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

Thursday, 1 May 2025

Review: Trash-er Island & Mirelle's Mirror

Books about kids trying to save the planet are a plenty in this current climate of intense change and global abuse but these two Kids for Planet Earth picture books by Katherine Wallace possess a charm and allure that younger children will immediately warm to. No pun intended.

Trash-er Island is my fave incorporating the robust rambunctiousness of pirates in search of treasure and one of the planet’s most abhorrent yet oft overlooked environmental disasters; oceanic garbage gyres.

Out of sight, out of mind may be the case for the vast majority of us Earth dwellers but for Tilly, a young pirate determined to win the annual Pirate Regatta, reality couldn’t be more obvious. 

Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Review: You Can't Pat A Fish

Almost every child in the history of the world has wished for a pet at some point. 

And those whose wish has included a visit to the pet shop, will undoubtedly have wanted theirs to be the cutest, cuddliest critter that they’ve ever slapped eyes on.

And so … what actually happens when the pet you get, is a fish?

If it’s wet, it isn’t a pet!

You can play with a puppy and snuggle a bunny,

but as much as you wish, you can’t pat a fish.

Monday, 28 April 2025

Review: Millie and Stella: Best Friends Forever - Bk#1, The Lost Ponies

Millie and Stella are best friends. They have many things in common, particularly their love of animals; especially horses.

Stella’s horse Sparky is older, and Millie’s is quite young. Both are loved passionately.

Stella is a warm and friendly girl, who encourages Millie’s differing view of things in general. When Millie’s spirits slump, Stella always has uplifting words ready to steer her friend back to her cheerful self.

The paddock where the two horses graze has become dry, and they suggest to their neighbour Mrs White, to allow the horses to graze in her lush pasture, in return for odd jobs.

There are certain conditions to the agreement; locks and latches must be double checked.

The girls have a common love of books and reading.

Friday, 25 April 2025

Review: Jo And The No

Holy moly, hot patooties and my giddy aunt. This book is a unique and magnificent offering in the kaleidoscope of children’s picture books. I’ve seen nothing quite like it on the market.

The cover alone, with a large clump of black (in the form of Jo’s furry, feathered head) amidst a rainbow of colour and texture, is enough to cause a double take. A tad risky for a children’s picture book - yet so perfect.

When Jo first saw the No, Jo didn’t know what it was.

‘Shoo, No!’ said Jo.

The No didn’t go.

Thursday, 24 April 2025

Meet The Illustrator: Natasha Carty

Name:
Natasha Carty

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Whimsical, textured and detailed - with an emphasis on light and shade.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
A cup of tea, comfy clothes, a tidy work space filled with beautiful things and a podcast in-ear.

Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Review: The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage

The Sugarcane Kids have a new mystery to solve in The Sugarcane Kids and the Empty Cage by Charlie Archbold.

In the second book in this great junior fiction series, Gloria the talkative and rare parrot has gone missing. 

Not everyone’s convinced its foul play, but there are a few clues that indicate it could be. That’s enough to put Andy and his pals on the case, and they start investigating.

Then Anna the scrub python who lives at the library disappears too, and the kids just know something sinister is going on. But when you are kids, and you have to go to school and walk the dog and follow all the rules, it isn’t exactly easy to hunt down animal-nappers. 

Monday, 21 April 2025

Review: How to Make a Bedtime

When the sun’s light is fading and night’s on the rise,

It’s time to start yawning your sleepy goodbyes.

Time for snuggling and snoozing and slumbering now.

Time for making your bedtime and I’ll show you how.


In this sweet, rhyming bedtime tale by talented creators Meg McKinlay and Karen Blair, a boy and his bear are heading to bed.

Friday, 18 April 2025

Review: Hidden Treasure

Set in England, 1918, it is the day that her brother Harry is leaving for the Somme that twelve-year-old Bo, a mudlark, finds the Eclipsing Moon jewel on the exposed riverbed of the Thames; washed up in mud. 

The day the river first speaks to Bo and she sees the first vision.

It is a day of revelations. She meets Billy River and notices someone watching her through binoculars from the ridge. 

The day a stranger chases her through the lanes to steal the jewel from her.

Bo and Billy’s lives will become entwined. Both changed forever. 

With great celebration, her impoverished family lists the things they could buy with the money when the jewel is sold. 

But Bo cannot be parted from the precious item which becomes the centre of hers and Billy’s world, with its magical purpose that slowly reveals itself.

Then, together, Bo and Billy find the second jewel, the Brightest Sun, which will fulfill a promise on the night of the eclipse, a few weeks away. 

There are many that will do anything to get their hands on the Jewels of  the Eclipse, and the secrets that come with them.

A brilliant story, written in emotive and immersive prose about grief, love, friendship, sacrifice and redemption from the author of The Miniaturist. 

Another complex, carefully designed plot takes the reader on a journey through the impossible, using twists and turns that will magnetize.

The descriptions are magical pictures created by a writer who paints with words. Her use of language is extraordinary.

This is a book readers will never forget. The characters are outstanding. People are not who they first appear to be. This does not become apparent until the curves in the story are all set. 

The settings are so descriptive that at times it feels like the reader is in the story, watching things happen from up close. 

You can almost hear the crashing of the waves, the whistling and sighing of the wind.

This is the best thing I have read this year. Don’t miss it!

Title: Hidden Treasure
Author: Jessie Burton
Publisher: Bloomsbury, $17.99
Publication Date: 13 March 2025
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781526662897
For ages: 12+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction


Thursday, 17 April 2025

Review: Searching For Treasure

Searching for treasure on the high tide line.

One step, two steps, what can you find?

This book, with its sumptuous illustrations and specially cut-out pages, celebrates all of the good things about a walk on the beach.

From two award-winning creators and told from the visual point of view of a small child, the book takes us on an adventure through the high tide line, finding treasures large and small from both under and out of the water.

Wednesday, 16 April 2025

Review: Anomaly

The world has ended. It’s done. It’s all over.

A virus has infected everyone. Killed almost everyone.

Expect for Piper Manning.

Piper got sick the day after she buried her aunt, but she didn’t die. She woke up again, and she woke up different. 

With a strange power she can’t control, she has no intention of leaving her aunt’s mountain hideout. But when her dwindling food supplies force her to leave and she discovers an injured boy, she learns that the virus is the least of the world’s problems.

Tuesday, 15 April 2025

Junior Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Jay Asher’s 13 Reasons Why is one of those books that stays with you. It’s emotional, haunting, and painfully honest. 

The story dives into the life and death of Hannah Baker, a high school student who takes her own life. But before she does, she leaves behind a series of cassette tapes. Each one is meant for someone who, in her eyes, played a role in her decision.

This innovative narrative draws readers into her mind, allowing us to hear her voice directly and feel the weight of her experiences. It’s raw, personal, and often uncomfortable , but that’s what makes it so effective.

The story begins when Clay Jensen, one of Hannah’s classmates and someone who once quietly admired her, receives the tapes. 

Monday, 14 April 2025

Review: Finn and the Pen

Eleven-year-old Finn is home schooled by his foster mother Mrs Grimshaw, together with three foster siblings. If what he is receiving can be classed as schooling.

The terrible Grimshaws appear pillars of kindness and charity to the community, due to maintaining friendships with people in high places. 

But they are far from that.

The foster kids are used as a source of income through generous donations for the children’s care. In reality, they are treated with heartless cruelty.

Finn is locked in the basement for great lengths of time. But his resourceful nature and strong-mind has discovered ways to really educate himself.

He has cultivated a friendship with Riya, from an apartment opposite, via flashlight signals and notes hidden in a special place.

Friday, 11 April 2025

Review: Aisle Nine

It’s the end of the world. Bloodthirsty demons from your worst nightmares have broken through portals and the world will never be safe again.

But don’t fret too much. The Vanguard Corporation has taken control of the situation. They have a huge military. They patrol the danger zones and fight the monsters. And they keep everyone safe. 

State of the art apps alert you when a demon breaks free. You get points for following the rules and clicking the links Vanguard wants you to. Life has pretty much gone back to normal. 

As long as you don’t ask too many questions.

Thursday, 10 April 2025

Meet The Illustrator: Allison Black

Name:
Allison Black

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Playful, bold, and colourful art that engages, delights, and tells stories.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
My computer, Wacom tablet, notepad and pen, a glass of water, and a pet - whether a dog by my feet or a guinea pig in my lap!

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
For most commercial work, I prefer to create art digitally using Illustrator and Photoshop. This allows me to experiment, develop multiple versions, and edit quickly. However, I love painting murals and hope to do more work in this area.

Wednesday, 9 April 2025

Review: The Wonderful World of Carnivorous Plants

The Wonderful World of Carnivorous Plants, is another tour through nature and its amazing creatures.

Carnivorous plants hold many secrets.

They are eclectic with their food choices and are meat-eaters by necessity. Few are vegetarians.

 Over time they have mastered the skill of catching the type of food they need to survive.

A good example is the Venus Flytrap, that snacks on spiders, flies, and mosquitoes amongst other living delicacies.