Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Spud and Snowball and the Fancy Fish – Judith Rossell

    Harper Collins Australia September 2025 Continuing the impromptu ‘cat’ theme is this deliciously funny new title from Judith Rossell, which will be perfect for your newly independent readers. These are two cats that are the very epitome of their species. They are self-indulgent, wilful, cheeky, devious, greedy and utterly hilarious in their conniving antics. One…

  • Don’t Trust Fish – Neil Sharpson. Dan Santat.

    Penguin Australia April 2025 What happens when you blend non-fiction with narrative with absurdist humour? In this instance, you get Don’t Trust Fish – which is a book that will make all kiddos and adults alike laugh out loud because of the sheer anarchic ridiculousness of it all. It is SO my kind of book!…

  • Piranhas Don’t Eat Bananas: 10th Anniversary – Aaron Blabey

    Scholastic Australia September 2025 ISBN: 9781761528903 RRP: $19.99 This has long been one of my favourite read-alouds and, certainly, my favourite Aaron Blabey book. I have such great memories of sharing it the year it came out with The Kid, in that first year she was living with me [and we so often needed to…

  • Because it’s Book Week…

    There are not so many days I miss being full-time in my libraries but, yes, Book Week with the insane preparations and the fun of dressing up [at one of my schools a different costume every day of the week!] has been one in the last couple of years. But honestly, this year I’ve been…

  • It’s a Sean E. Avery Special

    These two books have been languishing in the PBs’ tubs for way too long. But news of Sean’s recent visit to Canberra [so jelly of all my friends there who got to see him] has guilted me into attending to them pronto. And after all, Sean is a thoroughly nice guy it seems. When I…

  • No More Room in the Bed! – Deborah Abela. Illustrated by Marina Verola.

    Simon & Schuster Here’s a fresh new title to add to your store of those well-loved cumulative narratives that Smalls always enjoy – not to mention, they are SO useful for us when teaching our younger students about expressive language. It was a dark and stormy night [yes! that was intentional] when the boy asked…

  • Mr Duckins’ Chickens: Paw Prints series – Mick Elliott

    Walker Books June 2025 ISBN13:9781760659080 Australia RRP:$12.99 New Zealand RRP:$14.99 It’s a new series for your little newly independent readers who are ready to flap their reading wings a little more. At around 60 pages long and highly entertaining, it would also be a great ploy to introduce some of your more hesitant or reluctant…

  • The Marvellous Submarine -Zane Clayton Comber (The Marvellous Submarine, #1) Clayton Zane Comber. Connor McCammon

    Harper Collins Australia April 2025 This hails the start of a new series, co-written and illustrated by this pair from Kiama [one of my favourite places in the country] which will completely hook your young readers, particularly those who have been languishing for more Treehouse-like books. It is completely absurd and crazy and all the…

  • How to Make a Snowman – Nick Bland

    Harper Collins Australia October 2024 Yes, I know. It’s not a Christmas book and while we do get snow, it’s not generally at Christmas time – but! Snowmen have become such an icnonic symbol of Xmas all over that it seemed a good idea to add this one to the countdown. This is Bunny and…

  • Bamboozled: Celebrating 30 years – David Legge

    This is another happy anniversary edition that takes me right back to the start of my t-l career. If only I had a dollar for every time I’ve read this one to my kiddos! It’s another perfect example of a picture book that can be used in multiple ways as valuable adjunct to a teaching…