Romeo v Juliet by RA Spratt

"Pauline Lee has fractured her spine ... which is very sad for her ... but good news for you. Because now you get to play Juliet! ... You're the understudy ... you'll have to step in and perform."

Selby has not been listening in rehearsals, she has not read the play and she is terrified of any sort of performance. 

"To Selby's mind, nothing about Romeo and Juliet was romantic. She preferred the romance plots on soap operas, where problems didn't involve violent street gangs, controlling parents and interfering church officials. Soap opera characters had real problems - like your identical twin sister turning up and accidentally making your fiancé fall in love with her. ... Shakespeare could have learned a lot from watching The Bold and the Beautiful - mainly to have more fun and less stabbings."

Selby finds herself back in the real scene 

Here is what Selby thinks about Romeo:

"Romeo totally lived up to the hype. He was by every measure really, really good-looking. He radiated wealth and charm and athleticism, but not in an obnoxious way. He had the natural grace of someone who had been physically and financially blessed every day of his life. He made Selby think of an apex predator. He was an apex romantic hero. THE apex romantic hero."

And Juliet:

"She was beautiful. Like an angel. Her skin was flawless, her dark hair cascaded down her shoulders in shining waves and her face was stunning. ... Her expression spoke of sweetness, which made her seem young for her age."

And Selby:

"Jane Austen did nothing her whole life. She sat in drawing rooms. She never went anywhere, she never worked, she never travelled. And she created seven books that are among the most loved novels ever written.' 'Are you planning to write seven great novels?' asked Mrs Karim. 'No, I can't spell or do grammar,' said Selby. I'm just saying don't underestimate the importance of people who sit quietly in the corner doing nothing. Observers are important too."

And plot points of Romeo and Juliet - comments by Selby:

"Selby couldn't believe things were moving so quickly. 'Marriage? How has this escalated to marriage already ... they only met an hour ago ... first look to first kiss to marriage proposal in an hour is ridiculous."

"she is not the sun, the moon or a star. She is a regular girl who just happens to be beautiful. It is unfair to idealise who she is just because he judges her appearance to be ideal. It sets her up for failure. She can't live up to unrealistic worship. She isn't a goddess. She is a girl."

I explained to Rachel at Gleebooks kids that I am not really a fan of timeslip stories but she convinced me that I would really enjoy Romeo v Juliet and she was RIGHT even though yes this is a timeslip story and also it is slightly above my usual focus because I think this book will better suite a Young Adult audience of readers aged 12+ especially IF they are studying the famous play in their high school English class.

There are parts of this clever story that made me laugh out loud. RA Spratt is able to weave in lines from Shakespeare with a cheeky modern commentary from Selby. Her teacher has decided (rightly) that the best way for these modern teenagers to appreciate this famous play is to perform it. Selby has no intention of performing so she signs up to help with the scenery and props. Her teacher tells Selby she must also be the understudy for the main role of Juliet but Selby knows there is no way, no way ever, that Pauline would give up this role. Then Pauline is in an accident which you know from my text quote at the beginning of this post. 

Publisher blurb: Selby does not want to be in the school play. She is much happier behind the scenes painting sets – anything to avoid standing on stage in front of an audience, performing for disinterested classmates and overenthusiastic parents. So Selby did not plan on landing the lead role of Juliet . . . and she certainly never planned to land in Verona and meet Juliet in person. With chaos, wit and R.A. Spratt wisdom, if those who rush stumble and fall, Romeo and Juliet are about to crash-land into a modern-day town!

If you are a high school teacher and Romeo and Juliet is part of your class study, you MUST buy this book and share it with your students. It is simply perfect. And even readers with little or no knowledge of the actual play are sure to enjoy the banter, rapid fire scenes and modern commentary delivered by t the very feisty Selby. 

R.A. Spratt’s creative licence with what she allows Selby to do to the plays is amusing and a lot of fun. It makes Shakespeare engaging, makes it relatable and is a great way to show readers and kids who read this how retellings can work. It’s a clever way to make to plays accessible, and can be used as a good introduction to them. Seeing it play out simply like this helps understand the original, and all with R.A. Spratt’s trademark humour that makes her books shine and garners her lots of fans. The Book Muse

As characters move back and forth between past and present worlds, we laugh out loud when they misconstrue events. However, Selby and her classmates analyse the play with more modern sensibilities including the feminist perspective. Read Plus

Romeo v Juliet follows on from a previous Shakespeare book from RA Spratt:

Here is the Kirkus review - many of the points in this review also apply to Romeo v Juliet

Here are two other timeslips book featuring Shakespeare:

King of Shadows

The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef by Sophie Masson illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

Cakes, a love story, kindness and destiny - perfect ingredients for a delicious BOOK! (oh and did I mention cake - do not read this book when you are hungry).

Lucas lives in a small, possibly French, town by the sea. He is so lucky because his aunt Violette owns a cake shop. He can sample the cakes and even help to make them, but more importantly, Lucas is a boy with well-developed emotional intelligence. He can see that even though Violette has bright eyes and a sharp sense of humour she somehow also seems a little sad. 

"Sometimes Lucas helped: stirring, mixing, whipping. And Violette would tell Lucas stories about when she was young."

And as well as emotional intelligence Lucas is a good listener. 

Lucas also loves to visit his friend - the fishmonger who works in the busy market. 

"Cyprien (was) a large, shy man with kind eyes and wild hair under his old beret. Some days Lucas helped: wraping, mopping, rearranging. And Cyprien would tell Lucas stories about when he was young."

But like Violette, Cyprien's eyes looked a little sad.

Notice the way Sophie Masson has constructed the two sentences above - a variation on the words.

Cyprien is shy. He does visit the cake shop but he is never brave enough to stay for long. Lucas encourages Violette and Cyprien to share their favourite memories and by happy chance Lucas recognises these memories are linked. All he has to do is find a way to bring these two people together.

I am certain The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef will be a CBCA 2026 notable Picture Book title and possibly even on the shortlist. You could borrow this book from your local or school library but even better the beautiful book design, tactile cover, gentle colour palette, delightful illustrations of cakes and the warmth of this sweet love story make this a book you will want own or perhaps give as a gift at Christmas.

The art in this book by Cheryl Orsini is truly special - I have been a fan of her work for a long time.

Just OH MY!! This is simply an absolutely beautiful treasure from every angle. Just so Stories

This is a charming little matchmaking tale nestled inside the comforts of friendship, glorious memories and delicious food! ... 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 ..."  Buzz Words

Companion books:

The Truck Cat

Herman and Rosie

Love in the Library

‘The Fishmonger and the Pastry Chef’ has to be one of my favourite picture books of the year. It is absolutely gorgeous. Sophie Masson knows how to tell a tale and this is a beautiful tale about two people who connect. Indeed, it’s a sweet and romantic tale that is perfectly paced and perfectly structured. And the artwork by Cheryl Orsini is exquisite. ... This is the perfect gift for young ones." Paul Macdonald

The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks by Katherine Paterson illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon

The cruel lord captures the beautiful Mandarin Drake. His mate is back on the nest guarding their eggs. The drake is placed in a cage but over time his plumage fades as he is desperately missing his mate. The lord has no interest in the drake and so the bird is placed in a far corner of the grounds. A young servant girl cannot see this bird suffer and so late at night she sets him free. Another employee of the lord is accused of the crime but when they are discovered together, both are condemned to death. Luckily two mysterious strangers arrive with an edict from the Emperor that it now illegal to execute any prisoners. The pair begin the long march to see the Emperor in the city but who are these mysterious strangers? 

A beautiful fable about kindness and that expression 'one good turn deserves another'. 

This story contains such a rich vocabulary - brocade; brag; lustre; delicacies; radiantly; retainers; and plumage. 

Blurb from the author webpage: Brilliant watercolor and pastel paintings in the style of eighteenth-century Japanese woodcuts illuminate this engaging retelling of a popular Japanese folktale. Coveting a mandarin duck for his magnificent plumage, a greedy lord captures and cages him for all to admire. But the wild creature pines for his mate. When Yasuko, the kitchen maid, releases the bird against the lord’s command, she and the one-eyed servant, Shozo, are sentenced to death. How the grateful drake and his mate return the loving couple’s kindness and outsmart the capricious lord makes for a wondrous outcome.

Paterson tells (this story) with subtlety, grace, and her characteristic sensitivity to such troths as that "trouble can always be borne when it is shared." The Dillons, who have twice won the Caldecott Medal, have outdone themselves in these elegant, deftly limned illustrations in a Japanese style. In mellow, grayed hues and crisp black, each double spread appears in two borderless panels that allow the eye to make them one without catching in the gutter; the blocks of text are expertly incorporated in the handsome design. An outstanding contribution. Kirkus Star review

Image source

If you do have a copy of this book it would be good to share it with a group of Grade 3-5 students and then take some time to discuss the role of folktales to impart important wisdom. This video is not perfect but it is a way for you to hear the whole story and see the very special art by Leo and Diane Dillon. I think this book might still be available and in paperback for a good price. You can see more books by Katherine Paterson here. 

I think this book may have come from a charity book sale. I found it on the processing shelves of a library where I am working as a volunteer. Unfortunately, someone has torn out the front-end paper. I guess I will place this copy in a local street library rather than add it to my own bulging shelves. 

A Strange thing Happened at Cherry Hall by Jasmine Warga

I LOVE books with twists and turns and gasp aloud moments and there are plenty of those in A Strange thing Happened at Cherry Hall.

Here are some text quotes which will give you an idea about the plot of this book:

The day the painting was stolen from the museum was the warmest day that Maple Lake had had so far that year. The sun beamed down on the garden. That heat and goldenness radiated into Agatha’s burrow.

The stolen painting was called Untitled. Literally. That was its name. Its name was its lack of name.

The girl didn’t speak like most of the kids he knew from school. And there was a lilting quality to her voice. It reminded Rami of something from an old movie. It was then that Rami noticed the girl’s feet. She wasn’t wearing any shoes. Which would’ve been strange enough on its own, but upon second glance, it was obvious that her feet were not touching the floor. She was floating. Barely. But she was floating. Rami screamed.

So who is this girl? How is she connected with this theft? How can Rami prove his mother is not involved? Why did someone take this fairly obscure painting? Who is the artist? Is there a way Rami and his new friend Veda can talk to her? The museum director is acting suspiciously - is she the thief? And how is a turtle part of this intriguing story?

Listen to an audio sample here. This review from Ms Yingling has plenty of plot details. 

Publisher blurb: A painting has been stolen…! When Rami sees a floating girl in the museum, he knows he has seen her somewhere before. Then he realizes: She looks just like the girl in the painting that has gone missing. But how does her appearance connect to the theft? Agatha the turtle knows—she has been watching from the garden. But she can’t exactly tell anyone…can she? Will Rami, with the help of his classmate, Veda, be able to solve the mystery? The clues are all around them, but they’ll have to be brave enough to really look.

Colby Sharp has talked about this book SO enthusiastically and last year he read it as a class read aloud. Sadly, here in Australia it is way too expensive for your school library BUT I am certain a paperback will appear soon.

I loved the little observations by Jasmine Warga:

(He also frequently wondered if things would be better for him socially if his name ended with a y instead of an i.)

She had that accent that most rich people do, where it’s impossible to know where they are originally from, but you know that they are fancy and well educated.

Talking with Veda sometimes felt like drinking straight out of a hose—it all came at you very fast, at full blast. But he was finding it was pretty nice to be in the splash zone.

A slowly unfurling delight. Kirkus Star review

"Warga’s lighthearted mystery [is] tempered by witty banter, a touch of whimsy, and just enough suspense to make it a page-turner." — Horn Book Magazine

Other books about art theft and thieves:

The Calder Game

Masterpiece

From the Mixed up files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler

I previously read this book by Jasmine Warga - FIVE STARS.

A Rover's Story

And this one:

Other words for Home

Bigfoot vs Yeti: a love story by James Foley

"The Bigfoot say it started when a Yeti threw a snowball across the rift. The Yetis say it started wen a Bigfoot threw some fruit across the rift."

Think about the word 'rift'. It can mean a large crack in the ground or a serious disagreement that separates individuals. In this book both meanings apply. 

Late one night two younger community members are left to guard the edge of the rift - a Bigfoot named Bevan and a Yeti named Yolanda. Yes, we have a boy and a girl. There is of course no way to cross the rift it is way too wide but "does it really go on forever?" After days of their journey Bevan and Yolanda finally come face to face and instead of fighting they help one another and "and slowly, ever so slowly, the rift began to narrow." Yes, this is a love story and the end does contain a heart-warming twist but for me the interesting part comes before this scene when it is clear there are still some community members Bigfoot and Yeti who "could neither forgive or forget." 

They were sent back "back to the village and the mist and the rift. And they're still there to this day, hurling insults into the wind."

As I was reading Bigfoot vs Yeti by James Foley I thought of these books (see below) which I used to share with my Grade Five students as part of a conflict resolution theme. Notice the title of Bigfoot vs Yeti also says - A love story. The ending reminded me of a favourite book - Clancy the Courageous Cow. 

The Two Giants

The Seed

Bigfoot vs Yeti (trailer)

Blurb: The Bigfoots say it started when a Yeti threw a snowball across the rift. The Yetis say it started when a Bigfoot threw some fruit across the rift. Who could say for sure? One night, a young Bigfoot and Yeti decide to find the end of the rift so they can finish the feud – once and for all. 

“So very clever! The buildup in this story and the unexpected (but perfect) change of colour from black and white to colour … James Foley has given us a story to remember and perhaps learn from too.“

– Dr Belle Alderman AM, Emeritus Professor of Children’s Literature, Director of the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature

This link will take you to different teachers notes for Bigfoot vs Yeti. Readings Melbourne list three reasons to read Bigfoot vs Yeti. Here is the Storylinks review.

This picture book is so clever on many levels. Big, serious themes such as conflict, culture, racism, war, history and social norms are all explored in an accessible and humorous manner but will invite deep discussion. ... The graphic novel elements, used for the most part in the book, will appeal to many readers, and the final page is a surprising, humourous and delightful ... Reading Time

Look for this wonderful book by James Foley:

Stellarphant

The Twin Giants by Dick King Smith illustrated by Mini Grey

This story begins on Mountain Number One.

"Once upon a time there lived two brother giants. Twin brothers, in fact, something that's rare among giants. When the first one was born, his giant father looked at the huge baby and said 'Isn't be e-nor-mous!' And when the second one arrived, his giant mother looked at the huge baby and said 'There's a-lot-ov-im!'"

This is how the boys were given their names - Lottavim (Lot) and Normus (Norm). The twins were best friends and alike in every way except when it came to food. Lottavin liked meat while Normus liked vegetables. After a wonderful childhood the boys finally reached their full height of eighteen feet. 

"It's about time I found a wife." They both said.

Now we move to Mountain Number Two and Mountain Number Three.

Lot goes to Mountain Two where he meets a giantess but sadly she is a vegetarian. On Mountain Three Norm also meets a giantess but she is a meat eater. The boys rush to swap places but because they look completely alike both giantesses say NO. 

Sadly they trudge onto Mountain Seven.

They do not want to fight over finding a wife so they head off to different sides of the mountain. Lot finds a beautiful giantess.

"She was almost as tall has him ... and her hair was corn-coloured and her eyes sea blue and her teeth pearly white. Lottavim stared at her dumbstruck". 

Georgina agrees to be his wife but what about Norm. When he sees Georgina he falls totally in love too.  Now we have a real problem. Two giants and one giantess. How can this be resolved? I am sure the happy ending will totally surprise and delight you. 

The Twin Giants will be treasured for years. It's perfect for reading to children, reading together, and then to read alone. The story, the language, everything, are perfectly pitched, and will never feel too babyish or too grown up. There's a gentle level of humour throughout (best summed up by the names of the giants), which puts a smile on everyone's face. It's a warm, cosy, and lovely book. You'd have to have a heart of stone not to love every last page of it. Highly recommended. The Book Bag

The Twin Giants was first published in 2007 so sadly it is long out of print, but you might find a copy in a library. It has been issued with three different covers. Listen to an audio sample here. I used to teach a unit of work to my Grade 4 groups about conflict resolution - this book would be a perfect one for that topic. 

Dick King-Smith served in the Grenadier Guards during the Second World War and afterwards spent twenty years as a farmer in Gloucestershire, the county of his birth. Many of his stories are inspired by his farming experiences. He wrote a great number of children's books, including The Sheep-Pig (winner of the Guardian Award and filmed as Babe), Harry's Mad, The Hodgeheg, Martin's Mice, The Invisible Dog, The Queen's Nose and The Crowstarver. At the British Book Awards in 1991 he was voted Children's Author of the Year. In 2009 he was made OBE for services to children's literature. Dick King-Smith died in 2011 at the age of eighty-eight. Booktrust

The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel illustrated by Danny Snell

Yacoub lives in his truck. He drives huge distances carrying many different things. English is not his first language, and he sometimes finds it difficult to talk to the other truck drivers he meets along the way but luckily Yacoub has his little cat named Tinka. Tinka keeps Yacoub company on long journeys and under the stars at night. But then one day Tinka is distracted by a fluttering butterfly, and he accidentally leaves Yacoub behind. Luckily Tinka is rescued by a kind young woman named Mari. Tinka is happy living in htis new place and he enjoys her bakery and the fresh fish she feeds him but he is also worried about his friend. Will Tinka and Yacoub ever be reunited?

Here is the web site for Deborah Frenkel. I previously talked about this book:

Naturoplois

Here is an interview with Justkidslit where Deborah Frenkel talks about The Truck Cat.

Here is the web site for Danny Snell. 

Blurb from the teachers notes (via Pegi Williams): Tinka is a truck cat, travelling the open roads of Australia with Yacoub in his truck. Yacoub doesn’t know many other people, but he and Tinka always have each other. Until one day, Tinka gets distracted chasing a white butterfly and ends up on a busy main road, with cars and trucks separating him from Yacoub. Luckily, Tinka is saved by a kind-hearted baker, Mari, who takes him into her home and her life and feeds him. But Tinka always worries about Yacoub, out there in the silence. Yacoub worries about Tinka too, missing the companionship of his friend … until one day, a smell draws him to the window of a bakery, where a familiar face waits for him.

By chance I borrowed The Truck Cat from the library this week and then today I saw it was announced as the 2025 National Simultaneous Storytime book which is on May 22nd, 2025 at 12:00pm AEST

About National Simultaneous Storytime: by facilitating NSS we aim to: 

• promote the value of reading and literacy, 
• promote the value and fun of books,
• promote an Australian writer and publisher, 
• celebrate and promote storytime activities in public libraries, school libraries, classrooms and communities around the country,
• and provide opportunities to involve parents, caregivers, the media, and others to participate in and enjoy the occasion.

What do we look for in the National Simultaneous Storytime book?

Each year interested publishers send in possible titles. From a practical perspective, the publisher has to be able and willing to provide copyright release for use of the illustrations, book projection, translation into other languages and performance. The publisher also needs to commit to a special print run of several thousand copies. This narrows down the options. The criteria for choosing from the remaining books include: 

• a positive storyline
• appeal to a modern and diverse audience
• suitability for read-aloud (language and length)
• how well the book lends itself to craft and other activities

I was very interested to read the criteria because I had (wrongly) assumed that since (in the past) Scholastic Australia were sponsors of this event the book had to be a Scholastic Australia publication. I am pleased to see I was wrong. The book this year comes from Bright Light which an imprint of Hardie Grant Children's Publishing.

Things to talk about and discuss after reading The Truck Cat:

How do you know the setting for this story is in Australia?

Do you think Yacoub has always been a truck driver? What does it mean 'to make a living'? 

How do you know Yacoub has not always lived in Australia? 

Why is Yacoub thinking about 'the old country'? What does this phrase mean?

Think about the sentence "Until cool hands lifted him from the road, held him gently, and carried him to a car." How does the meaning of this change if you alter the words 'cool' and 'gently'. What emotions do you feel when Mari rescues Tinka.

Tinka cannot tell Mari that he is worried about Yacoub but what might he say if he could talk?

When do we get the first hint that there might be a cultural connection between Mari and Yacoub?

How does Deborah Frenkel give her story a perfect sense of completion? 

The final pages show changes to the lives of Mari and Yacoub - what has happened? Talk about the way Danny Snell has extended the text well beyond the words of the story. How has 'home' now changed for Yacoub?

Discuss the vocab from the book - interloper, mewing, lunged, daintiest, depots, tri-axle, rafters

Older students - read the end notes from the author and research refugees from WWII who settled in Australia. Find other picture books about the modern refugee experience. Here is my Pinterest with some books that are sure to be in your school library. 

Research Polish cakes and biscuits. Check if your family have favourite recipes from other cultures.

Yacoub calls his grandmother Nena. What do you call your grandparents?

Book design - note the changes to the end papers; the consistent colour palette used in the water colour illustrations; the use of framing as a way to sequence the plot.

How does Danny Snell show movement of Tinka and also of the traffic in his illustrations?

A similar thing happens on the page where the truck is carrying eggs - how do we know the truck is moving slowly so the eggs don't get scrambled?

Narrative devices - repeated structures - some cats are house cats, some are apartment cats, some cats live on farms, some live this the city. AND at the end sometimes he's a bakery cat, sometimes a sofa cat; sometimes he's a picnic cat and sometimes a train cat.

What device is Deborah Frenkel using with these phrases - brick motels with beetles in the bathtub; rest-stop huts with rats in the rafters; depots dancing with dragonflies; lorikeets landed in the lemon tree; pigeons pecked in the petunias.

You could make a library display of past NSS titles and even have a mini readathon in your classroom exploring all of these terrific Australian Picture Books.

If you can't read all of these try to find Arthur by Amanda Graham; Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles; The Wrong book by Nick Bland; Too many elephants in this house by Ursula Dubosarsky; and Mrs Wilkinson's Chooks by Leona Peguero. 

Song of the Dove: A love story by Errol Broome illustrated by Sonia Kretschmar

Composer Vincenzo Bellini was born in Sicily in 1801. He gave music lessons to the young daughter of the President of the Supreme Court of Naples. Her name was Maddelena and they fell in love. Alas, her parents would not give permission for their marriage, so Bellini moved to Milan where he composed ten operas for the La Scala opera house. He died in Paris in 1835. His most famous opera is Norma. You can hear a tiny sample here. 

Errol Broome takes the relationship between Bellini and Maddelena Fumaroli and uses it to develop her picture book story. In this fictionalized account Bellini tells Maddelena he will return to ask for her hand again after he composes ten operas. 

"After the tenth opera we'll be together, dead or alive."

Image Source: Sonia Kretschmar

This statement comes true because before the tenth opera is finished, Maddalena dies. Bellini had likened their destiny to be together with the pairs of doves seen in Naples. 

"In Paris, Bellini began work on the score for his tenth opera. Each evening, a white dove fluttered into his bedroom and settled on the pages of music. When he reached out to touch it, the bird disappeared."

Shortly after composing his tenth opera, Bellini dies. But in real life he had lost interest in Maddalena long before this time. 

As I am about to head off to Italy this seems like the perfect book to share. It is an Australian book and it is set in Italy and about a famous Italian. My copy came from a recent charity book sale and there is an inscription on the title page which I think might be from the illustrator herself. I have discovered Sonia Kretschmar did covers for books by Cassandra Golds such as Clair de Lune. Also, the cover the Tensy Farlow. She is also the illustrator of Do not Forget Australia which is a book you may have in your ANZAC Day collection. Song of the Dove is a NSW Premiers Reading Challenge title for grade 5 and 6 [19214].

Errol Broome (1937-2022) grew up in Perth and after an Arts degree at the University of WA, she began her career as a newspaper journalist. After starting a family, Errol decided to tackle a long-held ambition, to write a book, and began with short stories which won several prizes. More than thirty books have followed, many short-listed and winners of awards, as well as being widely published overseas. I well remember having some of her books in my former school library but oddly Song of the Dove published by Walker Books did not reach me. I do remember Gary Keebles Kitchen (I often recommended it to my library readers) and Dear Mr Sprouts which was a story told with letters. 

• Wrinkles, illustrated by Terry Dyer, Collins, 1978.
• The Smallest Koala, illustrated by Gwen Mason, Buttercup, 1987.
• Dear Mr. Sprouts, Knopf (New York, NY), 1991.
• Garry Keeble's Kitchen: How One Boy Left Home and Survived with 28 Recipes That Anyone Can Cook and Everyone Will Eat, illustrated by Maya, Random House (Australia), 1992.

• Tangles, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1993, Knopf (New York, NY), 1994.
• Rockhopper, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1995.
• Nightwatch, illustrated by Helen Brooshooft, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1995.
• Splashback: A Great Greasy Journey, illustrated by Gregory Rogers, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1996.
• Fly with Me, illustrated by Jane Walker, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1996.
• What a Goat!, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1997.
• Quicksilver, illustrated by Anna Pignataro, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1997.

• Tough Luck, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 1998, published as Drusilla the Lucky Duck, Annick Press (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.
• Magnus Maybe, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 1998, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.
• Away with the Birds, Fremantle Arts Center Press (South Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia), 2000.
• Missing Mem, illustrated by Ann James, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2000, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2002.

• Cry of the Karri, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2001.
• Some Dog, Thomson, 2001.
• Ms. Yellow Teeth, Thomson, 2003.
• The Judas Donkey, illustrated by Sharon Thompson, Fremantle Arts Centre Press (Freemantle, Western Australia, Australia), 2003.
• Gracie and the Emperor, Allen & Unwin (St. Leonards, Australia), 2003.

The Upside Down River: Hannah's Journey by Jean-Claude Mourlevat translated by Ros Schwartz

"This story is the most beautiful thing I can offer you. There are a thousand other presents I could give you, of course, and they are all very special ... but you have to know that none of those gifts is as wonderful as the story that I am about to tell you, and you alone, because you are the thing that is most precious to me. Please don't ask any questions but just listen, the way you'd listen to music."

Please begin with my post about The Upside Down River: Tomek's Journey.  In the first book we meet Tomek, discover the reasons he is trying to find Hannah and we follow his strange, very bizarre journey. In the second book you will make more discoveries about Hannah herself and why she was taking this journey and of course you will read about all her strange encounters including a time when she is mistaken for a Princess.

This second book begins:

"I once told you, Tomek, that before I pushed open the door of your little grocery shop, I'd had some extraordinary adventures. And some even more amazing things happened to be during the long period when you were fast asleep in the perfume-makers' village, and then while you were crossing the ocean. You've often asked me where I was and what I was doing throughout that time, and now the moment has come for me to tell you."

I thoroughly enjoyed re-entering the world of Tomek and Hannah. This is a wonderful pair of books that your readers aged 10+ are sure to adore. These two books would also be fabulous to read in a family each night. 

From Walker Books: Hannah has lost almost everything she ever loved, apart from one beautiful songbird. But the bird seems to be dying. So Hannah sets out on an incredible adventure to find the magical upside down River Qjar, whose waters can give her beloved bird eternal life. She journeys across deserts and over dizzyingly high mountains, lives an entire lifetime in the blink of an eye, braves the terrifying Forest of Oblivion, and is mistaken for a long-lost princess. And along the way, Hannah meets Tomek, an ordinary boy who will follow her extraordinary quest...

Here are some review extracts from a French review site and also the French book cover:

• Jean-Claude Mourlevat makes us discover through this novel a poetic and philosophical universe that is accessible and (filled with) imagery.
• Not feeling sorry for yourself, moving forward and seizing chance as an opportunity and not as an agonizing fear, this is a beautiful introduction to life that the author encourages children (and adults) to seize.
• Two must-read books, for those who want to dream a little!