Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Clarice Bean: Think Like an Elf – Lauren Child

    Harper Collins Australia November 2021 ISBN: 9780008470845 ISBN 10: 0008470847 Imprint: HarperCollins GB List Price: 24.99 AUD I am just sorry this one didn’t arrive in time for me to get it read and reviewed before Christmas because it really is a perfect gift to share with a young reader. In her own inimitable manner, Lauren Child, takes us…

  • We Go Way Back – Idan Ben-Barak/Phillip Bunting

    Allen & Unwin August 2021 ISBN:9781760526085 Publisher: A&U Children’s Imprint: A & U Children RRP: $24.99 Idan Ben-Barak first came to my attention with Do Not Lick This Book, and, like so many others, I found it uproariously funny as well as a brilliant informational text for young readers. Certainly, the kiddos with whom I…

  • Happy New Year!

    2nd year in my role as Head of Library Services and kicked some big goals along the way, with more plans already in the works for the new year The Kid started at a regular school in Year 10 and there were plenty of ups and downs but fortunately the ups came out on top…

  • Papa Mawal-mawalpa Tjuta – Johanna Bell-nga & Dion Beasley-nyu

    Allen & Unwin August 2021 ISBN:9781760526696 Edition No: Pitjantjatjara Publisher: A&U Children’s Imprint: A & U Children RRP: $24.99 This is the beginning of the  Pitjantjatjara version of 2016’s award-winning book Too Many Cheeky Dogs.  Pitjantjatjara is a First Nations language widely spoken in central and southern Australia, It is long overdue that our children’s…

  • What do You do to Celebrate? Ashleigh Barton/Martina Heidnezek

    Harper Collins Australia October 2021 I’m pretty sure that in our current situation when many are feeling despondent or fearful, there are many people who have not felt much like celebrating. Personally, I’m of the opinion that we still have plenty to celebrate at this time of year and have endeavoured to make our own…

  • The Beatryce Prophecy – Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Sophie Blackall.

    Walker Books Australia October 2021 ISBN: 9781529500899Imprint: WalkerAustralian RRP: $24.99New Zealand RRP: $27.99 It goes without saying that anything Kate writes is superlative, but what I love especially is her ability to create narratives that are so completely different to those by anyone else, as well as her own creative diversity. From the chivalrous Desperaux to the amazing Ulysses,…

  • My Skin, Your Skin – Laura Henry-Allain MBE. Illustrated by Onyinye Iwe.

    Penguin Australia A ongoing discussion amongst my circle of family and friends is how the pandemic has brought out both the best and the worst in people. Of course, racism has been a worrying problem for many years but in some sectors it appears to be a growing hate factor, and one which we, as…

  • Our Country: Ancient Wonders – Mark Greenwood/Frané Lessac

    Walker Books February 2022 ISBN: 9781760652241Imprint: Walker Books AustraliaAustralian RRP: $26.99New Zealand RRP: $28.99 What a talented partnership this couple is and how grateful am I that I’ve had the opportunity to meet and talk with them both, as well as see them present. Now this first in a new series from the always remarkable Walker house will be…

  • Christmas Always Comes – Jackie French/Bruce Whatley

    Harper Collins Australia October 2021 ISBN: 9781460757895 ISBN 10: 1460757890 Imprint: HarperCollins AU List Price: 24.99 AUD Jackie and Bruce are always a formidable team, and their picture books are always memorable and en pointe despite the setting, theme or plot. In this instance, while the narrative reflects a period past – one of many tough times in Australian…

  • Wishyouwas: The Tiny Guardian of Lost Letters – Alexandra Page. Illustrated by Penny Neville-Lee.

    Bloomsbury Published 02 Nov 2021 Format Paperback Edition 1st Extent 288 ISBN 9781526641915 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books Dimensions 198 x 129 mm Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing RRP $14.99 Every now and then a book comes along that is just so utterly charming that it nestles straight into your heart immediately. It doesn’t happen very often but…