Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Ernest the Elephant – Anthony Browne

    Walker Books Australia May 2021 ISBN: 9781406395099Imprint: Walker Australian RRP: $27.99New Zealand RRP: $29.99 Anthony Browne never fails to deliver does he? In this vibrant new picture book from the master a little elephant makes quite a big mistake when he wanders away from his herd and into the tempting jungle, mostly because he was feeling just a little…

  • Eyes that Kiss in the Corners – Joanna Ho. Illustrated by Dung Ho.

    Harper Collins Australia May 2021 ISBN: 9780062915627 ISBN 10: 0062915622 Imprint: HarperCollins US RRP: $24.99 This stunningly beautiful and lyrical book has been one of the most talked about on children’s book lists around the world for the past few weeks, and once you see it and read it, you will quickly realise why it is so. I,…

  • The Emu Who Ran Through the Sky – Helen Milroy

    Magabala Books April 2021 ISBN: 9781925936018 RRP: $22.99 This is the second in Helen Milroy’s exciting series Tales from the Bush Mob and will be as equally welcome as the first, Willy-willy Wagtail. Either as a read-aloud for your younger students or an independent read for your older ones this is definitely one to put…

  • Harry Potter Night Celebrations 2021

    Fifty young wizards and witches from Year 4 to Year 8 had plenty of magical fun at our big HP Night event yesterday afternoon. On arrival the kids all got a sealed envelope containing their Hogwarts letter, a laminated house themed bookmark (which neatly gave me the groups for the activity rotations) and a temporary…

  • Alice-Miranda in Egypt [Alice-Miranda #20] – Jacqueline Harvey

    Penguin Australia  June 2021 ISBN: 9781760891046 Imprint: Puffin Format: Paperback Pages: 416 RRP: $16.99 Put it on your ‘new books’ display and stand well back because the danger of stampede is very real! Twenty books on and everyone’s favourite little schoolgirl is still guaranteed to excite your readers – and not just your junior readers either. I know several older…

  • Endangered Animal Tales 1: Coco, the Fish with Hands – Aleesah Darlison. Illustrated by Mel Matthews.

    Penguin Random House June 2021 Yesterday at the EdSummit conference Brisbane, I had the great joy of hearing the amazing Aleesah Darlison deliver a lively and engaging presentation called “Saving the Environment through Story”. Uber-talented Aleesah has long been a huge advocate for the environment and has repeatedly taken up the cause of various creatures…

  • The Boy Who Stepped Through Time – Anna Ciddor

    Allen & Unwin ISBN:9781760526443 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:A & U Children Pub Date:June 2021 RRP: $16.99 Once again Anna Ciddor has crafted an historical narrative that will both entertain her readers with humour, drama, terrific characters and exciting storylines, and inform them with fascinating, and no doubt, previously unknown facts about life in Ancient Rome. Perry,…

  • Fire Burn, Cauldron Bubble

    Ready my review of this absolutely gorgeous poetry volume on KBR here. It is such a delight to the hand that its still on my desk at work and I pick it up just to savour holding it.

  • Temporarily MiA

    Yes it’s been a few weeks since I’ve put up any reviews – though I’ve still been reading. I have some family/personal issues complicating life at present and my mental acuity is stretched to its utmost accommodating those. I hope to be back on deck in the next week or so – have read some…

  • Truly Tan Shocked! – Jen Storer. Illustrated by Clare Robertson

    Harper Collins Australia January 2021 ISBN: 9780733334146 ISBN 10: 0733334148 Imprint: ABC Books AU List Price: 17.99 AUD It has been ages since I’ve had the delight of reading a new Truly Tan book and the joy has not diminished one whit! In this new adventure Tan and Gloria are most worried about their teacher, Miss Dragone, who has…