Neeka and the Missing Key: Wilder Zoo #1 – Tina Strachan

    Harper Collins Last night (13/03) I had another wonderful evening at Quick Brown Fox bookshop for a Reading Between the Wines event. Tina Strachan was one of the authors, and it was fortuitous that I had just read this first in her series. We all know that so many kiddos are mad for animal stories, Read more

  • Skippy Blackfeet – Rebecca Fraser. Illustrated by Jennifer Horn.

    Wombat Books March 2025 9781761111662 RRP: $19.99 When you’re in cyclone prep/watch mode as I was a few days ago (at time of writing), you really need to read ‘light’. Whiskers (aka Demon Spawn) who was none too thrilled about being kept completely confined to barracks for fear the wild winds would whisker her right Read more

  • Flashback

    After reviewing the gorgeous animal book from Thames & Hudson yesterday, I thought I’d take you all back in time. Back to 2014, when T&H asked me if I would care to write a couple of pages of teaching notes for a book they were bringing out. Of course, I was very happy to do Read more

  • Wonders Under the Moon – Tai Snaith

    A Collection of Night-time Creatures Thames & Hudson February 2025 ISBN: 9781760764166 RRP: $26.99 It would be fair to say I see a lot of animal books, and really they’re all lovely and the kiddos think they’re marvellous too. But sometimes there those that really stand out. This is one of them. I haven’t seen its Read more

  • Little Bones – Sandy Bigna

    UQP March 2025 9780702268878 RRPP: $16.99 I know I’m repeating myself, but I preface this again with the fact that I’ve never been a huge fan of verse novels. But I can tell you, we have some amazing creators who are changing my mind about that. This debut title from Sandy Bigna is hands-down one Read more

  • Meet Ariana Treasure – Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern. Illustrated by Karen Erasmus.

    Wombat Books March 2025 Introducing a really sweet new reader series for your Smalls who are graduating to early chapter books. This is Ariana Treasure, her family, their thrift shop, their friends and their neighbourhood. Ariana Treasure: The Missing Book 9781761111808 In the first book we are introduced to Ariana and her mum, and the Read more

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