Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Frogs are Our Friends – Toni d’Alia. Madeline White.

    Hardie Grant June 2025 ISBN:9781761212987 Price:AU$24.99, NZ$27.99 Series:Our Friends in the Garden Publisher:Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Finishing off today with a splash that is not in the ocean – here’s a really cute rhyming book featuring so many kiddos’ favourite – the frog! This is third in a series, which I have not unfortunately seen…

  • Heading for the ocean today with a watery cast starting with:

    So perhaps you’ve noticed (or not) that during this Picture Book Month, I’ve been attempting to group together like titles in one day’s posting. I’m determined to reduce the piles of dozens of PBs that have been growing like Topsy all year into nothing to start with a clean slate in the new year. So…

  • We Are All Amazing – P. Crumble and Jonathan Bentley.

    Scholastic Australia December 2025 ISBN: 9781761725333 RRP: $19.99 This is, I believe, the newest in a series pitched at younger children to encourage them to develop some positive attributes and attitudes. Anything with Jonathan Bentley‘s name attached is a drawcard for me. Not only is his artwork sublime but he’s a thoroughly nice human…amusing and…

  • CSIRO Publishing line up!

    I seem to have collected a few so here’s the round-up of all I have left for this year – every single one of utmost excellence as we know we will get from this publishing house, and all of them with subject matter that will engage, fascinate and inform kiddos. Every Rock has a Story:…

  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fast and Slow Animals – Sami Bayly

    Hachette Australia September 2025 Imprint: Lothian Children’s Books 9780734421418 | RRP $32.99 I could just say – Sami Bayly – and not need to write another word really. I know it. You know it. The kiddos certainly know it. This woman’s ability to create fascinating and fabulous books that tap into children’s innate love of animals and…

  • Mega!- Laura Holloway. Illustrated by Liz Duthie

    Simon & Schuster Published by : Wild Dog Books November 2025 Moving on from the Age of Dinosaurs, but for those die-hards who still want to explore the long-extinct creatures is this fabulous look at Australia’s own mega-fauna. Some kiddos will already know about the diprotodon and perhaps one or two others, but this is…

  • Weirdosaurus – Philip Bunting

    Pre-history’s Most Peculiar Creatures Hardie Grant Australia September 2025 ISBN:9781761214 Price:AU$29.99, NZ$34.99 Publisher:Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Here are some words from the publisher and the author to describe this hilarious but extremely informative book: playful, humour, witty jokes, funny anecdotes, and fabulous facts. But as it’s Philip Bunting, you would have worked that out without…

  • Picture Book Month Bonus: Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room – Hugh Bonneville

    Bloomsbury Australia October 2025 ISBN 9781526685957 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $17.99 Most people would know that I’m very wary of books by ‘celebrity’ authors but I am always willing to take a punt when a) I know that it is the person themselves that has written it (or that their collaborator/ghost writer is clearly…

  • My Friend May – Julie Flett

    New South Books Greystone Kids June 2025 ISBN 9781778401718 RRP: 29.99 How can I not absolutely love this one? Based on a true story and about a little girl and her friend, her black cat May, my first thought was of The Kid and Whiskers aka The Demon Spawn. This pair has been together for…

  • Bowerbird Bloom – Aura Parker

    Scholastic Australia ISBN: 9781761720918 ISBN-10: 1761720910 Series: Bowerbird : Book 3 Published: 1st November 2025 RRP: $19.99 Watch here Teaching notes One might be forgiven for thinking – how can Aura top the first two gorgeous Bowerbird books? – and then you see this and just go – aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh 💜. The brood is growing up. They love being together.…