Naeli and the Secret Song by Jasbinder Bilan

Blurb from Chicken House: Naeli longs to know her English father, who abandoned her when she was little. All she has is his name – and his precious violin. Her chance comes when a ticket to England arrives mysteriously. Leaving behind her beloved India, Naeli embarks on an adventure that will take her from the streets of Victorian London to the wilds of Northumberland to discover the truth of her musical inheritance.

This book contains plot details that act like perfect coincidences:

• On the ship, Naeli meets a boy called Jack who is also travelling to England. On the long three month voyage he is able to teach her English.
• Naeli is taken to work in a bakery when she arrives and her violin is stolen. Then, very mysteriously, she is taken to the house of a wealthy member of parliament - he is her Uncle Daniel and he has the violin. He seems friendly but only at first. But then he turns nasty and demands Naeli play every possible tune on the violin - but why?
• Jack is also in London at a boarding school near Westminster and Uncle Daniel lives close by so when Naeli escapes, she is able to find the school and by chance she finds herself in a laundry room so she can disguise herself as a boy from the school and then in the huge dining hall she is able to find Jack.
• Luckily Jack has money and so they set off by train to the remote country mansion, Swallowfield Hall, in Northumberland. The two servants seem like very shifty characters and clearly they are hiding something - then Naeli and Jack hear mysterious noises in the night and Naeli sees an extra breakfast tray in the kitchen. Who are they hiding? Is her father really dead? Can a tune from her violin help to reunite them? And how lucky to find a map of the estate in the Swallowfield Hall library - because also luckily Jack recognised the clue of 5,3 as a map coordinate. 

Adults reading this book might laugh over all the 'contrived' plot details but I am sure the story will intrigue young readers aged 10+ who have less experience with mystery stories and skullduggery by greedy family members who are desperate for money. 

This story does have overtones of The Secret Garden - there is a mystery; someone is lost; there needs to be healing by a young child; the story starts in India with the death of a parent; and best off all the kids find a key and a secret door!

Here is the scene with the key (spoiler alert the clues were in the pegs of the violin):

"The door was only small, like an opening to a cupboard. ... Naeli's throat was dry. She thought about how long the key had been hidden in the violin and how Uncle Daniel had been desperate to find it. If the key did fit this tiny lock, she was sure it would reveal something important ... "

Read a book extract here. Read more plot details in this post from the Historical Novel Society.

Jasbinder Bilan has created a wonderful fast-paced tale, a mix of adventure, mystery and historical fiction, as we leave behind the traditional Indian world and enter Victorian England, where women are treated very differently of course than they are today. Our heroine Naeli is strong and determined, facing a new life and the many obstacles in her path with determination and courage as the twists and turns of her story unfold. Books for Keeps

Here are four other books by Jasbinder Bilan:

Companion books:

Withering-by-Sea (and sequels)

The Fortune Maker

The Haunting of Charity Delafield

A Case of Grave Danger

The Truth about Verity Sparks

The Ghost of Gosswater

Lost Evangeline by Kate Di Camillo illustrated by Sophie Blackall

"The shoemaker and his wife had no children, and they had long given up hoping for them. And so it seemed an entirely miraculous thing when one day, the cobbler sat down to work on repairing an old boot and found, hidden in its squared-off toe, 

an extremely small child."

No one comes back to claim the boots or the child. The shoemaker creates tiny clothes, shoes, furniture and a miniature ship's lantern and he names her Evangeline but his wife does not like the child. 

The small ship's lantern "was surely the shoemaker's finest creation. It was accurate in every detail, smaller than a thimble, and painted bright red. Within the lamp waws a wick of fabric that could be raised and lowered with a small knob, and the lamp, when it was lit, gave off a steady, gentle light."

Reader I need to take a small detour at this point and draw your attention to the word placement in this sentence - think about those words - steady and gentle. As with all good stories we know something is sure to happen - will this lamp help young Evangeline when she is faced with great danger? Of course you may have already anticipated this from the title.

Long ago the shoemaker dreamed of a life filled with adventure, of journeys to far away lands on ships that anchor in the harbor. Evangeline does not grow bigger, but she does become a wonderful daughter to the shoemaker and together they watch the ships and talk of future adventures, but the shoemaker knows there could be danger if Evangeline is discovered. He keeps her well-hidden and makes sure she knows how to hide if a customer enters his store - the door hinge is rusty and the sound alerts Evangeline that she must 'make herself disappear'. I actually gasped when the shoemaker's wife oiled the hinges:

"And so, without telling her husband, the shoemaker's wife oiled the hinges on the door ... She opened the door and closed it again and the hinges made no sound at all."

Meanwhile in a different part of the town an elderly rich widow has a dream about some fabulous shoes that will grant immortality. Oh no are you following along with this story - we have some dangerous ingredients here - jealousy, pride, greed, and the desire for immortality. Surely little Evangeline is heading towards a disaster.

The rich widow Mrs Penrith-Smith sends her servant to visit the cobbler BUT of course the door longer alerts Evangeline to hide and so she is seen by the aptly named Gristle. He takes the news of the tiny girl back to his mistress.

"I think I understand now ... the dream of the shoes was merely a vehicle. The dream served to bring you to the cobbler's so that you might see this wonder. The shoes are not the point. I will have her come here and sing to me, and then I will get better. Her song will cure me ... I will have her."

And so the adventures begin. Yes, Evangeline is stolen; she escapes; she persuades a huge ginger cat to help her; she is stolen again by a truly despicable man; and then she finds a friend and a way to fulfill the dream she shared with her father.  So many twists and turns and all in just 152 pages.

"The cat had seen the girl of course. That little morsel of humanity had led her to the sea, to this wondrous place she had not even known existed. And, too, the cat knew exactly what had become of Evangeline. She had witnessed her demise. ... The cat recognised the man for what he was: a predator. ... She had watched as he captured the girl, watched as a single tiny shoe went flying through the air and landed on a rock."

Before or perhaps after you read Lost Evangeline it would be good to revisit classic fairy tales - The Eves and the Shoemaker and also Thumbelina. You might also think of Pinocchio and Snow White. I read one Good Readers review that said "This (book) had all the whimsy and heartbreak of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale."

Author blurb: When a shoemaker discovers a tiny girl (as small as a mouse!) in his shop, he takes her in, names her Evangeline, and raises her as his own. The shoemaker’s wife, however, fears that Evangeline has bewitched her husband, so when an opportunity arises to rid herself of the girl, she takes it. Evangeline finds herself far from her adopted father and her home, a tiny girl lost in the wide world. But she is brave, and she is resourceful, and with the help of those she meets on her journey — including a disdainful and self-satisfied cat — she may just find her way again. Kate DiCamillo

This is the third Norendy Tale and it is the one I loved the best but be warned this tale does not quite have that all important or expected happy ending although I am sure all readers will be able to imagine one. Kirkus explain this:

In true DiCamillo fashion, the ending is suffused with the gentlest melancholy, allowing readers to either believe in their reunion or dismiss it entirely. ...  There are no easy answers in a Norendy tale, but there is great courage, even when it comes in the smallest of packages.

Readers who aren’t used to a story with an ambiguous ending may feel cheated by the lack of an on-page reunion, but upon reflection, they will likely see how it is exactly the right end for such a dreamy little novel that prioritizes the whimsical vibes of Norendy over answering every question raised within it. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The feeling of a fairy tale is enhanced by the very atmospheric illustrations which show the spirals of song which weave their way through the story right to the end. Although there is no instant happy ending with father and daughter reunited once more, it is through the final illustration which the reader is left with a thread of hope that this might yet happen. Through the Bookshelf

Here is a link to a set of discussion questions from the publisher.

I do need to mention the rich vocabulary you will encounter in this book. Here are a few examples: misspoke, due haste, marooned, morsel, modicum of alacrity, vermin, scrutinized, treachery, intercede, consumed, dolt, somber, and penury.

Each of the Norendy Tales features a different, fabulous illustrator. This one is Sophie Blackall. Previously we had Julia Sarda and Julie Morstad. It would be so special to display all three of these on your family bookshelves.

The Puppets of Spelhorst

The Hotel Balzaar

Turbo Turtle by Gregg Dreise

"Way back before Once-upon-a-time time ..."

A little lizard is born and then grabbed by an eagle. He is rescued by Biamme who names him Warrabah. Warrabah enjoys life in this new place, but he longs to return to his homeland. The journey with the eagle has taken him far across the land. Biamme tells Warrabah he can set off to find his family but there are rules to follow. 

"I give you this magic because you have a wonderful kind heart. Use it to search this land and find your family. Be sure to ask permission to be on the different Countries. Let the Elders know what you are doing and ask permission to hunt on your travels."

As with all cautionary tales, Warrabah does not listen and he is impatient and he breaks these very important laws. He is taken back to face the Elders and the scene turns violent:

"They threw their spears. The two shields grew onto Warrabah's body and he ducked his head and arms behind the shields."

Have you guessed what happens? This will be a terrific book to share in your library - it fits into the category of Pourquoi stories - in this case How did the Turtle get his shell? Why do turtles move slowly? Pourquoi is the French word for "why". Pourquoi stories try to explain in an entertaining way why something happens or why things are the way they are, especially in nature.

Bookseller blurb: That lizard wriggled so much his tail broke off. He fell, but Biamme made a safe landing for him. Biamme gave him speed and he became turbo-charged. Biamme shared the Lore with him. When that lizard forgot to ask the Elders permission to hunt on their Country they complained to Biamme. He had to face the punishment called Boreen. Biamme gave him two boreens (shields), which grew on each side of his body to protect him from the Elders spears. He's not turbo-charged anymore.

Thanks to Magabala books for this review copy. Turbo Turtle was published on 11th November 2025. Here are some very detailed and very useful teachers notes. 

This morality tale is a Dreaming story as told by the Gomeroi/Kamilaroi and Euahlayi people of southwest Queensland and north-west New South Wales. Through creating this book, Gregg Dreise not only shares the importance of Lore, language, identity and home, but also subtly includes the challenges faced by members of the Stolen Generations removed from Country, disconnected from family and culture. He also shares the lessons that can be learnt from making mistakes. With important messages of respect, consequences, patience and responsibility, Turbo Turtle also relays the value of connection, acceptance and belonging.  

This is the fourth book in the Scales and Tales series – (it's) more than just a story about the origins of our native creatures for each has an underlying message that relates to human behaviour – in this case, it’s about actions and consequences, and how those consequences can change our pathway forward, even our lives, so that we find where we belong – and how that reinforces the connection to Country that guides today’s First Nations generations. Dreise expands on the origins of this story and its implications on the final page ... The Bottom Shelf

Look for other titles in the Scales and Tails series by Gregg Dreise:

And this book:

Best Australian Picture Book of all Time

 

The Guardian Australia

Illustration by Daniel Grey-Barnett

Which books will be nominated? 

Who will win - who will miss out?  
The title of this project implies ONE book will be selected
AND What is the expertise of the people who compile this list

It needs to be someone who knows which books are Australian because I am sure other books will be nominated. I'm thinking of Spot (Eric Hill), Dear Zoo (Rod Campbell), Elmer (David McKee), We're going on a Bear Hunt (Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury), any book by Allan Ahlberg, any book by Julia Donaldson, any book by Mick Ingpen, any book by Mo Willems, all Dick Bruna titles, Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins, and so many more.

 AND ...  OF ALL TIME.  I am sorry but I do think this is way too broad.

Here are the criteria:

To be eligible a book must be -

• Primarily intended to be read aloud to children who don’t yet read independently;
• Able to be read in a few minutes – we’re looking for a child’s picture book, rather than a graphic novel or illustrated chapter book;
• Written by an Australian (or someone we’ve claimed);
• Published in Australia.

I wonder what a 'few minutes' means. In my experience even the shortest very easy picture book takes around ten minutes to read. 

"Don't yet read independently" - does this mean ages 0-5?

AND what will they do if there are several titles by one author for example Possum Magic and Koala Lou (Mem Fox) and think about Pamela Allen or Margaret Wild who both have so many books that perfectly meet this criterion. Oh, and how many books will 'make the cut'? Top 10, top 20, top 100? And have they considered concept books, alphabet books, counting rhymes, or adaptions of nursery rhymes?

I do rejoice that this criterion does eliminate some 'golden oldies' such as The Magic Pudding; Snugglepot and Cuddlepie; and Blinky Bill. I know it is sure to be nominated but if Where is the Green Sheep 'wins' again I will sigh. It recently made the top 100 of the ABC Radio National vote. 

I also hope people who 'vote' realise that absolutely wonderful books such as John Brown Rose and the Midnight cat by Jenny Wagner; The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek and even Greetings from Sandy Beach by Bob Graham don't work for this list. I could list lots more examples. 

Here is another issue: What about a famous title like Are we There yet by Alison Lester? Surely it's way too long. Will 'someone' read each submission aloud to see if they meet the criterion of 'a few minutes'?

From the way the submission page is set out I think you can only nominate ONE book per entry but I still need to investigate this.  Anyway, I thought I would just pop some of my choices here (you can read about more of these if you search using my side bar):