Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • L.O.L. Goat Laughs Out Loud: G.O.A.T. #2- Kate & Jol Temple. Illustrated by Rebel Challenger.

    Scholastic Australia May 2024 ISBN: 9781760261153 RRP: $18.99 Hooray for nonsense I say!! I know there’s a place for books with messages and deep themes but sometimes we all just need – as I used to tell the kiddos – a ‘lolly’ book. A book that is fun. A book that is light. A book…

  • Listen, Hippo! – Gabriel Evans

    Penguin Australia April 2024 ISBN: 9781761341700 Imprint: Puffin RRP: $24.99 This utterly delightful book completely reminded me of Forrest Gump: For Forrest, the only thing that was going to help was running. For Billy, he just wants Hippo to listen. Hippo is the most willing and helpul friend one could have. But sometimes we don’t want razzamatazz…

  • Happy Book Week 2024!

    Yesterday kids lit creators and purveyors around the country were either attending celebratory events, presenting at schools or waiting for the newsflash. At the time I was enjoying a massage after treating myself to a leisurely brunch. Am I missing the Book Week buzz? A little, but to be honest, I’m still so deeply entrenched…

  • Kevin Saves the Show – Jacqueline Harvey. Illustrated by Kate Isobel Scott.

    Penguin Australia August 2024 ISBN: 9781761048968 Imprint: Puffin RRP: $17.99 Just in time to kick off the animals PB extravaganza, everyone’s newest favourite sheep is back and as one would expect is front and centre in the spotlight. Our jumbuck is the host of a karaoke singing competition, rocking his new purple ‘do’ and looking sharp as…

  • Allen the Alien – Stephanie Ward & Aleck Morton

    Yellow Brick Books/Riveted Press June 2024 ISBN13: 9780648492511 Distributed by Simon & Schuster RRP: $24.99 If you love J.Lo (Oh), from the movie Home (and the books The True Meaning of Smekday/Smek for President) as much as I do, you are certainly going to love Allen. And your kiddos will also love this quirky character…

  • Queen of Dogs – Joe Weatherstone

    Walker Books June 2024 ISBN13:9781760658588 Australia RRP:$16.99 New Zealand RRP:$18.99 What a super fun read this was!! It’s a real mixed bag – humour, drama, mystery, family and … doggos galore! Maddy often feels like the changeling in her family of high-flyers. They are all very sporty and academic and always on the go-go-GO! Maddy,…

  • Adventures Unlimited #1: The Land of Lost Things – Andy Griffiths. Illustrated by Bill Hope

    Pan Macmillan Australia August 2024 Imprint: Pan Australia ISBN: 9781761268267 RRP: $16.99 By coincidence the Ipswich StoryFest starts today [4/8] and it was at that kids lit festival, very early on in my teacher-librarian career (possibly around 1998?) that I first met Andy Griffiths and enjoyed the uproarious hilarity of his presentation [the exploding check out…

  • BrilliANT : A Journey into the Impressive Life of an Ant- Rosi Ngwenya and Sandy Flett

    Publisher: Riveted Press (July 31, 2024) ISBN13: 9780645869309 Distributed by Simon & Schuster AU$ 29.99 / NZ$ 32.99 For a word nerd such as I, or your participANTs, whether in the classroom or library – including any miscreANTs that some of you will have in your group of readers, this is just fANTastic! Who would…

  • Spiro – Anna McGregor

    Scribble July 2024 ISBN: 9781761381010 RRP: $24.99 Here’s the next delightful book in this week’s mini-beast theme, and what a terrific comedy of errors it is. Spiro is the epitome of perseverance, effort and resilience (which, obviously, will be a great talking point for your Smalls), as he works hard on one web after another…

  • Dung Beetle on a Roll – Sandra Severgnini

    August 2024 | $ 24.99ISBN: 9781486318872 Publisher: CSIRO Publishing You only need to take one look at this adorable vid clip to know that both you and your kids will fall in love with Dung Beetle. Sometimes I’m a bit spoilt and was about a month ago, meeting Sandra for the first time. I was…