Tag: Allen & Unwin

Skydragon #4: Brave the Storm – Anh Do

Illustrations – James Hart

‘Once you embrace greatness, you will become great.’ 

When we catch up with Amber, she’s still feeling the effects of Ride the Wind’s Skydragon/E-Boy crossover. Irene takes a concussed and newly powerless Amber to a rainforest in Sennam for some much needed time out. Amber hopes if she is able to immerse herself in this “insect paradise” she will be able to reconnect with her power. 

Of course, the plan to avoid Agent Ferris’ goon squad doesn’t exactly go to plan. Scarlett Stewart, who works for EverCorp, has her own reasons for being in Sennam and she’s brought a secret weapon.

While I initially wondered how Skydragon would work without Amber’s powers, I really enjoyed this book. Amber proved that you don’t need to have special powers in order to be brave and help others. 

I loved meeting Lin and her tribe, especially her grandfather, and the lure of a rumoured curse was too enticing to resist. It was also wonderful to have the opportunity to spend more time with Irene, who’s an absolute sweetheart. 

After being concerned by the potential insect body count during the last couple of books, I was relieved that Amber specifically acted in a way to preserve their lives in this book.

Firefighter doesn’t have a huge role to play in this book but an important revelation may bring him closer to discovering his true identity.

As in previous books in the series, there was plenty of action in this book, humour and the requisite cliffhanger. I’m keen to find out what Firefighter does with the information that he’s in the process of figuring out and what dastardly plan Ferris is going to cook up for Amber next.

Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Amber is back in a thrilling adventure with new friends and old foes.

Amber took a deep breath and closed her eyes. There were insects everywhere in the park – if she concentrated, she should see a little purple flare of light where each one was. But she saw only darkness.

Her voice came out in a whisper. ‘My power is gone.’

Amber has become used to summoning her insect friends and transforming into Skydragon at the first sign of danger. But now her powers are gone, and she’s just back to being just Amber again. Will she be able to get her powers back in time to help new friends defeat an old enemy?

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The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea #4: Bats What Friends Are For – Renée Treml

Just when I didn’t think this series could get any bat-ter… 

Ollie the owl is looking for Bea the bunny, but can’t find her anywhere. Hanging around, though, is Kimmee, a bat who loves jokes.

Ollie and Kimmee have a “WHEELY fun” time together. They even join forces to tackle a mysterious mystery. 

When the two new friends finally hoppen upon Bea, Bea isn’t very hoppy to see them. Bea’s not convinced the Super Team has room for one more, especially someone who clearly already has a bond with her best friend.

This series focuses on friendship. The friends encourage one another, laugh and have fun together (with plenty of knock knock jokes and puns), and support each other to face and solve problems. 

It can be scary for kids when one of their friends makes a new friend. This book acknowledges that while also inviting them to be open to making new friends themselves.

Kimmee is a great new addition to the Super Team, which also includes CeeCee the otter, Pedro the chameleon, Sera the deer and Simon the squirrel. 

As I’ve come to expect from Renée Treml’s books, the illustrations are Bea-utiful. The characters are expressive and Kimmee looks absolutely adorable in their beanie.

This was a bat-tastic read. You bat-cha Bea-lieve owl be hanging out for the next book.

Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Some-BUNNY is missing! HOO could it Bea?

Ollie makes a BAT-tastic new friend, but Bea’s not very HOPPY about it. Can Ollie show Bea that there’s OWLways room for one more friend? 

Join Ollie and Bea in their joyful playtime adventures. The perfect book for young readers who love to laugh.

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The Super Adventures of Ollie and Bea #3: Wise Quackers – Renée Treml

Ollie the owl is too old to play with stuffed toys. Well, that’s what he’d like to Bea-lieve anyway. Then he meets Bea the bunny’s “bestest, most favourite-est stuffed toy”, Duckie.

Bea hops off home to get her mask so they can play superheroes, leaving Duckie in Ollie’s capable hands. Except Ollie accidentally sorta kinda takes playing with stuffed ducks to a whole new level. 

Now there’s a mystery to solve but if the Super Team are going to quack this case, Ollie is going to have to own up to what really happened.

Ollie and Bea are joined by the other Super Team members, CeeCee the otter, Pedro the chameleon (who speaks Spanish), Sera the deer and Simon the squirrel, as they work to solve this case.

This is a fun series that majors on friendship. Each story has an age appropriate message about being a good friend. 

In this story, Ollie makes a mistake, which he initially tries to hide from his friends. When he finally tells them the truth, his friends all work together to help him fix the problem. Teamwork prevails, Ollie’s friends don’t hold his mistake against him and there’s a hoppy ending.

Puns and jokes abound on this series and the characters are so loveable. I particularly enjoy the illustrations, which clearly show the emotions of the characters, and the colours used. 

I would have adored this series as a kid. Adult me is just as impressed. Of course, I had to reread the first two books before beginning this one and they were just as good as the first time I read them. 

Bring on the bat-tastic book 4!

Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Ollie has a mystery to solve, and Bea suspects FOWL play!

Ollie is OWL grown up and doesn’t play with stuffed toys – but then where did Bea’s toy go? It might take a DUCKtective to help QUACK this case!

Join Ollie and Bea and their delightful friends. The perfect book for young readers who love to laugh.

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There are Birds Everywhere – Britta Teckentrup

Text – Camilla de la Bedoyere

Anyone who’s known me for more than a couple of days has likely heard me talk about birds. For a number of years I was able to get to know an incredible range of different birds, from kookaburras and butcher birds to currawongs and magpies. Their distinct personalities delighted me and I ended up naming most of them. Over time, they learned to trust me and even flew to me when I called me their names.

Suffice it to say, I’m always going to want to read books about birds, especially when there are new fun facts to absorb.

Covering just some of the over 10,000 species of birds that currently take to the skies around the world (and the few who have chosen instead to walk), this book teaches readers about their anatomy, where they live and what they eat. 

Tracing the evolution of birds throughout history, from the dinosaurs to today, I read about many I’d never heard of before. My favourite was the <i>Argentavis</i>, a predatory bird with a wingspan of six metres!

There is more detailed information about the lives of specific birds, including barn owls, emperor penguins and Arctic terns.

Of course, I did have a few favourite facts.

A bald eagle’s nest “can weigh as much as a small elephant!”

Of the sandgrouse, who live in the desert:

Males sit in waterholes where their feathers soak up water, like a sponge. Then they fly back to the nest and the chicks suck on their feathers when they are thirsty.

Arctic terns fly the equivalent of three return trips to the moon during their lifetime. That’s 2.4 million kilometres!

The facts are bite sized and the illustrations are beautiful. My favourite illustration featured a barn owl swooping down in the night sky. This was exactly the type of book I would have borrowed from the library for school projects.

Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

There are birds everywhere! Some of them live by the sea, some of them in the savannah, and some might live in your roof.

There are Birds Everywhere is the fourth in a series of non-fiction books from Britta Teckentrup. Young readers will learn where in the world all sorts of birds can be found and all the weird and wonderful things about them that they never imagined were true.

With an added search-and-find element, this is non-fiction with spark and personality from a much-loved illustrator.

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It Fell From the Sky – Terry Fan & Eric Fan

When it fell from the sky, everyone approached it differently. Some tried to figure out where it came from. Others investigated, attempting to taste, roll or hatch it. 

Everyone agreed it was the most amazing thing they had ever seen. 

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Spider decides to capitalise on the Wonder. That is, until things don’t quite go to plan.

Spider, initially only focused on how he could personally benefit from the Wonder, eventually learns a valuable lesson about selfishness. Maybe Wonders are more wonderful if they’re shared.

The illustrations in this picture book are absolutely gorgeous. The animals are so realistic that I almost expected them to crawl, hop and fly off the page. I was tempted to blow on the dandelions. 

While the pictures are incredibly lifelike, that doesn’t mean they’re without whimsy. There’s something so adorable and smile worthy about seeing critters you’d find in your garden casually wearing top hats and carrying briefcases.

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I probably wouldn’t have appreciated this as much as a kid but adult me loved the minimal use of colour in the illustrations. Initially, the only splash of colour comes from the thing that fell from the sky. Gradually, more colour is introduced. 

Beware the five-legged creature!

Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin for the opportunity to read this picture book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A picture book about community, art, the importance of giving back – and the wonder that fell from the sky.

It fell from the sky on a Thursday.

None of the insects know where it came from, or what it is. Some say it’s an egg. Others, a gumdrop. But whatever it is, it fell near Spider’s house, so he’s convinced it belongs to him.

Spider builds a wondrous display so that insects from far and wide can come look at the marvel. Spider has their best interests at heart. So what if he has to charge a small fee? So what if the lines are long? So what if no one can even see the wonder anymore?

But what will Spider do after everyone stops showing up?

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Frank and Bert – Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

You know when you’re so excited about a book that you accidentally preorder it twice? I did the advanced copy equivalent of that with this book; I requested ARC’s from two publishers because I just knew I was going to love it. Then I got approvals from both publishers, so I got to enjoy both the electronic and physical copies of this book. 

So, does that mean I loved it twice as much? You bet I did!

Frank the fox and Bert the bear are best friends who love playing hide-and-seek. Frank always finds Bert though because, well, Bert isn’t the best at hiding.

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Bert’s hiding skills reminded me of those of another bear, Fergus from Mike Boldt’s Find Fergus.

Frank loves to win but he also loves his best friend. Frank’s competitive nature goes up against his desire to make his friend happy in the most adorable way.

Bert, to his credit, isn’t quite as oblivious as he first appears. The way the story resolves gave me the biggest smile (and there were many) of the book.

The illustrations are so much fun. My eyes were continually drawn to Bert’s hot pink scarf, an important part of the story that really pops in the physical copy of the book. Both animals are quite expressive, adding to the humour.

Bonus points for the accidental learning. One of the games of hide-and-seek requires readers to count to one hundred. I’d definitely be encouraging kids I was reading with to count along with me.

This story seems so simple at first but there’s such a great message about the value of friendship. 

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I can’t get enough of this book! I really hope Frank and Bert secure starring roles in future books.

If you finish this book and you’re looking for another picture book that weighs the value of friendship against winning, I’d recommend Katy Hudson’s The Golden Acorn.

Thank you so much to Allen & Unwin and Nosy Crow for the opportunity to fall in love with this picture book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A hilarious new picture book from author of The Suitcase, Chris Naylor-Ballesteros – with neon ink throughout!

Frank and Bert are the best of friends and they LOVE to play hide and seek. But Bert the bear isn’t quite as good at hiding as he thinks he is … and Frank ALWAYS wins! Every. Single. Time. But when it’s Bert’s turn to hide, and Frank has to decide between winning again OR making his friend happy, Frank learns that friendship is always the true winner.

This interactive and entertaining story about friendship is guaranteed to get children giggling!

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Wolf Girl #6: Animal Train – Anh Do

Illustrations – Lachlan Creagh

Spoilers Ahead! (marked in purple)

A few days after saying goodbye to Rupert, Gwen and her pack are on their way to Tunny, where Rupert’s parents said they saw Gwen’s Mum. On their way, they stop in Harrington, where they meet the Wilsons.

Then they board a train, which has a bunch of soldiers and carriages full of animals in cages. Gwen and her pack need to do whatever they can to avoid the soldiers but they also can’t imagine leaving animals behind in captivity.

The train journey reminded me of Indiana Jones’ encounter with the snakes on his own train journey in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Neither Indy nor his father would have been thrilled about the contents of some of the cages. Also, arachnophobes, beware!

Gwen’s hair gets brushed for possibly the first time since before the series began and in the process meets some humans who aren’t trying to capture her and her pack. Thank goodness there are still some nice people in this world. 

I’ve been pretty adamant (with myself, at least) that I wasn’t going to read this book. Every book in this series includes at least one of the pack getting injured and I know that’s life, but I don’t want to read about dogs in pain and potential mortal danger. 

I relented with this book because I needed to know if an animal whose survival previously had a question mark hanging over it would come back or not. I’m thrilled to report that they are in fact alive but I’m also sad that the expectation of dogs being hurt in every book played out here as well.

Sunrise got slightly hurt saving Tiny, then later in the book they were both hit by tranquilliser darts. Tiny went from unconscious to awake in record time and neither seemed overly worse for wear but Anh, please let the pack members make it through at least one book uninjured.

Of course, there’s a cliffhanger at the end of the book, as there always is.

There’s a bonus story featuring Wolf Girl and Skydragon at the end of the book. This also ends in a cliffhanger. I still don’t know how I feel about these two series being set in the same world.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

When Gwen and her dogs jump on a train bound for the mountains, they are surprised to find the carriages are full of weird and wonderful animals!

With the help of new and old friends, Gwen is determined to give the wild creatures their freedom, even if it means risking her own…

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My Body Keeps Your Secrets – Lucia Osborne-Crowley

It’s been a week since I finished reading this book and I’m still no closer to being able to figure out what I want to say about it. Writing about trauma and shame and the way they show up in the body, the author details her own experiences as well as telling the stories of some of the people she interviewed for this book.

A lot of the content is very difficult to read and at times it felt like I was being intrusive, as though I was sneaking a peek into the author’s journal.

I feel like I’m phoning it in here but rather than waffle on when I really don’t know what to say, I’m going to share some of the quotes I highlighted.

On shame: 

Shame is the emotion that compels us to keep secrets. It comes from the outside, but it lives within. 

What I learned from the interviews I did for this book is that to know you are one thing and be told you are another is a singular form of shame transmission. It is the same thing I keep coming back to, again and again, in these interviews: it is the horror of not knowing what is real and what isn’t, of being taught not to trust yourself, of never knowing who to believe, of knowing that your own reality won’t be trusted if you dare to speak it aloud. 

The false self, Dr Joseph Burgo tells us in Shame, is about escape. When shame is transmitted to us, we become convinced that our authentic self is somehow not good enough, somehow worthy of whatever shameless acts we endured. So then our instinct is to escape that self. To hide from ourselves, to lie to ourselves, to erase the person we were when the first bad thing happened. 

On self destructive behaviours: 

The thing with habits meant to punish is that each time we become accustomed to them, they become normal and no longer bring us enough discomfort to fit the brief. 

On declining conviction rates: 

Some would say that as rape is being spotlit for the rich and famous, it’s being slowly decriminalised for the rest of us. 

On chronic pain: 

So here’s the kicker: ignoring women’s pain not only inhibits the process of healing, it actually makes it more likely that the pain will become permanent. 

I keep coming back to one statistic: that 70 per cent of all sufferers of chronic pain are women. That chronic pain is a disease born when acute pain is ignored. Could our illness be, in part, a product of our society’s belief that we ought to care for others instead of ourselves? 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

It occurred to me that the thing that made me the sickest, the thing that made me suffer most, was the fact that I felt so compelled to hide what had been done to me. Because I believed it was all my fault.

Lucia Osborne-Crowley didn’t tell a soul when she was raped aged fifteen. Then, eighteen months after she was attacked, her body began to turn on her – and what followed were sudden bouts of searing, unbearable pain that saw her in and out of hospital for the next ten years.

At twenty-five, Lucia for the first time told the truth about her rape. This disclosure triggered an endless series of appointments with doctors, trauma specialists and therapists. Meanwhile, Lucia threw herself into researching the shadowy intricacies of abuse, trauma and shame.

In My Body Keeps Your Secrets, Lucia shares the voices of women and trans and non-binary people around the world, as well as her own deeply moving testimony. She writes of vulnerability, acceptance and the reclaiming of our selves, all in defiance of a world where atrocities are committed and survivors are repeatedly told to carry the weight of that shame.

Widely researched and boldly argued, this book reveals the secrets our bodies bury deep within them, the way trauma can rewrite our biology, and how our complicated relationships with sex affect our connection with others. Crafted in a daring and immersive literary form, My Body Keeps Your Secrets is a necessary, elegant and empathetic work that further establishes Lucia’s credentials as a key intersectional feminist thinker for a new generation.

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Skydragon #3: Ride the Wind – Anh Do

Illustrations – James Hart

Amber tries to go incognito in this book. Irene decides it’s time for Amber to get away from Agent Ferris and the rest of the National Service goons, so they’re on their way to Kingston City in a campervan that Irene conveniently had stashed away.

Of course, incognito and Amber (now Angela) don’t mix, especially when E-Boy shows up for an unadvertised crossover. It doesn’t help that there’s two baddies intent on doing bad stuff. It seems that trouble just follows Amber, no matter how well she’s trying to blend in at her new school.

Meanwhile, Reggie, Amber’s brother is still with the National Service, but with a new purpose; he wants to find out the truth about his family. Dastardly Ferris is a step ahead of him, though, having done some redaction work on Reggie’s file.

While it was nice to see Amber trying out normal life for the first time since becoming Skydragon, I haven’t read the E-Boy series (yet) so can’t really comment on his inclusion in this book. It seems like he is already acquainted with one of the story’s Big Bads. I wondered if what’s happening in his series at the moment would allow him to take some time off to lend a hand to Amber or maybe Amber is actually on his turf. 

Note to self: make sure you’re up to date in all series involved in a crossover so you don’t have to wonder about things that are probably irrelevant.

Now, I know you’re probably sick of hearing this from me but the details in the illustrations (which I love, by the way) didn’t always line up with the details of the descriptions in the text. 

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On a completely unrelated topic: I think I’ve found the perfect job for me – scrutineer of children’s book illustrations. That’s got to be a job, right? I’ll read every kid’s book ever and be paid the big bucks to make sure the illustrations and text tell the same story. So, who’s hiring? 😜

I didn’t realise I’d gotten a little battle weary during the first two books in this series. They were pretty much non stop action, which I really enjoy, but it was nice to see Amber actually having the opportunity to make new friends and have someone take care of her for a change. That’s not to say that I’m not looking forward to Agent Ferris meeting an appropriately dastardly end. Comeuppance is definitely on the cards for him at some point…

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Amber and her insects are back in a thrilling adventure with old friends and new villains!

The agents fled as the fire took hold of the wooden cabin and any evidence of Skydragon’s identity burned to ashes.

Sounds of crackling flames and cracking wood filled the forest, followed by shouts of ‘Me? No way, you tell him!’ as the agents argued over who was going to call their boss to explain how Skydragon had gotten away from them … again.

Amber is tired of being hunted, and sick of being afraid. Maybe she can escape her destiny and live a normal life, like a normal girl. 

But two new villains are on the prowl, and when other people’s lives are on the line, will Amber hide … or will she rise?

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Dragon Skin – Karen Foxlee

Ten year old Pip remembers the before time, the time before Matt moved into her home, the time before his “rumbling rock words” made her feel unsafe. 

Remember to disappear. Remember to stay quiet. Remember to not exist. 

She also remembers Mika (“Mick. Ahhh.”). He arrived at the end of Grade Three, two weeks after Matt moved in. Mika lived with Mrs Jarvinen, his great-grandmother. Pip shared her places with him. 

Mika believed in almost everything! And aliens were his favourite. 

Now Mika is gone and Pip’s mother is a shell of her former self, controlled by Matt and his “weather patterns”, so when Pip finds a dragon that’s barely clinging to life, she knows she needs to look after him all by herself. 

If she told her mum, then her mum would tell Matt and Matt owned everything. Her mother had to tell him everything because he was the king of knowing everything. 

Pip wants to protect Little Fella and make sure he survives. But as Little Fella begins to heal, changes are also taking place within Pip. 

That’s what happened with dragons. You started to believe stuff. 

I loved that this book was set in Australia. There was even some classic Aussie terminology: Pip ‘wags’ school, Archie’s Mum works at the ‘tuckshop’. It delighted me no end when Pip fed Little Fella Weet-Bix, although he did love spaghetti as well.

This book introduced me to a brand new swear adjacent word, ‘Fudge-nuggets’. It was also a surprisingly sensitive exploration of the way a child experiences domestic abuse. Matt is a textbook coercive controller and it made me so sad seeing Pip having to make herself smaller inside her previously safe home. I loved her for her courage and her ability to remain open with her friends despite what she’s experiencing at home.

While the reader is under no illusion about how scary Pip’s home life is, I felt the level of detail provided was age appropriate. Young readers who have experienced domestic abuse will likely see themselves in the way Pip describes her home life and will hopefully see that they’re not alone and that help is available. 

He was dangerous. Dangerous like water. He could seem calm and glassy on top but underneath he was all dark silt and weed. 

We have to find out how to make him happy. We have to solve the mystery of how to keep him happy. We have to make everything perfect. When everything is perfect, he’s happy. 

Pip hated that worse than any of it. Worse than the shouting, the rumbling rock words, the blaring television hiding the meanness. She hated the next day cover-ups. 

Although Pip’s mother doesn’t play a huge role in this book, I appreciated being able to witness her own changes, from being entirely controlled by Matt to the stages of readiness she needed to go through in order to leave her abusive relationship. The fact that this part of the story was told through the topics Pip’s mother searches on her phone showed this progression in a way that highlighted to me how difficult even contemplating leaving can be.

There was potential for an ugly cry, which I cleverly averted by stopping my reading binge abruptly with about ten pages to go. I finished the book the next day, reading a page at a time to save on tissues. 

Love. That’s what you needed mostly, to save things. And Weet-Bix. And spaghetti. 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

How to save a dragon:
1) Assemble equipment. Water, Weet-Bix, sugar, syringe, sticky tape, scissors.
2) Believe in everything.

Pip never wants to go home. She likes to sit at the waterhole at dusk and remember Mika, her best friend. At home her mother’s not the same since her boyfriend moved in. They don’t laugh anymore and Pip has to go to bed early, turn off her light and pretend she doesn’t exist. When she finds a half-dead creature at the waterhole, everything changes. She knows she has to save this small dragon and return it to where it comes from. But how?

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