Winston and his mum live in the country town of Wooba, home of Big Bread, a towering monument to local wheat farming, currently listed as one of Australia’s Twenty Ugliest Statues. Winston is proud of everything in Wooba (especially the decrepit Big Bread) and can’t wait to share it all with his new family from Dubbo, particularly his new sister Macy.

But the move to Wooba dashes Macy’s dreams of being an Olympic gymnast and she’s making her feelings plain to all. Luckily, Winston is brimming with ideas and boundless energy and soon inspires the good folk of Wooba to cobble together a training facility from makeshift sports equipment, raise a gymnastic team from among the local kids and even rescue Big Bread from demolition.

Warm, funny and thoroughly engaging, this story about community, family and friendship has it all: quirky characters, plenty of laughs and lots of heart. Readers who loved Figgy in the World, Tamsin Janu’s first book, will also adore this one.

Highly recommended for readers ages 8+.

Athina Clarke is the children’s book buyer at Readings Malvern.