Kids

Molly and Mae by Danny Parker and Freya Blackwood

Reviewed by Alexa Dretzke

The vicissitudes of friendship are perfectly portrayed in Molly & Mae: the fun, frivolity and sometimes the discord. As the two girls embark on a long train journey from the country to the city, their playful antics are disrupted…

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There May be a Castle by Piers Torday

Reviewed by Dani Solomon

Mouse Mallory is 11 years old and he’s very little for his age. It’s Christmas eve and Mouse’s mum is hassling him to please help her out by packing his bag and getting ready for the short drive across the…

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The Sound of Silence by Katrina Goldsaito and Julia Kuo

Reviewed by Alexa Dretzke

In a busy city like Tokyo the idea of silence is almost ridiculous. The Japanese have the word ‘Ma’ to explain the silence between sounds and it is this notion that inspires this quite lovely picture book. As young Yoshio…

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Lots by Marc Martin

Reviewed by Isobel Moore

Even the end pages are perfection in Martin’s latest offering Lots, an exploration of prevalent people, creatures and things in various places around the world, depicted in vibrant illustrations. The usual fare of Paris (lots of dogs), New York…

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Artie and the Grime Wave by Richard Roxburgh

Reviewed by Kim Gruschow

Well-loved Australian actor Richard Roxburgh’s first children’s book is a completely unhinged adventure and a celebration of friendship. Artie and his friend Bumshoe discover evidence of dodgy criminal behaviour happening in their town and are soon caught up in a…

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Home in the Rain by Bob Graham

Reviewed by Kathy Kozlowski

One of the many reasons I love Bob Graham’s books is that, for all their simplicity, his observations of the natural world and family life are always profound and loving, and children, ‘reading’ the pictures, see the wonder of their…

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Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

Reviewed by Natalie Platten

Growing up on a Pennsylvanian farm in 1940s America is a wholesome life for eleven-year-old Annabelle. Elder sister to two younger brothers, Annabelle does not begrudge having to keep a watchful, protective eye over them. Nor does she mind the…

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Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller

Reviewed by Isobel Moore

Elizabeth and her father are moving to his childhood home after her mother leaves them for a more ‘adventure-filled’ life. Zenobia, Elizabeth’s not-an-imaginary best friend, obviously goes with them. The two girls are practically polar opposites and while Elizabeth is…

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The Twins of Tintarfell by James O'Loghlin

Reviewed by Dani Solomon

Dani and Bart are orphan twins who serve the bedridden King Corolius the Fifth and his son, the spoiled Prince Edward. When Edward’s father buys him a magnificent but huge and angry-looking horse, Prince Edward must prove himself by riding…

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Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Reviewed by Kim Gruschow

Dog Man is a new and typically unhinged comic by Dav Pilkey, the author responsible for the infamous Captain Underpants series. This is not for boring people. It is for people who really love laughing and want to laugh heaps…

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