Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Picture Book Month Bonus: Raising Hare (Young Readers edition) – Chloe Dalton. Illustrated by Denise Nester.

    Allen & Unwin Nov 2026 ISBN:9781837266951 Publisher:A&U Canongate Imprint:Canongate Trade RRP: $29.99 To be perfectly honest, I’d not heard of the adult book despite its bestseller status but when this arrived with this beautiful dustjacket and absolutely divine endpapers, I knew I would love it. And love it, I do! For those of us who…

  • Picture Book Bonus: Gallipoli – Dawn of the ANZAC Spirit: Australia Remembers #7 – Tom Lewis

    Little Big Sky May 2026 ISBN13: 9781923514324 LIST PRICE: AU$ 24.99 / NZ$ 28.99 While this one was sent to me in late April, it arrived too late for ANZAC Day [and didn’t make it to my Blak ANZACs post with titles also from Big Sky], so I decided it would be better kept for…

  • Picture Book Month bonus: Hometown – Shaun Tan

    Allen & Unwin September 2026 ISBN:9781761180811 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $35.00 Some reviews just demand to be written straight away and this is one. I read this glorious, sumptuous, provocative, thoughtful, philosophical book last night and absolutely revelled in its beauty and magicality. I am still miffed that I missed out on…

  • City of Clouds – Kiah Thomas

    Harper Collins Australia September 2026 ISBN: 9781460769645 RRP: $16.99 This new stand-alone fantasy from Kiah Thomas will have middle-grade readers completely absorbed. With a truly evil villain, a mysterious and seemingly contradictory imp, a long-standing curse and two young people from very different social stations, there is plenty with which to engage. With a lust…

  • Forbidden Pages: The 113th Assistant Librarian #3 – Stuart Wilson.

    Penguin Australia October 2026 ISBN: 9781761356612 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $19.99 Oh, how I love this series – because, you know, libraries! On that note I’m going to digress a bit before I get to review of this terrific new instalment. But you’ll need to go my substack to read it because this wasn’t the place…

  • The Mystery of Colour: and how we solved it – David Coles. Illustrator – Margaux Samson-Abadie

    Thames & Hudson Publisher: Thames and Hudson (Australia) Pty Ltd August 2026 ISBN13: 9781760765422 RRP: $34.99 When you have a young adult who is keenly interested in colour theory living in your house, your world really is full of colour. And this exciting book from David Coles brought great joy and interest to us both.…

  • How Not to be a Pirate: The Trouble with Curses- Jenny Pearson

    Harper Collins Australia September 2026 Imprint: Usborne GB ISBN: 9781835400968 RRP: $17.99 It certainly was pretty apt that I would be reading this at exactly the right time for Talk Like a Pirate Day – and what fun it was [given my penchant for pirates in general –after all, there was the pirate wedding at…

  • My Tiny Universe – Maryam Master

    Pan Macmillan September 2026 ISBN: 9781761776670 RRP: $16.99 If I’m strictly honest about it – and you should know by now that I am – I’m a little ‘over’ the post-apocalyptic style narratives but there are exceptions. Believe me, this is one of them. From the first page to the last I was utterly invested…

  • Nothing to Lose: Friday Barnes #14 – R. A. Spratt

    Penguin Australia September 2026 ISBN: 9781761349737 Imprint: Puffin RRP: $16.99 My delight in R. A. Spratt’s books is well known and no matter if it’s Friday, Nanny Piggins, the Peskis or any others of her wide-ranging titles, I am always eager to pick them up and never fail to be both entertained and to snort…

  • Two New Pocket Potters Ahoy!!

    ….and two of my favourite characters!! Bloomsbury Publishing August 2026 ISBN 9781526688675 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP $16.99 Series Pocket Potters – Little Guides to the HARRY POTTER Stories Dobby We all know the mayhem that accompanies Dobby but he really is the most endearing character and such a favourite with so many. Whenever I…