Early Childhood
Title: Obsessive about OctopusesAuthor + Illustrator: Owen Davey Publisher: Flying Eye Books (published 2020) Age Range: early childhood, middle primary, upper primary, adults who love octopuses. Themes: Octopus ecology, diet, behaviour, movement,…
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Bubbay will be known to many families already, indeed I discovered it is a favourite in the house of my lovely neighbour Sam! She spied this re-release on my kitchen bench recently…
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My neighbour Sam was the only person who could possibly review a book about ants for me (see her bio at end of post). ‘The Wonderful Wisdom of Ants’ is currently one…
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Title: ‘Lunch at 10 Pomegranate Street’Author: Felicita SalaPublisher: Scribble Age Range: early childhood/lower primary/middle primary/upper primary/ middle grade/ young adultThemes: cooking, food, international cookery and food, multicultural, neighbourhood This is one of my ‘must-have’ books of 2019…
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Oh how I love this book and I’m so grateful to Sam for reviewing it for me as her Scientific knowledge is invaluable with CSIRO publications. My parents have always had amazing…
READ MOREEncouraging young people to read widely and enjoy a balanced literary diet is something that can add immeasurably to their reading and writing journey. For many of us, poetry and verse novels…
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‘Baby Business’ tells the story of the baby smoking ceremony that welcomes baby to country. The smoke is a blessing — it will protect the baby and remind them that they belong. Click…
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I was 10 or 11 the first time I ever read Jeannie Baker’s iconic book, ‘Where the Forest Meets the Sea’ and to this day I can spend hours pouring over the…
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For the quiet ones and for the noisy ones (to teach us how to listen)…‘A Quiet Girl’ by Peter Carnavas will gently (and quietly) settle in your soul. Title: ‘A Quiet Girl’…
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At talks to parents and educators, I always say that books allow young people to walk in the shoes of others. Never was this saying more relevant than with the latest book…
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I asked on Facebook earlier this week if it was just me that gifted books, new PJ’s and eggs for Easter. I’ve always done it, my family gifted me the same and…
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The Children’s Book Council of Australia 2019 Book of the Year Shortlist was announced this week and of course it has ruffled some feathers and made some book creators weep with joy…
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A super sparkly story of one independently minded little girl, and the unexpected, precious ways life sometimes works. Title: ‘Go Go and the Silver Shoes’ Author: Jane Godwin Illustrator: Anna Walker Publisher: Penguin…
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This age bracket adore books and language and as they are still learning the mechanics of how a book works they to use all their senses to ‘read’ a book; chewing and…
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I have long loved the writing of Anna Fienberg. It’s hard to not fall head first into the Tashi series, and ‘Horrendo’s Curse’ (and its companion book ‘Wicked’s Way’) will also always…
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This is Part Two of the story behind the story of ‘Monsters’. Part One is here. In Part Two, my very dear friend and talented illustrator, Stephen Axelsen, shares with us how…
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This review is another by Dr Sam Lloyd AKA one of my neighbours, and also an ecologist and manager for South East Queensland Fire and Biodiversity Consortium. Sam is also a former…
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I feel like I’ve been waiting for this book for a long time, having read it in manuscript form some time ago and having followed Rachel Noble’s own journey with grief since…
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Title: ‘The Last Peach’ Author/Illustrator: Gus Gordon Age Range: early childhood – adult lovers of illustration Themes: sharing, friendship, friends, bugs, nature. One fine summer’s day two bugs discover the most beautiful…
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Title: ‘A Boat of Stars: New Poems to Inspire and Enchant’ Editors: Margaret Connolly and Natalie Jane Prior Publisher: Harper Collins Age Range: babies – middle primary Themes: poetry, rhyme, language, anthology,…
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