Sunday Shelfie - The Flower Garden

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome Claire Saxby and Lucia Masciullo. 
This week we are celebrating their special new picture book The Flower Garden - A Changi Secret.

A gorgeously illustrated historical picture book about the women and children of the Changi POW camp.

I have a secret – we have a secret –
in this place where secrets are not allowed.

The children in the Changi camp are working on a surprise for Mrs Ennis' birthday. They scavenge for scraps of fabric in every colour, and hide in cornered shadows to stitch flowers. But they must keep their surprise a secret, not just from Mrs Ennis, but from their black-booted captors …

Written by Claire Saxby
Illustrated by Lucinda Masciullo 
Published by Walker Books Australia 

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Review: A Light on the Rocks

The SS Admella was shipwrecked off the coast of South Australia in1859. 

It is one of the worst disasters in Australian maritime history.

Building on the facts of this disaster, Helen Edwards presents two brilliant stories, a  century apart,  in two voices and alternate chapters.

Daisy is fourteen years old at the beginning of August 1859, when she travels on the SS Admella.

She is studying her much-loved Botany, intending that to become her future. 

With her parents and little sister Marigold, the family plans a journey to Melbourne by ship.

Daisy is initially reluctant to board another ship as her journey from England to Australia at three years old, was a terrible experience which remains a beacon of fear in her mind.

Review: Up, Up and Away: The History of Aviation

Those interested in the history, mythology and legends surrounding aviation will be impressed by this publication; this journey through aviation. 

 Presented in immense detail, the contents will delight and fascinate both children and older people. 

Stunning front, end papers depict the sizes of the flying machines, featured together with their length and wingspan, beginning from the largest to the smallest.

Review: Powerful Like A Dragon

A dragon is proud, strong, kind. Be powerful like a dragon.

Words that bolster and build incentive to never give up. Never give in. Especially to the ravages and horrors of war. 

One would think that stories centred around this theme would be a thing of the past and yet, the plight of refugees displaced by senseless conflicts remains a global concern to this day.

Powerful Like a Dragon is a compelling piece of storytelling based on award-winning author, Christopher Cheng’s real-life family history. Caught in the grips of invasion in the midst of World War II, many of Cheng’s extended family made the life-saving decision to flee their homeland in Hong Kong and seek refuge in China.

Review: The Stuff That Stuff Is Made Of

The Stuff that Stuff is made of - Things we make with Plants, is an extraordinary book full of valuable and surprising information about plants and their incredible contribution to humanity.

The cover illustrations draw readers into a beautiful world full of wonder and knowledge. 

The artwork by Raxenne Maniquiz and Jiatong Liu, is stunning. So is their innovative design and use of colour. 

Review: The Legend of Jessie Hickman

Who was Jessie Hickman?

The end pages give a clue to all that she became. 

Once again, Mark Greenwood's trademark sharp and detailed prose, surprises. 

Jessie’s life is laid out in entertaining words and actions that match her countless abilities. 

She was a legend; feisty and fearless. A girl who travelled in a bush circus from an early age and learnt many skills. She got to be known as the Amazing Miss Jessie! 

Her earliest feat was to walk the tightrope before she was ten. 

Review: The Village Beyond the Mist

It is holiday time for Lina. She is not going to her usual destination, but somewhere different, where her father sends her. 

She is headed for Misty Valley, also known as Absurd Avenue. 

She discovers the reason for this name is due to the unusual occurrences that continuously take place, and the oddest people that come and go in this place. 

It turns out to be exactly what her father called it. Different! 

She ends up at Picotto Hall, owned by the elderly and crusty, Pippity Picotto. A strange and mysterious boarding house where the boarders earn their keep in one form or another. 

Lina is allocated The Clown Room, with the most perfect surroundings and her own bathroom. 

Review: Britannica All New Children's Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don't

Britannica All New Children's Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don't is divided into eight chapters and packed with facts and figures.

Did you know that more than 99.9% of species that have ever existed are not extinct?

Have you ever heard of a quark (part of a proton)?  

This is the perfect browsable encyclopedia, presented with numerous diagrams, timelines, illustrations, and infographics that give it significant visual appeal.

It covers a broad range of subjects, from the endless skies of the universe, and the wonder of the earth, to the human body, ancient history, and the potential of new and emerging technology.

Review: Reach For The Sky

Stories that quietly set your soul soaring are not always abundant. 

To relay a tale based on true life with the perfect balance of sensitivity and fact without sinking into a mire of sentimentality requires a deft narrative voice and strong will, attributes Singaporean author, Evelyn Sue Wong has in spades.

Reach For the Sky records the story of her father and his big sky dream; to fly. 

I am not unfamiliar with notions of ‘dreaming big and flying high’, being well acquainted with a plucky little pigeon (aka Pippa) with similar aspirations. The major difference between Robert Shun Wong and afore mentioned pigeon however is that one has wings and one had to build his own. And build them, he does.

Review: The Pull of the Moon

Coralie, an intelligent and outspoken teenager on the cusp of early adolescence. 

She lives with her parents on the ghostly and remote Christmas Island. 

Located in the Indian Ocean, the area is famous for its red crab migration and the small and threatened bat species, the pipistrelle.

It is also known for its countless arrivals of boat people.

Mum is a bat specialist, currently researching the disappearance of these tiny bats from the previously over-populated area. 

She is dedicated to her work and due to this, her family takes second place in her life, which includes lengthy absences from home. 

These absences have psychological consequences for Coralie, and her dad who runs a small diving business for tourists. 

Guest Post: Aaron Uscilla on Equipping Kids with Critical Lenses: A Look at the Sayings We Use

We all do it. We pepper our conversations with little nuggets of wisdom, those common sayings passed down through generations. 

Curiosity killed the cat, we might warn a too inquisitive child. Or, Blood is thicker than water, we say to emphasize family loyalty. 

These phrases are catchy, memorable, and roll off the tongue so easily. They seem to wrap up big ideas in neat little packages.

But what if these familiar lines are only part of the story? What if the wisdom we think we are sharing is, well, a bit incomplete? 

Review: Mavis The Little Plane Spotter

This picture book is an absolute gem. Opening it is like stepping into a gorgeous moment of history. 

I was instantly entranced by the end-papers with their hand-drawn memorabilia, the silhouettes of friendly and enemy planes and many other interesting tid bits.

Then, I turned the page and was gobsmacked to learn that both author Angela Toniolo and illustrator Shannon Melvillle, are the direct descendants of women who performed as enemy plane spotters during the second world war. 

I got goosebumps on my goosebumps, and the story hadn’t even begun!

Review: The Boy Who Didn't Want To Die

One doesn’t often read a graphic novel that is autobiographical. I think Raymond Briggs’ is the only one I can recall off the top of my head, but this one by Holocaust survivor and British scientist Peter Lantos BEM FMedSci is an example of how powerful this format can be.

While it deals with an episode of history that is both terrifying and confronting, the format and the narrative from a child’s perspective means it is less so for younger readers, while still delivering factual information.

Peter Lantos, a Hungarian Jew, was 5 years old when he and his parents were deported to Bergen-Belsen, where his father subsequently died. 

Through many adverse and frightening situations, Peter and his mother survived Belsen, and while they were liberated by the US Army, they were, by that time, in Magdeburg which became Soviet occupied territory.

Junior Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Victor Hugo, unfortunately not related to our protagonist, once said, 'Life is the flower for which love is the honey.' 

Author Taylor Jenkin Reid brings this quote to life in her historical drama, romance novel, which focuses on the glamorous life of former Hollywood hot-shot Evelyn Hugo. 

Through her writing, Reid demonstrates that true love is unsuspecting, taking the reader on a wild rollercoaster ride of Evelyn Hugo’s life from the 1950s to 1980s.

The novel starts off by introducing us to Evelyn Herrera, a young Cuban girl who grew up in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, with no money & just a simple dream to become an actress on the Hollywood stage. 

She left home by marrying neighborhood boy, Ernie Diaz, to chase her sunset dreams but quickly learned that Hollywood doesn’t have any leading roles for brunette Latinas. 

Review: Bold Ben Hall

Bold Ben Hall is set in Canowindra, NSW,1863 . An era of bushrangers, mail coaches and police who are far more corrupt than the outlaws they chase. American Cob & Co has begun making coaches in Australia.

Common to the times, minds are influenced by gossip and people in high positions.

The intelligent and strong-minded thirteen-year-old Lily Jordan is the only child of two actors touring with a theatre company. For her future stability, Lily's parents have decided to send her to a school for young ladies.

Lily doesn’t want to go. Travelling from place to place, seeing new things and meeting different people, is more of an education in her opinion. And the thought of her being separated from her parents is devastating.

Review: Every Rock Has a Story - An A to Z of Australian Geology

How well do we know our country? 

We set out on a journey of adventure and discovery through Australia’s landscapes to test our knowledge.

Every Rock Has a Story - An A to Z of Australian Geology, goes through the alphabet, answering that question with a plethora of valuable information encompassed between its stunning covers and end pages.

Beneath each letter has a subject title. A Fact box at the bottom contains historical and educational information that will amaze.

Review: The Lost Book of Magic

The Lost Book of Magic is set in the Depression era of 1895, Melbourne, Victoria,

Poverty and drought has swamped the State to the point where, even the butcher’s meager bone remains taste like a banquet.

Amidst this lack, business at the Coles Book Arcade in Bourke Street, is slowing significantly.

Mr and Mrs Coles with their two eldest children sail off to Sydney.

Due to the slump, they are considering closing the store and opening one in a more viable location to secure the children’s livelihood.

Pearl and Valentine remain to keep shop under the watchful eye of the Manager, Mr Pike. 

Pearl decides to use her limited magic to spruce up neglected areas. Removing this financial pressure, she hopes her parents will reconsider the move.

Are We There Yet? 20th Anniversary Edition

This 2005 CBCA Picture Book of the year, encapsulates all that we love about Alison Lester’s stratospheric journey as a children’s book creator. 

It was pure delight to unwrap this brand new, sparkling, coppery-golden foiled 20th anniversary version of the book for review. Told through the voice of eight-year-old Grace, this new incarnation of the book has not aged a jot.

Lester is a national treasure and it is easy to see why. Two decades on, this book is still delightfully fresh, funny and relevant. Timeless family dynamics and developmental stages are chaotically and tenderly rendered in both words and pictures.

Review: Guinness World records 2025 – The Next Chapter Of Record Breaking 70th Anniversary Edition

One Christmas morning a long, long time ago my big sister unwrapped a shiny green copy of The Guiness Book Of Records and I was SO, SO, SO JELLY!

I got over it though, and then we spent whole days of the summer poring over that miraculous book – marvelling at the unbelievable photos and records, and vowing to one day break a record of our own (which we never did).

In 2025, Guiness World Records is celebrating its 70^th year of publication. 

It contains a chapter celebrating the book’s evolution in terms of design and inclusions over seven decades, and all the special extras that you’d expect and love from such a publication – including items that didn’t make it to print over the years. It’s such a mind-boggling treat to wander through!

Guinness World Records 2025 Gamer's Edition

The Gamer’s Edition of Guinness World Records 2025, is really a record-breaking video game compendium, full of interesting facts and figures that will enhance your gaming experience and quite possibly leave you in a state of awe.

This colourful, dynamic book is laid out in a magazine style similar to it’s older sibling, The Guinness Book of World Records. 

Being a paperback rather than a hardcover, it’s perhaps a little more accessible and definitely easier to hold for long periods! Plus it has popping sub-heads and interesting pictures. 

Described as a ‘must have for gaming afficionados’ this book celebrates the greatest achievements in video gaming.