Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • The Boy, the Father and the Bear – Per Gustavsson

    Greystone Kids New South Books Per Gustavsson, translated by Eva Apelqvist 9781778402203/1 October 2026/AUD$34.99, NZD$39.99 I’m not going to pretend. It’s quite unusual and you can definitely discern that Scandinavian-type vibe to it – a little bit understated, a little bit dark, a little bit odd, a little bit fable and a little bit philosophical.…

  • Soup’s on Around the World – Denyse Waissbluth. Chelsea O’Byrne.

    Greystone Kids New South Books 9781778401671/February 2026/AUD$29.99, NZD$34.99 Soup is a dish both The Kid and I agree wholeheartedly. It is our regular standby whether it’s winter, when it’s so much appreciated, or summer, despite the Queensland heat. The only one we disagree on is pumpkin soup – which she used to eat as a…

  • Together, Right Now – Olga Fadeeva

    Blue Dot Kids New South Books 9798985849455/July 2026/AUD$29.99, NZD$34.99 With minimal text but big powerful imagery this is the sort of book you can share equally with smaller readers as well as bigger ones, offering a philosophical starting point for the concept of ‘we are all one humankind’. Perhaps we could mandate for it to…

  • Pterosaurs of the Desert Ocean – Andrew Plant

    CSIRO Publishing 9781486320257/June 2026/AUD$32.99, NZD$37.99 I always expect excellence from Andrew Plant and he has not disappointed me with this one. It is the pick of this crop from CSIRO Publishing. We all know how the Smalls and not-so-Smalls go for dinosaurs and when it’s our very own dinosaurs, it’s even more thrilling. For us…

  • The Unfinished Business: Book #1 – Stephanie Campisi

    Fitzroy Books New South Books Stephanie Campisi 9781646036752/ July 2026/AUD$24.99, NZD$27.99 Of course I got it read before the stroke of midnight on All Hallows! and what a perfectly delicious ghostly read it is. It is absolutely hilarious throughout but with a gentle thread of grief and yearning underlying that. Dari’s mum, Celine, is frantically…

  • Who Said Boo? – Jeanne Willis/Brian Fitzgerald

    New South Books Scallywag Press October 2026 9781836300373 AUD$29.99, NZD$34.99 I love Jeanne Willis‘ books, though I haven’t read nearly enough of them and Dr Xargle’s Book of Earthlets has been a firm favourite for many years – I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve shared it with cackling audiences of kiddos.…

  • Meb Ata: Grandfather Moon – Merwez Whaleboat. Illustrated by Sharon Phineasa

    Aboriginal Studies Press New South Books Merwez Whaleboat, illustrated by Sharon Phineasa 9781922752239 October 2026 AUD$27.95, NZD$32.99 Just absolutely wow! I knew this looked like it would be beautiful and it’s another Torres Strait book so was always going to be on my request list but truly, seeing it for real, is just the most…

  • Milbi: Aboriginal Stories from Queensland’s Endeavour River – Told and Illustrated by Tulo Gordon.

    Translated, edited and additional material by John B. Haviland. Aboriginal Studies Press New South Books 9781922102904/ August 2021/AUD$24.95, NZD$29.99 Somehow or other this book had escaped my attention altogether, until I saw it in the Museum of Brisbane bookshop the day The Kid and I did our walking history tour. And now I’m only sorry…

  • 2026 Father’s Day Special: Superheroes in the Park – Ian Eagleton. Hayley Wells

    New South Books Publisher: Otter Barry Books 9781915659972 July 2026 AUD$26.99, NZD$29.99 I’m going to be completely honest here. While I found this a little too heavy-handed, I really do love the entire concept and also, that the author is writing from his own experience and heart. Ian Eagleton and his husband adopted a toddler…

  • Odd Cat Out!: Cat School – Rose Robbins

    New South Books Scallywag Press Rose Robbins 9781836300397/August 2026/AUD$19.99, NZD$22.99 This first in a new trilogy by London author Rose Robbins, who writes from her own personal experience, will make for a great addition to your inclusive collection. Framed as anthropomorphic young cats, the narrative revolves around two friends, Tangle and Eno, starting at their…