Review: Learning You By Heart

Some books beg to be read aloud while you’re snuggled up with the ones you love. Sarah Wallace’s newest book, illustrated by Michelle Conn, is one of those books.

A lullaby for a precious child, Learning You By Heart captures a mother’s absolute devotion to her child as she delights in every smile, every touch and every breath.

 
Learning something ‘by heart’ usually refers to the rote memorisation of times tables, spelling words or scientific formulae at school. It involves close observation, repeated actions and intense focus.

Review: The Game of Oaths

It's 1896 in Paris, where the Game of Oaths is held annually underneath the glittering spectacle of the magical Cirque des Ombres. But behind the sparkling spectacle, the circus performers are bound to the ringmaster Enchanteur Jean-Pierre by magical contracts - meaning the performers can never leave. 

Every year, 12 performers are chosen to take part in the Game of Oaths, an underground, brutal tournament watched by the elite - however, only the winner will make it out alive. 

Haunted by the death of her sister in the game the year prior, when seventeen year old Falan is selected to take part, she only has one thing on her mind - revenge. 

As she is thrown into a world of shifting alliances, dangerous magic and blood-thirsty opponents, Falan must decide who she can trust to help her win the game and fulfil her quest for revenge. 

Review: The Not So Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau

Like most people I opened The Not so Quiet Life of Marcel Marceau knowing very little about the man beyond the typical mime gags. After reading, I was actually disappointed in myself that I had never learned more, for Marcel Marceau was a truly exceptional human being. From fleeing his home in Strasburg as a child and watching friends and family being marched off to concentration camps, to joining the French Resistance and being instrumental in saving countless lives. This was all before becoming a world famous performer who was still touring the world, well into his 80’s.

Review: Australian Geographic - World's Most Extreme

Would you rather be a capybara and stay underwater for up to five minutes or a bee hummingbird and fly backwards with incredible precision?

From the moment I picked up Australian Geographic: World's Most Extreme, I was hooked. This is the kind of non-fiction title that invites readers to dive straight in and explore.

Several features immediately caught my attention. The title sparked my curiosity, the textured cover added another layer of appeal, and the animal-print endpapers had me smiling before I even turned the first page.

The format makes this book highly accessible for readers of all ages. Each continent is explored, allowing readers to travel the world and discover fascinating creatures. Clear headings help readers navigate the text, while intriguing subheadings encourage them to keep reading. Fast fact inserts provide bite-sized information, and the stunning photographs bring every page to life.

For educators, this book offers countless opportunities for classroom learning. It provides a wonderful springboard for geographical investigations as learners explore where animals live around the world and compare continents, environments and ecosystems. The fascinating facts and measurements throughout the book create authentic opportunities for mathematical thinking as learners compare, estimate and order sizes, speeds and weights.

Science lessons can be enriched through investigations into living things, adaptations, habitats and the remarkable features that help animals survive in their environments. The stunning photographs also make this a valuable resource for art, encouraging learners to examine colour, texture, scale, composition and the power of photography to tell a story.

One of the strengths of this title is its ability to spark wonder. Readers will find themselves sharing facts, asking questions and making connections long after they close the book.

This is one title in a series, and I can confidently say I need every single one on my shelf.

Highly recommended for classrooms, libraries and curious readers who love discovering the incredible world around them.

Title: Australian Geographic -World's Most Extreme
Creator: Australian Geographic
Publisher: Hardie Grant Children's Publishing
Publication Date: 28 April, 2026
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781761218064
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Non-fiction

Review: Daddy Bear

There’s something extra special about a child’s relationship with their father. 

And there are some things, like this relationship, that simply can't be celebrated enough.

Rory H. Mather and Helene Magisson capture the essence of this relationship in their delightful picture book, Daddy Bear – a gentle and heartwarming peek into a child’s beautiful bond with their daddy.

Review: Survival Show

Set in a future shaped by climate disaster, inequality and society’s obsession with entertainment, Survival Show by Juno Dawson transforms the familiar world of reality television into something far more sinister.

After devastating floods destroy their home, Taryn Beck and her family are forced to relocate as refugees. Struggling to survive in a society where food, housing and healthcare are increasingly limited, the pressure on Taryn’s family becomes unbearable — especially when her younger brother Jenson relies on medication to stay alive. Desperate for a way to support her family, Taryn auditions for Starmaker, the country’s biggest reality television show.

At first, Starmaker appears to offer everything audiences love about talent competitions: glittering costumes, dramatic performances, celebrity judges and the promise of fame. But beneath the glitz lies something much darker. In this dystopian future, contestants are literally competing for their lives, with eliminated participants executed as part of “Project Population”, a government initiative designed to reduce the strain on society’s resources.

Sunday Shelfie - The Frumpling

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome Jo Vanderborgh and Jo Beasley.

This week we are celebrating their delightful picture book The Frumpling. 

The Frumpling lived a lonely life, this book will tell you why.

He smelled and looked so squaffy, every beast just walked on by.

Except for one . . .

An endearing tale of help from unlikely friends . . . and the transformative power of a good wash!

Written by Jo Vanderborgh

Illustrated by Jo Beasley

Published by Walker Books Australia 

Visit Picture Book Book Club  @picturebookbc on Instagram. 

Review: Green Cities: How Green Infrastructure Helps Heal the Planet

Green Cities: How Green Infrastructure Helps Heal the Planet, a book by Sheila Boudreau and Katy Dockrill, is an introductory exploration of nature in the urban environment, emphasising the importance of green spaces and green infrastructure.

It’s got a modern, yet retro feel, and is filled with bright illustrations, colourful text boxes, and lots of green to match the theme. The design uses plenty of subheadings and every turn of a page offers visual elements. 

It starts by looking at the history of cities and how city planning can be transformed and improved by working with biodiversity and even creating a walkable city. It also considers the impact of climate change and the way building cities can contribute greenhouse gases, heat islands, and the risk of water pollution.

Review: Fearless Finn

Finn is a young modern day knight in shining armour. He is on a hero quest to defeat a dragon that has caused chaos in his village. Donning his home made armour of a cardboard breastplate, saucepan helmet, saucepan lid for a shield and a broom for a sword, he sets off on his mission to find and conquer the fire-breathing dragon that has left a path of destruction.

But when he finally meets the foe, he discovers that this dragon is not as dangerous or fierce as he first thought. Can Finn be the hero perhaps in a completely different way?

12 Curly Questions with author Stephanie Owen Reeder

It's a delight to welcome back  author, researcher and illustrator, Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder, who first answered our 12 Curly Questions back in 2015! Check that version out right here, and enjoy this fresh update on a remarkable creator.

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you.
One of my manuscripts has been rejected by 23 publishers since I first wrote it in 1986. Although my motto as a writer is ‘Never Give Up!’, after 40 years of trying, it may finally be time to accept that this one is unpublishable.

2. What is your nickname?
As a child, my three younger siblings called me Neffie, as ‘Stephanie’ was too hard for them to pronounce. My latest nickname is ‘Dame Stephanie’ – bestowed upon me by my cheeky coffee-club friends after I was awarded an Order of Australia Medal this year.

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 

Visit Picture Book Book Club  @picturebookbc on Instagram.