Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • This Bird: noticing our urban birds – Astred Hicks. With Holly Parsons.

    CSIRO Publishing August 2025 ISBN: 9781486318452  RRP: $26.99 It’s another wonderful title from CSIRO and yes! more birds! I talked a little about our backyard birds in a previous post but we also have our birds along the shore within a minutes’ walk. The regulars are: Australian and Little Pied Cormorants, welcome swallows, pelicans, oyster…

  • We interrupt this programme..

    Nothing to do with birds at all but pretty pleased about two upcoming events – one happening sooner than the other……. On Saturday 6th September I’m presenting on Bibliotherapy at this year’s ALIA New Librarians Symposium – yayy! And my first book (the one I wrote last year) is still a long way off but…

  • The Great Dawn Choir – Sarah Speedie. Illustrated by Cindy Lane

    CSIRO Publishing August 2025 ISBN: 9781486318339 RRP: $26.99 We may not live in the ‘bush’ as I’ve heard some proudly describe their location [while at the same time moaning about the lack of facilities, phone signal and more] but that doesn’t mean in the slightest that we do not have our fair share of wildlife,…

  • Bin Chicken Goes for Gold – Kate and Jol Temple. Illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh

    Scholastic Australia March 2025 ISBN: 9781760268275 RRP: $19.99 To follow up on the first of this week of birdie books, it’s another Queenslander. Yes, I know ibis are found elsewhere but these are so iconically Queensland that there is a strong push for them to be the Brisbane Olympics official mascot. We generally have at least…

  • Cassowary Dad – Beverley McWilliams. Illustrated by Julian Teh.

    CSIRO Publishing February 2025 ISBN: 9781486317578  $26.99 To kick off the week of birds [yes intentional!], and so close to Fathers Day, what better choice than our own Queenslander and largest of the cassowary species – the Southern Cassowary, daddy extraordinaire! You know it’s top shelf when it comes from the CSIRO, and Beverley McWilliams…

  • My Dog – Olivia Wakeford

    the story of an extraordinary friendship Harper Collins Australia ISBN: 9780008658588 ISBN 10: 0008658587 Imprint: HarperCollins GB RRP: $17.99 This one I will say was at times, a bit too close to the bone for me. That being said, it is truly a special book that will touch the hearts of sophisticated primary readers and, I would suggest,…

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

    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 seen any of Sarah Jane Lightfoot’s books before but if this one is any indication, they must…

  • Hedgehog or Echidna? – Ashleigh Barton and Amandine Thomas

    Hachette July 2025  9780734422682 | RRP $24.99 There are lots of ‘look-alike’ critters in the animal kingdom and your readers will take great delight in this book which looks at many of those. The lively rhyming text will engage them and, of course, enable some prediction as you or they read. And the fruitful discussions that can…

  • Happy Anniversary Tashi!! Tashi 30th Anniversary Edition – Anna Fienberg, Barbara Fienberg, Kim Gamble

    Allen & Unwin July 2025 ISBN:9781761181450 Publisher: &U Children’s Imprint: A & U Children Thirty years and over 100 millions of sales on, Tashi is every bit as entertaining, clever, funny and brave as he ever was. I can still recall how enchanted I was on first meeting him, and knowing that the kiddos in…

  • Inspiring Minds Magazine

    It’s quite new and I predict it’s going to take off. Check it out if you haven’t yet seen it. It’s for kids and invites kids to submit content – so a really good authentic writing opportunity for your kiddos.  All online and FREE – check it out. I’ll be doing a regular column and I…