Including three stories in one book, A Swirl of Sadie follows Sadie, a determined yet kind character, who shows her love for friends, family and community through baking.
In this latest book, Sadie creates a treat for her school movie night, puppy treats for a puppy play date and desserts for a family celebration.
But of course, everything doesn’t always go to plan and Sadie must use creative problem-solving to make sure something scrumptious is dished up. A Swirl of Sadie is the third book in the series joining A Sprinkle of Sadie and A Spoonful of Sadie.
Lana Spasevski is a wonderful author who has written books such as Max’s Dinosaur Feet and Upside Down Friday. In A Swirl of Sadie she has an especially engaging style of writing for 6-9 year-olds. Spasevski’s ability to paint a picture with words, use of vivid language and expressive sounds, allows readers to jump right in with Sadie and imagine themselves swirling up mixtures, amongst wafts of baking biscuits. Further, Spasevski’s inclusion of characters with Asian-Australian heritage, helps to celebrate Australia’s wonderful cultural diversity.
Joanie Stone’s illustrations are inviting and engaging. Her black and white artwork pops thanks to her use of pattern and ability to capture emotion. Sadie’s range of emotions and her enthusiastic nature shine through the illustrations. Stone’s illustrations support the storyline helping readers to grasp the meaning of the words.
A Swirl of Sadie will suit those students looking for their own books to read, after mastering school readers. For these newly independent readers, it can be tricky to bridge this gap, but A Swirl of Sadie fills this role sweetly, with a happy medium of words and pictures. The typeset helps engagement and helps readers to chunk the information into manageable bites. This series is already a hit with my Year 1/2 students, in fact, one of my year two students dressed up as Sadie for Book Week, cakes and all!
If there’s one thing I love as much as books, it’s baking. A Swirl of Sadie combines both these loves. I had many mouthwatering moments when Sadie described the treats she had created. For instance, Sadie tears apart a rose-pink muffin. The soft pink centre PUFFS out like a strawberry cloud. Yum, I want one please! Luckily I can have one because the recipes have been included in the book, which help keep the conversation going after the stories are finished.
Now excuse me, I’m off to bake!
Title: A Swirl Of SadieAuthor: Lana Spasevski
Illustrator: Joanie Stone
Publisher: Affirm Press, $14.99
Publication Date: 28 March 2023
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922848598
For ages: 6 - 9
Type: Junior Fiction
