Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Picture Book Month Bonus: Heart of Ice: a journey into Antarctica’s frozen realm – Joy McCann

    New South Press 9781742237800 / November 2025 / RRP $34.99 This is one of the rare reviews that I’m writing before I’ve actually finished reading the book – simply because it fits so neatly with the earlier post and the lovely kids’ non-fiction book. I confess that this is really slack, particularly because I had this book as an Read more

  • All About Antarctica: a Fact Book about the Southernmost Continent – Marc Martin

    Penguin Australia October 2025 Slide through to see inside – you need to see how jam-packed this one is! I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen some of Marc Martin’s work. This thought occurred to me just last week as I shifted more old reviews to the new archive and came Read more

  • Picture Book Month Bonus: Congratulations Riveted Press on such a successful year!

    I’ve been able to review a number of Riveted Press books this year (and possibly still at least a couple to squeeze in before blog break – including Flight of the Drakkonbarq) and all have been a pleasure. As regular readers of this blog know, I actually do read cover-to-cover everything I review [one or Read more

  • B is for Bedtime: Before You Close Your Eyes – Scott Stuart. Jess Racklyeft.

    Hardie Grant Australia ISBN:9781761212161 Price:AU$24.99, NZ$27.99 Publisher:Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Charming and sweet, lovely and soothing, meaningful and like a talisman for a sleep free from worries and frets. This is just a delight from start to finish and will easily become a favourite for any family’s regular bedtime. There’s a gentle rhythm to the Read more

  • B is for Busy: Mum’s Busy Work – Jacinda Ardern. Illustrated by Ruby Jones.

    Penguin Australia September 2025 While not every woman becomes a Prime Minister with a child, every working woman with a child can relate to the constant juggling of home, family and the demands of the job. And many children will also relate to being the offspring of a busy working mum. But as this book Read more

  • B for Bored: Bored – Felicita Sala

    Hardie Grant December 2025 ISBN:9781761217661 Price:AU$24.99, NZ$27.99 Publisher:Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Imprint: Little Hare Anyone with kids on holidays could easily relate to this with that pathetic moan of ‘I’m boooooored.’ But how about turning that boredom into busy-ness? Rita is bored. Really, REALLY bored. Sooooooooooooooo bored. So bored she can’t even think properly but Read more

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