Children

Children

From the Films of Harry Potter – 100 Objects by Jody Revenson

Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeves This hardback and weighty volume is an addition to the ever-increasing mountain of books, toys, even Lego that features the staggering success of the Potter phenomenon. The eight films of the much-loved books have been an unparalleled success, and it is the production values of the movies that made this such

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Children

Marigold’s Magic Stars by Samantha Wills

Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The author of Marigold’s Magic Stars is Samantha Wills who is described as a multidisciplinary creative. She is a writer, creator, educator, speaker and feminist. She says of herself, “I’ve never done things the way you’re ‘meant’ to do them. That approach saw me get really terrible grades in high school

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Children

We’re Hopping Around Australia by Martha Mumford

Reviewed by Wendy Lipke The story in this bright, square, hard covered children’s book follows four bunnies as they set off on a trip around Australia. They do this using various modes of transport. They arrive in Sydney in a sea plane then take a jeep to more outback areas before boarding a hot air

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Children

The Brightest Christmas Star by Laura Motherway

Reviewed by Gail McDonald This book, The Brightest Christmas Star, is the first book by Laura Motherway and what a great story for families with children living in warmer climates during Christmas – a story that they will be able to relate to. The children will be able to see themselves on the beach, in

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Children

Tooth Fairy by Briony Stewart

Reviewed by Gail McDonald Every single minute of every single day a child somewhere loses a tooth which is collected by the tooth fairy or tooth fairies – because there is more than just one. The book explains what is a tooth fairy. And what they eat and a very important question – what do

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Children

Pancakes for Plum by Rae Tan

Reviewed by Gail McDonald This is an interesting story about Plum who is a panda trying to find something that she is good at, just like her brothers. She tried tree climbing and, oh no, she fell out of the tree. She tried painting but ended up getting paint all over herself. And then one

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Children

All You Need to Know about Dogs by A. Cat [and Fred Blunt]

Reviewed by Wendy Lipke  The cover of All You Need to Know About Dogs says that the book is by A. Cat. Among the publishing details inside the book, in tiny font, is the sentence ‘Fred Blunt has asserted his right to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work’. Turning the first

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Children

Lights Out, Little Dragon by Debra Tidball

Reviewed by Gail McDonald This is a fabulous book for young children loaded with many opportunities for the reader to engage the child in discussion about the story and to be an active player in it as well. Lights Out, Little Dragon engages the child from the first page, inviting them to help as the

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Children

Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu by Diane Lucas and Ben Tyler

Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu is a beautifully illustrated hard-covered book which has much to share with the reader. Although it has been published as a book for Primary School children the detailed, vivid images and information it provides have much to share with young and old. Throughout the story

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Children

Mawson in Antarctica by Joanna Grochowicz

Reviewed by Antonella Townsend Best to wear a jumper and a beanie when reading Mawson in Antarctica, Joanna Grochowicz really takes you there.  At times during the narrative I did not want to be there – at all.  This is scary stuff of the non-fiction kind. Joanna Grochowicz has written a well-researched account of Douglas

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Children

How to Move a Zoo by Kate Simpson

Reviewed by Antonella Townsend I love true stories and I love elephants, so though the target demographic for Kate Simpson’s How to Move a Zoo is for children four to eight years, this large hard cover book  will remain on my coffee table for all my adult friends to appreciate a slice of Sydney history. 

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Children

The Apprentice Witnesser by Bren MacDibble

Reviewed by Antonella Townsend Bren MacDibble’s middle grade novel, 9-13 years of age, imagines the aftermath of a world impacted by global warming and a pandemic that devastates mainly the male population. The story is centred in a village of women and children who subsist in a caring community living off the land in a

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Children

To and Fro by Anton Clifford-Motopi

Reviewed by Gail McDonald This book is the first published book by Anton Clifford-Motopi although he wrote three other books while completing post-graduate studies in public health, working as a university lecturer and raising four children. The author’s stories explore themes of self-identity, family relationships and friendship drawing from his experiences growing up in a

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Children

Tayta’s Secret Ingredient by Amal Abou-Eid

Reviewed by Gail McDonald Amal Abou-Eid is a passionate educator, mother and author of multiple self-published books. Amal started writing children’s books when she couldn’t find books that depicted characters and stories that related to their Muslim Lebanese Australian identity. This is the third book by Amal. Cara King is a Melbourne based illustrator and

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Children

The Most Amazing Thing by Ian Hayward Robinson

Reviewed by Gail McDonald Ian Hayward Robinson is a former teacher who worked for many years in curriculum development and teacher development for the Victorian Education Department. He has run courses on Story Structure and workshops at many writing conferences across Australia. The Most Amazing Thing is his first picture book. Matt Shanks is an

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