The High Street by Alice Melvin

Sally's in the High Street and this is what she needs ...

a yellow rose,

a garden hose,

a bunch of grapes,

some roller skates,

a cockatoo,

a tin kazoo,

a Persian rug,

a stripy jug,

a cherry tart,

a candy heart.

As you turn each page we see Sally enter each shop to make her purchases. Number one is a sweet shop; number two is a bakery; the china shop is number three; and there are antiques in number four. You can probably guess where she finds cockatoo, roller skates, grapes, and a hose but how will she find a yellow rose?

Each shop has a short rhyming text description and a fold out so readers can head inside each store. 

This shows the way the pages in this book fold open

There is something so deliciously old-fashioned about The High Street. ... From sweetshop to hardware shop, from antiques shop to greengrocer’s, for many children, looking inside these shops via the medium of this book will be a real discovery ... The High Street manages to convey the sense of wonder that a child would feel when entering these shops. The clever use of flaps allows to have first a view of the shop closed and as Sally enters, the young reader can open the flap and find himself stepping inside the shop too ... Library Mice

In 2007 you could even buy a little flat pack to go with The High Street:

From the author web page: A little girl called Sally travels down the titular High Street with a very eclectic shopping list. As she visits each shop the reader can open up the throw-out pages to reveal the life behind the shop front. I have always loved doll’s houses, and I think this book grew out of fond memories of opening up a tiny house to peep at the hidden world inside. I wanted to fill the book with details of the life both in and above the shops: the bustling café above the bakery; the band practicing in the music shop and the pigeon loft in the pet-shop roof. Now translated into nine different languages it's lovely to know that this book has been enjoyed around the world.

On social media I saw a post with a list of books that could be perfect for budding architects and this book The High Street caught my eye. Luckily for me I found it in a library this week. 

The post listed six titles - here are the other five: Georgian House Picture Book (Usborne); The House with the Little Red Door (Thames and Hudson); At Home in a Book (Penguin); Our House by Trudie Trewin (Scholastic); and Need a House call Ms Mouse.

Here are some other books I'd add to this list.:

A House that once was

If I built a house

The Hidden House

Boy oh boy I do wish I had discovered this book The High Street when it was published in 2011. I would most certainly have added it to my school library and possibly even gifted it to a friend or two AND I would have loved to put this book into the hands of a Kindergarten teacher to read alongside the Squeak Street series by Emily Rodda. This book would also be a fabulous read aloud to a preschool group. AND I now discover Alice Melvin is the illustrator of this book which I own and love:

Mouse's Wood

You could also pair The High Street with other stories about shopping lists with repeated refrains such as Shoes from Grandpa (Mem Fox); and Don't forget the bacon (Pat Hutchins).

Inked by Karen Wasson illustrated by Jake A Minton

When I read the title of this book I thought it was about tattoos - I should have looked more closely at the cover - can you see the octopus. His name is Otto and Otto is an opera singer but instead of arriving in Rome ready to perform at the famous opera house he finds himself in Rone. 

He is in the wrong town but also in the wrong place - this is a fish shop and humans eat calamari (octopus). Meanwhile twelve-year-old Sid scores a place in the art school of his dreams but his family have no money and the fish shop is not going well because a rival over the road is offering cheaper meals. 

How can a singing octopus save the day? 

Inked is a madcap adventure told as a graphic novel. It looks like a long book with close to 300 pages but the format means you will read it very quickly and also you will want to read it all in one gulp because, while you know there must be a happy ending, I was desperate to see if my predictions came true (they didn't).

Bookseller blurb: When 12-year-old Sid discovers a talking octopus in his family’s fish shop, he is shocked – and annoyed. Otto the octopus is cheeky, demanding, and won’t leave Sid alone until he helps Otto get to the ocean … roughly 300 kilometres away! But Sid has bigger fish to fry. He has to figure out how to get into the art school of his dreams, or else high school next year will be a nightmare.    Can these frenemies find a way to work together, or will it all end in disaster? Or even worse … will Sid and Otto realise they actually make a pretty great team? Brimming with hilarity, hijinks and plenty of heart, the first graphic novel from author Karen Wasson and CBCA-acclaimed illustrator Jake A Minton sparkles with slapstick humour and fish-out-of-water misunderstandings. With extraordinary full-colour artwork and a bonus 'making of' section at the end, readers of all ages will be surprised and delighted with this stand-out suburban adventure for middle-grade readers. Prepare to get INKED!

You can see more pages inside Inked here

Check out more about Jake A Minton on his Instagram page. I was a CBCA Judge when Jake A Minton's first book was published - it was submitted for the New Illustrator award - "There's no such Book".

Inked is a 2026 CBCA Younger Readers shortlist title. Here are the judges' comments:

If I was introducing or book talking Inked with a group of students (Grade 4 and up) I would begin with the music from this story. It would be fun to involve your school music teacher if you have one. You could just listen to these extracts for a minute or two.

• M'ama, sì, m'ama, lo vedo, lo vedo! from the Donizetti's Opera (video from YouTube) 
• Here is a terrific orchestral version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
• La donna e mobile Verdi (here is Pavarotti)
• Octopus's Garden
• Cry me a river (here is Michael Buble)
• Recitar mentre preso del delirio (video from YouTube)

Here are the teachers notes which oddly do not mention the music. 

A quick summary of the plot makes this book sound completely absurd, but readers will be surprised and delighted by thoughtful character development, witty dialogue, and Jake A. Minton’s warm, polished artwork. Inked is a strangely compelling reading experience with a filmic style and energy. An excellent, wildly entertaining read for ages 9+. Readings Melbourne

Brimming with hilarity, hijinks and plenty of heart, the first graphic novel from author Karen Wasson and CBCA-acclaimed illustrator Jake A Minton sparkles with slapstick humour and fish-out-of-water misunderstandings. With extraordinary full-colour artwork and a bonus 'making of' section at the end, readers of all ages will be surprised and delighted with this stand-out suburban adventure for middle-grade readers. Lamont Books

Sonny and Tess by Nova Weetman

Publisher blurb: It’s the end of year 7 and Tess wants a summer job. She’s keen to earn her own money and buy her own clothes. But her mum has other ideas: it looks like Tess will be stuck at home babysitting her twin brothers. Thirteen-year-old Sonny is tired of moving around. With his dad up north, he’s staying with his uncle and aunt above their fish and chip shop. And it just so happens his uncle is hiring extra staff for the holidays. When Sonny and Tess crash into each other outside the shop, sparks and dim sims fly. Soon they’re both wondering if the other feels the same way – but, as Sonny loves to say, it’s complicated. Over hot chips and chicken salt, can these two work out what they really want?

This is a sweet story of first love set in a fish and chip shop. All three main characters have complex things going on in their lives as is often the way with Middle Grade and Junior Young Adult books.

1. Sonny (Samson) - his mum abruptly left the family a number of years ago. Dad won't talk about mum and Dad is often absent because he is a geologist who takes up work in remote locations. Sonny has changed schools too many times and he is confused about his relationship with his dad.

2. Tess (Theresa) - lives in a busy family. Mum and Dad have frantic jobs and Tess has younger twin siblings. Tess is often expected to stay home and 'babysit' this pair of wild kids. Tess wants some independence and that's why she secretly takes on a job at the fish and chip shop even though she knows her mum will go 'ballistic'.  

3. Tin and Sonny met at Kinder but then he moved away. He now lives near the fish and chip shop and so Sonny and Tin easily reconnect. Tin's dad was injured at work and so he just sits in a chair all day at home with the television on. Tin is a good friend to Sonny but equally Sonny understands things are difficult for Tin. 

Sonny especially shows a level of emotional intelligence beyond his years and I really enjoyed getting to know him through this story. I would put this book into a high school library but it could be enjoyed by readers aged 11+ as the publisher suggests. Thanks to UQP for my review copy. There are very detailed teachers notes and a book extract also on their web page. This book was released this week on 1st July. 

Here are a couple of text quotes:

"My primary school years were interrupted with trips for dad's work, so I was always stepping in and out of friendships. It's left me lacking confidence in some ways. Which is why I've decided to return to school so late in the year. I figure it's better to slide in at the tail end of the year when nobody is aware of the new guy."

"And without thinking I reach out and touch her hand, and she doesn't move hers away. Her skin is warm but I pull back because I am not sure what I'm doing."

There are a couple of other minor characters in the story Sonny's aunt and uncle - Marion and Frank.  I would love to meet Marion and thank her for her kindness and gentle care of Sonny. She treats him with such wisdom - never crowding or imposing her own views and she shows her love of this young boy in such a beautiful and heartfelt way. And in his own way Frank deeply cares about Sonny too. I loved their sparing over music on the radio.

"Frank has called me boy for as long as I can remember. Sometimes I tease him that he's forgotten my name, buy I learnt ages ago that it's just his way of showing affection. I asked him once why he chose boy as my nickname, and he said he grew up eating Sunnyboy icypoles after school - the joy of finding free stamped inside the packet has never left him. They don't make Sunnyboys now, but that doesn't stop Frank romanticising them. He's stitched together with nostalgia".

We also meet Jemma who is Tessa's school friend. I was worried when this pair had a serious argument that would be the end of their relationship - thank you Nova Weetman for the scene on pages 175-178.

This is a charming, character-driven story with refreshingly little high-stakes drama. There is emotional complexity in the way of family frustrations and challenges to friendships, but all are ultimately resolved with maturity and compromise, showcasing productive examples of conflict resolution, without being didactic. The adults are relatable, the young people feel authentic, and the first-job-first-crush set up is beautifully age appropriate for readers 11+. You’ll close the book feeling warm all over, and hungry for hot chips! StoryLinks

I really enjoy books with alternating voices - here are a few I have read recently:

Not Nothing

The Last Apple Tree

Greetings from Nowhere

I previously talked about these books by Melbourne author Nova Weetman:

The Jammer

Sick Bay

The Secrets we Keep

Ruby's Repair Cafe by Michelle Worthington illustrated by Zoe Bennett

Ruby loves to repair things and her family have a repair store. People bring broken toasters, kettles, radios, guitars, crockery and more. Things do not need to be thrown away - they can be repaired. BUT a new store opens right next door. It is the BIGG Department store. Over time (this is not shown in the story) everyone changes their shopping habits and eventually (we know this took some months not just one day) the Repair Cafe is forced to close down. Everyone wants new shiny things but in an interesting twist or perhaps an expected consquence, the town dump begins to fill up with "broken bits, old clothes and random rubbish. The stinky smell wafted on the wind."

One night there is a huge storm. The roof blows off the BIGG Department store and most of his stock is ruined. Luckily Ruby is a girl who loves to solve problems and she is an expert at repairs!

The end papers in this book are perfect. Here are some very simple teachers notes - I am sure you could think of deeper questions for your class. My only tiny quibble with this book comes from disparity between the important environmental sustainability message in this story and the use of children to run the repair shop and children who help restore the shops after the storm. Ruby is a child perhaps aged around ten and Mr Bigg is a young adult or a young man aged around twenty. We do see Ruby's parents and grandparents in their repair store but Ruby herself seems to be the main worker?

This book will be a good addition to your library or classroom because it will generate some terrific discussions about our disposable society, the role of garbage dumps, urban renewal, town planning, small suburban shopping strips, and community co-operation. There is also a layer here of the big corporation versus the small local business. ALL of that in a book aimed at readers aged 7+ - I hope you are amazed. Here is the website for the illustrator Zoe Bennett. You can see other books by Michelle Worthington here. Many years ago, two of her books were CBCA Notable titles (Glitch and The World's worst Pirate). 

Companion books:

The Fixer of broken things

Read more about this book here (published March, 2024)

The Spell Tailors by James Nicol

When I see the publisher Chicken House I know the book will be good. This book, The Spell Tailors also has an appealing cover and an intriguing blurb:

Hen dreams of becoming a spell tailor, stitching magic into clothing like his beloved Nana. But thanks to new factories, spell tailors are struggling. His Uncle Bertie’s fancy shop has shut down, and when he, Aunt Lucia and stuck-up cousin Connie move in, it’s a disaster for all the family. Then Hen stumbles upon a new kind of stitch – one which causes Nana and Bertie to ban him from sewing. What is the power of the stitch that can sew memories into clothes – and could it be the very thing to save them all?

I started The Spell Tailors just after lunch yesterday because it was a rainy day and early this morning i finished the whole book because I was so desperate for a happy ending.

Hen is short for Henryton but only his uncle uses this long form of his name. In the world of this book clothing is made by hand and extra special clothes have spells added for things like warmth, fit and to make a good impression. 

Spell stitches could infuse a garment with strange properties, from a summer dress or shirt to keep you cool on a hot day, to a glow stitch that made a garment shimmer and shine like the moon or a starlit night. These wonders and more resided in the Danelli family spell stitches. These were the secrets they brought to their garments – secrets that had secured their business for nearly 400 years. Hen opened the book, turning the cloth pages carefully. The stitches looked like ripples in water, circles within circles. Tilt your head just so and they looked a little like a spider’s web. More stitches connected the circles, like the spokes of a wheel.

Meanwhile there is a woman who has visited their shop. Hen is sure she is intending to bring trouble and this is confirmed when Hen and Connie follow Uncle Bertie to her factory. The scenes there felt like the ones I experienced in books like this:

Bread and Roses too

Counting on Grace

The nasty insect-like creatures Hen encounters when he travels through the memory are sure to remind you of Studio Ghibli films such as Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro.

You can read an extract of The Spell tailors here. And here is the web page for James Nicol. Listen to an audio sample. 

This book could be a terrific family read aloud ages 7-10 or you might listen to the audio version on a long car trip perhaps. There is also an understated message in this story about repairing our clothes not constantly purchasing new ones. 

It’s also nice to see a boy protagonist in this kind of family-focused, believing-in-yourself fantasy! While there’s plenty of excitement, this is generally quite a soft, cosy book, and I like seeing a boy who isn’t forced into a more ‘masculine’ action role, but is allowed to love his grandmother, worry about his friendship with his cousin, and enjoy his art! Hen is lovely, and his kindness, bravery, and perseverance make him a great, gentle role model. A Cat A Book and a Cup of Tea

This post is in memory of my mum who would be turning 103 tomorrow. She taught herself to sew and to use a knitting machine. Her sister and mother were very skilled with sewing and other crafts and I think she felt that she was in their shadow. I desperately wish I had said thank you and wow and well done over and over again when she made me the most gorgeous clothes and I also wish I could turn back time and take photos of so many of my favourites such as the orange paisley pant suit; my Heidi dress with the eyelet thread holes; the cream and red check dress with the patent leather belt; the beautiful pale green French wool machine knitted jumper; and the red dress with button front and circle skirt. If you are reading this - thanks mum. 

Zadie Ma and the Dog who Chased the Moon by Gabrielle Wang

Zadie Ma really wants a dog of her own. She has a magical ability - when she writes a story it sometimes comes true. Zadie writes a story about a stray dog called Jupiter. Yes, she does find and rescue him but owning a dog is not straightforward. Her mother has forbidden Zadie to have a dog. The new family who live over the back fence have lots of pets of all shapes and sizes. The girl in the new family is named Eleanor Elspeth Eaglemont but she prefers to be called Sparrow. Sparrow is happy to look after Jupiter until Zadie can convince her mother to change her mind. 

Interspersed through the book we read short stories penned by Zadie.

Publisher blurb: Zadie Ma has a special talent for telling stories . . . and it seems that some of Zadie’s stories come true. Zadie’s dearest wish is to have a dog of her own and so she starts to write the story of a poor unwanted dog called Jupiter, who’s just waiting to be rescued by a loving girl like Zadie. One morning when she’s supposed to be minding the family shop for her mother, Zadie sets off to look for Jupiter. The scene that unfolds isn’t quite the same as in her story but she does find a real dog, and his name is Jupiter. Once Zadie has rescued him, she realises she can’t just take Jupiter home because her mother won’t let her keep a dog. Luckily her bold new friend Sparrow lets Zadie keep Jupiter at her house till Zadie can work things out. But a series of unlucky events means that Zadie can’t write the happy ending she dreams of for her story, and now she may lose her beloved Jupiter forever. Can Zadie’s most important story of all finally come true?

The book’s structure and style are both unique and refreshing, weaving narrative, allegory (in the form of Zadie’s own stories interspersed throughout) and graphic novel elements.  Reading Time

I loved Sparrow – I loved that she refused to believe in stereotypes and assumptions about people, that even though everyone gravitated towards her, she still chose Zadie over being the most popular girl in school. And I loved the loyalty she had to Zadie, and the loyalty Zadie showed to her – they were true friends. Book Muse

Readers aged 9+ will enjoy this story especially those who also long for a dog. Children with immigrant parents who work long hours in small businesses such as the shop owned by Mrs Ma are sure to identify with Zadie and other readers will gain an insight into different family relationships and cultural expectations.

Listen to an audio sample here.

This feels very autobiographical and so there are moments in this story which are deeply affecting especially the relationship between Zadie and her mum, dad and little brother and the depictions of the milk bar. I don’t usually enjoy books with other stories interspersed between the chapters and some of these work quite well. I especially loved the character of Sparrow and her kindness to Zadie. School has been hard for Zadie. We know she is teased and even bullied and has become quite withdrawn and shy. Sparrow arrives and becomes her friend. I just wanted to hug Sparrow!

Gabrielle Wang is our current Australian Children's Laureate. As I read Zadie Ma and the dog who chased the Moon, as I said,  I was sure this book was autobiographical and now I read these quotes from Gabrielle Wang: 

This book is very different from any of my other novels because it’s part narrative, part graphic novel, part fable. It is also a very personal story that I’ve carried with me almost all my life, well before I knew I would be an author.

There are many themes in this novel: friendship, diversity, Chinese culture, racism, bullying, war, courage, hope and connectedness. But above all, it is about the power of story – how they can change you on the inside and impact the world around you.

In this video Gabrielle talks with the Australian Writers' Centre (40 minutes).

Here are some of her previous books:

The Wishbird

The Beast of Hushing Wood

I remember I really enjoyed The Garden of the Empress Cassia (2002). I haven't talked about it here but perhaps I will find a copy at the next Lifeline Bookfair. 

Alpha Betty by Shoo Rayner

Easy Fiction Treasures

From birth Betty is fascinated by signs and words. Her early communication is via hand signals, then she discovers the alphabet when her mother feeds her some alphabet soup. Betty has one goal. To be a sign maker. When she grows up, she opens a little shop called Alpha Betty's Sign Shop. Her business flourishes until one day a new shop opens just outside of the town. It is called Tacky Tim's Sign Superstore.

"Tacky Tim's Sign Superstore delivered signs to your door and even had a drive-in, while-u-wait sign-making department. Tacky Tim made plastic signs on machines run by computers. He could make three hundred sticky-backed signs before Betty could open a pot of paint."

Now take a look at the name of the rival company - Tacky Tim!  Yes his signs are sticky or tacky but they are also tacky! Over time they fade and begin to peel away with hilarious results.

TOILET becomes TO LET
FRENCH BRANDY HALF PRICE becomes FRENCH BRA    HALF PRICE
THE HAPPY RIDDLER JOKE SHOP becomes THE HAPPY PIDDLER JOKE SHOP

I am sad to say this little treasure, Alpha Betty, is out of print but you might find a copy in a school library. This is a perfect little book for a newly independent reader or as easy and funny read for an older child who is experiencing difficulty with their reading. Alpha Betty published by Walker books. Here are some other books from the Starters series. There were 16 titles in total:

The shop at Hooper's Bend by Emily Rodda

There is a tantalizing idea in this book that people come from stars.

"So some people get made mostly of the dust of one star, and other people get made mostly of the dust from other ones ...  And that's why some people are your friends straight away and some aren't."

Quil (short for Jonquil) calls her own star Palaris.  The others are :

Aginoth - people who are practical and confident
Broon - cheery but boring
Kell - prickly but interesting
Derba - calm and reliable with no sense of humour
Olmadon - generous and fun
Vanna - vague and dreamy
Fiskin - self-absorbed, manipulative bullies.

Quil has been left in the care of her aunt after the death of her parents.  Her aunt is busy and so Quil is sent to boarding school except this is the school holidays.  She is supposed to be heading to a four week camp in the Blue Mountains.

As the story opens Quil and Maggie (her aunt's personal assistant) are waiting for the train.  They are wandering through a market when Quil finds a china mug painted with her name.  Quil is such an unusual name where did this mug come from, who made it.  Quil needs to solve this mystery.

Meanwhile there is a little old disused shop in Hooper's Bend now owned by a business woman called Bailey.  There are also some shifty property developers who want to get their hands on this valuable site so it can be 'redeveloped'. Quil steps off the train at Hooper's Bend - she has seen this name on her mug.  She is befriended, almost immediately, by a small dog called Pirate.  In a jigsaw style plot each of these elements will come together leading to a most satisfying ending for all concerned including the reader.

I read this book many months ago when I was given an advanced reader copy at a conference.  I wanted to talk about it straight away but the copy said it was not for review.  The final published book arrived in our school library last week.

Time for one of my predictions.  I do think this book will be short-listed for our CBCA award in 2018.  Emily Rodda is a prolific and very talented Australian author and I enjoyed her return to realism after all those fantasy series such as Deltora.

this is a story about coming home when you didn't even know that was where you belonged.  Harper Collins


The Shop at Hooper’s Bend is a story with a distinctively Australian flavour, infused with eucalyptus smells, cicada sounds, and nostalgia for simpler times.  Reading Time

There are no dragons or mythical realms in this book; the magic here is about following your instincts and finding a place where you belong.  Books and Publishing

The bookshop girl by Sylvia Bishop illustrated by Ashley Bishop

"You have in your hands the story of Property Jones. I hope your copy smells of something nice - like crisp paper, 

or that churchy second-hand-book smell ... "

Property Jones is The Bookshop Girl but how did she get such a strange name?  This little girl, with special talents, was left in a bookshop when she was five years old.  Michael Jones, who was ten at the time, found her and put her in the lost property cupboard. She ended up staying with Michael and his mother Netty - the owner of the bookshop and so this story begins.  Oh and yes the name stuck.

The biggest secret you need to know about Property is that, while she does love her family and her life in a bookshop, she cannot read.  Michael and Netty do not know about this.  The family enter a competition to win a new bookshop!  Amazing.  The prize shop is called Montgomery Book Emporium.  It is filled with rooms which reflect the books inside.  This is such a great idea.  Here is the space adventures room :

"painted all over in deep indigo, speckled with twinkling lights. The books hanging from fine threads to that they almost seemed to be floating in mid-air."

Here is the room of woodland tales :

"which had a pine needle floor, and kept its books in trees, where there were actual living mice and birds."

The mystery -  why has Albert Montgomery given away such an amazing shop.  The answer comes the very next day with the arrival of a criminal called Mr Gimble, his accomplice Eliot Pink and a group of henchmen called the Wollups.  It seems Mr Montgomery owes money them money, forty-three million pounds, for a play actually written by the hand of Shakespeare.  Property will need to get to the bottom of this.  It is true she cannot read but she has extremely well developed powers of observation.  Something is not quite right. The writing and ink look fine but the paper and smells are wrong.  This crime is just the tip of an iceberg.  Michael and Property uncover the whole scam and everyone spends a delightful evening modifying these supposedly original manuscripts.  Here is an example of their additions :

• Sacred book of 12th Century monks containing the opening scene from Star Wars
• Ancient philosopher Aristotle claims the meaning of life is a deep-pan pizza
• Cleopatra had a pet T-Rex called Nigel

Here is a review from The Guardian and a five star review from Books for Keeps.  I also need to mention the illustrations in this book are perfect.  Here is a review by Ms Yingling.

This is an old-fashioned adventure story, wrapped up in the fantastical delight of limitless imagination. There are forgeries and baddies, befuddled old gentlemen and oddball cats, and children seeing and doing more than the adults. But above all, a shining colourful adoration for books.  Minerva Reads

You can see the US cover below.

The adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels illustrated by Emma Block

Delightful

Charming

Quirky

Whimsical

Sweet

These are some of the words I would use to describe The adventures of Miss Petitfour.  This book is a set of five adventures.  As you can see from the cover, Miss Petitfour travels with her cats in tow using different tablecloths to fly into her special little town.

I just knew I would enjoy this book when I read this sentence :

"She was especially fond of pockets, paisley, playful patterns and anything hand-knitted."

Miss Petitfour lives with fifteen special cats.  As her name implies she loves to cook cakes. (I am a huge cake fan as you probably know). You can see a selection of her delicious creations on the end papers.  She also has a collection of tablecloths perfect for every type of weather.  "A sunny day called for a starched white cloth, so she would seem to be floating gracefully from a cloud.   ... in autumn, when the sky was a deep shade of plum or grey, Miss Petitfour bought out her brightest, most colourful cloth, so that the reds, oranges and gold would glow against the dark sky."

One special feature of this book is the use of colour to highlight particular words in the text - words that are perhaps complex or simply need emphasis.  Another charming feature is the inclusion of little digressions and throughout the  whole book the voice of the author shines through : "If you've been reading about Miss Petitfour's adventures - and of course you have since you're reading this sentence".

Here are some of the special words which you will encounter in this book - propitious, perambulator, gesticulate, quaggy, eccentricity, debonair and my favourite festoon.  You will also notice each little story concludes with the words THE END.  This is worth mentioning because Anne Michaels makes sure these words fit perfectly into the final sentence of each tale.

In town each shop has a special sign.  The bookshop sounds wonderful. There are two sides. One for adventure books and the other for books in which nothing ever happens.  "Miss Petitfour and Mrs Collarwaller spent many enjoyable hours drinking tea together ... and playing a game  ... thinking up titles for books too silly ever to be written."  This would be a fun game for a family of book lovers.

I think this little volume would make a terrific family read-a-loud - perhaps one story each day.  Here is a detailed review.  Take a minute to click through some of the pretty  illustrations.

There is nothing normal about this village or any of its inhabitants. There are handsome, giant-sized shop signs and delightfully named villagers who are perfectly accepting of Miss Petitfour’s aeronautic abilities. 

Numerical Street by Antonia Presenti and Hilary Bell

Last year I talked about Alphabetical Sydney and I am pleased to say one of the grades in my school have adopted this terrific book as a key text to study.  Now we have the companion volume Numerical Street.

Numerical Street is a slightly more complex text. There may be some 'old fashioned' ideas you need to explain to a younger reader such as hairdressers putting combs in blue water, the work of an upholstery shop and the plastic tray covers used by butchers but don't let that stop you seeking out this book.  Young children will enjoy all the stories you have to share of shopping in the past.   I love the premise of looking for numbers in your environment.  The choice of shops have a slightly retro feel which will appeal to adult audience and young children will enjoy hunting for all the number references.  It will be easy to guess my favourite page - the cake shop!

"One apple pie, please, and one neenish tart,

Fingerbun, rock cake and scone: That's a start.

Still got a terrible sharp hunger pang:

Make it a very large lemon meringue.

...

Throw in a lamington - yes that's enough.

And tea, please. No sugar, I don't touch the stuff."

For international readers here is a plate of Neenish tarts.  They are small pastry cases filled with a mock cream, sometimes there is a smear of jam under the cream and the top as you can see is chocolate and pink icing.  One of my jobs as a young student was in a suburban cake shop and after lots of practice and failures I actually mastered the technique of icing a neenish.

Also for international readers you might need to research some of the Australian words used in Numerical Street such as esky, thermos, rego, undies, banksias and myna birds.  I have included some cake photos below.

Here are a couple of my favourite lines from Numerical Street :

"Our pharmacist's busy, don't have a conniption:
Please take a seat while we fill your prescription."

Here is the web site of the illustrator and some images from this book.   You might like to read about the inspiration for this book.  Here is a review.

The Swap by Jan Ormerod illustrated by Andrew Joyner

Caroline Crocodile is jealous of her new baby brother.  He seems to get all the attention she craves from Mama Crocodile.  What can Caroline do?  On a shopping trip to return a newly purchased hat Caroline sees a solution to her problem.  There is a baby shop in the street.  Why not swap this brother for a different one?

"This baby brother is not exactly what I want,' she said. 'It's smelly and it dribbles, it's no fun, and it takes up all the room on my mama's lap.  I want to swap it for one that is just right."

While The Swap is not a new story and perhaps not even a very surprising one it is told with such joy and the illustrations are so much fun.  I do hope this book wins an award from the CBCA for 2014.

Make sure you go back and look at all the little extras such as number plates, the photos in the house, the sale sign outside the bookshop, the mouse and his motorcycle and the way mama's new hat exactly matches Caroline's pretty yellow dress.

After reading The Swap you might also enjoy some other books about new babies, siblings and jealousy such as  The very worst Monster by Pat Hutchins, Another Brother by Mathew Cordell, Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells, Rosie and Tortoise by Margaret Wild or Julius the Baby of the world by Kevin Henkes.

You might like to read this review by Louise Pfanner or this one from The Bottom Shelf.