Another book in The World of Gustavo series (Gustavo, the shy ghost) by Flavia Z. Drago has the readers enthralled with the fabulous vampire Vlad. His passion is fashion and he can be found clad entirely in black. But he has bright pink cheeks and this makes him feel very different. He tries to hide them, but when he finds out that his friend has a secret of her own, the pair decide that it is best to just be yourself.
The illustrations are eye-catching and very appealing to a young audience. The cover with its smiling vampire, draped in a black cape and grinning through two fangs catches the attention immediately and the bold black and white illustrations, tinged with the colour pink, bring the story alive.
The story can be read on many levels - a fun read for Halloween with charming characters, and a story about accepting your own attributes and abilities and being happy to live with them and find friends who will understand you, regardless of whether those around you reject you.
This is sure to become a favourite with young children and will be a great book to share before Halloween.
Before we say goodbye is the fourth book in Kawaguchi’s 'Before the coffee gets cold' series about people returning to the past to revisit a moment they regret. Each story takes place in the mysterious cafe Funiculi Funicula. I had not read the other books in the series, and found I didn’t need to; this selection of four short stories gave me all the context I needed, and I was drawn into the accounts of four distraught people, each trying to come to terms with some form of loss.
In this intriguing world, there are rules about going back into the past and they are repeated for each venturer. Perhaps the most significant is that while they may revisit the past there is no way they can change the outcomes in the present, and they must return from the visit before their cup of coffee goes cold.
In Kawagushi's book we are presented with four stories: the husband who regrets taking his wife for granted, the woman who regrets not being present while her dog passed away, the young woman who regrets her response to a marriage proposal, and the daughter who regrets her harsh words towards her father. There is sure to be something in each scenario that readers will relate to.
The lesson in each story is about kindness, not only towards the other person, but also towards oneself. Each of the characters comes to a feeling of peace, saying the things they wished they had said, and finding the redemption they need.
Kawaguchi’s stories are beautiful life lessons, about communicating and caring for the significant people, or animal companions, that have made life worthwhile. They each provide magical moments to reflect on what is important in life. I am sure that any reader will be drawn into at least one of these stories. And like me, they will want to seek out the other stories in the series. Highly recommended.
Themes Time travel, Regret, Grief, Loss, Redemption, Forgiveness.
A wonderful addition to the numbers of books which show the world beneath the surface of the ocean, a sparse text is supported by luminous illustrations of the world we know little of. The depths of the ocean are intoxicating but the whale knows her way around, it is her home, and giving birth to a calf means she must teach her offspring what she knows.
Amongst the bubbles on each page can be found heart shapes, and musical notes, both pointing to layers of meaning within the story of a whale and her calf as she loves him beyond measure, singing to him as he grows.
In the deep a calf is born. His mother must guide him to the surface for his first breath of air, beginning her years of swimming with him in the ocean, teaching him, as he grows stronger.
Together they swim out into the larger waterways, she guiding him with love and patience. He sees a pod of whales, but she must show him that the time is not right for him to join the larger group, he still has things to learn. So they swim, sometimes in good weather, sometimes in bad, sometimes danger lurks in their way and she teaches him to avoid these. They see the stars at night, the auroras, and he eats getting bigger all the while, until it is time to return home. She notices how much bigger he has become, and that his body is too big for the shallow waters where once she taught him. Next time the pod heads away he goes with them.
Each step from birthing to his leaving, reveals the mother’s love for her offspring, and his love for her as she stays with him, guiding him to the day when he is able to swim without her.
A wonderful parallel to all mothers and their babies, children will love reading about the whale and what she does for her calf, aligning this with the supporting care shown by their own parents.
The illustrations are just breathtaking as the whales are shown in their changeable environment. The different hues of blue cover each page, showing the seas from different vantage points. Sometimes we are taken beneath the ocean’s surface sometimes we bask on the sea with them, some waves are slow and calm, others wild and unsettling, some cold while others appear warmer, but all revealing the many changes in the oceans they travel through. Readers will love seeing the bond between the calf and its mother, marvel at the range of blues and look at the ocean with a different eye: it is an environment which must be kept pristine for those that live in it.
Themes Whales, Environment, Life cycle, Mothers and babies.
Fran Knight
The favour by Nicci French
Simon & Schuster, 2023. ISBN: 9781398523456. (Age:Adult Fiction)
Jude is now living her life as a successful doctor, engaged to be married and so when Liam appears in her life after 10 years of no contact, having ghosted her after a terrible accident and asks her for a favour, she is shocked, but compelled to help. After she completes the favour, she is contacted by the police, who inform her that Liam has been found dead - leading to her being caught up in a murder investigation. The more Jude becomes involved in Liam's life that he has now left behind, the more caught up she gets in the mess of everything, and the more it looks like she was involved in whatever Liam had planned...
Given the popularity of Nicci French's books, the writing was simpler than was expected. That being said, the story was still immersive and given the contemporary nature of the novel, readers will find it plausible the way she gets tangled in the whole mess. They may however think it's questionable character choices, though this is explained later on in the book. The book attempts to build suspense throughout the novel but lacks the normal urgency that suspense and thriller books usually have. Leaning towards a psychological thriller with all the characters and relationships, the twists and the way the characters are set up, readers may enjoy the darker aspects of the book that creates tension and emotions in the reader.
Themes Mystery, Crime, Suspense, Murder, Relationships, Contemporary, UK, Past Relationships, Past Mistakes, Guilt.
Fifty women. Fifty stories. All of these women have made a change in their lives for the benefit of themselves and other women all over the world. This incredible collection of one-page stories has been put together by the women at PRH Young Readers publishing section after the explosive media scrutiny of an unsmiling Grace Tame at a reception in January 2022 with the then Australian Prime Minister.
The book is presented in alphabetical order and begins with A.GIRL. an Australian musician, singer, songwriter and rapper from western Sydney. She is passionate about providing creative opportunities for girls from western Sydney. The final entry is Chloe Zhao, a Chinese-born filmmaker who shares female stories. Others included in this highly accessible and informative book will be both familiar and unfamiliar and each of them have an amazing story to share. Some of the fifty inspirational women include: Chantal Contos who founded ‘Teach Us Consent’, high profile AFLW player Tayla Harris who was subjected to appalling social media trolling after a photo of her strong kicking pose was posted, young English woman Gina Martin who was ‘upskirted’ and created the Voyeurism (Offences Act) 2019, Ash Barty who chose her own path and to quit tennis at the top of her game, Malala Yousafzai who spoke out against the Taliban about education for girls, Greta Thunberg who protested against climate change and inspired other children to stand up, and Sally Scales, a proud Pitjantjatjara woman and artist who has been involved with the Uluru Statement and Voice, Treaty and Truth.
Each vignette is brief and to the point with easily accessible text surrounded by plenty of white space. These stories could provide a starting point for further research. The sketch on the adjoining pages have been drawn by new or emerging illustrators who are all mentioned in the final pages.
This book has a powerful message and is an important addition to any school or public library:
It's time to stop saying yes all the time. It's time to stop apologising all the time. It's time to stop avoiding conflict all the time. It's time to be true to our emotions, whatever they are. We’re not here to make you comfortable. We're here to celebrate being ourselves.
Plume: Christmas Elf is the fourth book in the wonderful series written and illustrated by Tania McCartney. In this story, Plume is busily preparing for Christmas. There is so much still to do although the tree is up and the stockings are hung. Presents for the penguins keep arriving daily brought by Plume’s best buddy Ava of the Albatross Express. Today though she has terrible news: Santa’s elves are sick and there are no toys being made. Oh dear! With only three days until Christmas, Plume and Ava head off to the North Pole to help Santa. They work through the nights and finally the sleigh is packed. But there is a catastrophe. Santa and the reindeers are now sick. But with a sprinkle of magical Christmas Dust, Plume and Ava are ready to do Santa’s job.
Naturally they stop all over the world but in Sweden, England, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Puerto Rico, United States, Colombia, the Philippines and Australia, they are able to observe and take part in Christmas traditions unique to those countries, and sample delicious foods. In Sweden they learn about tomten dolls and in England Ava finds the coin in the Christmas pudding. In Australia they eat seafood and pavlova with mango and berries and play beach cricket and learn to surf.
When they land back in Antarctica on Christmas morning they find the penguins have unwrapped all of the gifts and are wanting more. However all that is left are gifts from countries all over the world so the penguins unwrap them and learn to share and play together. They also learn about a special Christmas gift.
This delightful book is a fabulous snapshot of how Christmas is celebrated around the world and with the bold and vibrant illustrations, it will provide a touch of Christmas magic and joy to both children and adults. A perfect addition to a home, school or public library Christmas collection.
Little Brown, 2023. ISBN: 9780349135632. (Age:Adult) Recommended.
Ben Koenig has Urbach-Wiethe disease, a gradual shrinking of the amygdala, an essential part of the brain’s fear circuit, which means that he doesn’t experience fear. I had to look it up; it’s a real but very rare condition. It means that even in the most dangerous moment, Koenig is relaxed and can even drop the humorous quip or two. The resulting mixture of adrenalin fuelled action and dead-pan humour makes for a thoroughly entertaining thriller, and Craven knows how to keep the pace racing along with short chapters punching with one confrontational moment after another.
Although he has been in hiding for six years, Koenig finds himself drawn back into the world of serious crime investigation by the kidnapping of the daughter of his former boss in the US Marshal's Special Operations Group. The challenge becomes to keep one step ahead, not only of the kidnappers, but also the ruthless mafia group that is still hunting him. There is the whole mystery to be solved as to why the young university researcher became a target, and what is really going on in the highly regarded new solar energy plant in the Chihuahuan desert.
Koenig may be extremely well-trained, clever, and fearless, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t make mistakes. There are a quite a few occasions where he admits that to himself, but he always finds his way out of difficult situations by cool-headed logic, and a preparedness to launch a violence that goes beyond credibility. A warning here: the violence ratchets up as the story progresses, and readers may be left reeling at some of the scenes.
So in summary, yes it’s gripping, it’s clever, it’s unpredictable, and the ending doesn’t disappoint, but the reader is left with the memory of some horrible scenes. For readers who are fans of this genre, there is sure to be a sequel.
Hercule Poirot, recreated by Sophie Hannah, faces a perplexing task, using his little grey cells to solve a Christmas mystery. With his friend Inspector Edward Catchpool, he is called to a mansion sitting on the edge of a crumbling cliff in Norfolk to investigate the murder of a man in a hospital ward. There is no apparent reason for the man’s death; he was well liked and had no enemies. Catchpool’s mother, Cynthia, is determined that Poirot solve the case, as her friend is convinced that her husband Arnold who is due to enter the hospital, will be the next to die. It is up to Poirot, using his extraordinary methods, to work out what is going on. Assisted by Catchpool, who interviews the household members and listens in on conversations, Hercule puts his mighty brain to work probing motives and eliminating suspects.
This was the first book in Sophie Hannah's Hercule Poirot series that I have read, and many years since I have read any books by Agatha Christie. I enjoyed the trope of the large country mansion, with the added dimension that it could fall into the sea, and the characters were all clearly described if mostly unlikeable. I did not guess who committed the murders which added to my enjoyment of the book and the threads that had appeared throughout the book were drawn together in a most satisfactory way.
Fans of Sophie Hannah’s previous books are sure to enjoy this one, and readers who like cosy mysteries will be pleased to have another series to baffle and entertain them.
A wonderful book which reflects the whole year as Takeuchi shows what happens to a family and their friends over the course of one year. The family has moved from their apartment building into their new home and over the year, many of their friends come and visit them. In the middle of each double page we see the family in their new home, surrounded by people in the street, while at the side of each double page is a more intimate look at the family and what they are doing together.
Readers start with the snow as the New Year comes around, and we see snow covered buildings, and people in the foregoround warmly wrapped building snowmen, or taking snow from the grooves and the family on the right hand side of the page celebrating the New Year with a special treat. Young readers will love looking at the detail given as each part of the new year progresses, marvelling at the skill of the cut out artist, Takeuchi. New Year means winter takes hold as the snow still lies about. But spring is just around the corner, as flowers can be seen. Cherry blossom bursts open as the season changes again. Cherry blossom brings great excitement and people begin to stay outdoors. And then the flags unfurl for Children’s Day. Rain does not deter their neighbours from visiting. Summer has arrived and people in the streets can be seen dressed for warmer weather. The family goes to the beach and take in the splendour of the Summer Festival. Back home, the moon is a large ball in the sky, and the family prepares mochi. Soon it is Halloween and the children dress up for Trick or Treat. The weather begins to get cooler and the family is invited to a wedding in the neighbourhood park. Snow falls to complete the year in which much has happened. Children will love seeing the things the family does, and follow people shown in the foreground throughout the whole year. The book is an absolute delight showing families and their activities over twelve months. And readers will marvel at the skill needed to create such a book.
Chihiro Takeuchi is a renowned paper cut artist living in Osaka, Japan. In 2015 and 2016 Chihiro was part of a select group of artists to exhibit at the prestigious Bologna Book Fair. She has produced several books with Berbay including Whose Bones? and the successful board books Colours and Animals.
Photos of Chiro at work can be see on her website.
Themes Change, Family, Relationships, Paper work, Japan.
Fran Knight
The A to Z of who I could be by Chloe Dalton. Illus. by Kim Siew
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761180422. (Age:5-10) Highly recommended.
The A to Z of who I could be is written by athlete Chloe Dalton, who in 2020 founded the (female) athlete project - Australia’s fastest-growing women’s sports platform. This informative and interesting book introduces 26 Australian athletes who have excelled in their chosen sport.
In alphabetical order the champion athletes are:
Ash Barty – tennis player Belle Brockhoff – snowboarder Taliqua Clancy – beach volleyball Danni Di Toro – Paralympian tennis & table tennis player Ellie Cole – Paralympian swimmer Caitlin Foord – soccer player Georgia Godwin – artistic gymnast Tayla Harris – AFLW Isis Holt – Paralympian sprinter Jessi Miley-Dyer – surfing Steph Kershaw – hockey Lydia Lassila – aerial skier Anna Meares – track cyclist
Nova Peris – hockey & sprinting Bendere Oboya – sprinter Ellyse Perry – cricket Alicia (Quirk) Lucas – rugby 7s Madison de Rozario – Paralympian wheelchair racer Sharni (Layton) Norder – netball Ariarne Titmus – swimming Tamika Upton – rugby Darcy Vescio – AFLW Melissa Wu – diving Jessica FoX – canoe slalom Yvette Higgins – water polo Zali Stegall – alpine skier
This is a highly accessible book for young readers. Across each double page spread is a snapshot of the athlete’s accomplishments accompanied by an action illustration. The creative use of bold colour for each individual athlete adds to the appeal for readers. The insertion of a timeline from 1996 to the present day is a wonderful addition. In the final pages there is information about the (female) athlete project plus further information about the author and illustrator.
With the end of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the amazing response from a world-wide audience for women’s sport, this new release The A to Z of who I could be is a fabulous resource for a school or public library.
Themes Female Athletes, Sport, Olympians, Paralympians, World Champions.
Kathryn Beilby
Always never always by Meg McKinlay and Leila Rudge
Home grown advice on making your way in the world is given to readers in this funny, light hearted rhyming text by award winning Meg McKinlay, supported by glorious illustrations by Leila Rudge.
A young girl, accompanied by her duck, sets off on an adventure. She is advised to follow a secret track and is unworried about the route taken but being prepared, taking with her the things that she may need. Amongst the things tucked away, she puts a key, because you never know when a key will be a necessary item. When going on an adventure, make sure a friend goes too, and be unfazed if the friend goes more slowly. Wonderful advice for living an adventurous life is given.
Each time a piece of advice is given a proviso is given, so always look for adventure is offered but go with a friend. Always think ahead but leave some room to breathe. A few never lines are included, as in, never pass up the opportunity to sing a song. Everything offered is grass roots wisdom and words of advice, things that seem basic to all our lives, but may be left unsaid.
MacKinlay shouts these out, enjoining readers to heed the advice, and practise what she offers. In a class, children will love seeing what the girl does. Aware of taking risks, but being careful to think about things, take a friend, sing a song and hug those around you. I loved reading these lines, told simply but having a wealth of meaning behind those words.
And the breathtaking illustrations add another level of interest and meaning for the readers. Each page shows the girl setting out with her duck, taking risks, but at the same time being aware of what she us doing and keeping safe.
The pencil and watercolour illustrations show a broad sweep of the environment in which the girl lives. Leila Ridge gives the reader a detailed view of the weather, of clouds overhead, off beautiful climbing trees, of waterfalls and gardens of colourful flowers, of the storage cupboardin which the girl starts her journey to the same room when her journey ends. And the lovely endpapers repeat the image of the key, used throughout the book.
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781760878276. (Age:4+) Highly recommended.
Glorious Mr Chicken returns as he realises that he has been everywhere, including London, Paris and around Australia, but never been to outer space. He calls in to see Boris the rocket builder and gives him the instructions. Ready in a week he is told, and sure enough when Mr Chicken returns there is his space ship, all shiny and new. After getting instructions, armed with his lunch and helmet, Mr Chicken is ready to go, but the smile on his face disappears as he grapples with the instruction book and all the levers and buttons to press. But he is pleased that he no longer has all the household chores to do (see the first endpaper!)
He successfully navigates the passing meteor, waves at a passing Martian and has lunch at the space station. Next landing is on Mars. Here he is welcomed and autographs and photos taken. It is soon time to leave and he splashes down into the ocean where Boris finds him and brings him back home. The best place to have a good night’s rest is at home, Mr Chicken decides.
This disarming story of exploration and adventure, reveals the sense of expanding horizons and taking risks, of journeys and meeting new people. Mr Chicken takes a leap into outer space, finding new friends in another space ship, on the space station and on Mars. He finds that space is nice but home is best, especially when talking about a good night’s rest.
Readers will love Mr Chicken’s exploration, going along with him as he tries to master the control panel, avoid the meteor as it comes by, and navigate his way home, bobbing around in the sea, avoiding a shark that would like a treat, and finally being picked up by Boris.
Hobbs uses many words: lower thrust transmitter, turbo pump injector, fusion force fluctuator, amongst others which give a nod to scientific words that could be real, bringing a laugh to the reading audience. I loved watching Mr Chicken’s smile as it progresses through the story. And kids will delight in the gadgetry in the cockpit, the Martians, the scenes in outer space and the touchdown in the ocean. What a journey for them to follow. And there are four other Mr Chicken books as he visits Paris, London, Rome and Australia.
A footy tail by Alex Johnston. Illus. by Gregg Dreise
Allen & Unwin, 2023. ISBN: 9781761180316. (Age:3+) Recommended.
A group of bunnies at the park practise their moves: they run and jump, sprint and tackle and hop, but never get anywhere near good enough to defeat the other teams. With names like Panthers and Sharks, Tigers and Bulldogs, the Bunnies have no hope. The Sea Eagles and Roosters, Eels, Broncos and Dragons, all have skills which the Bunnies can only dream of. Dejected the Bunnies feel lost until a Crow tells them he can help them win. The first thing he says is that they must allow other players to join them. The Rabbits are not happy, but Crow talks them around and goes off to find some super skilled creatures.
Inspired by the rise of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, NRL star Alex Johnston has used his experience and knowledge of the game to present a highly readable verse story of the rise of the Bunnies in the face of stronger teams.
Resilience, working together and team work are displayed within this story of the Bunnies’ rise from an underdog team to one that wins through spirited work on their skills and the welcoming of others to join their team. The wise Crow directs their game, inviting others within the animal community to join the team.
Themes Rugby League Football, Resilience, Teamwork.
Fran Knight
The invisible hour by Alice Hoffman
Simon & Schuster, 2023. ISBN: 9781398528970. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Alice Hoffman makes an interesting link between a modern day cult and the religious zealotry of the times depicted in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s A scarlet letter (1850), set in the 1600s, about the branding of a woman with the letter A for adultery. In both scenarios, it is women who are oppressed, restricted in the choices they can make. Mia’s mother, Ivy, in the here and now, has run away from her disapproving parents, pregnant and spurned by the father of her child, and has turned to the dark and compelling Joel, leader of a reclusive cult in western Massechusetts. Joel, like the righteous men of Hawthorne’s novel, also makes recourse to branding for any misdemeanour. Mia sees the hidden marks on her mother’s arms.
Despite the strictures of their community, where books are forbidden, Ivy manages to share with her daughter a love of stories, and Mia secretly takes opportunities to visit the town library. There she comes across Hawthorne’s book, with a strange dedication to ‘Mia’ in its frontispiece. Libraries and books become a means of escape for Mia, and in real life librarians are her saviour when she finally makes the attempt to leave Joel’s malevolent influence.
The second part of Hoffman’s novel moves back in time to 1837, the world of Nathaniel Hawthorne, where he is struggling to find inspiration for his writing, until, one day he encounters a lone red-haired woman in the forest. It is Mia, her wish to be united with him magically come true. The dilemma becomes how to share her love with him, without changing the path of the future.
Hoffman’s writing is that of the fairytale teller; the author is omniscient, telling us what each person thinks and feels, and the actions they take. The reader accepts the magical events as they occur. And while the central theme is of the power of books to enrich our lives, there is also a strong emphasis on female collaboration, particularly the connection between mother and daughter.
Hoffman’s letter to the reader, as foreword to the book, describes how her mother, an outcast in their neighbourhood, cared for young single mothers and their babies, breaking the rules set by those in power, mostly men. This early experience, and the discovery of the magic of books to open new worlds, is at the heart of The invisible hour. It is captivating story, which will be enjoyed by many readers, not only the fans of Hoffman’s Practical magic series.
Pan Macmillan, 2016. ISBN: 9781925483574. (Age:16+)
This the true story of Joe Cinque who died from a massive dose of Rohypnol and heroin given to him at a dinner party where the guests had been told that there was a plan to murder him. His girlfriend Anu Singh and friend Madhavi Rao were later charged with his murder and tried separately. Helen Garner follows the two trials, meeting the Singh family and becoming close to Joe Cinque’s mother. It is an intimate look at the justice system and how crime affects the people involved.
This an absorbing if at times traumatic reading experience. The reader gains a clear picture of the narcissistic Anu Singh and her friend the easily led Rao, and is caught up in the compelling personality of Mrs Cinque and her overwhelming grief. The book opens with an immensely powerful verbatim dramatisation of Anu Singh’s phone call asking for medical assistance for the dying Joe. The self-doubts that the author Helen Garner struggles with are sympathetically portrayed, as are her battles to understand a legal system that doesn’t necessarily provide justice.
The book leaves its reader with much to ponder about: the murder of a young man and the light sentencing given; the duty of care of the bystanders; whether a victim’s family can ever recover a normal life and the struggle of an author to make sense of a senseless killing.
