April | 2021 | Lost in a Good Book

The Easter Bunnyroo by Susannah Chambers

Published: 1st June 2020
Publisher: Allen and Unwin Children
Illustrator: Laura Wood
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

When Dad rescues Ruby the joey, Charlie begins to suspect she is really the Easter Bunny. After all:
Ruby has long ears and big feet.
Ruby is very good at jumping.
Ruby has a built-in basket for carrying Easter eggs.

Although, there could be a problem – how will Ruby know what to do? Luckily, Charlie can teach her what she needs to know.

I found this story really cute and it is a perfect Easter story with an Australian twist. Charlie’s family rescue and care for native Australian wildlife and I loved the mix up when it’s thought that the real Easter bunny has come to their home. Charlie helps the “Easter bunny” with egg duties and teaches them how to do their important job. There are fun jokes with pop references throughout like Winnie the Roo and R2DRoo which were delightful and the mistaken identity antics are humorous and enjoyable.

Wood’s illustrations are full of bright colours but are not over the top or overbearing. The full page pictures capture the scene and help tell the story quite well. There are a lot of close ups and Wood draws the joey so there is a slight bunny resemblance which I thought was fabulously cheeky but it does still look like a roo and it’s fun how Charlie keeps getting them mixed up.

This is a cute story about finding things and hiding things as well as the celebration of Easter. I loved the Australian focus and Chambers has created a fun story about an understandable misunderstanding that brings the magic of Easter to life.

You can purchase The Easter Bunnyroo via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon Aust

Knock Three Times (#3) by Cressida Cowell

Published: 17th September 2020 (print)/2nd June 2020 (audio)
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books/Hodder Children’s Books
Pages: 384/ 6 hrs and 5 mins
Narrator: David Tennant
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Junior Fiction Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Xar and Wish are heroes with a huge task ahead–confronting the Nuckalavee is not for the faint hearted. But with Magic and Iron together, they might just have a chance of saving their beloved homes from those who seek to destroy everything they hold dear. The third electrifying book in The Wizards of Once series fizzes with magic and introduces us to a host of glorious new characters: bears and piskies and magical pins and needles to name but a few.

There is something wonderful about Cowell’s stories. I love her writing and the language she uses, the way it’s telling us a story and the voice brings cheekiness and drama, but also a type of sorrow as well. The matter of fact approach to narration is an extra delight and it’s the combination of all of these types of writing that make this series so enjoyable.

Cowell balances the silly and the quirky with the serious and the dangerous. The world she has created flips from fun to dangerous easily and the suspense and tension over what is going to happen remains even while there are jokes flying about and quirky characters around.

I think this may be my favourite out of the three, there is so much going on and the humour and plot is on point and every character plays a role. There is adventure and revelations, fun times and sadness, and I adore how Cowell can make serious topics fit so beautifully in amongst a seemingly light hearted fantasy story.

There is a more in-depth look at both Sychorax and Encanzo and their relationship and histories, as well as the origin of the Wizard/Warrior feud. We also see a greater insight into the supporting characters that surround our two heroes. Their own stories get some attention and in doing so broadens our understanding of the world.

I know I say this every time, but David Tennant’s narration is once again pure and magical. He should be in charge of narrating all the books for the rest of time. Cowell’s writing is already fun and full of wit but Tennant’s delivery and inflection bring it off the page and it sucks you into the story so well.

As the penultimate book in the series Cowell is building up to a grand finale and with all that happens and is revealed in this book I can only imagine what is coming for the grand conclusion. This series is all about mischievous children, long standing feuds, curses, magic and adventure. It’s also filled with wit, charm, and sorrow making it a beautifully complex story about a complex world filled with complex characters and it’s an utter delight to read about.

You can purchase Knock Three Times via the following

QBD | Booktopia | Book Depository

Dymocks | Wordery | Angus and Robinson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible