Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • My Baba is the Best – Bachar Houli. Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia

    Penguin Australia August 2022 RRP: $19.99 Read more in this piece from SBS Arabic24 This is simply just a joyous read filled with family and fatherly love. It is wonderful that we have an ever-increasing diverse representation of our Australian children in books, and, in particular, picture books. Bachar proves himself not just a great…

  • Peppa Pig: Peppa’s Dragon Adventure

    Penguin Australia August 2022 We can always depend on Peppa and her family to provide us with warm fuzzies, plus imagination combined with happy reality. When George Pig doesn’t want to go to sleep, fearful of bad dreams, Daddy Pig tells a wonderful story about a dragon. Peppa and George enjoy the story so much,…

  • Diary of a Rescued Wombat – Jackie French/Bruce Whatley

    Harper Collins November 2022 Twenty years ago Jackie French and Bruce Whatley collaborated on what was to be the first of ‘the Wombat’ books, and you might say, the rest is history! To celebrate this milestone, this is an absolutely not-to-be-missed prequel to the entire series with the story of the rescue of Mothball –…

  • You Can’t Let an Elephant Drive a Racing Car – Patricia Cleveland-Peck and DavidTazzyman

    Bloomsbury Publishing August 2022 ISBN 9781526635402 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $14.99 We all know that kiddos love absurd humour and this book fits that bill to a T. I shared this one with a Prep class who were all pretty much shrieking with laughter all the way through it. This is a hilarious look…

  • Spot’s Slide-and-Seek Farm

    Penguin Australia January 2023 Publisher Penguin Random House Children’s Uk | Puffin ISBN 9780241560556 If you have little humans in your family or circle, they are going to love these new additions to the Spot collection. The very first Spot lift-the-flap, the classic Where’s Spot?, was published in 1980 and, as I’ve mentioned before when…

  • Peppa Pig: A Trip to the Moon

    Penguin Australia September 2022 ISBN: 9780241610664 Imprint: Ladybird RRP: $16.99 I think it’s safe to say that Peppa’s popularity just does not diminish! I shared this one with a delightful class of Preppies and before reading, when I asked who likes Peppa, there was a forest of hands shooting up and much excited chatter. The kiddos really enjoyed…

  • Amazing Animal Journeys- Jennifer Cossins

    Hachette Australia October 2022 ISBN 9780734421432 RRP $26.99 Another glorious information book sneakily posing as a picture book *grin*, in the most excellent style for which Jennifer Cossins has become well known and loved. The book explores the incredible migratory habits of 25 different species, quite a few from Australia, and when I shared it…

  • My Deadly Boots – Carl Merrison & Hakea Hustler. Illustrated by Samantha Campbell.

    Hachette August 2022 ISBN 9780734421456 RRP: $24.99 Spikes on the bottom boots,my favourite colour boots,making me too deadly. Watch it being read here on ABC Education – a fantastic read-aloud with added insights from narrator Shelley Ware. No doubt about it – getting new footy boots is a big deal. When you’ve saved and bought…

  • Two Puggles – Michelle Guzel and Andrew Plant

    Ford St October 2022 ISBN 9781922696168 RRP $16.95 Over the years there have been numerous books about adoption or foster families which, of course, are terrific for both children to whom that applies as well as those who can gain an understanding of the differences in families. This is a really adorable ‘switched at birth’…

  • Jørn’s Magnificent Imagination – Coral Vass/Nicky Johnson

    Exisle Publishing EK Books October 2022 ISBN: 9781922539144 RRP: $24.99 Last week I was in a Year 1 classroom for the day and this was my choice to share with them. As our pre-reading chat I invited the kiddos to suggest what it might be about after showing them the cover and the [gorgeous] endpapers. Art,…