'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Friday, 24 January 2025

Review: Bluey's Big World

Do you feel like you can’t keep up with Bluey’s life, likes and habits?

This book will help those, young and older, who have lost track of anything Bluey.

The most important characters come first, that is Bluey and sister Bingo.

What is Mum’s name? Dad’s name? Who are Bluey and Bingo’s friends? 

In Bluey's Big World, you can refresh your memory.

The house plan starts at the front door with an intimate look available of the surroundings and contents of each room.

Mum and Dad’s room is revealed.

Thursday, 23 January 2025

Meet The Illustrator: Suzanne Houghton

Name:
Suzanne Houghton

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Clean and neat with strong use of colour.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My watercolour paint/paper and Polychromos pencils. Scanner and computer.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Watercolour and pencil

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Review: Taronga Presents: Poo at the Zoo, Bk #1; Party Animals, Bk #2

Here is an excellent series of four illustrated chapter books, created in partnership with Taronga Conservation Society Australia. Poo at the Zoo is the first.

Sophia and Ollie are best friends and have many things in common. Both love animals. Sophia wants to be a Wildlife Vet like her mum, who works at Taronga Wildlife Hospital. Ollie wants to become a Biologist or Zookeeper. His dad also works at the Zoo.

Two weeks of school holidays begin, and the friends start their volunteer traineeship. They are given lanyards, but don’t know what to expect. When told their first task is collecting poo from the animal enclosures, they are initially shocked.

They are allocated to the koala Mateo, under supervision. Tthey know all the animals’ names as they spend most of their spare time at the Zoo), 

Each day they must collect and count all the koala faecal. This is the way Mateo’s health is monitored. The poo is then taken to the lion enclosure.

It’s ‘guess the poo’ time and the friends must identify which poo has come from which animal. (An illustration shows the different types of poo).

The two friends are determined to accept and undertake, whatever is expected, for them to become official volunteers.

Sophia and Ollie are dedicated and enthusiastic.  Even with the not-so-pleasant tasks. They adapt and overcome all difficulties they encounter, as they head in the direction of their dreams.

The friendship between Sophia and Ollie is built on an easy-going familiarity and light-hearted humour. Animal jokes are scattered through the text.

The story line includes the internal and external workings of the Zoo, the roles of the staff, happenings in the Wildlife Hospital, and the language used when referring to animals and their care.

Snippets of animal behaviour are included, and at the end, through Ollie’s Fun Facts, which are diligently recorded, are statistics regarding the animals released back into the wild.

The setting of this title is the Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

 


It’s Ollie’s birthday. His parents have organized a special day for him at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, in Dubbo. All Ollie wants is to have Sophia share the surprise with him, as she hasn’t visited that area since she was very young.

As volunteers at the Sydney Zoo, the children are given access passes. Max, Ollie’s dad, has rented bikes to enable them to explore the Zoo at their ease.

Sophia has ordered something special for her best friend. But it hasn’t arrived yet. She becomes anxious and distracted.

Throughout the day, she keeps making excuses to check at the office if the parcel has come.

Will Ollie think Sophia is keeping secrets from him? This question buzzes through her head.

Sophia’s behavior is irritating Ollie, and she knows it, but can’t risk spoiling things by explaining why to him.

The day passes with them catching up with animals that have been transferred to Western Plains from Sydney.

Will Sophia’s parcel arrive on time?  

Because of the character Ollie’s ability to collect and retain facts, a great deal of overall information surrounding the animals’ lives: their habits, diet, and habitats, flow through his dialogue.

Readers will benefit from the wonderful new words associated with the animals which will educate and expand their vocabulary.

This series opens a new avenue of interest for children regarding futures in animal care.

Title: Taronga Presents: Poo at the Zoo, Bk1; Party Animals, Bk#2
Author: Kristin Darell
Illustrator: Laura Wood
Publisher: Penguin, $14.99
Publication Date: 3 September 2024
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761347436; 9781761347443
For ages: 7+
Type: Junior Fiction


Tuesday, 21 January 2025

Guest Post: Lucy Hawkins on Her New Life In Spain!

I recently moved my young family from Australia to Spain. We had a wonderful life in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, one of my daughters had just started school and had made best friends and the other was happy at kindergarten. 

But my husband’s job selling software to wineries was remote and we could relocate if we wanted to, and while the kids were little we thought it was probably now or never. So, we sold the house, the car, all our furniture, started the visa application and booked our flights to Palma, Mallorca.

I had been thinking of Mallorca since I lived there 15 years ago. It’s the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, it has a mountain range, picturesque historic villages and is surrounded by the clear blue waters of the Mediterranean. It’s beautiful and feels safe along with being full of life.

12 Curly Questions with author Jess Galatola

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
Not many people know that when I was 13, I volunteered to work for free in a bookshop, in the hopes of earning an ongoing position. After cleaning every shelf in that shop (which took a full day), I scored my first casual job at QBD The Bookshop. I later found out that cleaning every shelf in one go was a dreaded once-a-year occurrence. I didn’t care. I was happy to be surrounded by books and use my staff
discount to start collecting picture books, YA novels and art and history resources that I felt I would use one day when I become a teacher (which I did, eight years later). Those formative years in the workforce continued to foster and fund my love of reading!

Friday, 17 January 2025

Review: Wild Australia

Our Marine and National Parks are protected areas. Before we set out on our journey of discovery, there are things to do and know. 

The lists of vital preparations to be made before setting out to journey though Wild Australia should be adhered to.

These necessities create an immediate awareness of the environment and our role in its protection, from the first page where it sits in the company of a numbered map of Australia. 

Look out for wildlife is a main one.

Tuesday, 14 January 2025

Review: 31 And A Half Things To Know As You Grow

This delightful book by two award-winning creators in author Meg McKinlay and illustrator Nicky Johnston, will make a beautiful gift for new babies and young readers alike.

A gorgeous, sometimes whimsical offering that provides the seeds of good advice and encourages small people to stand in their power, it shares ideas and thoughts on useful and fun stuff to know as you’re growing up!

Monday, 13 January 2025

Review: The Lost Book of Magic

The Lost Book of Magic is set in the Depression era of 1895, Melbourne, Victoria,

Poverty and drought has swamped the State to the point where, even the butcher’s meager bone remains taste like a banquet.

Amidst this lack, business at the Coles Book Arcade in Bourke Street, is slowing significantly.

Mr and Mrs Coles with their two eldest children sail off to Sydney.

Due to the slump, they are considering closing the store and opening one in a more viable location to secure the children’s livelihood.

Pearl and Valentine remain to keep shop under the watchful eye of the Manager, Mr Pike. 

Pearl decides to use her limited magic to spruce up neglected areas. Removing this financial pressure, she hopes her parents will reconsider the move.

Friday, 10 January 2025

Review: Taronga Big Book Of Animals

This sumptuous book contains over 200 fabulous and fascinating wildlife facts, along with more than 140 glorious illustrations of animals. It is indeed a feast for the eyes and the senses.

Did you know that pandas can do hand-stands?

That some penguins make their very own poo bombs?

Or that tigers have spikes on their tongues?

Well now you do. You’re welcome.

The world-class wildlife experts at Taronga zoo have captured some of the most exciting and crazy information for us to laugh at, marvel over and wonder about. AND they remind us that although this is the current leading-edge science, it may not always be – so it’s important to remain open and curious about the world around you.

Four artists and a designer (who we meet at the back end of the book) have brought the animals to life visually in the most beautiful ways. The layout, colour, line, space, movement, flow and vibrance of the information and illustrations are very special – alive and engaging.
There is so much to love about this book, not least that it’s divided into segments with easy to read maps - which help us to navigate our way through chapters organised by habitats that feature land animals, mountain dwellers, sea creatures, and the like.

Coloured side tabs indicate where in the book you are, and each page is chock full to the brim with text boxes, fun facts, vibrant colour or engaging double spreads with dreamy colour and gorgeous design.

This lush, friendly book contains much to pore over and marvel at. It’s perfect for dipping into at leisure, and a wonderful bonus – it also shares the Taronga Conservation Society’s important work with endangered and critical species.

It will no doubt adorn coffee tables, perhaps become the centrepiece for family games, and be a frequent visitor on bedside book piles.

Perfect for Christmas! Or as a gift for any special occasion. 


Title:
Taronga Big Book Of Animals
Author: Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Illustrators: Various
Publisher: Penguin, $39.99
Publication Date: 29 October 2024
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761347467
For Ages: 4+
Type: Non Fiction



Wednesday, 8 January 2025

Review: The Puppets of Spelhorst and The Hotel Balzaar

Long ago in a land called Norendy, there were five puppets whose destiny was unknown. 

They had been lying for some time at the bottom of a trunk with the name Spelhorst, engraved on the outside.

There was a king, a wolf, a girl, a boy and an owl puppet. 

They waited for their story to begin.  

The personification of the puppets allows their voices and opinions to be heard.

An old sea captain owns the name of Spelhorst. 

Totally alone in the world, he spends a lot of time simply gazing out to sea, sharing sounds created by the movement of others around him.