Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Bandoola: an elephant’s story – Beverley McWilliams

    UWA Publishing Simon & Schuster July 2026 ISBN13: 9781760803377 LIST PRICE: AU$ 17.99 / NZ$ 20.99 Your middle grade readers, particularly the animal lovers or indeed the historical fiction lovers, will lap this one up. Inspired by a true story of an amazing rescue during WWII in Burma, now Myanmar, this is an elephant story…

  • Picture Book Month Bonus: Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room – Hugh Bonneville

    Bloomsbury Australia October 2025 ISBN 9781526685957 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $17.99 Most people would know that I’m very wary of books by ‘celebrity’ authors but I am always willing to take a punt when a) I know that it is the person themselves that has written it (or that their collaborator/ghost writer is clearly…

  • The Hullabaloo about Elephant Poo – Dee White. Illustrated by Christopher Nielsen.

    Harper Collins Australia December 2024 ISBN: 9781460766194 ISBN 10: 1460766199 Imprint: HarperCollins AU RRP: $24.99 To finish off this year’s Picture Book month – ta dah!!! I’ve been waiting and waiting to share this one and I was really hoping that the notes I wrote for it would be already up in their published format [fingers crossed they…

  • Herd- Stephen Hogtun

    Bloomsbury Australia July 2024 ISBN 9781526610737 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $22.99 Home is where your family is… From start to finish this is just a beautiful book in all respects. With absolutely exquisite illustrations, this exploration of what ‘home’ means will give rise to many bountiful conversations with both Smalls and Not-so-Smalls about the…

  • A Good Heart – Lucy Melo & Sandra Severgnini

    Red Back Publishing April 2024 ISBN: 9781761400247 RRP: $26.99 Just a few weeks ago, I had the absolute pleasure of a lunch with some amazing people including award-winning illustrator Sandra Severgnini, who graciously gifted each of us a copy of this adorable and very special book, which was inspired by the real-life bond between elephant siblings,…

  • How to Move a Zoo: the incredible true story – Kate Simpson and Owen Swan

    Allen & Unwin June 2024 ISBN:9781761180309 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $24.99 I’m a Sydney girl even though I’ve now lived in Queensland, on and off, for almost forty years, so Taronga Park Zoo and Moore Park are familiar names full of memories of a happy childhood. I was taken to Taronga by…

  • The One and Only Ruby – Katherine Applegate

    Harper Collins Australia June 2023 ISBN: 9780008470746 ISBN 10: 000847074X Imprint: HarperCollins GB RRP: $16.99 We first fell in love with Ivan and his friends over ten years ago (yes! I know!!), and I still defy anyone to read the gentle gorilla’s story with dry eyes. Then, the amazing Katherine Applegate followed up with The One and Only…

  • 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…

  • Elmer – David McKee

    Walker Books Australia March 2020 ISBN: 9781783449910 Imprint: Andersen Press Australian RRP: $14.99 New Zealand RRP: $16.99 Celebrating 30 magical years of Elmer is this gorgeous board book with a special gold-embossed cover. This is the original Elmer story that started it all for all of us who love this adorable, wise and colourful elephant. This much-loved patchwork elephant…