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