Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Peter Rabbit Tales: The Christmas Star

    Penguin Random House September 2023 When you open a book parcel and see the shimmering scarlet foiled binding of a board book, somehow you just know it’s almost Christmas! This is a dear little book that will make a perfect stocking stuffer for any Small of your acquaintance. It is a simple little story, but…

  • Our Family Dragon: a Lunar New Year story – Rebecca Lim/Cai Tse

    Allen & Unwin November 2023 ISBN:9781761180637 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:Albert Street Books RRP: $24.99 Of course we have had a few wonderful picture books focusing on Lunar New Year over the years, many of them in constant rotation for this celebration. But how lovely is it to have an exciting new one that, to my mind,…

  • Good Night, Good Beach – Joy Cowley & Hilary Jean Tapper

    Walker Books AustraliaNovember 2023 Author: Joy Cowley Illustrator: Hilary Jean Tapper Imprint: Gecko Press RRP: $27.99 At almost 90 years of age, we might reasonably expect internationally acclaimed Queen of children’s stories and NZ national treasure, Joy Cowley, to be slowing down but no, her love of telling stories and writing for children remains undiminished. When I was small,…

  • Picture Book Month Bonus # 6: Kip of the Mountain – Emma Gourlay

    Harper Collins Australia October 2023 I really think the first adjective that comes to mind to describe this debut novel is ‘astonishing’, in all aspects. The setting is Cape Town, and, truthfully, I struggle to think of any kids’ books I’ve read with this location – although Nick Earls’ book New Boy certainly references South…

  • Cricket by Bluey

    Penguin Australia December 2023 We know when the season changes in Brisbane. The jacarandas are blooming and the local cricketers are back in the parks and ovals. Of course, there’s a few other matches on TV as well *wink* and, altogether, we know that spring is here, summer is on its way, cicadas will be…

  • Picture Book Month Bonus #3: Starberries and Kee- Cate Whittle

    Storytorch Press May 2023 ISBN: 9780645191554 RRP: $17.95 Audio Interview with Cate @ Living Arts Canberra More years ago than I care to remember, I was a subscriber to, and devotee of Grass Roots magazine. I pretty much daydreamed constantly about having the kind of life that Hannah finds herself in when she and her…

  • The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet [a Kingdoms and Empires book] – Jaclyn Moriarty. Illustrations by Kelly Canby.

    Allen & Unwin October 2023 ISBN:9781761067570 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:A & U Children RRP: $22.99 Confession: this was the first Kingdoms and Empires book I’ve read 😳 but in my defence, this series has been so very popular with the readers in my libraries, that they were never on the shelf long enough for me to…

  • Silver Linings – Katrina Nannestad

    Harper Collins Australia I cannot begin to tell you how impatiently I have waited to post this review. When I was invited to write teaching notes for a new Katrina Nannestad book, I was absolutely thrilled. Then, when I read the manuscript for this beautiful, funny, poignant, life-affirming narrative, I realised how easy it would…

  • Magic Awry [Big Magic #2] – Sarah Armstrong

    Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing August 2023 ISBN: 9781760508449 Series: Big Magic RRP: $19.99 You know how sometimes, you’ve read an absolutely stonkingly good first book in a series, and when the sequel arrives you feel somewhat let down? Well, trust me, in this case, it is the very opposite. Big Magic was SO good, I…

  • Foxlight – Katya Balen

    Bloomsbury Australia October 2023 ISBN 9781526640437 Imprint Bloomsbury Children’s Books RRP: $16.99 Katya Balen rapidly became one of my favourite authors after reading her debut novel, and I have loved every word in her first three novels, each of these so fresh and original (see my reviews: The Space We’re In , October October, The…