Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Happy Millionth Birthday – R. W. R. McDonald – Alexandra Colombo

    Larrikin House July 2024 Distributed by Simon & Schuster There probably isn’t a child alive who hasn’t enjoyed their birthday celebrations so much, that they have wished it could be their birthday every day. But what if….? And that’s exactly what happens in this humorous look at ‘too much of a good thing’. As Jack…

  • Yarn Quest series – Brooke Scobie. Illustrated by Jade Goodwin

    Penguin July 2024 RRP: $12.99 Yarn Quest 1: The Search for the Story Realm ISBN: 9781761345227 So This is an exciting new series that has evolved from a highly-successful First Nations led children’s podcast, incorporating stories written by the Awesome Black team. Author Brooke Scobie is, herself, a queer, auDHD, First Nations author, and this has…

  • Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria:#1 Bravepaw – L. M. Wilkinson. Art by Lavanya Naidu.

    Allen & Unwin September 2024 ISBN: 9781761180552 Publisher: A&U Children’s Imprint: Albert Street Books RRP: $16.99 I can never resist a good mouse hero – Matthias of Redwall, Mrs Frisby, Desperaux, Hermelin the Detective Mouse, William Brambleberry, Stuart Little, Hermux Tantamoqor [Time Stops for No Mouse] or Herbert from The Book of Wondrous Possibilities. All…

  • Wombat Stew 40th Anniversary Edition – Marcia K. Vaughan/Pamela Lofts

    Scholastic Australia August 2024 It’s not that I’m not happy to see yet another old favourite with a new anniversary dress but 40 years!! EEEEK! It’s kind of hard to believe and yet, obviously it is not because apart from anything else, I bought this one for The Kid’s mum when she was a Small…

  • Salt Runs Through – Mark Rafidi

    Hawkeye Books October 2024 ISBN: 9781923105218 ISBN-10: 1923105213 RRP: $26.99 I was so keen to review this, so thank you Hawkeye, and what a fabulous read it is! Set in Ulladulla, one of my favouritest places in the world [was always my dream retirement plan] at the time of the Currowan bushfire, such a dark time back…

  • Where the Heart Should Be – Sarah Crossan

    Bloomsbury March 2024 ISBN 9781526666598 Imprint Bloomsbury YA RRP: $25.00 Carnegie Medal-winning, former Laureate na nÓg Sarah Crossan became one of my most favourite writers when I read my first of her titles, Toffee. That book made such an impression on me that I quickly sought out others and kept my eye out for them…

  • Fabulous Frogs – Katrina Germein. Illustrated by Suzanne Houghton

    CSIRO Publishing October 2024 | $ 24.99ISBN: 9781486317875  Some readers might recall another froggy book I reviewed recently where I also shared our personal love of our amphibian friends. So, quite naturally, I was delighted to be able to review this one especially when these two outstanding creators have paired up. As you would expect,…

  • The Outside – Larry Blair and Jeremy Goring

    Cheating death, chasing waves and growing up in one of Australia’s most notorious crime families Penguin Books This isn’t really a review – but a recommendation. A few weeks ago the lovely Dot Tonkin from Penguin gave this one a book talk and on the strength of that, plus the fact that it was related…

  • The Dog who Danced on the Moon – John Boyne. Illustrated by Ashling Lindsay.

    Penguin Australia July 2024 This a rather charming rhyming story with a special leaning towards bedtime, exploring aspirations and determination in a warm and inspirational way. Jeremy’s dreams of space exploration are scoffed at by his peers, and even his teachers, but that doesn’t stop his absorbing as much information about the topic as possible,…

  • Taronga Presents series – Kristin Darrell. Illustrations by Laura Wood.

    Penguin Australia September 2024 Brand spanking new this week comes this terrific new series for junior readers who are the animal lovers in your crowd. Having raised mini-Attenborough for half her life and watched her obsession with all creatures great and small (quite literally – at one time she had 34 pets including all the…