Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • My Skin, Your Skin – Laura Henry-Allain MBE. Illustrated by Onyinye Iwe.

    Penguin Australia A ongoing discussion amongst my circle of family and friends is how the pandemic has brought out both the best and the worst in people. Of course, racism has been a worrying problem for many years but in some sectors it appears to be a growing hate factor, and one which we, as…

  • Being You is Enough series- Josh Langley

    Big Sky Publishing RRP: $14.99 It was such a joy to become connected with the uber-talented Josh Langley online earlier this year and to discover his own magical brand of positivity, particularly as it applies to children. It’s taken a while but this week I received the four books in his amazingly successful series and…

  • Salih – Inda Ahmad Zahri. Anne Ryan

    Ford St Publishing March 2021 ISBN: 9781925804645 RRP: $16.99 The global issue of the plight of refugees, and in particular, child refugees is the focus of this sensitively written and beautifully illustrated book. Even your youngest readers will be able to comprehend the circumstance of those who must flee their homes, with only what they…

  • 47 Degrees – Justin D’Ath

    Penguin Australia 9780143789079 January 8, 2019 Puffin RRP:  $16.99 Australia has more than its fair share of natural disasters. One only has to think about the events of the last week or so with the terrible floods in North Queensland and the raging fires in Tasmania. Arguably one of the very worst of these was…

  • Maya & Cat – Caroline Magerl

    Walker Books Australia ISBN: 9781921977282 Release Date: August 1, 2018 Australian RRP: $24.99 New Zealand RRP: $27.99 Throughout our college and certainly in my library at present we are having a great focus on kindness and empathy. With my little people I am using a range of picture books which offer this theme that also feature animals as this…

  • Dogs Galore!

    A handful of doggy books for the canine lovers amongst us all… My Dog Socks – Robyn Osbourne/Sadami Konchi Ford St Publishing ISBN: 9781925272826 (hardcover) 9781925272833 (paperback) Publication date: October 2017 (hardcover) March 2018 (paperback) Price: AUD$24.95 (hardcover) AUD$16.95 (paperback)   Although it has taken me a while to get to this book that does not diminish…

  • Empathy and Books for Children

    At present our Junior School is focusing on developing empathy with our children and particularly the value of books/shared reading in this process (yay!) so it seems apt to collate some of my current review picture books that fit this agenda.   The Day War Came –   Nicola Davies/illustrated by Rebecca Cobb Walker Books Australia…

  • Elephant Man Mariangela Di Fiore, illustrated by Hilde Hodnefjeld, translated by Rosie Hedger

      ISBN:9781760292201 Publisher:Allen & Unwin Imprint:A & U Children Pub Date:February 2016 RRP $29.99 To be honest, when I received this in my review package a few weeks ago I was somewhat taken aback. I wondered how the sad story of Joseph Merrick could possibly be the subject for a picture book and I put it…