Review: Party Rhyme

This fold out board-book from the author of Rhyme Cordial and Rhyme Hungry is delightfully surprising and surprisingly funny.

It’s PARTY RHYME!
Put on your PARTY BAT,

enjoy the LIZZIE DRINKS,

but don’t eat too much HAIRY BREAD!

As the name suggests, this book contains delightful jokes and puns, witty rhymes and playful language.

Meet The Illustrator: Natalie Herington

Name: Natalie Herington

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Traditional watercolour, soft natural colours with texture and splats!

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
Plants, light, music and my locally made handmade paints.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
Watercolour. The day I discovered Ruco hand-made paints I was obsessed.

Name three artists whose work inspires you.
There are too many to mention but the books on my desk are by Jeannie Baker I have been captivated by since childhood, Freya Blackwood for their pencil lines and Rod Clement for his accuracy and detail.

Review: The Brightest Christmas Star

The Christmas Star is the narrator of this delightful rhyming picture book full of rhythm and metre. This is Laura Motherway's first book.

From up high, it sees everyone sharing the joy they feel on the eve of the best day of the year. 

It shines for everyone, no matter who or where.

Through the day, the children played in the sun, in water, and on the sand.

A wonderful child-filled double spread full of activity, reflects the freedom and joy youngsters find when on the beach.

Junior Review: Love Requires Chocolate

Ravynn K Stringfield cleverly weaves French touches throughout the novel, giving the reader a deeper insight into life as a student abroad in Paris.

Core character, Whitney Curry has thoroughly prepared herself for a semester abroad, arming herself with the perfect, yet extensive to-do list in order to experience the Paris magic at its best. 

Wanting to live the life of her idol, Josephine Baker, Whitney aims to set foot in all the places she did. Although she feels prepared for this trip, unexpected locations (and people) may leave her ideal trip up to chance.

Determined to keep her love and school life separate, the line between the two gets blurred and both her head and heart are overwhelmed.

Review: Merry Christmas, Little Wombat!

Charles Fuge’s Little Wombat is back in Merry Christmas, Little Wombat! 

Featuring a cast of cute Australian animals – wombat, kangaroo, echidna, platypus – it’s a story about their Christmas traditions. 

Mrs Roo holds a festive lucky dip and the animals each receive musical instruments. There’s a wooden flute, shaker, triangle, tambourine, harmonica, drum, and horn. 

The animals take a musical march to the beach for a Christmas party with food and games. 

The only thing missing is a Christmas tree, but with some dressing up they find a unique solution for that, all while cleaning up the beach.

Review: Summer of Shipwrecks

Sid is eager to begin her yearly camping holidays so she and best friend Lou can go searching for treasure at the Shipwreck Coast at Penlee Point. 

She knows the history of every shipwreck of the area, and always frequents the museum there to get an update from her friend Bobbi.

But this year, Lou has come with her new friend, Hailey, the most popular girl at their school, who is only interested in boys. So, Sid becomes the odd one out.

Eager to please Hailey, Lou seems to fit nicely under the girl’s thumb and agrees with everything she says and suggests. 

Even when it concerns her former best friend.

Sid hasn’t got over her parents’ separation yet. Mum has brought along her new boyfriend Tony and his daughter Eva. 

Sid feels resentment towards Tony, and the fact that Eva ignores Sid entirely, works well for her, as Eva shows no sign of thawing out towards her. 

She is not ready to be part of a blended family.

Hailey makes Sid feel unwanted and worthless at every opportunity. She has stolen the magic that Lou and Sid had together. 

Gone is the closeness and ability to be herself. She can't be forced to change, just to fit in.  

Sid just needs to find the old Lou again, like buried treasure. 

 But is that possible when everyone is changing and moving forward?

But friendship arrives when Sid needs it the most and least expects it, in an unusual form.

This is a beautifully told story with a lot of history and information entwined in the characters’ personal lives, and their struggles to remain true to themselves, while they overcome and adapt to life’s changes. 

Perfect prose and strong, interesting characters, and fast-paced action and excitement fills the pages.

I loved it!

Title: Summer of Shipwrecks
Author: Shivaun Plozza
Publisher: UQP, $16.99
Publication Date: 3 September 2024
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780702268373
For ages: 10+
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

Review: How We Share Cake

This rather gorgeous story from acclaimed author/illustrator Kim Hyo-eun, is told in the voice of a little Korean girl who is one of five children. 

Everything about How We Share Cake feels fresh, shiny and new. It’s a total delight.

Our narrator tells us that ‘we can split anything.’ She then explains how to divide an orange or a pie five ways, and the optimal place to sit at the dinner table… (There’s no contest - one is closer to the delicious egg rolls and another is next to the youngest child, with his sticky little grabbing toddler hands).

Guest Post: Q & A with Meredith Rusu on The Creative Process by Nia Shetty

There’s a Robot in My Socks by Meredith Rusu is a light-hearted story that skillfully captures the wonders of childhood while addressing the complexities of emotions in a fun, engaging way. 

The book follows Jamie and her trusty robot companion through a delightful adventure that showcases how even ordinary items, like socks, can spark extraordinary moments. 

Rusu’s book is filled with playful humor, vivid imagery, and a creative blend of the real and the imaginary, making it a perfect read for young children and their parents who are navigating their own big feelings.

One of the standout features of this graphic novel  is how themes of comfort, emotion, and the occasional chaos of childhood are wonderfully mixed. 

Through the imaginative lens of a child’s world, Rusu touches on separation anxiety, the need for routine, and the importance of emotional expression, all with a charming robot by Jamie’s side. The vibrant illustrations by Martín Morón bring Jamie’s world to life with bright colors and whimsical designs, perfectly complementing the story.

Now, let’s hear from the author herself, Meredith Rusu, as she shares insights into the inspiration, characters, and creative process behind There’s a Robot in My Socks in our exclusive KBR interview:

Review: Santa Bilby

Easter meets Christmas in Santa Bilby, written by Miranda Birthisel and illustrated by Cate James.

A bilby, one of Australia’s endangered animals, comes to the rescue when Santa gets tangled in tinsel and hurts himself. 

Santa sends for his friend the Easter Bilby, who is excited about being able to help get Christmas presents delivered to Australian children in time for Christmas morning.

Bilby is confident in being able to succeed. She’s also curious about some of the buttons in Santa’s sleigh and gets a bit sidetracked. Watch out for sleighs doing a giant loop in the sky!

Review: Ink And Light: Poetry Anthology

There are moments in life, fuelled by the actions of people you may barely know but have always admired from afar that bring you to your knees, and in my case, induce a surge of tearful emotions. 

This book, Ink and Light, an anthology of poetry by our very own,  Nia Shetty is filled with such moments.

Raw. Powerful. Immediate. Shetty’s subject matter strikes an impressive chord. Each line resonates energy and angst, anguish and anticipation. Clarity and an unnervingly keen conception of ‘how it is’.

She doesn’t spare the truth either. Diaspora, the forced shedding of cultural identity, racial discrimination, and the eternal search for buried hope; all chime subtly throughout each poem but amazingly, never in an oppressive nor despairing way. 

There is a force of optimism and expectation behind each verse that somehow provides light to the various patches of shade.

The resulting pieces are articulate, elegant odes to the author’s cultural roots and sharp contemporary observations. And, as mentioned, stirring enough to incite genuine emotion.

Review: Stepping Sideways: Worlds Of Steampunk And Dystopia

Stepping Sideways is an exhilarating and wonderful read. This collection of short stories by established and emerging authors takes us into the worlds of Steampunk and Dystopia, to experience danger and wonder by turns - and in rapid succession!

Edited by Emily Larkin and Lynne Stringer who each have stories included, the anthology also contains a fantastic offering from KBR’s own Shaye Wardrop among other excellent narratives.

Reading this book is a little mind-blowing, and kind of like riding a roller-coaster (in the best ways of having the breath sucked out of your lungs for fun). 

Most of the stories combine fantasy with mechanics, allowing readers to explore the wonders and horrors of science, technology and magic.

Review: Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria

 

Bravepaw and the Heartsone of Alluria is the first book in a bold adventure series with a strong resourceful heroine.

The characters are animals but not all are the conventional type.

Titch the smallest mouseling in her family, wants to be a warrior.

She practices with her staff of sturdy oak, and pretends she is Bravepaw, the warrior mentioned in every story she has heard.

With her best friend, Huckleberry, she imagines all that could be waiting in the world beyond for them to discover and experience, for no one has ever left the Plateau.

As they stand wondering, a hare on a glider appears. 

A sword, and a staff with a crystal on top, are strapped to his back.

The hare warns them about an approaching danger and orders the inhabitants to take up arms.

Review: Into the Ice: Reflections on Antarctica

If you want to experience Antarctica without actually going there, Into the Ice: Reflections on Antarctica will take you on the journey of a lifetime.

It's a beautiful non-fiction book by award-winning author-illustrators Alison Lester and Coral Tulloch.

Both Alison and Coral have visited Antarctica more than once, including as Arts Fellows and tourists. Their stunning artwork is an important centrepiece for Into the Ice.

From paintings, sketches and working drawings, to pen and ink and watercolour drawings, children's picture book illustrations and photos, this is a cornucopia of the great, ice-covered continent south of Australia.

Review: Because I’m Māori: He Māori Ahau

A wee preface of explanation: I am not Māori, although I have been mistaken for one many a time. And to be frank, I’ve always enjoyed and admired the rich and vibrant culture of our cousins ‘across the ditch’. 

So, when this colour-filled, bilingual ode to Māori culture and identity kapa haka’ed (apologies for verbalising that) its way across my desk, how could I say no.

Conceived and created by the talented Kiwi born, Aussie-based, Nicolla Hemi-Morehouse, this absorbing picture book greets readers from sun’s first smile to its last repast. 

Guest Post: Alexa Moses on Creating The Twinning Series

Today we invite the uber-talented, Alexa Moses to share the process of creating a popular series for primary aged readers.

After my Michaela Mason series for tweens came out, Scholastic Australia asked me to pitch them a commercial, illustrated series for 7-11 year old girls, and I ran around the house squealing for a bit, before settling down and mulling over ideas. 

One of those was a diary series with alternating points of view, between two 10-year-old girls. 

Of course, there are plenty of diary series for kids on bookstore shelves, but the shifting point-of-view would afford me gags and dramatic irony. Were these characters best friends? Sisters?