Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • Bitsa – Andrew Daddo

    Penguin Australia February 2026 ISBN: 9781761355974 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $14.99 Who doesn’t love a heart-warming dog story? And this start of a new series from Andrew Daddo ticks a lot of boxes with both content and accessibility for your newly independent readers. When Jas finds Bitsa, alone and in need of a home, they form an immediate bond.…

  • The Girl and the Ghost #3 Grand Opening – Jacqueline Harvey

    Penguin Australia May 2026 ISBN: 9781761349430 RRP: $16.99 There will be plenty of delighted fans when this one hits the shelves [my advice is to buy multiple copies] as this fabulous series continues. Josephine, often known as Jet, and her family are gearing up for the grand opening of their restored chateau hotel but there is…

  • Raised by Wolves – Tristan Bancks

    Penguin Australia May 2026 ISBN: 9781761349812 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $17.99 It’s been a time of real anticipation waiting for this one to arrive. When Tristan first started to consider this and asking for input, it was a given for me that this sequel to Two Wolves should come from Olive’s PoV, given she was such a striking character,…

  • Hunt for the Nighthawks – Felice Arena

    Penguin Australia July 2026 ISBN: 9781761355653 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $17.99 Knowing there was a brand new Felice Arena mystery/adventure on the way has been a very exciting prospect and thus, when the ARC arrived two days ago, I pounced on it immediately and I have loved every word of it! For one thing, I have always had a…

  • The Man From Snowy River: Australian Classics for Little Ones Banjo- Paterson/Cate James. llustrated by Cate James.

    Penguin Australia April 2026 ISBN: 9781761355110 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $14.99 I will be the first to say that at first sight I thought – ummm, how is this going to work? But you know what? Somehow it does. Taking lines from the poem as a cue on each page the text is combined with a background colour and…

  • The First Easter – Illustrated by Jess Racklyeft

    Penguin Australia January 2026 ISBN: 9781761352430 Imprint: Puffin RRP: $24.99 It does not matter if you don’t celebrate Easter in a religious sense, this is still a book that is most definitely worth sharing with Smalls as it does explain the ‘why’ of Easter, and it does it in a purely narrative manner. Retelling the Bible story in…

  • You’ll Always Be My Baby – Jessica Urlichs. Illustrated by Jedda Robaard.

    Penguin Australia February 2026 ISBN: 9781761355714 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $19.99 Since the new year, I’ve been busy on a regular basis planning The Kid’s 21st birthday celebration. Just like her mother, she didn’t want anything, but I persuaded her otherwise, so a smallish party at home for friends, followed by a dinner for family and friends-like-family at her…

  • Board Book Bonanza!

    Mr McGee – Pamela Allen Penguin Australia February 2026 ISBN: 9781761621123 Imprint: Puffin Format: Board Book RRP: $16.99 Some top-shelf board book editions with a much-loved character plus some fresh new titles for the Smallest Smalls in your circle. First up is that popular chap, Mr McGee whose last book I reviewed in 2024, the year in which Pamela…

  • Hasel and Rose – Caroline Magerl

    Penguin Australia Imprint: Viking Books ISBN: 9780670077342 RRP: $24.99 – buy it now from Books Direct for $19.99 or Boomerang Books for $20.99 Writing my special feature blog post on Caroline Magerl and the new French edition of Hasel and Rose made me realise that, while I’ve had a copy in (I think) all my libraries…

  • It’s a Twin Thing – Kristin Darell. Illustrated by A. Yi.4

    Penguin Australia February 2026 ISBN: 978176135359 $14.99 I think it is hard to imagine what it would be like being a twin, especially an identical one, if you’re not one- or perhaps that’s just me. I have taught twins so identical that only one little freckle was the distinguishing feature between the two and they were…