Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Cats and Us: A Ten-Thousand-Year Fascination – Marta Pantaleo, translated by Debbie Bibo, Yvette Ghione

    New South Books Publisher: Groundwood Books 9781779460394 January 2026 AUD$29.99, NZD$34.99 They say there are two types of people – dog people and cat people. While I have happily owned both, if I can only have one it’s a cat. Whiskers aka the Demon Spawn thoroughly agrees with this stance as do thousands of others.…

  • Small Wonder – Ross Montgomery

    Walker Books September 2025 ISBN13:9781529526127 Australia RRP:$18.99 New Zealand RRP:$21.99 I loved The Chime Seekers and I am Rebel, both of which cemented Ross as an exciting author of adventure/fantasy, so I was very pleased to get this one. What a rousing rollercoaster adventure this one is! Tick has been raised by Grandfather along with…

  • Neeka and the Great Search: #3 Wilder Zoo – Tina Strachan. Illustrated by Max Hamilton.

    Harper Collins Australia Imprint: Angus & Robertson I would be seriously surprised if anyone had missed the charming trilogy now at its conclusion. What a credit it is to this debut author, Tina Strachan, to start off with such a crackerjack set of books! For me, there’s the added bonus of meeting Tina and adding…

  • The Santa Klaus Murder – Mavis Doriel Hay

    New South Books Imprint:   British LibraryJanuary 2016Edition:   New edition, ISBN:   9780712356305ISBN 10:   0712356304Series:   British Library Crime Classics AUD$22.99, NZD$27.99 Shortly before Xmas and just as I was scheduling the last of the Countdown posts, the marvellous New South Books sent me a parcel of 3 classic books which I pounced upon as some kind of delightful Christmas present…

  • Hasel and Rose – Caroline Magerl

    Penguin Australia Imprint: Viking Books ISBN: 9780670077342 RRP: $24.99 – buy it now from Books Direct for $19.99 or Boomerang Books for $20.99 Writing my special feature blog post on Caroline Magerl and the new French edition of Hasel and Rose made me realise that, while I’ve had a copy in (I think) all my libraries…

  • A Conversation with Caroline Magerl

    Artist. Writer. Illustrator. Print maker. Cartoonist. Modeller. Have I left anything out? Yes, I have left out that it’s been a privilege to be her friend for quite a number of years now, and I am still finding out more about her fascinating life and her, seemingly never-ending, talents. Last week I had another wonderful…

  • There’s a Prawn in Parliament House: The Kids’ Guide to Australia’s Amazing Democracy – Annabel Crabb

    Allen & Unwin September 2025 A & U Children 9781760637750 $24.99 This is one from last year’s pile which was read at the time, thoroughly enjoyed but I ran out of time and space for the review before the break. And, frankly, maybe that’s a good thing. Because if there was ever a time this…

  • It’s a Twin Thing – Kristin Darell. Illustrated by A. Yi.4

    Penguin Australia I think it is hard to imagine what it would be like being a twin, especially an identical one, if you’re not one- or perhaps that’s just me. I have taught twins so identical that only one little freckle was the distinguishing feature between the two and they were very alike in personality…

  • Romeo V Juliet – R. A. Spratt

    Penguin Australia February 2026 Imprint: Penguin ISBN: 9781761349744 RRP: $16.99 If Hamlet is Not OK made you laugh a lot and cast Shakespeare into a different light altogether, verily forsooth! just wait till you get thy hands on this tome. I truly wish this had been around the last time I taught R&J [though I say…

  • The Tinysaurs – Sally Odgers. Adele K. Thomas

    Scholastic Australia February 2026 9781761528576 RRP: $16.99 Cute poster for your library or just for fun All your Smalls who have adored Pearl and friends, are going to lap this up like a cat with a saucer of cream. It’s cute and it’s colourful and it’s really cleverly engaging with a twist on many ideas.…