Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe


  • The Man From Snowy River: Australian Classics for Little Ones Banjo- Paterson/Cate James. llustrated by Cate James.

    Penguin Australia April 2026 ISBN: 9781761355110 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $14.99 I will be the first to say that at first sight I thought – ummm, how is this going to work? But you know what? Somehow it does. Taking lines from the poem as a cue on each page the text is combined with a background colour and…

  • For Little Jarjums

    Two delightful little board books for your Smallest of Smalls from Fremantle Press today. SO cute!!! Kep Barna: Water Creatures [#2 Noongar First Words series} – Jayden Boundry/Tyrown Waigana February 2026 ISBN: 9781760995591 RRP: AU$16.99/NZ$21.00/US$12.95 Once again your Smalls can learn some new words in Noongar accompanied by their English counterparts, this time of a variety…

  • Board Book Bonanza!

    Mr McGee – Pamela Allen Penguin Australia February 2026 ISBN: 9781761621123 Imprint: Puffin Format: Board Book RRP: $16.99 Some top-shelf board book editions with a much-loved character plus some fresh new titles for the Smallest Smalls in your circle. First up is that popular chap, Mr McGee whose last book I reviewed in 2024, the year in which Pamela…

  • Christmas Time! Aussie Baby’s First Words- Tom Jellett

    Allen & Unwin September 2025 ISBN:9781761181900 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $12.99 There’s a whole series of these: Dinner Time! Bath Time! Bed Time!, just perfect for the Smallest in your circle and, of course, a perfect stocking stuffer for a newborn human. This cutie little board book has got some Xmas vocab…

  • Bluey Christmas Little Library

    Penguin Australia September 2025 ISBN: 9781761620164 Imprint: Puffin Format: Board Book RRP: $12.99 Christmas Eve. Christmas Day. Christmas Food. Hooray Presents!! I do love these little libraries because I think for little hands which love to hold and turn the pages these are perfect. They are all really super cute! I love the idea of Verandah Santa and it’s…

  • Bluey: Big Pop-up Book

    Penguin Australia October 2025 ISBN: 9781761353352 Imprint: Puffin Format: Board Book RRP: $34.99 This one is another big and bold and very simple one. There are five pop-ups each telling its own little story. From fairies in the garden to playtime at the creek. Each pop-up scene is a double spread, as you can see with a couple of…

  • Little Cloud: Little Wonders #1 – Heidi McKinnon

    Hardie Grant November 2025 ISBN:9781761215810 Format:Board book Price:AU$19.99, NZ$22.99 Series:Little Wonders Publisher :Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing Imprint: Little Hare Here comes a sweet new series from the very clever and creative Heidi McKinnon pitched squarely at your smallest of Smalls. Larger sized and very sturdy board books with gorgeously textured bindings [always such a treat…

  • All Aboard! Discovering Sydney’s Central Station – Jackie French. Martina Heiduczek.

    New Frontier Publishing August 2025 ISBN : 978-1-923145-38-2 PRICE : $26.99 As a Sydney kid growing up in the late 50s and 60s Central Station, as was, felt very familiar to me. Not that we regularly went to the city every week or even every month, but we did quite often for special occasions. And certainly we…

  • Little Bee’s Year of Blooms – Sarah Jane Lightfoot

    Publisher: Affirm Kids August 2025 Distributed by Simon & Schuster ISBN13: 9781923293502 AU$ 16.99 / NZ$ 19.99 I’ve had quite a few board books come my way this year and truly they’ve all been lovely but this one is the pièce de résistance with its sculptured pages and combination of plants and insects. I hadn’t…

  • Board books for Smalls

    Little Miss Daisy is just about too big now for board books, but I’m so happy to be able to share these ones with her before that cut-off! Wibble, Wobble, Walk! – Mike Dumbleton & Sarah Boese Little Book Press Distributed by Simon & Schuster June 2025 ISBN: 9781923141285 RRP: $AU$ 14.99 / NZ$ 29.99…