Review: Flipper and Finnegan

Based on a real event in 2001, Flipper and Finnegan is the story of two Little penguins, and how hand knitted jumpers from a caring community helped save them after an oil spill. 

The story begins by describing Flipper and Finnigan’s cosy home and environment on Phillip Island. Details of their days and evenings are beautifully portrayed. When disaster strikes, Flipper, Finnegan and their penguin friends endure a scary journey covered in oil. A brighter ending prevails thanks to wildlife rangers and the kindness of many people knitting tiny jumpers to help the affected penguins.

I especially adore Anil Tortop’s illustrations, her use of colour and lighting express time, place and mood wonderfully while her characters are cute and loveable. 

Review: Bush Magic

Bush Magic is the story of a rainy day turned into a joyous creative adventure starring Jarrah and her grandpa.

When their weekly bush adventure appears to be a dismal washout, Grandpa and Jarrah craft their way into an imaginative journey instead. Sailing away in a huge leaf, they encounter giant jellyfish and discover stranded bush animals. What else will they find? Will they be able to help the animals? An enjoyable expedition prevails.

Review: Wild Australian Life

Wild Australian Life is a fabulous educational resource with an abundance of detail about creatures, their habitats and the signs of them in our environment.

The book has over 60 pages of fascinating facts, and curious discoveries found in Australia. Each spread explores a different topic, including Magnificent Mammals, Skulls & Skeletons, Feathers, Radical Reptiles, Metamorphosis, Pond Life and many more. It also includes an introduction, clear contents page, classification chart of living things, and a detailed index.

One of my favourite topics covered is Mysterious Monotremes which focuses on the fascinating details of Australia’s unique echidna and platypus; the mammals who lay eggs! 

Review: The Best Cat, the Est Cat

The Best Cat the Est Cat is more than just a story, it’s a fabulous guided tour of the State Library of NSW hosted by a magical mystical cat! 

Step inside the grand doors, embrace a little magic then explore the rooms, a gallery and take a lift deep underground. You’ll learn that not only books live at this library, but also history, knowledge, secrets, even ghosts in the walls. Discover old and obscure objects like the smallest book and the biggest map! The bravest, the boldest, the best and many more ‘ests’, the Best Cat shares them all! 

Review: Slow Down… and Sleep Tight

Following on from Slow Down with wholesome nature exploration at an even more relaxed bedtime pace, Slow Down… and Sleep Tight is the perfect modern lullaby.

The book begins with gorgeous flowing rhymes which make you want to snuggle up and embrace the evening. It then journeys through 7 spreads saying goodnight to creatures and nature of the day, and then through 4 of the night and dawn. Each spread explores a brief story with facts to absorb before leading you to the next. 

Review: A Perfect Pig

Anton likes everything to be just right, from the part in his hair to the placement of food on his plate. So when it comes to planning his best friend Lola’s surprise birthday party, he has a picture of perfection in his vision. 

When Anton’s mission figuratively and literally tumbles in another direction, he’s perplexed but powers on without complaint. He pedals through the rain, even when mud splatters and his tired piggy legs feel like jelly.

After a busy, bewildering morning, it’s time for Lola’s party, will everything turn out as Anton had hoped? A joyous message about friendship, carrying on and finding perfection in imperfection prevails. 

Review: Baz & Benz

In Baz & Benz, two delightful owl characters take readers on a cute and thought provoking exploration of true friendship. 

As Baz and Benz sit wide-eyed in a tree in the afternoon light, Baz the small owl asks Benz if they are friends, in sure confidence Benz answers that they are in fact ‘bestest friends’. Then, like an inquisitive child, Baz continues, page-by-page through the night and into the morning with a series of curious but innocent questions about their friendship, Baz even tests their bond along the way. 

Review: Santa Jaws

Santa Jaws is a fishy, festive, rhyming story of a shark and a squid, set in the deep sea on Christmas eve.

When a clever Christmas loving shark named Shelly sets out to share some cheerful fun with the other ocean animals, they steer clear, assuming it is a trick or a trap; after all Shelly is a shark. Then, a wide-eyed squid named Sid who also loves Christmas is lured into Shelly’s dark cave by the temptation to meet Santa Claus, many moments of anticipation prevail. 

Review: Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish

A fascinating resource about the Critically Endangered Spotted Handfish which explores marine habitats, conservation, threats and life cycles, published by the CSIRO.

Review: Hello Jimmy!

A beautiful new tile from Anna Walker about a boy, his dad, and a parrot named Jimmy. 

Hello, Jimmy! quickly sets the scene of a boy named Jack at home with his dad, a beautifully produced sense of unfamiliarity and still silences suggests that the father is recently separated and his relationship with Jack is undergoing circumstantial changes. 

When Dad introduces Jack to his new pet; a parrot named Jimmy, Jack isn’t thrilled. Despite Jimmy’s popularity, and ability to fill silences with his amusing, squawky confidence, Jack seems a little annoyed by the talented, green, long-tailed bird.

Review: The Kiosk

The Kiosk is a story about being stuck and the unpredictable journey of a character named Olga.

Olga has been working at the kiosk a long time, she knows all the regular customers, the times they arrive and their unique traits. From a man with a crazy dog and a toddler who screams for a lollipop, to the tourists who can never find the modern art museum, Olga is always there to assist.

The illustrations and text work together to subtly explain that Olga has grown obese during her time at the kiosk. She physically can’t leave, so she spends her nights there; squished up next to soda cans, reading magazines and distantly dreaming of travel to a place with splendid sunsets. Then, in a series of events, Olga’s world literally and figuratively turns upside down, resulting in a new beginning and refreshing change.

Review: Nala the Koala

Nala the Koala is a beautiful, heartfelt story about a koala’s search for a new home, it relates to recent events in Australia and touches on loss, environments and community spirit. 

In a disaster which will be recognisable to those aware of the 2019 Australian bushfires, a koala named Nala has lost her home.

Review: A Crocodile in the Family

A Crocodile in the Family is an uplifting story about family in all forms set in the Australian bush.

When a delightful family of birds stumble upon a lonesome little egg, they take it home and care for it like it’s their own. When the egg cracks and a smiling crocodile pops out, the birds are thrilled to meet their new family member, taking him in their stride and adapting to his needs.

Review: Ten Sleepy Sheep

Ten Sleepy Sheep is an adorable board book set on a farm in the Australian bush.

Gently counting animals who are ready for bed down from ten sheep to one snuggly, sleepy joey, this new book from Renée Treml is as sweet as they come. Each spread features a group of gorgeous, very sleepy animals to count, including puppies, foals, calves, ducklings, lizards and more.

I adore the Australian farm themed illustrations, featuring delicately drawn line art of flora and fauna with soft pastel background colours, they set a dreamy sense of open space and rich night skies. 

Review: Vlad's Bad Breath

Vlad’s Bad Breath is an amusing, rhyming story about dental hygiene and a young vampire who refuses to brush his teeth.

It’s been years since Vlad brushed or flossed his teeth. His mother is distraught and even his cat looks concerned. When other relatives start to comment on his bad breath, Vlad feels upset and mistaken. The story dives deeper into Vlad's emotions to discover he has a decent reason for this neglect to his dental hygiene.

Review: The Happy Lion

Originally published in 1954, The Happy Lion is a classic story of a cheerful, friendly Lion set in France.

In a zoo, in the middle of town lives the Happy Lion, unperplexed that he is surrounded by a moat and fence, the Lion is pleased to be greeted daily by townspeople going about their business. ‘Bonjour Happy Lion’ they would say across the water and he would cheerfully wave and smile in return. 

Review: We’re going on a Treasure Hunt

We’re going on a Treasure Hunt is an exciting, lift the flaps book which follows a group of bunnies on their treasure hunting adventure.

Join four bunnies on a melodic journey to find 10 golden coins. Beginning on a beach on a beautiful sunny day, they sail the sea, travel over stepping stones, traipse through an island jungle, walk across swaying bridges and find something which sends them running swiftly back again. 

Review: Beware! Ralfy Rabbit and the Secret Book Biter

A heartwarming story about book lover Ralfy Rabbit and the mystery of the bite mark found in his book.

Ralfy Rabbit loves all kinds of books and nothing more than snuggling up to read in a quiet environment. When his baby brother Rodney cries, shrieks, rattles, clangs, bangs and more Ralfy’s serenity is ruined, he tries all sorts of things to escape the noises of his little brother.

Review: There's a Zoo in my Poo

There’s a Zoo in my Poo takes an educational and amusing look at gut health and how an array of bugs work together to process food through our bodies.

Broken into nine sections such as You are a Bug, All about the Poo Train, Bugs in our Guts, Your Poo and You, Feed your Zoo and more, each includes fun rhymes, facts and scientific explanations.

Review: The Sloth and the Dinglewot

A flowing, rhyming story of Samuel sloth who craves adventure beyond the banks of his home in the Lazy Lagoon, and the thrills he encounters when he overcomes his fears with an intriguing feathered friend by his side.

Days are slow in the Lazy Lagoon where a sloth family laze, stretch and yawn, too slow for Samuel who yearns to explore. Despite his family thinking he’s crazy, Samuel climbs to the top of the trees where he catches a glimmer of something funny and feathery darting around; a jingly jangly bird called the Dinglewot Jinglewot Dingledum Dee.