Look See Find Me

Look See Find Me by Sandra Severgnini (CSIRO Publishing 2025) HB RRP $26.99 ISBN 9781486319886

Reviewed by Sylvia Forbes.

Take a journey into the world of animal camouflage and discover what may be right under your nose!                                      Discover frogs that look like leaves, spiders disguised as flowers, crabs concealed as sponges and seahorses hidden in coral.

There is something so irresistible about a search and find challenge that - no matter your age - draws you in and commands your participation. 

Look See Find Me demonstrates this brilliantly. You simply open the cover of this book and start searching. No questions asked.

Sandra Severgnini has done an excellent job in seamlessly blending the creatures into every environment - giving them that perfect degree of difficulty for readers of this age group to locate. (Whilst at times making them almost completely indetectable and as a consequence - utterly bamboozling!) 

I found myself challenged on a certain page or two trying to find the creatures hidden in (and disguised by) their surroundings. So, I was most grateful for the three pages worth of Meet the Camouflaged Creatures included at the back of the book - offering up images of the elusive creatures I'd been searching for - along with a paragraph of interesting facts and information on each of them.

Also - at the rear of the book - is an interesting read - More About Camouflage - and a Glossary.

Severgnini’ s background in botanical drawing and her passion for environmental and nature subjects is evidenced throughout this gorgeous book. 

Each double-page illustration - sometimes dense and lush, sometimes minimal and airy - reveals a completely different scene - within which are concealed a range of (up to three) skillfully-camouflaged creatures - and lists the common and Latin names of the creatures you are looking for.

Among the moss and leaves we rest.                                                                                                                                                It's where we camouflage the best.

These stunning illustrations are accompanied by rhyming couplets - which read like the kind of clues you'd expect to find in a treasure hunt - adding to the fun of it all.

Kids will absolutely enjoy pouring over the colourful glossy pages of this picture book - with eyes and fingers darting from spot to spot in their search for the hidden creatures - and I can imagine siblings and friends having 'see-who-can-find-it-first' contests - like I would have done as a kid.

My personal favourite page (in a book where all pages could be favourites), was the delicately illustrated Orchid with the cleverly hidden Orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus). And I enjoyed seeing the end papers - with their rows of magnifiers at one end, then seeing them again -but this time with images of creatures behind them - at the other. 

The act of looking for and finding hidden objects (or in this case - creatures) concealed in highly detailed, larger images, is vital for children growing up with apps on screens. 

Having their eyes and minds engaged in a hold-in-your-hands book whilst problem-solving - away from the bombardment of flashy animations, rewards and constant notifications - is a wonderful means for strengthening observational skills. It is also important for increasing levels of focus, confidence, patience and memory. Essential ingredients for developing minds living in a world that's always 'on.'

Look See Find Me is an engaging, educational and fun activity-book - perfect for both home and classroom settings - and an excellent resource book for school projects and biological sciences.

Recommended for ages 5-9 years.

Teacher notes - aligned to the Australian Curriculum - are free to download from the CSIRO Publishing website: publish.csiro.au/book/8211/#forteachers

 

 

Pride Oasis (Kutopia #2)

Pride Oasis (Kutopia #2) written and illustrated by Kasey Rainbow (Scholastic) HB RRP $14.99 ISBN9781761720192

This bright, vibrantly colourful picture book is dedicated to ‘those who have felt a little different.’ Then the dedication says, ‘You are beautiful just the way you are.’

In rhyming verse, this story is set in Pride Oasis, a magical land inside the whimsical world of Kutopia! Luka the Lion wants nothing more than to fit in with his pride, so he tries very hard to hide his differences. He does this, for example, by painting mud and dirt on his fur. ‘He hid every day in fear and in fright.’

At the start of the book, he helps Echo, a chameleon, which is caught in a tree; he wishes he could do as the creature does, change himself so he can look like the rest of his pride. Echo takes Luka to a vibrant oasis where he meets Elliot, a friendly elephant and Percy a peacock. He asks the latter, ‘How do you shine without fear or fright?’ to which Percy responds, ‘When I follow my heart, there’s nothing to fear.’

And thus, it is that Luka learns from the caring critters of Kutopia that being unique is something to be proud of. ‘It’s not about ribbons or a full trophy shelf. It’s about loving others. And loving yourself.’

At the end of the book is a note for readers, that reinforces the messages that the characters Luka meets hold their own unique, ‘special sparkle’ and is ready and willing to take the reader on a journey to discover these strengths within him or herself. Below this message are conversation starters asking readers questions such as ‘What is something about yourself that makes you really proud?’ and ‘What’s one thing that makes you different from others and why do you like it?’

 With stunning illustrations from Australian author and artist Kasey Rainbow, Pride Oasis is a colourful journey of friendship, encouragement and learning to let your true self shine.

The Black Market

The Black Market by Jed Alexander (New South Publishing) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 9781454955405

When Martin's great-aunt brings him an unusual pair of shoes, Martin is determined to find the strange marketplace where she bought them the Black Market, a constantly relocating swap meet where the world's strangest and most dangerous items are exchanged by some very suspicious (and disguised) characters. Though his aunt has sworn him to secrecy, he enlists the help of his best friend Jess to find the Black Market on Halloween. Soon, Martin trades his shoes for the legendary Bag of Dirty Tricks and discovers that not all fun is good and harmless.

Author-artist Jed Alexander's debut novel is filled with scares, determined, relatable kids, and uncanny pranks; accompanied by Alexander's classic-style and atmospheric illustrations.

The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef

The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef by Sophie Masson and Cheryl Orsini (Little Hare) RRP: $24.99 ISBN 9781761211225

Reviewed by Rebecca Fung

This is a charming little matchmaking tale nestled inside the comforts of friendship, glorious memories and delicious food! This sumptuous picture book, dripping with sweet pink that reminds me of cake icing and macarons, starts with Lucas who introduces us to a seaside town in France where his two favourite people live. His Aunt Violette, a pastry chef, and the fishmonger, Cyprien.

Lucas loves Violette, and he's always happy to see Cyprien. There's a glow to the relationship between the young and old here. But the real stars of the book are the different kinds of French food. Both Masson and Orsini and pour their passion onto the page and Lucas is the embodiment of that.

Readers will look at the pastry shop with the "berets Basques with chocolate tops, tartes aux fraises, glossy with strawberries, and gateaux Russe, resplendent with hazelnut meringue and coffee cream" and lick their lips then turn the page and be bombarded with a buffet of "crusty bread and salty ham, wheels of cheese and spears of asparagus, and bright red peppers, tomatoes and cherries ... silvery shoals of fish, spiky squads of lobsters ..."

Masson doesn't hold back and doesn't simplify her food list. Some children may find certain foodie terms a little challenging, but it's a great chance for them to expand their vocabulary and immerse themselves in French foodie culture. The pictures explain those details are irresistible. Orsini has captured the joy of abundant food - she says that one of her favourite things to draw is charcuterie. This is evident here.

This book is reminiscent of Paul Gallico's Flowers for Mrs Harris where a woman with childish charm plays matchmaker against a French setting. Except instead of using French fashion as the backdrop, here it's French food. Like Gallico's book, this has a gentle charm to it that will leave a smile on your face as Violette and Cyprien discover happiness, and Lucas discovers the joy of bringing happiness to others.

The story is simple and predictable, but that works for a children's picture book. Celebrating this selfless joy is what makes this book so magical, as well as being immersed in the food culture of France.

Escape from Sherwood

Escape from Sherwood by Beattie Alvarez (Christmas Press), RRP $17.99 Junior Fiction ISBN 9-780648-815495

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

Escape from Sherwood is an exciting and fast-paced story about kids trapped inside a computer game, racing time and a power-crazed overlord to escape and return home to Mum. From the get-go it had been thinking of a modern-day junior fiction version of Space Demons and it delivered!

Michael is a 9-year-old gaming aficionado who notices something is odd on his computer screen. He doesn’t have time to investigate because he needs to hurry for school. When he returns home – all the worst for wear with a black eye thanks to the class bully - he learns that Mum has done the unthinkable: allowed his 3-year-old sister, Penny, to play unsupervised in his room. 

Michael races upstairs, but Penny’s nowhere to be seen. She’s trapped inside the computer game of Sherwood and Michael has no choice but to rescue her. But even when he finds her, escape is not simple. Michael and Penny become wound up in a broader plot formed by the housekeeper -- aka Robin Hood -- to overthrow the evil King John. The youngsters have to race through the increasingly more challenging levels of the game to stay ahead of King John’s bow and arrow-wielding avatars. They’re joined by Michael’s best mate and – surprisingly – the class bully, whose game knowledge proves invaluable for their survival. Can Michael and his fellow merrymen outwit King John and survive the impending game flush which will not only restart the levels but wipe them out for good?

The theme is right on point for the current generation of JF-aged kids, many of whom would rather be glued to a screen than reading a book. The clever weaving of technology terms into the vivid description of the game is guaranteed to score bonus points with the most avid of gamers. Case in point: my 8-year-old son was hooked into the story from chapter one, and with the cliffhanger chapter endings, he couldn’t put it down. For me as a parent, this story was a winner!

The Disappearing Circus

The Disappearing Circus by Kate Gordon and Helen Edwards (Riveted Press) PB RRP $17.99 ISBN 9781763526099

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Ivy and Emme are runaways, both heading north from their respective villages. Both girls are running from sadness, broken families, and broken hearts. Initially unknown to each other, the pair find themselves captured inside a scarlet red circus tent in the Midmoors.

 

The pair soon discover that this circus is a far cry from any ordinary circus. The Disappearing Circus is ‘all about the past and the never-was’. It is a captivating blend of ghosts, myths, extinct creatures, and children of the ‘real and now’, thanks to Ivy and Emme’s arrival.

Ivy and Emme are soon tasked with the overwhelming challenge of showcasing their talents to save the circus. However, both girls believe they have no distinguishing talents to attract the large crowds required. The girls learn and grow together by sharing their stories, facing their past, and keeping memories alive.

The Disappearing Circus is an imaginative and multi-layered middle grade novel seamlessly co-authored by Kate Gordon and Helen Edwards. The multiple themes include family, friendship, belonging, grief, courage, self-belief, hope, magic, and possibility.

Handbooks for Little Humans: Confidence

Handbooks for Little Humans: Confidence by Zanni Louise (Affirm Press), RRP $19.99 Picture Book ISBN 9-781923-293182

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

Do you have to be the loudest person to be confident?

Absolutely not!

Confidence – the second in the series of Handbooks for Little Humans from Zanni Louise and Affirm Press – is equally engaging and educational as its predecessor, Compassion. Trying the big slide, wearing your wacky socks or saying hello to a new person are just some of the examples that this book gives for feeling comfortable being yourself and helping others to also feel comfortable.

At just 24 pages with popping colours and fun illustrations, this book is the perfect length for conveying its key messages and not losing the reader. It’s a conversation to a child, reassuring them of their uniqueness and special place in the world. And my son’s favourite part? The relatable cartoon in the centre spread where Monkey helps Lion to find his roar.

Suitable for little humans aged 3 to 8 years.