Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe


  • Picture book month bonus #1: Q&A with Favel Parrett

    Welcome Favel, to Just So Stories! What a pleasure it is to have you share some insights into your life and work with my readers. In 2011, you made quite the splash (sorry, had to be done!) with your debut novel Past the Shallows, shortlisted in the Miles Franklin, Winner of the Dobbie Literary Award,…

  • Kimmi: Queen of the Dingoes – Favel Parrett.

    Hachette NOV 1, 2023 | 9780734422057 | RRP $19.99 Many readers fell in love with story of alpine dingo, Wandi, and his followers on SM are astonishing in numbers. Now comes the story of Kimmi, the tropical dingo, destined to be the Queen of her mob. A farmer in their Kimberley homeland has already killed Kimmi’s father, now her…

  • How We Came to Be: Creatures of Camouflage and Mimicry – Sami Bayly

    Hachette SEP 27, 2023 | 9780734421371 | RRP $19.99 Imprint: Lothian Children’s Books Sami Bayly‘s books are always something special and this new one will completely fascinate your young readers with another cavalcade of weird and wonderful creatures. In this new natural history excursion, kiddos will discover a range of cleverly evolved creatures who can camouflage themselves by various…

  • Which Way Round the Galaxy – Cressida Cowell

    Hachette Australia SEP 26, 2023 | 9781444973501 | RRP $22.99 IMPRINT: Hodder Children’s Books I’ve absolutely adored Cressida Cowell’s previous series – along with millions of others – but this newest one is just so crackerjack that I really think it is my favourite so far. This is the second instalment in this firecracker fantasy/adventure which centres on the…

  • Mother Earth: Poems to celebrate the wonder of nature – Libby Hathorn. Illustrated by Christina Booth.

    Hachette June 2023 9780734421555 | RRP $24.99 |Lothian Children’s Books Synchronicity is often amazing. Earlier this week a colleague was asking for suggestions for poetry for little people, and after much discussion and ideas, I picked this up from my bulging review shelves, and thought- PERFECT! Because the poems contained within are of a wide variety of…

  • A Load of Love and other feelings…

    This past week’s posts already had some ‘love’ but here are two more, just because it makes sense that they should be wrapped up together in one sweet parcel, so to speak. Feelings are Wild – Sophy Williams. Illustrated by Gavin Scott Allen & Unwin July 2023 ISBN:9781761180262 Publisher:A&U Children’s Imprint:Albert Street Books RRP: $19.99…

  • Crookhaven: the School for Thieves – J. J. Arcanjo

    Hachette FEB 28, 2023 | 9781444965735 | RRP $16.99 This is another one that got delayed despite being read very swiftly when it first arrived. Two reasons for that being I was taking it to and fro to read to a Year 5 class with whom I was spending quite a bit of time, and then because it got…

  • The Perilous Promotion of Trilby Moffat: Book 2 – Kate Temple

    Hachette July 2023  9780734420923 | RRP $16.99 | Imprint: Lothian Books I was getting a little worried I wasn’t going to get this one to review, and I have been waiting patiently for it since the day I finished the first one, but yayyyyyyy!! – thank you Hachette – for getting it to me (on Friday and…

  • The Balloon Blow Up- Andy Geppert

    Hachette July 2023  ISBN 9780734420718 | Imprint; Lothian Books | RRP $19.99 Andy Geppert’s books are always just a gorgeous read – the witty humour and the beautifully gentle illustrations combine to make something sensational every time. And this one is no exception and, really, starts with the most basic premise but turns into something quite extraordinary.…

  • I am Lupe – Sela Ahosivi-Atiola/Yani Agustina

    Hachette JUL 26, 2023 | 9780734422538 | RRP $24.99 Imprint: Lothian Children’s Books Perhaps because I have almost always been in schools with kiddos of diverse cultural backgrounds, where that has simply been a matter of course, I cannot recall a single instance of children asking questions of others with different skin tones or hair etc. That does not…