Book Review: Is It OK to Be Quiet? by Michael Brisciana

Is It OK to Be Quiet? is a gentle book that can be read by a child themself but would be of extra benefit if read together with a parent or carer.

 

 Illustrated by James Cook James

 

Publisher: Trust Publishing

Publication date: 2nd June 2025

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 36

Price: AU$10.88 (Kindle)

Source: Courtesy of the author

 

Danny is a quiet child preferring to sit quietly, sometimes talking to a friend and sometimes just sitting. When he is questioned by another student why he is always so quiet he starts to feel like this is a negative thing.

He talks this over with his mother and together they discuss his day and come to the conclusion that while being quiet he often notices other things around him and can offer help to his classmates.  Danny decides that quiet is okay. While it's also okay to be talkative you can still have fun while being quiet. 

 

Is It OK to Be Quiet? is the first in a planned series for introverted children - quiet children.

Brisciana conveys to his readers that a quiet nature can help you be more aware and supportive of other people around you. 

 

Is It OK to Be Quiet? provides a good opportunity to talk about different personalities and that being your true self is always okay.

 

James Cook James sweet, heartwarming cartoon style illustrations are presented in soft pastel colours that perfectly reflect the theme of the story.

 

Is It OK to Be Quiet? would be a valuable teacher resource for Kindy to Year 2.

 

My rating 5 / 5   😊😊😊😊😊

Recommended for ages 5 - 8 years 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Goodnight Sheep by Sally Barton

 The cover of Goodnight Sheep says it all! That sheep doesn't look like it is planning to go to sleep.

 

 

 Illustrated by Cherie Dignan

 

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publlication date: 1st April 2025

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 32

RRP: AU$24.99 (hardcover)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Lily can't sleep and her mum suggests counting sheep to calm her to sleep but Lily's sheep just won't behave. They jump, galavant and make a mess in Lily's room as she counts them one to ten. Will Lily  be able to get the sheep under control and go to sleep?

 

Narrated through rhyming verse with an easy cadence which starts off calm moves to lively and back to calm. Delightfully fun double-page colour spreads by Cherie Dignan. I love Lily's room, it is pink, pink and more pink!! The room changes to blue soothing tones when the lights go out. 

 

Goodnight Sheep is a fun bedtime story that will be enjoyed over and over. 

 

My rating 5 / 5 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑

Recommended for ages 0 - 5 years

 

 

Book Review: Dungzilla by James Foley

Dungzilla is the second book in James Foley's S. Tinker Inc series. Re-released in all new fabulous full colour.

 

This action packed story follows eleven-year-old Sally Tinker, a young inventor.

 

When Sally's best friend Charli Stevenson's pet dung beetle accidentally gets in the way of Sally's latest invention, the Resizenator, and is enlarged 300 times, what ensues is an action-packed, STEM powered romp featuring science and humour.

 

How can Sally, Charli, Gran Tinker and baby Joe stop the giant dung beetle from destroying the town.

 

This graphic novel is a perfect mix of adventure and science. It introduces scientific facts in an hilarious magical realism concept. The storyline is rich in laugh-out-loud moments and lots of toilet humour.

 

This newest edition also includes a bonus story that features a stolen cloned pachyderm and a trip to Mars in Sally's latest invention.

 

Recommended age: 8 - 12 years

 My rating 5 / 5 🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲 

 

Teaching notes and activities can be found at Fremantle Press.

 https://fremantlepress.com.au/books/dungzilla-now-in-colour/

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 1st April 2025

Series: S. Tinker Inc #2

Genre: Middle Grade / Graphic Novel 

Pages: 120

RRP: AU$17.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Sunny & Shadow by Helen Milroy

Sunny & Shadow is an entertaining story that delivers a First Nations dreamtime story with a message of caring for our native dingoes. 

 

When danger comes to the dingoes home ChiChi, a young dingo pup, is separated from his family. Lost and alone he needs to draw on all his courage to stay strong.

ChiChi hides in a cave and when he exits he finds himself in another time.

A young girl named Sunny befriends him, and names him Shadow, together they work to save the dingoes.

 

Sunny & Shadow is an engaging story that combines cultural elements with magical realism.

Helen Milroy shows how lessons on the wonder of connection to Mother Nature are passed down through generations by dreamtime stories.

 

Sunny & Shadow is a story that highlights the importance of knowledge, courage, culture and family.

 

Sunny & Shadow will be enjoyed by children that like animal stories and stories about nature and the land.

 

My rating 5 / 5  🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

Recommended age: 6 - 9 years

 

Teaching notes can be found at Fremantle Press

https://fremantlepress.com.au/books/sunny-and-shadow/ 

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: 4th February 2025

Genre: Children's / Junior Fiction 

Pages: 96

RRP: AU$14.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

 

 

Book Review: Bush Bubs by Helen Milroy

Bush Bubs is the latest book in the Backyard and Bush series by bestselling First Nations author Helen Milroy.

 

This is a gorgeous picture book for our littlest book lovers and a delightful introduction to the babies of the Australian bush; numbat, bilby, wombat, platypus, koala, echidna, sugar glider, kangaroo, dingo and tassie devil.

 

 

Publisher: Fremantle Press

Publication date: February 2025

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Pages: 32

RRP: AU$19.99 (hardcover)

Source: courtesy of the publisher 

Bush Bubs features iconic Australian baby animals and is ideal for reading together and learning about the unique animals of Australia.

 

Each double spread feature has one page with a simple two line text with a solid colour background and the facing page has a beautiful bush baby illustration by author and artist Helen Milroy. Helen's bold earthy tones come straight from the land.

 

The catchy rhyming verse adds an element of fun to the reading. 

This gorgeous book with its message to look after our precious bush bubs is sure to become a favourite bedtime read.

 

My rating 5 / 5 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘

Recommended age: 2 - 5 years

 

Teaching notes and activities can be found at Fremantle Press

 https://fremantlepress.com.au/books/bush-bubs/

 

 

 

Book Review: The Lost Notes of the Soul Spinners by Reece Carter

 The Lost Notes of the Soul Spinners is the third and final book in Reece Carter's Elston-Fright series. 

 Corpse, Girl and Flip are back again, with Simon the giant huntsman spider, in another thrilling adventure. Today is the day the trio are going to prove to the townsfolk that they share their home with ghosts and magic. However when the gathering is disrupted by a wraith everything they had planned goes terribly wrong and Corpse and Girl must flee.

 

Although not as exciting and action packed as the first two books A Girl Called Corpse  and  The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright  The Lost Notes of the Soul Spinners is still bursting with danger with new enemies to battle and an old foe, Worst Witch, back for revenge.

 

Told through the alternating narration of Corpse and Girl, Carter includes themes of greed, bullying and the fear of change.

 

"What you did was horrible, and just because you're hurt doesn't make it okay to hurt other people ... "

 

" Stuff changes all the time, and you can never quite know how those changes will go or what will be on the other side of them. That's okay, though. Because I know that whatever comes next, even if I can't know yet what it might be, it's nothing to Worry about. It'll be all right. And maybe - just maybe - it might even be great."

The Lost Notes of the Soul Spinners is an excellent wrap-up of the series. All the questions, and the mystery, surrounding Corpse and Girl are satisfactorily answered.

Content: witches, stolen children , talk of death.

My rating 4 / 5  👻👻👻👻

Recommended age: 8 - 12 years 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children

Publication date: 1st April 2025

Series: Elston-Fright #3

Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy

Pages: 352

RRP: AU$18.99 (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher 

Other books in this series:

A Girl Called Corpse

The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright 

 

  

 

 
 

Book Review: Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire by L. M. Wilkinson

Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire is book two in L. M. Wilkinson's endearing A Tail of Adventure series.

 

In book one, Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria, Titch and friends acquire the Heartstone staff and are on their way to heal the heart of Alluria. However they soon find there is more to this quest, and more to the prophecy, than they first thought. 

Titch, Huckleberry and the very cute little Dollop are back again in this rip roaring adventure as they fight a giant bog monster, save a village of brainwashed squirrels and become one step closer to unleashing the power of the Heartstone staff and healing the heart of Alluria.

 

With themes of being brave, believing in yourself and working together combined with lashing of action, adventure and danger Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire is sure to delight and entrance middle-grade readers keeping them enthralled from the very first page. 

Wilkinson champions cleverness, courage and friendship in this delightful addition to the Bravepaw series.

 

Together with their new friend, a fearless red squirrel named Briar, the group head off on their next quest.

 

Large print, wonderfully descriptive prose and enchanting illustrations by Lavanya Naidu make this suitable for even the youngest readers.

Content: mild battle scenes

               not so scary monsters

 

 

My rating 5 / 5 🐭🐭🐭🐭🐭

Recommended age: 5 -12

Publisher recommended: 7-11

 

Publisher: Allen & Unwin Children's

Publication date: 25th February 2025

Series: Bravepaw #2

Genre: Middle Grade / Fantasy

Pages: 192

RRP: AU$16.99

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Other books in this series:

Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria