• Children's & Young Adult Books,  History

    More Australian history adventures for kids: ‘Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger’ by Jackie French

    I’m delighted that my final book review post for 2025 is another brilliant historical fiction for middle-grade readers by Jackie French. Did I mention I am a fan? Maybe once or twice…

    The reason is that she effortlessly tells stories about Australia’s past that ignite imagination and a passion to know more, wrapped up in tales of adventure featuring characters we can both admire and relate to.

    Tigg is such a character. Growing up an orphan on the fringes of the rough and dangerous Victorian goldfields of the 1850’s, Tigg has had to learn many things to survive. Under the less-than-careful eye of ‘Ma Murphy’ who runs a shanty on the diggings but gambles and drinks most of the takings, Tigg has learnt how to grow vegetables from her neighbour, a Chinese gardener; bush skills from Mrs O’Hare, a Wadawurrung woman; and reading and writing from ‘Gentleman Once’, who used to be a teacher at a grand school for English boys.

    She has also learnt how to be a bushranger.

    Disguised as a boy, she holds up coaches on the way to and from the diggings, but only ever takes half of passengers’ money, and never anything precious like a wedding ring. And she only robs to get money so that Mr Ah Song can pay rent for the land he gardens.

    But one day everything goes very badly wrong and Tigg has to go into hiding, until a plan can be hatched to smuggle her out of danger – disguised this time as a Chinese man on his way to the goldfields. To do this, she must join with hundreds of other desperate, poor and hungry Chinese on what became known as the ‘Long Walk’, a journey across unmarked territory of hundreds of miles, facing thirst, hunger – and attacks from angry white men and sometimes even children.

    So the author weaves in another of the astonishing stories from Australian history; one that has until relatively recently been hidden or forgotten. The shameful racism directed specifically against Chinese people which reared its ugly head during the gold rush period of the mid 1800s. It persisted for decades, manifested in the so-called ‘White Australia Policy’ of the early 1900s and, it could be argued, rose again with politicians like Pauline Hanson seeing an opportunity to score points on the back of anti-Asian sentiment.

    The power of Jackie French’s writing for children is that she is not afraid to introduce these topics for younger readers. She treats her readers with respect, knowing that children can learn about difficult things that have happened in the past and reflect on how they have impacted on the present. Seeing the nineteenth century world of colonial Australia through the eyes of someone like Tigg allows a perspective other than our own, like putting on a magic pair of glasses or stepping into a time machine. Tigg grows up in an environment of poverty, deprivation, surrounded by racists and opportunists – but also by people of many races, and people of generosity and kindness. In other words, people.

    Towards the end of the novel, Tigg discusses the appalling attacks she has witnessed with a businessman she comes to know, hoping he can do something to help:

    ‘You’re a wealthy businessman. I want you to convince the colonies’ parliaments to welcome the Chinese into Australia.’

    He looked at her, amused. ‘I am afraid that is beyond my ability.’

    … ‘Why?’ demanded Tigg. ‘The Chinese here are peaceful and hard-working and have skills the colonies need.’

    ‘None of which matters in the slightest. The Chinese look different, and that is enough. Starving miners need to think there is at least one class more miserable than themselves, and so they choose the Chinese, or indeed any Asian to look down on, be afraid of, or hate. Don’t you have a slightly easier request?’

    Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger pp277-278

    So we go into Tigg’s world, not wanting to put the book down when it’s lights out time or we are tired. We want to keep reading because we care about Tigg and all the other amazing but believable characters around her.

    Jackie French’s novels can do that. They are magic.

    Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger is published by HarperCollins Childrens’ Books in December 2024.
    My thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Celebrate the difference: ‘Hank and Bee’ by Kate Ryan

    There is a growing number of publications for children, illuminating and celebrating difference. Hank and Bee, by Australian children’s author Kate Ryan, is one.

    A sweet little picture book, it’s all about autism and ADHD, exploring how neurodivergent children can bring unexpected and welcome talents and abilities to many situations.

    Rumbunctious pup Hank loves to chase and play all day with his tiny friend Bee, sometimes upsetting the flowers with his rolling and his tail-flicking. But when Bee loses his hive and needs to find his way home, it’s Hank’s amazing sense of smell that guides them on their way.

    Together, the friends just can’t be beaten.

    The simple, appealing text is nicely illustrated by Uliana B.
    A lovely addition to the picture book world and one which will help very young children understand themselves and their friends a little better.

    Hank and Bee is published by Kare Ryan in 2024.
    My thanks to the author for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Picture book treasures for Christmas

    Christmas is peak book-buying time and picture books make perfect gifts and stocking fillers for littlies. The bright colours and enchantment of a good story and illustrations never fail to delight.

    Three of the books shown above are being published by HarperCollins in early December, just in time for busy parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, friends (and Santa) to buy for the big day.

    The fourth, How to Make a Snowman, has been in bookshops since October this year. I have written previously about how much I love Nick Bland’s Bunny and Bird series. As always, in this new version of the friends’ adventures, Bunny is embroidering his fanciful tale whilst being completely oblivious to the action going on behind his back. While he talks of a magical hole from which emerges a bull, a tiger, a bear, sticks, stones and a wombat, Bird has been quietly building a snowman. When it starts to snow, Bunny decides they had better head home when – oh look! – the magic hole has turned into a snowman!

    Small readers can again use their observational skills to enjoy the sly humour of this story that plays out in the pictures: an early lesson in subtext, if you will.

    The Hullabaloo About Elephant Poo will definitely appeal to the scatalogical tastes of youngsters while teaching them something about the many uses for elephant dung: compost, paper, coffee (!!) gas to power stoves or lights, smoke to repel mosquitos… It is funny, colourful and educational. A nice little package. Dee White’s rhyming text works well with the bright illustrations by Christopher Nielsen.

    Costa’s Garden: Flowers by ABC TV favourite Costa Georgiadis and Brenna Quinlan is all about – well, flowers. The motif of a garden gnome is a clever device to get up close and personal many types of flowers we might see in our gardens, and the parts of flowers and the special roles they each play. There is also reference made to the the role of watching and noticing by First Nations people:

    Flowers tell stories. They are like a bush billboard. First Nations people read Country and have shared their science and stories of connection to land, sea and sky for generations. Flowers are a signal that other things are happening in nature.

    Costa’s Garden : Flowers

    There are also some lovely references to Costa’s early garden love, sparked by his grandparents; early memories of sweet peas, carnations and orchids grown by them.

    I once lived next door to a four year old who was mad about plants and gardens. He’d be in his late 30s now, but I imagine that if this book had been available then, he’d have absolutely loved it.

    Last but not least, Boss of Your Own Mind is the latest offering by the Teeny Tiny Stevies (Byll & Beth Stephen, with illustrations by Simon Howe.) This one is among a welcome and growing number of books addressing young people’s mental well-being. Boss of Your Own Mind talks about some of the situations in life where children can’t control their circumstances (and, being children, there are many.) From the trivial (changes of plans or routine, the weather) to the more profound (hurt feelings, unfair behaviour by others.) The one thing anyone, child or adult, can control, is their response. It’s actually quite a grown-up concept but presented in very child-friendly language and with examples and illustrations that all youngsters could identify with. And definitely finishes on a positive note:

    And even though you’re the one deciding,
    you might find some days YOU need reminding.
    YOU’RE THE BOSS OF YOU’RE OWN MIND!

    All four books are published by HarperCollins Children’s Books and I thank the publishers for the copies to review.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Monsters and angels: ‘All the Beautiful Things’ by Katrina Nannestad

    Australian children’s author Katrina Nannestad has a gift: to convey real (and often distressing) past events to younger readers, in a way that illuminates rather than overwhelms.

    As with her earlier middle-grade books set in WWII Europe, the focus is again on the experiences of children (here are my reviews for We Are Wolves, Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief and Waiting for the Storks ).

    All the Beautiful Things takes us to the heart of Nazi Germany, a village nestled under the mountain where Hitler’s Bavarian home, the Berghof, stands.

    Anna and her friend Udo are eleven, coping with the restrictions and hardships of wartime life as best they can. Like all German children they are members of the Nazi organisations for youngsters, are taught to love and obey the Fuhrer, and give the Nazi salute when required.

    They both have a secret: they and their families hate Hitler. And upstairs in the apartment where Anna lives with her mother, is another secret: little Eva, Anna’s sister, hidden away from the world because if she were discovered, her differences would likely mean her death.

    This is the core historical fact of this story: the shocking program of involuntary euthenasia carried out by Nazi doctors on Hitler’s orders, in their distorted efforts to eliminate any ‘weaknesses’ from the pure Aryan race.

    As the war drags on, Anna and Udo learn that there is a network of other people in their community who feel the way they do about the Nazis – sometimes the most surprising people. They also learn that people are not always simply ‘monsters’ or ‘angels’: that they can be both and it can be hard to tell one from the other.

    ‘So how do we tell the monsters and the angels apart?’ I ask.
    ‘Well, there’s the problem, Anna,’ says Dr Fischer. ‘It can be tricky because the two can look so very similar. But one day, I assure you, it will be plain for all to see. A monster’s deeds, no matter how prettily they’re packaged, will ultimately lead to death and destrucion – for everything and everyone they touch.’

    All the Beautiful Things p152

    In the first chapter, readers are plunged into Anna’s world, trying to understand the different views and experiences of Germans during this terrible time. They see how brainwashing occurs, through programs such as Hitler Youth and in schools. Moral choices abound: is the safety of my family more important than yours? Is it wrong to disobey laws if they are bad laws that hurt others? They also witness Anna’s confusion as Germany’s defeat looks more and more likely. She longs for the end of Nazi rule but that means that she must also want the defeat of her own country.

    Underlying all are the themes of love, of family and friendship, kindness and compassion. There is also the best description of the value of difference I have ever read, using the metaphor of a jigsaw puzzle:

    ‘The world is a jigsaw puzzle, every person a unique piece. There is a space for each one, but it must be a space made just for them. And if we leave one piece out, no matter how small, plain, insignificant or odd it may seem, the jigsaw puzzle remains incomplete. The picture looks ugly because there’s a gap.’

    All the Beautiful Things p32

    Martina Heiduczek’s lovely illustrations once again add another dimension to the unfolding story.

    All the Beautiful Things is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in October 2024.
    My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    More picture book love

    Three new picture books land in bookshops in October this year: two very Australian ones, from Melissa Greenwood and Tamsin Ainslie, and one from Irish artist and author Oliver Jeffers.

    Gumbaynggirr artist Melissa Greenwood is back with another in her series of beautiful themed books all about Country and family. I have now reviewed several of her books including the last, Hello Ocean, and this one is called Hello Mountain.
    The morning breaks and the spirit of the land awakens.
    We rub our eyes and stretch our arms up into the sky.
    I look up to Aunty and she says, ‘Come on, Bub, let’s go walkabout.’

    Readers will travel with Aunty and the young ones as they walk through the bush where they feel welcome and secure, the ancestors all around them. They notice all the features of plants, animals, the river and rocks, and the day finishes with dancing up Country. As with all Ms Greenwood’s previous picture books, the colourful paintings tell the story in symbolic ways, allowing youngsters to feel familiar with this style of indigenous Australian art.

    Tamsin AInslie’s Barney Gumnut and Friends is also a celebration of Australian animals and birds. Barney is a young koala who lives with his friends in Scribbly Gum Forest. Off they go together one day,
    doing nothing in particular, in a happy, nothing-to-do sort of way.
    The story is an ode to the small things: looking closely at what’s around us, finding a butterfly or grasshopper, making paper chains from wildflowers, watching shapes in the clouds.
    The illustrations are lovely. Overall, this one has the feel of an Australian sort of Winnie-the-Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood enjoying doing nothing in particular with friends.

    And finally, there is Oliver Jeffers’ Where to Hide a Star, with a star and penguin playing hide-and-seek with their friend. All is well until the star goes missing. Troubled, the two friends search high and low for their star, even recruiting the help of a Martian who flies them to the North Pole where the star has been washed up. The star has made a new friend, a little girl who has always loved stars and can’t believe she has found one.
    What a dilemma. Who should the star remain with?
    The Martian solves the problem and both the boy and the girl find their star – in the night sky, where it belongs.
    It’s a cute story about making new friends and learning to share.

    All three books are published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
    My thanks to the publishers for review copies.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    The unforseen and sometimes hilarious consquences of lies: ‘The Too-Tall Tales of Alma T Best’ by Katherine Collette

    What fun this novel is! Book One (‘Out of Bounds’) in what promises to be a captivating series for middle-grade readers, it offers plenty of genuine laugh-out-loud moments and also genuine insight into the insecurities of this age group as they transition from childhood to the teens.

    Alma is twelve years old and six foot tall. She feels too-tall all the time. And she hates basketball and even more, hates being asked if she plays it.

    When she begins Year 7 on a scholarship at the presitigous Holy Grace High School, she tells one little fib about where she lives. Rather than admitting she lives in Shellsville (a tiny town in the middle of nowhere and home to the district sewage treatment plant) she lets her new classmates believe that she lives on a farm – a peach farm.

    A harmless little fib, right?

    Except that this lie develops at shocking speed into a snowball, racing downhill at breakneck speed and threatening to demolish Alma’s whole life – and the network of subsequent lies she must tell to stop people discovering the truth about that first, harmless little fib.

    She suddenly finds herself on the Holy Grace basketball team and committing to provide dozens of jars of peach jam for the school fundraiser.

    The result are very amusing encounters with jam theft, basketball shoes, the bucket shot, mud masks and other assorted situations that she finds herself in. It’s a lovely tale of friends, family and fitting in.

    Along the way Alma learns about lies:

    The truth might be harder to tell initially but once you were through the difficult bit – and maybe parts were more difficult in your head than in actuality – it was easy, there was nothing to keep track of. Lies were the opposite: easy in the beginning and then hard. You saved face but drowned in complication. On balance, the truth seemed preferential.

    The Too-Tall Tales of Alma T Best – Out of Bounds p261

    Out of Bounds is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in September 2024.
    My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    The wonderful world of children’s literature

    Four new books for children have arrived on my doorstep over the last little while – the best kind of mail! I absolutely love children’s literature and some of my fondest memories of my own childhood and that of my son are reading them, having them read to me, and reading them to another.

    First off there is an illustrated chapter book by the wonderful Alice Pung, Millie Mak the Mender, a follow up to the earlier Millie Mak the Maker (which I have not read.)

    Millie is eleven, and lives with her parents, her toddler sister, and one of her two grandmothers (the Chinese-Australian one) while also spending a lot of time after school at her other grandmother (the Scottish-Australian one.) Immediately we know we are in a world of inclusivity, one that embraces the richness of Australia’s multicultural life.

    Millie has a talent, her ‘superpower’, which is her skill in designing, sewing, making and mending things. In the first part of the book she sees first-hand the loneliness of many residents at the aged care home where her mum works. She decides to design and make a warm winter hat for each, hats that are beautifully aligned to each resident’s own individual passions and interests.

    A rather bossy and shallow girl at Millie’s school gets wind of the project, steals Millie’s idea and tries to scoop the glory by starting a ‘Hats off for Humanity’ project at the school – one which involves her in a ‘coordination’ role but not actually doing much else. Undeterred, Millie presses ahead with other projects to help her friends and their families.

    The upshot of all this is that Millie and her three best friends are invited to be interviewed on a popular TV program for children. It’s all very exciting, but turns out to be a great disappointment because the show’s producers want to showcase stereotypical ‘ethnic children’ in what they think are traditional outfits. They don’t listen to the girls and Millie and her friends are left feeling they have been used.

    It’s a hard lesson to learn and along the way they deal with lots of other life issues: ageism, racism, the difference between popularity and worth, the importance of family and of being a genuine friend.

    The story is beautifully told, with natural language and everyday scenes, and the black and white illustrations by Sher Rill Ng bring Millie’s world to life.

    A gorgeous addition to the early chapter book shelf, Millie Mak the Mender is published in September 2024.

    The next three books are picture books.

    What Do You Call Your Dad? by Ashleigh Barton and Martina Heiduczek is the next in the What Do You Call…? series (I have reviewed the ealrier titles on this blog.) Continuing on the theme of diversity and the joy of family and language in all their forms, in this one we hear the words for ‘dad’ spoken by children in Hungary, Ireland, Samoa, Nigeria, Portugal and Brazil, to name just a few. Once again the full colour illustrations allow children to be immersed in scenes from other cultures and homes.
    What Do You Call Your Dad? was published in July 2024.

    Before We Met by Gabrielle Tozer, illustrated by Sophie Beer, also celebrates families. It’s all about the anticipation and excitement that families feel while waiting to welcome a new child. We see all sorts of families as they plan and prepare for their new little person: adoptive parents, same-sex parents, IVF parents, parents far away. All filled with hope and plenty of love to share.
    Before We Met is published in September 2024.

    And last but not least, a Christmas offering: On the Hunt for Santa by Lesley Gibbes and Stephen Michael King. Three friends – Hare with a honey pot, Cat with a candy cane, and Pig with a plum pudding – set off on a mysterious trip.
    Where were they going that snowy day, out in the cold so far away?

    They encounter all sorts of dangers and have adventures, never giving up, even when they hear the howls of hungry snow wolves on the prowl. Their destination is – of course! – the North Pole where they are greeted by a happy Santa, who clapped his mitts. It was Christmas Day. He was thrilled to bits.
    On the Hunt for Santa is a gentle, jolly read-aloud book perfect for Christmas time snuggles, published in September 2024.

    The four books are all published by HarperCollins.
    My thanks to the publishers for review copies.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    June picture book love

    Three new picture books for youngsters to love, coming in June.

    Boss Cat by Sarah Speedie shows what happens when a grumpy cat is introduced to the family’s new dog – with hilarious results. Anyone who has tried to soothe ruffled feathers (or fur) at the entrance of a new ‘best friend’ into a household will recognise Boss Cat’s antics. Tom Jellett’s bright pictures capture the sulky, vengeful feline’s mood perfectly.

    Marringa Lullaby is written by Emily Wurramara with Sylvia Wurramarrba Tkac, accompanied by block colour illustrations by Dylan Mooney, of Yuwi, Torres Strait and South Sea Islander heritage. It’s a beautiful, lilting board book perfect for sleepytime reading and singing, with an introduction to words in the Anindilyaka language.
    I remember seeing Emily perform at the Woodford Folk Festival some years ago, and thinking what a talent she was. Lovely to see her branching out into new art forms.

    Lights Out, Little Dragon! by Debra Tidball and Rae Tan, approaches that common parental dilemma – baby is tired but won’t go to sleep – with humour and imagination.
    Each double page spread invites the littlies to join in, by tracing a path on the page for naughty sheep to exit, or saying Go to bed, Little Dragon. And when Dragon tries to distract with a million questions, Put your hands over your ears and tell him to hushhhhh. On it goes, with baby trying all sorts of strategies to encourage Little Dragon to quieten down, lie still and sleep, and Dragon pulling out every trick in the baby-at-bedtime book.
    It’s an amusing and gentle way to settle down for nap time.

    These three picture books are published by HarperCollins Children’s Books Australia in June 2024.
    My thanks to the publishers for review copies.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    Friendship for littlies: ‘How to be a Friend’ by Sarah Ayoub & Mimi Purcell

    A sweet book with simple rhyming text and softly colourful illustrations, How to be a Friend is all about friendships and being a good friend.

    Friends always clap for us the loudest
    to let us know that they’re the proudest.
    They make us feel all kinds of clever,
    are up for fun, no matter the weather.

    Friends help us feel safe and cosy and warm,
    they carry us through all sorts of storms.
    They love the things that make us unique,
    like the way we look and how we speak.

    How to be a Friend

    Both the words and pictures allow recognition of children in all their shapes, sizes and colours, with various family and living situations and interests.

    As children begin to explore the world outside of their immediate family and home, friends begin to take on more importance. This is a good book to share at that time, reinforcing aspects of positive friendships.

    How to be a Friend is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in November 2023.
    My thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

  • Children's & Young Adult Books

    For young travel-lovers: ‘Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris’ by Kate Knapp

    Ruby Red Shoes is a series of beautifully illustrated books for very young readers by Australian author and artist Kate Knapp.

    To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Ruby Red Shoes Goes to Paris, a special edition has been released.

    Ruby is a white hare with special shoes that love to take her to new places.

    She travels to Paris with her grandmother, where they meet up with her Babushka’s brother and his grandson Felix. Ruby and Felix explore Paris, where they see, hear, feel, smell, and taste everything that city has to offer.

    Ruby is an intrepid traveler and records what she experiences in her special travel notebook.

    I love the sly nods of humour which will appeal to older people perhaps reading the story aloud to a littlie, such as the airline (‘The Flying Hare’) they travel with, or the carrot flavoured toothpaste Ruby packs for her trip.

    The pictures are the type you can get lost in, rich with detail and evocative of Parisian sights. It’s a fabulous introduction to traveling and to the City of Love. The text expands youngster’s vocabulary: Ruby is ‘fizzing with excitement’, she climbs the ‘narrow, twirling staircase’ to their apartment, Babushka must ‘tussel with the old keys and creaky lock.’

    Ruby Red Shoes and the others in the series are perfect to plant seeds of wonder and exploration in emerging readers. The special anniversary edition is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in October 2023.
    My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.