For children

The Cook and the King – Julia Donaldson and David Roberts (book review and GIVEAWAY)

Hi! I'm back. With another book review. And this time, I have THREE copies to give away! So let's fast-forward the intro and get right into it, shall we? --- The Cook and the King / Julia Donaldson and David Roberts (Macmillan Children's ...

The Birthday Thief and Kingdom of You – a Wonderbly book review

My kids love books. (No idea where they got that from. Ahem.) So when Wonderbly contacted me to review the two books new to its range (having reviewed the first two books last year), I said, "YES YES PLEASE YES! I mean, ahem, sure. If you like, no ...

Amazing Daddy – Rachel Bright (book review)

Community service announcement: there are just two weeks and two days until Father's Day. (In Australia.) Earlier this week, I shared some of the presents we've already gotten my husband. (It's okay. No spoiler alert. He already knows.) But ...

The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name – a Lostmy.name book review

I have a confession to make: I don't usually like personalised children's books. Perhaps that's because when I was growing up, they just weren't that great. Did you ever get one? They'd be impersonal stories, semi-well-written but vague enough to ...

Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories – Dr Seuss (book review)

Hooray! I love Seuss! More Seuss! I was so exited when I saw Horton and the Kwuggerbug on the local bookshop shelves! But I was also wary. Needlessly, it turns out. Here are my thoughts. --- Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories ...

The Day the Crayons Quit – Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers (book review)

Watch out, Hawker library. There's a new book in town. And it's rushed to claim a spot in the family favourites list. Meet The Day the Crayons Quit. --- The Day the Crayons Quit / Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins Children's ...

Encouraging literacy development in children – and book pack GIVEAWAY!

I am so excited about this post. I know I'm supposed to act all cool, calm and collected. I'm supposed to casually mention in passing that oh, by the way, here's a literacy expert I happened to chat with (okay, email) who gave valuable insights ...

Once Upon a Twice – Denise Doyen and Barry Moser (book review)

Once Upon a Twice / Denise Doyen and Barry Moser (Dragonfly Books, 2009) This book has become a firm favourite since my son received it for Christmas. Once Upon a Twice is a tale of caution. It's a fable told not in the straightforward ...

International Book Giving Day giveaway!

Happy Valentine's Day, lovers. And happy International Book Giving Day, book lovers! I'm back for the 2016 edition of my International Book Giving Day giveaway. And I'm super duper excited about the books I've selected this ...

Rudie Nudie – Emma Quay (book review)

A little over two years ago, I shared our family's favourite books. The top twelve. The shining lights in our library. The list hasn't changed much since then. It's just grown. We'd now have to add The Worst Princess, The Magic Faraway Tree ...