Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Belonging – Ambelin Kwaymullina

    Magabala Books July 2026 ISBN: 9781922864819 RRP: $27.99 This is absolutely stunning – there’s no other word for it. Both Ambelin’s striking contemporary Aboriginal artwork and her simple yet powerful text make this a must-have for any collection. I’m sure many of you will have already seen it but for those who haven’t, let me…

  • My Country – Ezekiel Kwaymullina & Sally Morgan

    The board book edition… Fremantle Press August 2026 9781925816075 RRP: $15.00 Just a heads up that My Country is now available in a board book edition – so even the smallest of Smalls can enjoy it’s vibrant colours and lovely text!

  • Noongar Boodja Waangkan/Noongar First Words – Jayden Boundry & Tyrown Waigana

    Fremantle Press October 2026 ISBN: 9781760997632 RRP: $26.99 Oh these books from Jayden and Tyrown are just adorable as well as being such excellent cultural learning resources. And this one is especially cute being pitched at a slightly older audience ready for a longer book. This one covers a wide vocabulary of Noongar words for for…

  • Milbi: Aboriginal Stories from Queensland’s Endeavour River – Told and Illustrated by Tulo Gordon.

    Translated, edited and additional material by John B. Haviland. Aboriginal Studies Press New South Books 9781922102904/ August 2021/AUD$24.95, NZD$29.99 Somehow or other this book had escaped my attention altogether, until I saw it in the Museum of Brisbane bookshop the day The Kid and I did our walking history tour. And now I’m only sorry…

  • Sleeping in the Land – Jasmine Seymour

    Wild Dog Books July 2026 ISBN13: 9781742037288 LIST PRICE: AU$ 26.99 / NZ$ 29.99 This stunning book was particularly synchronistic as I had not long ago been collating information about the resurgence of our First Nations languages for some resources I was writing, and indeed was doing so again last week [as of writing this…

  • Possum Skin Cloak – Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson. Illustrated by Leanne Jones.

    Wild Dog Books Simon & Schuster July 2026 ISBN13: 9781742037226 RRP: LIST PRICE: AU$ 26.99 / NZ$ 29.99 Your readers will learn about the cultural tradition of possum skin cloaks with this gorgeous book but more than that, they will learn of the special lifelong connection. between new life and the Dreaming, clan and Country,…

  • Colour Me – Ezekiel Kwaymullina & Moira Court

    Fremantle Press August 2026 ISBN: 9781760996666 RRP: $19.99 ‘There’s a book for that!’ – teaching your Smalls about diversity and inclusion? teaching your smalls about figurative language like similes? teaching your Smalls about verbs? teaching your Smalls about animals? teaching your Smalls about cross-cultural perspectives? teaching your Smalls that some books are just like a poem…

  • Bookish fun over just a couple of weeks ……

    Reading Between the Wines Term 3 at Quick Brown Fox with wonderful creators: Zanni Louise, Allison Rocca, Samantha Wheeler and Matt Stanton with Andy Geppert popping in briefly. Then after a postponed writing workshop at Quick Brown Fox which was disappointing, I still had the joy of meeting the wonderful Kristin Darrell today for lunch…

  • Spud and Snowball and Chattercat: Spud and Snowball #2 – Judith Rossell

    Harper Collins Australia Imprint: ABC Books AU ISBN: 9780733343872 September 2026 Series: Spud and Snowball RRP: $15.99 They’re back! And just as funny as the first episode as these two felines of dubious talents find themselves faced with a mechanical nemesis in the shape of Chattercat. I don’t know about you but our resident mini-panther disdains any kind…

  • Star of Deltora- Emily Rodda

    Allen & Unwin ISBN:9781761182686 Imprint:A&U Children’s Sep 2026 RRP: $39.99 I’ll be honest – I had completely forgotten the original editions of this series and I’m thinking now that I must not have read them at the time. Quite likely because it came out at a time when I was working in purely secondary libraries…