Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • The Interactive Human Body:Explore the Human Body with Flaps, Wheels, Levers, Touch and Feel, and More! – – Ryan G. Van Cleave. Illustrated by Juliana Eigner.

    New South Books ISBN : 9781638190882 Publisher : Bushel & Peck Imprint : Bushel & Peck RRP: $39.99 This is big, bold and absolutely guaranteed to keep young curious minds absorbed for hours. There is not only plenty to read in easy-to-digest chunks but also so much with which to interact. It’s going to require some careful handling and supervision if…

  • Slight interruption to Xmas programming…

    Just a tad excited to get proof layouts yesterday of the next four reader-style books I’ve written for the American publishing company. I know so much more about jet fighters than I ever did before!!! But the design team have done a great job. Actually all I’ve seen of their books for kids are excellent…

  • All About Antarctica: a Fact Book about the Southernmost Continent – Marc Martin

    Penguin Australia October 2025 ISBN: 9781761047411 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $24.99 Slide through to see inside – you need to see how jam-packed this one is! I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen some of Marc Martin’s work. This thought occurred to me just last week as I shifted more old reviews to the new…

  • Plantabulous!

    New South Books From Albatros Books/Media are two absolutely delightful new titles. Both about plants, both non-fiction, both exquisitely designed but providing lower-middle primary kiddos with information about plants from two different angles. How Plants Talk – Helena Haraštová. Illustrated by Linh Dao 9788000068114 / 1 August 2023 AUD$24.99, NZD$29.99 Your Smalls will be fascinated to see…

  • Picture Book Month extra!!! Taronga Big Book of Animals – Taronga Conservation Society Australia

    Penguin Australia October 2024 ISBN: 9781761347467 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $39.99 Meet the Four Artists Behind Taronga Zoo’s Big Book of Animals In case you missed my recent reviews of Kristin Darrell’s new junior fiction series featuring all the excitement of Taronga Zoo, you should really pick them up now and pair them with this extraordinarily beautiful encyclopedia…

  • If Our World Were 100 Days – Jackie McCann/Aaron Cushley

    Harper Collins Australia September 2023 ISBN: 9780008599287 ISBN 10: 0008599289 Imprint: Farshore Non-Fiction GB $19.99 For the nerdy child in me, this is fabulous. For the boomer-brain in me, it was a little hard to wrap my head around. I’m guessing because as an older person, I’m quite OK with thinking about the concept of time, but I’m…

  • Wombats are Pretty Weird: a [not so] serious guide – Abi Cushman

    Harper Collins Australia October 2023 ISBN: 9780063234437 ISBN 10: 0063234432 Imprint: HarperCollins US RRP: $24.99 Here in the land of Down Under, we are pretty relaxed about wombats. They are, for many of us, the most loveable buffoons of the marsupial clan. They have been immortalised in literally dozens of picture books, including, so notably, Jackie French’s wombat…

  • Lots of Things to Know about Weather – Emily Bone. Illustrated by Katia Gaigalova

    Harper Collins Australia July 2023 ISBN: 9781803701349 ISBN 10: 180370134X Imprint: Usborne GB RRP: $19.99 I’ve had this one at the ready, in my bag to share with a class for the last week and, as luck would have it, just didn’t have the right opportunity to do so. But today, while I have some time of my…

  • Coral Reefs [Usborne Beginners]

    Harper Collins April 2023 RRP: $9.99 ISBN: 9781474999366 ISBN 10: 1474999360 Imprint: Usborne GB Given that we are Queenslanders, we have a certain affinity with coral and the beauty of the reef and its inhabitants is something we all treasure (and want to protect). One way to do that is to educate our youngsters and encourage them to…