Review: Sagittarius Rising

Every kid wants a pet. Some will go to great lengths to get one, not realising, perhaps, that owning a pet is not always fun and games. (Although, mostly it is.)

Tip is desperate for a dog. Her parents are cautious, though.

Undeterred, Tip tries one tactic after another until – BINGO! – a tiny puppy is left abandoned at the markets. Tip and her parents can’t just leave it there, can they?

As expected, and despite her parents’ insistence that they need to find a home for it, this puppy worms its way first into Mum’s heart and then Dad’s.

Lo and behold, the puppy has a home. Let the fun begin!

Review: Some Dads- 15th Anniversary Edition

Some books make you smile. Some books make you giggle. And then there are books that have you grinning before you have even turned the first page!

I did smile when I opened the 15th Anniversary Edition of Some Dads by Nick Bland. I remembered reading the first edition with learners in classrooms and enjoying every minute. And that front cover? It made me giggle straight away. You just know you are in for some fun!

The excitement begins on the title page where we meet a very excited monkey. That energy carries right through the story as Nick introduces us to a wonderfully entertaining cast of animal dads.

Nick’s clever use of human traits in his animal characters creates a fun, imaginative world. It also gives young writers a wonderful opportunity to explore big ideas without always needing to write about real people. What might happen if a gorilla, penguin or crocodile became the star of your story?

There is plenty here for young readers too. The rhyming structure invites children to predict what might come next, build fluency and experiment with reading with expression. I can already hear homes and classrooms filled with children joining in!

And the illustrations are superb. Spend some time looking closely at the pictures and hunting for the clues that help us understand each character. Then make connections with your own family. Which animal reminds you of someone you know?

I also love the possibilities for creating with this book. Learners could borrow Nick’s cloud-shaped lettering from the heading and experiment with creating their own eye-catching title. After sharing their favourite page, they could choose their favourite animal, write their own page about a dad and publish the pages together as a class book.

And that ending? It filled me with joy!

Whether you are sharing Some Dads at home or in your classroom, this book invites laughter, conversation, prediction, and creativity.

And if you know a new dad or an experienced dad who deserves a little bookish fun, this will make a perfect gift!

Grab a copy, find someone to read it with and see which dad makes you smile the most!

Title: Some Dads- 15th Anniversary Edition
Author/Illustrator: Nick Bland
Publisher: Scholastic Australia / Scholastic Press
Publication Date: 1st July 2026
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781761723841
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book

Review: Once Upon a Harbour

The first thing that may strike you about Once Upon a Harbour is David Elliot’s artwork.

The illustrations are not bright, bold and colourful as we may have come to expect in picture books – and therein lies their charm. 

For comparison, maybe think of Maurice Sendak's illustrations in Where the Wild Things Are. In the same way, David Elliot gives us detailed images you can lose yourself in for hours – long after you’ve finished reading.

Review: There's a Chicken in the House

It’s a question we often ask ourselves. If the wind blew open your door and a chicken walked in what would you do? Well lucky for us There’s a Chicken in the House answers that exact question.

Perfect for young readers, Sonya Hartnett has written a sweet humorous tale about a curious chicken who comes for a visit and doesn’t want to leave. There is flapping, pooing and egg laying and a whole lot of strutting. Everything you would expect from a chicken.

Review: Howl-o-ween: Come Trick or Treat On Spooky Street

It’s Halloween on Spooky Street, and the humans are not the only ones dressing up to trick or treat.

Come along as the playful pups and their owners visit each house in this fun and adventurous picture book by award winning creators Emma Bowd and Lara Porter.

Emma’s lively, rhyming text is a joy to read aloud and would be perfect for a group Storytime, as well as bedtime. The story moves from one house to the next with dynamic verbs and clever alliteration. 

Sunday Shelfie - A Bigger Book

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome Hannah Sommerville to the shelfie. This week we are celebrating Hannah’s beautiful picture book A Bigger Book.

Cora loves the smell of books. She loves the stories they contain and the worlds of imagination they open.

But when it’s time to read aloud in class, Cora gets stuck. Stuck on the first word. And on the second. The harder she concentrates, the foggier each word feels.

And when her friends move on to bigger books, Cora is left behind and her love of stories starts to fade

A moving and empowering story about books, dyslexia and finding your own way.

Written and illustrated by Hannah Sommerville
Published by Hardie Grant Books 

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Review: Platypus and Puggle - Unusual Animals Big and Small

From the author of Llamas with Lemonade - An Unusual Animal ABC, comes another board book introducing toddlers to a very unique collection of animals and their babies. Starting with the tiny jerboa through to a big elephant, each of the highlighted 14 animals is matched with their babies through delightful illustrations and with a simple fact about the animal.

Review: Betsy & Bon - Three Sweet Stories

Here's a little book that will absolutely delight younger readers (and very likely, older ones as well) because it is as sweet as the title suggests. It is delightfully pretty with the cutest of cute characters and the problems faced by these little critters are certainly very real but also solved - one way or another - without any traumatic complications.

Betsy & Bon are, very obviously, little bees who in their first story build themselves a very cosy and quite spacious hive. They make it from cardboard boxes and other found items which in itself is an excellent example of upcycling - and one I foresee will be replicated in many EC centres, classrooms and libraries once this hits the shelvTheir hive is not very 'busy' though - so they try to find some other bees to come share it but instead find a whole bunch of their friends, all other little critters such as Frogly (frog), Harrington Mouse (mouse), Penny Spots (ladybug), Butter Benjamin (butterfly) and Spencer Snail - all of whom get a little miffed because their offer to come live in the lovely hive is firmly

Review: The Forgotten Magic of Zoey Turner

12 year old Zoey suffers severe anxiety, brought on by the sudden death of her father, and has a fear of many things including germs, accidents and falling ill. As a result Zoey is homeschooled and limits her travel beyond her home to very few places.

Zoey has been supported by her mum, best friend Lena and next door book shop owner Jada, who have shown understanding and patience when the fear bubbles up inside her.

Zoey and her dad shared a passion for a fantasy series called Magic of Ever After by the author Raven M Wells. Together they would read the books and her father would often say ‘Everything’s going to be okay. Find the magic Zo’.

Review: Heartless

As an avid fan of Marissa Meyer's books, I am shocked it has taken me so long to get around to reading this novel - but I am so glad I finally did! The novel acts as a prequel to Alice in Wonderland, and tells the story of the infamous Queen of Hearts before she became the ruthless ruler we know her as. 

The story follows Catherine Pinkerton, a young woman who dreams of becoming a baker and opening her own bakery in Wonderland. However, as the daughter of a Marquess, she is expected to marry well and become the wife of a wealthy man. 

At a royal ball, she captures the attention of the King of Hearts, who wants Catherine to be his bride. However, despite her parents' expectations, Catherine falls in love with Jest, the mysterious and charming court Joker. 

As Catherine is torn between her own dreams and the expectations placed upon her, a series of tragic events begin to unfold, ultimately changing her life forever and revealing how the kind-hearted Catherine becomes the cold and heartless Queen of Hearts.

Review: Running in Circles - Shivaun Plozza

It’s quite amazing, even after fourteen years of doing this reviewing thing, I am still surprised when there are batches of books all with very similar themes for similar ages. It’s like some pervasive mist in the air inspired so many authors to independently come up with very like storylines.

And I often repeat Tolkien’s theory from the Cauldron of Story (On Fairy Tales) and realise each writer will come up with their own flavours of common tropes. But it still takes me by surprise when close similarities are repeated, until the next trend comes along. This is another of this year's middle grade novels where an absent parent (either death or just absence) is a pivotal plot point.

I really enjoyed this take because it reflects a common enough situation – abandonment by a parent – but with a twist, because it’s not the father who has abrogated responsibility for family but the mother. That may sound sexist and it’s not meant to be. It’s just that we often get narratives where a father is absent and a mum is left to cope with raising children and making a living etc – and not as often the reverse.

Review: CockadoodleMOO

The star of his own show, Rocky has one line to get right. He breathes in and out, welcomes the audience, starts with a joke and when the big moment arrives…

This book is for all kids who love a bit of silliness. Everyone knows the line that must be said and kids will be calling it out at every opportunity. It’s a quick read but one that will make kids laugh out loud, especially when they get to yell out POO!

Review: The Nardi Puzzle

Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka, meet Sebastian Walker and Elisabetta Nardi – your modern-day counterparts in the exceptionally clever gaming adventure-mystery that is The Nardi Puzzle.

Twelve-year-old Sebastian is hooked on the Nardi Corp games, which he plays with his younger brother as an escape from the realities of his life. 

He’s pretty good at them too, although not good enough – he would have thought – to be one of twelve children selected from around the world to attend the exclusive launch party for the newest Nardi game.

Sunday Shelfie - The Thing About Dads

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome Deborah Frenkel and Daniel Gray-Barnett. This week we are celebrating Deb and Dan’s delightful picture book The Thing About Dads.

One thing about dad-ing: there’s all kinds of ways . . . Some dads are born and some dads are made.

From the bestselling author Deborah Frenkel and award-winning illustrator Daniel Gray-Barnett comes a heartfelt celebration of fatherhood.

A joyful ode to dads’ special knack for turning ordinary days into awesome ones.

Written by Deborah Frenkel 

Illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett 

Published by Thames & Hudson Australia

Visit Picture Book Book Club @picturebookbc on Instagram

Review: Kev and Trev - Snot Cool Snow Stories!

We’ve been to the ocean and the jungle with them, and now we’re off in Book Three - Snot Cool Snow Stories, on another madcap adventure with Kev and Trev and their support crew, to the mountains in search of interesting animals called pugons. 

We discover pugons are very shy, cute, small animals that are supposedly living up high on the snowy mountaintop and are a cross between a dragon and a pug. With only a very old book as a reference guide and a deadline from their ‘puglisher’, Kev and Trev are eager to find a way to make the pugons their characters for their next book. 

As well as finding the pugons, their ultimate goal has not changed - one day they will be mega rich from writing stories based on their adventures and will finally be able to afford a new houseboat. Will they be third time lucky? Or will it be Mission Impossible!

Review: The Giant Mystery: How to Grow Magic #1

This new series for your those independent readers will surely be a big hit with it’s combination of magic, humour, friendship, and school – with a difference! Enchantment Street is full of shops and businesses with all manner of magical merchandise and services.

Whether you need treats for your pet dragon or want riding lessons with your unicorn, there will be a place to go in Enchantment Street. And Enchantment Street Primary is certainly the school of magical delights. With human pupils as well as merkids this school has water slipways and ponds alongside desks and chairs and playgrounds.

And  let’s just say that the lessons taught are very different to our own curriculum. Sarah’s favourite lessons are those with Mr Pottifer, of Pottifer’s Parlour of Plants, a very engaging Venus flytrap who teaches Magical Gardening.