You are 25% Banana by Susie Brooks illustrated by Josy Bloggs

All living things have "built-in recipes called genes." If you compare the genetic makeup of various things you will discover some surprising things expressed in this book as percentages such as the title of this book - you are 25% banana. Twenty-five percent is one quarter. This might shock a couple of my friends who do not like to eat bananas!

Genes are your recipe. I have my mum's blue eyes and her small feet and hands. I have light coloured hair from my dad. I know another dad with a chin dimple - it is a trademark for their family handed on to his daughter and grandson. I think talking with your library group or young reading companion about the 'traits' they can match with their own mum or dad would be the way I would introduce this book. I would also quickly display two important words - genes and jeans - just to make sure before reading that there is no confusion about the topic!

Have you heard of bossy genes? This explains why more humans have brown eyes than blue and why there are so few white tigers with blue eyes. I loved the discovery that size and genes are not related. For example this book explains that a tiny grain of rice has 36,000 genes, an apple has 56,000 and a sunflower has 52,000. Bamboo (32,000) even has more genes than the panda (21,000) who eats it.

Then there is the idea the humans have genes in common with some animals - we share genes for singing with songbirds and parrots; we share tooth growing with sharks (even though we only grow two sets); and we share our brainy genes with dolphins. But we are also related to dogs, daffodils and dung beetles. Oh, and also fruit flies which is why they were sent into space. with a group of older students this might be the opportunity to talk about why or even rise the issue of the ethics of using mice in science experiments designed to test things designed for use with humans such as medicines. 

I was pleased to read we are 80% like cows because I love cows and milk and I was not surprised to discover chimps are 99% like us. And if you have identical twins in your class that will open up another amazing topic. 

"You're 99.9% identical to every other person in the whole world. Nearly all your genes are like everyone else's. Just one in every thousand recipes in your recipe book is different enough to make you ... YOU!"

WOW! This is a book for young children about genetics. I listened to the Teacher-Librarian reading this in the library where I work as a volunteer and I was so intrigued.

Bookseller blurb: A brilliantly funny first guide to genetics that is perfect for children aged 5 years and over. This stunningly illustrated book will boggle your brain with astonishing facts, as it shows how we’re all related to every living thing on the planet. Did you know that a grain of rice has more genes than you? Or that you’re related to dogs, dung beetles and even daffodils? Luckily, even though you’re 99.9% like a chimpanzee, you’re still 100% YOU! The extraordinary world of genetics has never been explained so simply. You’ll be amazed at what makes you YOU.

In your library you will find other books about genes and genetics at [576.5]. Take a look at this post from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything about World DNA Day 25th April. 

You might these:

Using both bold fonts and illustrations, this is a fascinating early introduction to genetics that explains how humans are related to every other living thing on the planet, including bananas; that our closest relatives are chimpanzees with a 99% match; yet while our “recipe” is the same as 99.9% of everyone else on the planet now or ever, it is the 0.1% that makes us unique.  Only identical twins have the same recipe! The Bottom Shelf

This masterful look at genes and genetics for young readers had me hooked from page one, and there are many active minds out there waiting for information that is relevant, informative, funny and engaging. Illustrations in bright bold colours inform and intrigue as does the layout of each page, drawing the eye to take another look before the pages are turned. ReadPlus

I am not a fan of the NSW Premiers Reading Challenge but you might like to know that this is a PRC 3-4 title [886461].

Here is the webpage for the illustrator Josy Bloggs. Susie Brooks is the author of these art books:

Whale Song by Nicola Davies illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

"Listen! Listen! Listen! Somewhere in the deep, deep blue, a humpback whale is singing. The sounds shiver through the water ... through the timbers of our boat and we can feel them tingle in our bare feet on the deck, and hear them when we lay our heads against the hull. Sounds so strange, they seem to come from out in space, amongst the stars, not from here on Earth."

This book is partly a poem, partly a glorious work of art, and partly an exploration of the science we know about the songs of whales. Male humpback whales use sounds to communicate and they string the sounds together to create complex songs. There are fourteen places that we know of where humpbacks gather in their breeding season. In each group their songs are the same but different groups sing different songs (I love that idea). If the whales in one group hear a different song "they learn it" and add it to their own melody. Nicola Davies uses the idea of beads on necklaces as a way to describe this. 

"Scientists are still trying to discover the meaning behind humpback whale song. It's like trying to decode a language without a dictionary. Scientists have found that humpback song is more like human language than they first thought, but there is so much more to discover..."

Think about the lyrical language used in this book:

"to make an orchestra of sounds"

"He's stringing sounds together to make patterns, like threading coloured beads onto a string."

"The singing of the male whales is a big part of this jamboree."

And the illustrations are luminous:

I urge you to add this book to your library or to find it in a library to share with your young reading companion. It is available here in Australia from Walker Books and was published in April 2026. The publisher have combined the talents of two utterly splendid book creators for this book - Whale Song. 

Nicola Davies is an award-winning author and Children's Laureate Wales 2025-27. Her many books for children include Tiny, Lots and Grow with Emily Sutton; One World with Jenni Desmond; The Promise and King of the Sky with Laura Carlin; and A First Book of ... Nature, The Sea and Animals with Mark Hearld, Emily Sutton and Petr Horácek respectively. 

Britta Teckentrup has created over 120 books, translated into 30 different languages, including The Memory Tree (Hodder), Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright (Nosy Crow) and The House by the Lake (Walker). Her award-winning artwork has appeared on homeware, clothes and packaging. Britta now lives and works in Berlin with her artist husband, son Vincent, and their cat.

Companion book - this one is absolutely perfect:

The Whales' Song

There have been a few books released recently about whales. I urge you to look for this one:

Life after Whale: The Amazing ecosystem of a whale fall

You could link this news story with this book from ABC news where five whale carcasses have been found. When I heard this on the radio last week I sighed with happiness because I adore it when 'real life' and books, such as Life after Whale, collide. The report says:

Researchers explored the remains during multiple deep-sea submersible trips in 2023, collecting samples and mapping the extent of the necropolis. They found five carcass sites and fossils, including skulls belonging to beaked and baleen whales. The oldest bones date back 5.3 million years. Feeding and living on the carcasses were myriad creatures, large and small, including sea cucumbers, squat lobsters and saltwater clams. Many of them are likely species that have never been documented ... Why did so many whales die here? Maybe they were already living in the area and died of natural causes. A few could have perished from exhaustion or illness caused by deep-sea diving. The area's shape, akin to the letter V, could also have funneled the remains to their resting spot ... "

Read more here. And the BBC have a comprehensive article about this find. 

I also found a couple of other books that will be worth finding:

Read more here on the publisher web page - this book looks more suitable for 

Upper Primary readers - 80 pages

A new Australia title (2026)

Here is the Storylinks review

Here are the teachers notes

The Secret life of whales

Meet the Canadian author David A Robertson

David Alexander Robertson (born 12 January 1977) is a Canadian author and public speaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has published over 25 books across a variety of genres and is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Literary Award. He will be a keynote speaker at the 2026 IBBY Congress in Ottawa.  I thought I should explore some of his books or at least familiarise myself with them before I hope to read many in Canada and at the Congress.

About the Misewa Saga: Morgan and Eli are Indigenous children who discover a portal at their foster home to another world, Askī; there they discover talking animal beings who connect them to traditional ways, as well as help them deal with the challenges in the real world. A fantasy for readers aged ten and up, the Misewa Saga (“misewa” is Cree for “all that is”) series reflects stories of the sky and the constellations held within its great canvas.

Here are some of his children's titles. 

Ispík kákí péyakoyak | When We Were Alone (2020)

On the Trapline (2021)

Strangers (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 1) (2017)

Monsters (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 2) (2018)

Ghosts (The Reckoner Trilogy, Book 3) (2019)

The Barren Grounds (The Misewa Saga, Book One) (2020)

The Great Bear (The Misewa Saga, Book Two) (2021)

The Stone Child (The Misewa Saga, Book Three) (2022)

The Portal Keeper (The Misewa Saga Book Four) (2023)

The Sleeping Giant (The Miswea Saga, Book Five) (2025)

The World's End is the newest title in this series - Book Six

You will find a longer list here. And you can read more about his adult books and YA titles here. 

Blurb: A picture book that celebrates fathers and grandfathers. A boy and Moshom, his grandpa, travel to visit a place very special to Moshom – the trapline his family used when he grew up. The boy imagines life two generations ago, and what is different and what is similar to his life now. A beautiful introduction to Indigenous culture, as well as – more generally – family histories.

Here is my previous post - meet the illustrator Julie Flett.

Blurb: When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother's garden, she begins to notice things about her grandmother that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long braided hair and wear beautifully coloured clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where everything was taken away.

When I attended the USBBY Conference in Seattle I read this book which opened my eyes to the experience of children in Canada who were placed in residential schools. Here is a list of other books complied by David A Robertson on this topic.

This book has just been released. Here is the bookseller blurb: When I'm a moshom, a long, long time from now, I will watch my grandchildren dance and play hockey, and I will be the loudest one cheering. I will take them on the trapline and teach them how to fish. I will feed them Bannock and share stories about our community. I will tell them I love them, just like my moshom did. This heartwarming story thoughtfully explores the legacy of love, traditions and heritage passed down from generation to generation. Through the eyes of three siblings and their moshom (grandfather), readers are taken on a journey filled with cherished moments, from cheering at sports events to sharing traditional Cree knowledge and language. This picture book beautifully captures the bonds between grandparents and grandchildren, making it perfect for shared reading and an ideal gift for special occasions like birthdays, holidays or family celebrations.

Perfect by Danny Parker illustrated by Freya Blackwood

Over the course of one day three children enjoy playing outside (no devices) using their imaginations and finding joy in small activities. By the end of the day, they all tumble into bed to enjoy a story. The premise is simple but these themes in our modern world are profound.

"Some sunshine and something to nibble. Some space with enough room to scribble. An apron and big bowls for mixing. Some glue and some things that need fixing."

I love to think about the text of a book arriving on one page ready for an illustrator to explore, imagine and create. I marvel at the imagination of a talented illustrator like Freya Blackwood. She creates a 'perfect' pace for her story especially with the inclusion of a wordless page.

My favourite illustration shows two cows - they are belted Galloways - my favourites.

Bookseller blurb: On a perfect day, the hours stretch endlessly ahead. Scribbling with chalk, running with kites, digging for shells ... paddling, climbing, dreaming. Hour unfolds upon hour, with reassuring comfort and sleep beckoning at the end. CBCA shortlisted author, Danny Parker captures the simplicity, spontaneity and freedom of an idyllic childhood. Kate Greenaway and multiple CBCA winner Freya Blackwood’s paintings of three children roaming a rolling beachside idyll capture the light—and even the smell and feel—of a perfect summer day.

Parker’s gentle words and Blackwood’s reflective illustrations take the reader back to a free, idyllic childhood that is easy to recapture as the children indulge in simple pleasures like flying a kite, going to the beach or just staring through the window at a stormy sky and letting their imagination run wild. Enjoying it as much as the children is the cat who accompanies them everywhere keeping careful watch and making the most of opportunities to snatch a treat or a cuddle. The Bottom Shelf

I highly recommend Perfect for young readers to slow down, lose themselves in the illustrations and explore the nature of happiness. Reading Time

Children reading it will be impressed with the freedom of the children depicted: allowed to make something in the kitchen even though a bowl is broken, making and flying their kites, climbing the biggest trees and sliding down the large branches, walking along the top of an old stone wall, until at the end of the day they retire back to the house, where more sedentary occupations keep them happily amused until bed time. They read and play, the smaller child wrapping himself in a small blanket and lying on the floor, the older boy snuggling the cat while the girl writes and draws. Read Plus

I wanted to add this book to my own picture book collection because last year I was so lucky to purchase a small post card sized piece of art by Freya Blackwood. IBBY Australia held their second Mini Masterpiece art auction at the end of 2025.

I wrongly assumed this sweet figure came from the book Perfect. My mistake does not matter at all because I am very happy to own a copy of Perfect and I have enjoyed the discovery of some interesting extras in the illustrations. One tiny image that made me laugh was the picture on the wall of the house from another Freya Blackwood book - Maudie and Bear. 

Other books illustrated by Freya Blackwood:

Afloat

A song for the King

The boy and the elephant

Banjo and Ruby Red

The Treasure Box

Davitt Awards 2026

Celebrating excellence in crime writing by Australian women.

This year, 126 books were entered into the 26th Davitt Awards, across four categories. The judges of the 2026 Davitt Awards have selected a longlist of 28 books that reflect the excellent quality and maturity of stories written by Australian women crime writers. These stories are notable for their originality, depth and high level of the authors’ skills.

I was pleased to see I have read several of the long-listed titles for this award which is one I had not encountered previously:

CHILDREN’S BOOKS 

Sarah Armstrong, Run, (Hardie Grant Children’s)

Jacqueline Harvey, The Girl and the Ghost, (Penguin Randon House Australia)

Amelia Mellor, Oceanforged: The Wicked Ship, (Simon & Schuster Australia)

Gisela Ervin-Ward, True South, (Midnight Sun) Debut

Jessica Townsend, Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow, (Hachette Children’s)

Sue Whiting, Promises and Other Lies, (Walker Books)

For a quarter of a century, Sisters in Crime Australia has been shining a spotlight on the incredible achievements of women crime writers – fiction and non-fiction. From the first year with its seven entries to the present day where around 180 books are entered, it’s been an astonishing journey, filled with inspiring talent and unforgettable stories. The Davitt Awards have always been about more than just recognising great writing; they’re about celebrating the voices that shine a light on society as a whole, push boundaries, and keep readers on the edge of their seats. From debut novels to well-established voices, the Davitts honour the diversity and power of Australian women writers in the worlds of crime fiction and true crime.

Here are two previous winners (Children's Books) that I have read and talked about here on this blog:

The Midwatch winner 2025

The Detectives guide to Ocean Travel winner 2022

The Emperor's Elephant by C Walter Hodges

"Long ago in the city of Bagdad there lived an elephant. His name was Abu-ul-Abbas - or Abu for short. He was the biggest of all the elephants belonging to the Caliph who then ruled Bagdad. ... The Caliph's name was Haroun of Raschid. He was the most famous of all the rulers of the Eastern world. ... At the same time, far away in the West, there was another empire ruled by a mighty Emperor called Charles the Great. (He is often known nowadays as Charlemagne)."

Three ambassadors have arrived in Bagdad with gifts of gold and ivory. They are amazed to see elephants - no one from the West at this time had seen such creatures. The Caliph (in a gesture that feels both diplomatic and egotistical) decides to gift his largest elephant to Charles the Great. The journey is long - travelling through different cities and countries and across the ocean. Abu is accompanied by his young handler Selim. 

Image source (three images in this post) Full Table

In this picture book version Abu arrives to great fanfare and later he travels with the Emperor to war. 

"He became one of the wonders of the Western Empire, as the Caliph had promised, and he lived in fame and comfort with his friend Selim to look after him."

In reality "Abul-Abbas lived for at least eight years after his arrival, according to later accounts. In 810, the elephant accompanied Charlemagne’s army during a campaign against the Danes, when he died suddenly near the Rhine, but the exact cause is not known. Scholars have suggested illness or cold weather as likely factors. Nevertheless, his death ended a remarkable journey that had carried him across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe." History Skills

Charlemagne’s contemporary was a man named Harun al-Rashid, the caliph of Baghdad, who ruled over Baghdad and the Abbasid Caliphate from 786 CE until he died in 809. Well-respected and regarded as a “wise and just ruler,” Harun al-Rashid was a patron of the arts, music, and poetry throughout his life. During his reign, Baghdad flourished in terms of architecture, where Harun al-Rashid built the most beautiful palace of his time in the city, and his reign was one of peace and stability. These rulers had one thing in common: their thirst for knowledge. They both pushed for education. Charlemagne insisted on improving literacy among his subjects as well as their learning of Latin. Meanwhile, Harun al-Rashid’s patronage of the arts and literature followed his desire to establish his House of Wisdom. This House, where books from far and wide were compiled and translated into Arabic, was an institution that could be compared with the Library of Alexandria. Charlemagne and Harun al-Rashid were curious about the world around them hundreds of years before the Renaissance. The Collector

This book is from 1975. I found it in a library because I have been sorting and culling pictures of book covers. You could easily overlook this book because first of all it does look old, and secondly there is no back matter, so unless you are curious, as I was, you may have no idea that Charlemagne was actually gifted a real elephant. This is a book that you should share with your class followed by the two other titles below. A book like The Emperor's Elephant is a fantastic way to bring history to life for young students. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time dipping into this aspect of world history.

Companion book:

The Greatest Treasure of Charlemagne the King

This book reminded me of this wonderful title:

A Giraffe for France

C. Walter Hodges first came to prominence as the author/illustrator of Columbus Sails in 1939, which the “Junior Bookshelf” hailed as “The best book never to have been awarded the Carnegie Medal.” Widely acclaimed for the treatment of its subject matter, its powerful narration, and accompanying dramatic line illustrations, Columbus Sails was the first of a number of vivid historical novels written and illustrated by Hodges, including The Namesake (nominated for the 1964 Carnegie Medal), The Marsh King (1967), and The Overland Launch (1969). He is internationally recognised both for his indispensable and learned books about the Elizabethan theatre (for which he gained the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration in 1964) and his vital illustrations to other authors' texts. 

I now discover he did the cover of one of my favourite childhood books - The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge and other famous covers such as The Silver Sword. 

Six Weeks by Matt Goodfellow illustrated by Joe Todd Stanton

"I love you mum.

Please help me.

I don't know what to do without you."

There is such a level of tension in this verse novel that you just need to read on and on. Alfie lives with dad, his dad's new wife and their young baby Alice. Alfie's mum has died and early on we learn this happened when the baby was born about one year ago and we also read that Alfie absolutely never wants to see the man who lived with his mum ever again. As a reader you will have no idea what has happened between this man and Alfie but over the six weeks of the story Matt Goodfellow gradually lets us step into Alfie's life, and we can hear Alfie's questions which naturally are about life and death and we see first-hand complex human relationships along with the importance of grieving.

I have been a bit of a reading slump lately - I had a couple of new books to read and review but neither of them really grabbed me. I thought about the "Rights of the Reader" by Daniel Pennac. His number two rule is: The Right Not to Finish a Book – It is acceptable to stop reading a book at any point and his number ten rule is: The Right to Enjoy Reading – Above all, reading should be pleasurable and free from pressure. Facing a long day with a few serious life stresses I decided to put away the two books that I was struggling with and pick up Six Weeks. I knew this book would be good, but I didn't know just how good - I was totally absorbed by this story, and I read 150 pages in one gulp before lifting my head and 're-entering' the real world. Six Weeks is a winner! Please put this book into the hands of the readers in your life aged 10+. The powerful storytelling in this book 'blew me away'.

Matt is an exceptional storyteller, and his use of verse is incredibly effective at conveying Alfie’s internal world.  Books for Topics

Six Weeks is a book you have to just sit with after you've finished it so you can fully absorb everything. It's a book I hugged at the end (between the tears). It's a book full of heart-break, healing and hope.  K and O Bonkers about Books

When I’m asked about my favourite books, I always say lots of children’s books and that more adults should read them! Six Weeks is the exemplification for why I say that: it is a subject matter which hits young and old and it particularly resonates with the grief journey I’m on. Your heart will break for Alfie at the start and slowly, that love and hope will begin to be rebuilt. Matt is an exceptional storyteller and his use of verse is so effective to convey such important messages. Check 'em out books

If you read my blog you may know I am not a fan of book endorsements, but I wholeheartedly agree with the comments by these authors:

• 'Utterly magnificent' Liz Hyder
• 'Matt Goodfellow's best novel to date' Sarah Crossan
• 'Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant' Phil Earle
• 'Goodfellow has pulled off something astounding' Anthony McGowan
• All at once beautiful, tender, funny and sharp ... a triumph' Katya Balen

I adored these two previous verse novels by Matt Goodfellow:

The Final Year