Review: The Wild Unknown

With the rapid escalation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recent years, it’s not so hard to imagine a world – twenty years from now – where each human has a personal AI bot and most jobs are performed by bots.

This is exactly the world Emily Gale has imagined in her middle-grade tech adventure novel, The Wild Unknown.

Set in 2045, Year 6 student Eddie lives in a world where bots keep tabs on everything he does. They’re useful, yes, but also a little intrusive at times and not everyone fully embraces these tech advances.

Sometimes, Eddie takes his mica earbud out so its not aware of what he’s up to.

Eddie’s dad refuses to use the Goodbot delivery service.

Review: Is This a Plum?

The first word that springs to mind with this debut book is charming, followed quickly by hilarious! Father and son team but not in the usual sense [thinking of examples like Anthony and Joe Browne] because this father mostly works in theatrical creativity (Aardman Animations) and this son is only 8 years old! It's Dan and Finn Ojari. But, much like Anthony Browne, this pair found humour and stories in shapes while they were drawing one day.

As it happens when drawing a plum, they realised that the shape of that fruit rather resembles a hippo's bum - and away they went. Combining cut-outs and call-and-response format each page asks a question e.g. Is this a spider? which it certainly looks like in the cut-out, but upon turning the page we find out that NO! it's a tiger! I know right, hard to see the connection but you will. 

12 Curly Questions with children's author Yvette Farmer

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.

Sometimes when I’m bushwalking alone I like to have a chat with the trees and currawongs.

2. What is your nickname?
Vettie. When I was little my parents called me 'chops'. 

Meet the Illustrator: Clare Yang

Name, title, location
Clare Yang, Picture Book Illustrator, Sydney, Australia

Describe your illustration style in ten words or fewer.
Warm, observant, playful, nature-filled stories with gentle humour.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
An iPad, sketchbooks, traditional art materials and a growing wall of picture books are always within reach. 

However, the real heroes are my ergonomic chair and iPad stand. I spent the last three months illustrating my second picture book almost entirely in Procreate, and honestly, I don't think my shoulders or back would have survived without them.

Review: Storm

Do you get mesmerised by a storm and love to look out the window? This book is for you!

Storm is such a beautifully presented book that it could easily sit proudly on a coffee table. I was captivated by its fold-out spread. Written by Claire and illustrated by Jess, this well-researched title is one book in a collection that invites readers to look closely at the wonders of our world. It is a joy to read aloud. Claire’s thoughtful use of verbs immediately draws the reader in and creates that wonderful urge to keep turning the page to discover more.

Sunday Shelfie - Home

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome Rory H. Mather and Matt Shanks. This week we are celebrating their delightful new picture book Home.

Home is where the heart is, and no matter where you roam, you are always welcome here. There’s no place quite like home. 

Some live in the suburbs and others in the city. Some by the beach and some in the bush. Wherever it is you live, home is where your heart is

Written by Rory H. Mather
Illustrated by Matt Shanks
Published by Scholastic Australia 

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Interview: Authors Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner

    

After turning fairytale conventions upside down in Lady’s Knight, Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner return with One Knight Stand—a sequel bursting with more adventure, sharp wit and plenty of heart. With cursed villages, sea monsters and medieval selfies on the horizon, the duo once again blends laugh-out-loud humour with thoughtful reflections on friendship, identity and what it truly means to be a hero. We spoke with Amie and Megan about returning to Gwen and Isobelle’s world, writing comedy with heart, and the enduring power of love in all its forms.

Review: One Knight Stand

One Knight Stand by Amie Kaufman and Megan Spooner returns readers to the wonderfully chaotic world first introduced in Lady's Knight—and it is every bit as clever, witty and delightfully entertaining as fans will hope.

Packed with sword fights, schemes, banter and a healthy dose of absurdity, One Knight Stand embraces all the fun of fantasy while simultaneously poking fun at it. Kaufman and Spooner clearly know the genre inside out, and the novel is filled with glorious intertextuality and knowing little winks to the reader. From playful nods to classic fantasy tropes through to the hilariously clever chapter titles—which each appear somewhere within their respective chapters—there is a sense that the authors are inviting readers in on the joke.

Review: Danny Go’s Volcano Adventure

Is your young reader ready for a challenge? This interactive picture book will take them into a world of volcanoes, hot lava and avoiding danger at every turn.

Danny Go! is a popular YouTube show that is designed to entertain and activate kindergarten children with songs, stories and movement. One of his most popular videos is The Floor is Lava. This now takes the lava to another level.

Review: A Flash in the Dust

A Flash in the Dust by Meg Caddy is a gripping new young adult novel that had me hooked from the first page. Set in 1899 Western Australia, the story starts in Fremantle Asylum where Gilberta Brady has lived in peace for the past three years. 

When Norah Devaney arrives kicking and screaming in the middle of the night, calling for revenge on ‘the Whistling Man’ who killed her mum, Gilberta’s peace is ruined. They escape the asylum together and meet Kedalak and Malkar, two Indigenous brothers who help them on their harrowing journey home. The four of them form unlikely friendships while on the hunt to track down the man who killed Norah’s mum.

This book is a reminder that queer people have always existed, and while fictional, it reflects the hardships and attitudes faced by queer people of that time. I felt the queer representation was presented in a beautiful and authentic way, and it felt natural rather than forced or overdone.

I would have loved to spend more time in the setting of the asylum, as it created such an eerie atmosphere and was such an interesting and unique setting to explore. 

Review: The Dust Bowl, 1935: I Survived series

My introduction to the work of John Steinbeck was watching the movie adaptation of The Grapes of Wrath aged around 11/12 and thereafter, reading my father’s copy of the book plus all his other Steinbecks, including my all-time favourite book Of Mice and Men, also set in this period (what a writer that man was!). Both these books underlined the gravity of both the Depression and the Dust Bowl as well as the desperation of the poor, especially the farming people.

Now, Lauren Tarshis, chooses the same scenario for her 25th I Survived historical novel, bringing this terrible and desperate period of American history to a young audience. While it is true the Great Depression affected many around the world and created unimaginable hardships, those in America and Canada affected by the Dust Bowl had double the misfortune. 

Review: The House That Walked Away

I have heard over the years that when coming up with a title for a picture book one should avoid being too clever. Just say what the book is about without giving too much away. There is definitely no confusion when it comes to Simon Howe’s new release The House that Walked Away. If indeed you do need a little more assistance, the little house casually strolling down the path will help you out.

A lot can be said about that little house, even before you open the book. Instantly recognisable is the one door, two windows and a chimney, (well two actually) construction that is the go-to design when a child draws a house for the first time. It has a face of sorts, making it ‘alive’ and with its almost scale like shimmering tiled arms and legs, there is no doubt that this little house has character and a unique personality. All of this combined make for the perfect book cover that children will pick up wanting desperately to know what the story is all about. Well done Simon.

And what about that story? It begins, ‘Once there was a house that didn’t feel at home.’ What a great opening line. I’m sure many of us can completely relate to that sentence. What I love is that this little house decided to do something about it.

The House that Walked Away follows the little house as it searches for somewhere that ‘feels right’. Somewhere that feels like home. Discontent, It never stays in one place for long as nowhere seems to fit, or perhaps it feels that it, doesn’t fit anywhere. One day a family notices this little house and begins to follow it. That’s when everything changes.

With under 200 words this may come across as a picture book with a simple story, but I can assure you it is not. Those words have been perfectly chosen and combined with the illustrations create something unexpectantly emotional.

Let me just take a moment to give credit to those illustrations as they rightly deserve. To begin Simon has created a house full of hope and yearning. A house…. with emotions…. that is a marvel in itself, but it just gets better from there.

Composition wise, the book changes from full spreads to an almost graphic novel approach, perfectly enabling the story to flow without the overuse of text. Then the colour is added, and what glorious colour it is. Simon has chosen the perfect colour palette and uses it expertly to show emotion throughout the narrative. There is a deep sadness felt in the grey ocean and uplifting hope in the fire red clouds, which also happens to be my favourite page. The painterly texture throughout just adds to the appeal. In short the artwork, and it is art, is stunning. I must also give credit to the choice to print on matt paper instead of gloss.

This may be a book written for children, but the story has such a wider reach. Even as adults we are constantly searching for our tribe. Many of us spend years being restless in jobs or moving and changing friends as we look for a place where we are appreciated just being ourselves. We are always looking for somewhere where we can relax at the end of the day and feel safe. Ultimately we are all looking for somewhere to feel like home. 

Title: The House that Walked Away
Author/Illustrator: Simon Howe
Publisher: Little Hare
Publication Date: May 2026
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761218309
For ages: 5+
Type: Picture book

Review: Butterflies Do Not Ride Their Bikes

Ali Rutstein and Nina Nill have come together again to bring you the latest addition to the bestselling Preschool Problems series Butterflies DO NOT Ride Their Bikes.

I would like to begin by saying that as my children are older I have not read the first three books in the series so I am coming at this with fresh eyes and no expectations. I have however seen the covers of the previous titles and will say this one is just as adorable as the others.

Review: The Lost Defenders

An eclipse only happens every so often.

Normally an event worth anticipating, this particular eclipse has been long-awaited for a more sinister reason.

Jace can see monsters. He wishes he couldn’t because they get him in trouble when all he’s doing is trying to save people from them. Clearly, though, he has no idea what he’s doing because right now, he’s on the brink of expulsion.

Despite having resolved to lay low and ignore what’s in front of him, he realises now is not the time to do that. In fact, he’s just found out that he’s a ‘seer’ – a rare human who can see and communicate with monsters from the other side of the ‘veil’.

Thankfully, he’s not the only one with these skills.

Review: Girls like

‘Girls Like’ is a vibrant and uplifting celebration filled with warmth, energy and heart. Katrina’s rhythmic language flows beautifully across each page while Deb’s bright and expressive illustrations capture creativity, individuality and joy. Together, they have created a book that feels inclusive, empowering and full of possibility.

With 160 girls represented throughout the illustrations, this stunning book celebrates girls in all their strength, personality, interests and uniqueness.

Sunday Shelfie - Filo's Butterflies

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome Litea Fuata and Myo Yim. This week we are celebrating their beautiful picture book Filo’s Butterflies

Filo is going to dance at his aunties’ Samoan wedding! He’s been rehearsing the steps for his first siva fa’ataupati for weeks, but now there are butterflies dancing in his belly. 

As the day goes on, the butterflies grow bigger and bolder. Will they stop him from performing the siva and having a good time? 

Filo’s Butterflies is a charming picture book about how a young Samoan boy calms his nerves before his first siva performance at a family wedding.

Written by Litea Fuata

Illustrated by Myo Yim

Published by Bright Light Publishing 

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