Tag: Hachette

Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul – Nikita Gill

In these short stories and poems you’ll find well known fairytales with insights into characters, backstories and different endings. Sleeping Beauty doesn’t wait for a Prince to awaken her; she does it herself. Jack is willing to face a giant to escape his abusive mother. Tinkerbell embraces her anger.

My absolute favourite was this empowering gem:

Once Upon a Time II

But the universe never promised
you this would be easy,
after all, you are the hero here.

And heroes are meant
to be forged golden
from the blaze.

It is up to you to rise again
from the fragmented shards
your foes left of you.

You must lift a sword
with reborn strength and take on
the demons in your ribcage.

You must devastate the chains
every violent person
has brutally placed on you.

And you must show them all
how they were simply
characters in your story.

But you, you are the author
of this spellbinding tale
built of hope and bravery.

Out there may be monsters, my dear.
But in you still lives the dragon
you should always believe in.

Each time I read it I can feel myself sit up straighter and the resolve to rise up gets stronger. I don’t usually quote an entire poem but I had to here. I love it!

Towards the end of the book I began to wonder if the author had run out of fairytales and was simply fuelled by anger. Poems like The Modern-day Fairytale and Ode to the Catcaller Down the Street felt like I was suddenly reading another book altogether, one that wasn’t enchanting and empowering, just mad. Perhaps if there were two sections in the book the shift would have been easier to process.

Some stories and poems fuelled my hope, showing me victims becoming survivors and villains humanised. Others left a bitter aftertaste. Life’s like that though. While we want our happily ever after, it’s not guaranteed. When we think we have nothing left we find reserves of strength we didn’t even know we possessed. Some things life chooses for us but it’s our choices that define us.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Poet, writer, and Instagram sensation Nikita Gill returns with a collection of fairytales poetically retold for a new generation of women. 

Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.

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Danny Blue’s Really Excellent Dream – Max Landrak

I’ve read this book at least five times in the past couple of months because I love it so much and because I couldn’t think of the right words to tell you how much I love it or why. The blurb tells me it’s about “creativity, comfort zones – and colour”. It feels like much more though.

Danny Blue is the son of Mr Blue, a paint maker whose factory makes “the most beautiful shades of blue in all of Blue York.” Danny lives in a world of blue, from blueberry pancakes to the blue spoon he uses to eat his blueberries for dessert.

One night Danny has a dream but this dream is different. This is a Really Excellent Dream! Danny wonders if it’s possible to show people what he saw in his dream, but how will the people of Blue York react when they’re faced with something that’s not blue?

This book speaks to me of following your dreams (sorry, I had to go there) and that different doesn’t automatically equate to bad. I thought of pioneers whose ideas are met by peoples’ resistance to change and how embracing change can spur on creativity. I also thought this was a really cool book to teach kids about primary colours.

Max Landrak’s illustrations are fantastic! I love the imaginative use of the word everything to showcase Danny’s blue world. Inside each letter you’re shown a different element of Danny’s world, from the blue parrot to the blue ice cream (with a blue cone) to the blue bricks. I loved that most of the book is greyscale with highlights of blue, like the stripes on Danny’s shirt, so by the time a new colour is introduced it really does look revolutionary.

While I’ve told you a lot about this book and probably used more words than you’ll find in the book to do so I still don’t feel like I’ve really gotten to the crux of why I love this book so much. I’m not sure I can. Sometimes you come across a book and your love for it can’t be fully explained. It just is.

In a nutshell, this is a really fun kid’s book about a boy that follows his dream and, in doing so, changes his world. It’s a new favourite.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Danny Blue lives in a world where everything is blue. And while there are many different shades and hues, everything is essentially the same. But then one night Danny sees something in a dream that is unlike anything else. He tried to describe it, but no one can understand what he means, and so he decides to create the thing he saw in his Really Excellent Dream (or R.E.D.).

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Knock Knock Pirate – Caryl Hart

Illustrations – Nick East

☠️ Ahoy, me mateys! ☠️

I discovered Knock Knock Pirate after devouring Caryl Hart’s The Invincibles series. My local library had this one as well and of course I was going to request a copy because, well, pirates!

What an imaginative counting book! With great rhymes and plenty of pirates to count, our young main character (whose name is not Jim) is Home Alone when a posse of pirates take control of her house and sail it down the street and across the seven seas in search of treasure. I’m extremely impressed by the buoyancy of this home! Along the way the house-ship and its quirky sailors encounter some awesome marine life including a giant whale, giant squid and a group of sharks that look mighty hungry!

Nick East’s illustrations are funny and detailed. They compliment the rhymes so well and there’s just so much to see. I really liked the three granny pirates who arrive in style – wearing shawls while perched on top of cannonballs that crash through the roof.

From the other items visible in her treasure chest of costumes it’s clear this isn’t the first adventure this young girl has taken!

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

A visit from a pirate might sound like fun … but when the Captain’s whole crew turn up too – causing mayhem and chaos – it’s time for this little girl to panic. What is Dad going to say when he gets home?!

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Does It Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence – Nick Caruso & Dani Rabaiotti

Illustrations – Ethan Kocak

You know those facts that you didn’t know you needed to know until you read a blurb and realise that you urgently need to know this vital information? Well, that sums up how I felt when I discovered Does It Fart? on NetGalley. I read the blurb, knew immediately that I needed this book in my life, hit the Request button and waited. Then my email notification arrived letting me know I was denied access to this title. My heart sank and I experienced one of my biggest NetGalley disappointments to date.

Yet I still desperately needed to read it ASAP so I waited as patiently as possible for the release date. Finally it arrived and I thought about ordering it through my local library but quickly determined that I needed it now, so downloaded it to my Kindle and started reading straight away.

I was anticipating a book with some facts but more laughs. In the introduction I read that “Not all farts are created equal” and that confirmed to me that this was definitely the book for me, so I eagerly read on. Then I found I was disappointed because my expectations didn’t match the reality of this book.

There are some interesting facts and you do find out the answers regarding whether an animal farts, doesn’t fart or maybe farts, but I found it was written in such a clinical way that the only laughs I got out of the book came from the illustrations.

Had I simply expected information telling me that this animal farts because it eats a plant based diet and has a certain type of stomach and digestive system, or this animal farts because it eats a meat based diet and has certain type of stomach and digestive system, I would have been satisfied. There was other information about each animal including details of scent glands and digestive enzymes, how many species of that animal exist and where they’re found along with the animal’s scientific name, but I didn’t need to laugh at all while I read.

I did like learning smelly facts including an animal that uses their farts to kill prey, another that uses farts to communicate and one that will die if they don’t fart, but I found these facts interesting rather than funny. Even the entry about unicorns mostly compared them to horses, cows and rhinos, making the assumption that because each of these animals fart then a unicorn would be likely to as well.

I know I’m in the minority here as plenty of reviewers are talking about how hilarious this book is but the illustrations stole the show for me. They were fantastic and looked like they belonged in a cartoon or a funny graphic novel. The expressions on the animals’ faces were priceless, with plenty of big googly eyes and crosses replacing eyes for those in the flatulence firing line. All of the animals had so much character I could have written a story featuring each of them based on their expressions and the way they were posed alone. I definitely need to see more of Ethan Kocak’s artwork.

I am glad I read this book as it satisfied my curiosity and I now know the answers about whether the animals discussed fart or not. However I wish I’d waited to borrow it from the library rather than spending money that I would have preferred, in hindsight, to spend on several other books I know I would have enjoyed more and wanted to reread.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Dogs do it. Millipedes do it. Dinosaurs did it. You do it. I do it. Octopuses don’t (and nor do octopi). Spiders might do it: more research is needed. Birds don’t do it, but they could if they wanted to. Herrings do it to communicate with each other. 

In 2017 zoologist Dani Rabaiotti’s teenage brother asked her a most teenaged question: Do snakes fart? Stumped, Rabaiotti turned to Twitter. The internet did not disappoint. Her innocent question spawned the hashtag #doesitfart and it spread like a noxious gas. Dozens of noted experts began weighing in on which animals do and don’t fart, and if they do, how much, how often, what it’s made of, what it smells like, and why. 

Clearly, the public demands more information on animal farts. Does it Fart? fills that void: a fully authoritative, fully illustrated guide to animal flatulence, covering the habits of 80 animals in more detail than you ever knew you needed. 

What do hyena farts smell especially bad? What is a fossa, and does it fart? Why do clams vomit but not fart? And what is a fart, really? Pairing hilarious illustrations with surprisingly detailed scientific explanations, Does it Fart? will allow you to shift the blame onto all kinds of unlikely animals for years to come. 

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The I’M NOT SCARED Book – Todd Parr

This is a colourful book aimed at young kidlets to help them acknowledge and face their fears. Throughout the book common childhood fears including the dark, dogs, what’s under your bed, storms, arguments and getting lost in a store are addressed, along with ways to overcome fear in those situations.

Encouraging children to tell someone about their fears, this book offers some easy solutions and different ways of thinking about fears to help overcome them. A nightlight can help if you’re scared of the dark. Building a fort during a storm is a great distraction tool.

I wasn’t aware that shopping for new underwear was scary as a kid (I know the price tags are scary for adults) but if it helps to wear your new undies on your head, more power to you!

I loved the bright, cheerful illustrations and that there’s no judgement about having a fear in the first place. By offering suggestions of ways to overcome fears it empowers children to face their fears and perhaps even come up with some ideas of their own. I just wish our caped crusader on the cover image featured inside as well.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Sometimes I’m scared of dogs.
I’m not scared when they give me kisses.

Sometimes I’m scared I will make a mistake.
I’m not scared when I know I tried my best.

With his signature blend of playfulness and sensitivity, Todd Parr explores the subject of all things scary and assures readers that all of us are afraid sometimes.

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Quark’s Academy – Catherine Pelosi

Augustine, Celeste and Oscar have all been accepted to spend a week at the prestigious Quark Academy during the summer holidays. During this week they will be taught by Inventors and work on their own invention. On the final day the children will present their completed invention during a nationally televised Best Invention Competition.

Augustine, whose parents are both scientists, is interested in the weather. Celeste’s interest is in black holes and she has unfinished business with another competitor. Oscar loves science, in particular chemistry, and wants nothing more than for his parents to notice him like they do with his ‘golden child’ big brother, Toby.

The students soon learn that there’s more to Quark Academy than meets the eye and they’re going to have to use their combined skills to solve the mystery and return home at the end of the week.

I loved the ideas during the first half, in particular the extracting DNA from two animals, people or plants with the view to cross-modifying them. The different responses by the various students to the task was really interesting as it gave insight into their personalities. I also appreciated the ethical issues raised surrounding science and inventions – just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should.

Unfortunately I found the second half of the book, when all of the action was happening and the unravelling of the mystery, somewhat disappointing. I found myself wanting more quirky science ideas and I wanted to see more of the students working on their inventions. I didn’t have any emotional connection to the characters, the final third felt a little disjointed and the end wrapped up too quickly and neatly for my liking.

Overall this book had potential and I expect the target audience (8 to 12 year olds) will enjoy the fun and the mystery, but as an adult reader that reads a lot of novels aimed at children I wanted more focus on relationship between the students, in particular the other twelve students who for the most part have no role in the book.

I had trouble stopping myself from comparing this book to Jackie Yeager’s Spin the Golden Light Bulb, which I read a few weeks ago and adored. Perhaps if I had read Quark’s Academy first I would have enjoyed it more.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Hachette Childrens Books, Australia for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

SCIENCE IN PROGRESS – ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Junior science geniuses Augustine, Celeste and Oscar can’t believe their luck when they’re accepted into an elite and mysterious science academy summer camp run by the elusive Inventor Quark.

From the moment they step inside the gates of Quark’s Academy at the end of Molecule Drive, they know they’re in for a week they’ll never forget. But things at the academy are not quite what they seem, and the three quickly realise that they’ll need to put their squabbles aside and their heads together if they’re ever to get out of there alive …

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Everless – Sara Holland

”Snake,” said Fox. “what have you done?”

I’m always wary of books whose hype arrives before it’s on the shelves. Let me tell you, Everless is worthy of its hype – and then some! Before I’d even reached 15% one word haunted my mind without me consciously thinking it … captivating. I was captivated from beginning to end, and I had so much adrenaline rushing through me during the second half that I pretty much feel like the Energizer Bunny right now.

By 30% I already anticipated/feared a sequel and came close to writing to Sara Holland demanding begging for immediate access to it upon completion of her debut. Now that I’ve finished reading Everless I’m fairly convinced that I need get my hands on the sequel in a reasonable timeframe (say, the next 24 hours or so) or I may suffer Sempera withdrawals and if they’re anything like the punishments dispensed at Everless, it’s not going to be pretty.

I don’t want to ruin this one for you so I’m just going to cover a few points because I can’t help myself, then I’m going to tell you to read it for yourself because it really is that good!

The Cover: Kudos to the design team involved in this book. That cover is incredible! The blood dripping through the hourglass and the elements inside draw your attention and make you need to know what this book’s all about. I also really liked the design of the artwork at the beginning of each chapter.

Favourite Character: Hinton. May I please adopt him? Pretty please?

The Boys: I may be unpopular for saying this but quite frankly, Roan bored me. Sure, he’s nice to look at and all. He’s sweet, polite and behaves in a way that would make any mother proud. I’m sure I’d like to look at him along with everyone else, but his personality didn’t grab my attention. Liam, however … I loved Liam. He had mystery and complexity oozing out of him. You weren’t sure who he really was beneath the grimace and his snarkiness kept me entertained.

Jules: I really liked her relationship with her Papa. It was gorgeous, despite her spending most of the book behaving in direct opposition to his wishes. Overall I liked, not loved, her character. I rolled my eyes every time she swooned over Roan. I’m not a fan of swooning – ever, and half expected her to faint and fall into his arms each time they crossed paths. I liked Jules’ story more than her character, and she didn’t make my top five favourite characters.

The Minor Characters: There were a few minor characters who came and went, and others who seemed as though they’d become more important as the story continued but faded into obscurity. I quite liked some of these characters (some of those did make my top five) and it felt like there should have been more to their stories than I learned in this book. I can only hope they return in the sequel as there are several whose stories feel unfinished to me.

The Mythology: The gradual unfolding of the mythology were some of my favourite passages. I adore mythology! The Alchemist and Sorceress. The fox and the snake. The stories told to children generation after generation. I wanted to know more, to go deeper, and while I’m certain there’s plenty more to come I’m also satisfied that a lot of my initial questions have been answered.

The Themes: The big three for me were loss, trust, and betrayal. I love novels where things are not always what they seem. It messes with your equilibrium as a reader when you’re unsure whose words you can trust and when you’re not quite sure if what you’re being told is the truth, part of a bigger truth or an outright lie. While some elements of this novel were predictable there were plenty that weren’t.

Time: Time really is money! I’m obsessed with the possibilities surrounding time travel (no, there aren’t flux capacitors but time is most certainly messed with) and the concept of time in general. Any book that twists my notions of time around into a reality that both ignites my imagination and turns something from improbable to possible and believable in my mind in under 400 pages grabs my attention.

Social Class: Servants and the elite. Higher and lower ranking servants. The whole idea of one group of people believing they’re better than another group for any reason disgusts me and I love that this was explored in Sempera’s society. The imbalance and abuse of power was integral to the way this society functioned and had done for centuries.

The Magic: It’s magic! Of course it was awesome!

Yay, me!: Although I didn’t know how it was going to play out my gut told me to trust one character and not trust another. For once I was right about both!

Okay, so maybe more than a few points. 😃 Now, off you go and read this book if you haven’t already!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Children’s Books, Australia for the opportunity to read this book.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Time is a prison. She is the key. Packed with danger, temptation and desire – a perfect read for fans of The Red Queen. 

In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything – even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.

Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.

There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever … and possibly the future of time itself.

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Merry Christmas, Hugless Douglas – David Melling

In this book you’ll search for the little robin that is in each scene. There are snow angels, tree hugging (by Douglas), snowman building, a Christmas tree with a difference and an adorable reindeer called Rudi. Rudi stole the show for me. His nose jingles, he’s blue and he has magic. I loved the illustrations and expect this will be a popular read in the lead up to Christmas this year.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Hugless Douglas knows what Christmas is all about – snowing sheep, finding a tree, sledging and and making new friends like Rudi the Reindeer! And one more thing of course … Christmas hugs!

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All I Want for Christmas – Rachel Bright

OK, this is the one! Even though I live in the Southern Hemisphere and am therefore not exactly dreaming of a white Christmas, if I was wandering through a bookstore looking for a kiddie Christmas book, this is the one I’d be taking home with me.

Why? Call me superficial but the small things really can be big things for me. At just a glance of the front cover I’m greeted by two colourful penguins in striped beanies and the dot on the i in Christmas is a snowflake. Then when I turn over to the back cover, our cute as a button penguins are putting a glowing star on top of a Christmas tree and some of the tree’s decorations are smiley fish!

So, by judging a book by its cover we already have a winner but then inside the story told in rhymes and the illustrations are aww-worthy. We follow Big Penguin and Little Penguin prepare for their Christmas celebration and while the presents are wonderful, what’s even better is the love they share. Aww! Heart melted.

P.S. There’s a giant teddy bear close to the middle of the book that I’ve already claimed. You may borrow it if you ask nicely.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Once Upon a Blurb

Two penguins discover that love is the perfect gift at Christmas in this sparkling festive picture book!

The countdown to Christmas has begun and there is so much for Little Penguin to be excited about: decorating the tree, cooking festive treats, sending a letter to Santa, wrapping presents, and much more. But what does Big Penguin want for Christmas? The answer will warm the hearts of every penguin, big or small!

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Nevermoor #1: The Trials of Morrigan Crow – Jessica Townsend

DNF @ 36%

I was so excited about this book but unfortunately I’m in the minority here and couldn’t make it past 36%. There were too many obvious nods to other books so I ended up feeling like I was reading a list of the author’s favourite things. Amongst others, it was as if I were rereading Roald Dahl, Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and possibly rewatching a Gilmore Girls episode, but all mashed up and distorted.

I keep going back to it and can’t move on from where I left it. If I ever manage to finish this one I’ll update my review and will grovel to the author for forgiveness if I wind up loving it. At this point though, I just can’t try any more.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hachette Children’s Books, Australia for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Once Upon a Blurb

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks – and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organisation: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart, an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests, or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate. 

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