Snake’s Big Mistake by Sarah Kurpiel

02 Oct 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , ,

Published: 09 May 2023Goodreads badge
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Illustrator: Sarah Kurpiel
Pages: 40
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

Snake loves art class–until his project is a disaster, and he makes a terrible mistake that hurts a friend. How will Snake fix his mistake.

For weeks, Snake has looked forward to sculpting the most spectacular clay pot in art class. But when his pot breaks and his teacher confuses Snake’s pot with Turtle’s, Snake takes home Turtle’s masterpiece to show his family and pretends that he made it. Now, Snake will have to craft a way to repair a broken pot and a broken friendship.

This was a fun find and I’m glad I picked it up. I really liked this because it shows that sometimes people can be jealous, and impulsive, and can make bad decisions. It also shows us that things can be repaired.

The story follows Snake who is in a class at school working hard to make amazing pottery creations. After a mix up Snake makes a bad decision and then has to live with the guilt of their actions.

It sounds terrible but I’m glad Kurpiel showed how Snake’s actions ruined the friendship between them and Turtle. It’s a good lesson to learn that people can be hurt by your actions, and it’s not always an easy thing to forgive. However, the good thing about pottery is it takes time and with the guidance of the teacher Snake can repair their relationship as well as their damaged pottery.

The illustrations are cute, I loved Snake’s outfits and the various other classmates. The double page spreads gives a lot of scenery to work with and you get a sense of the whole class as well as the life at home. I like how Kurpiel breaks up the page to go with the repetitive style narration. It is creative without needing to make the story rhyme.

A simple story but one that has a good lesson in it while also being an enjoyable read.

You can purchase Snake’s Big Mistake via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Eddie and the Show Queen (#5) by Cathryn Hein

04 Aug 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Audiobook, Australian Women Writers, Levenham Love Story, Novella, Romance Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Published: 10 September 2019 (print)/1 March 2025 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Self Published/Bolinda Audio
Pages: 268/5 hrs and 56 mins
Narrator: Madeleine Chaplain
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Romance
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4.5 Stars

When horticulturalist Alice Lindner goads her ex-boyfriend Eddie Argyle into a fundraising contest, she doesn’t expect him to take it seriously. Winning small-town Levenham’s inaugural Wine Show crown will take dedication and hard work, and all Eddie cares about is chasing skirt. Besides, a win will be Alice’s tribute to her late mum. No way is Eddie getting his hands on the crown.

Big-hearted farmer Eddie never understood why love-of-his-life Alice dumped him. Yeah, it’d been a difficult time with her mum’s illness, but he’d loved her the best he could and losing her left him adrift. Now he has the opportunity to prove himself by winning not only the crown but maybe Alice’s heart in the process.

Will Eddie’s enthusiasm ruin Alice’s tribute and with it all hope of a second chance? Or will Alice realise that the real prize isn’t in the past but with the man who wants to be her future?

This is a delightful book full of interesting plot and wonderful characters. I loved Eddie, he’s such a sweetie and I loved the arc and journey between himself and Alice. Hein balances the history, the present, and the emotional bundle involved really well. The conflict that drives their interactions was decent, full of misunderstandings and young emotions, neither willing to look beyond the initial reactions, both in need of growth.

The competition battle between the pair is a fun way to keep up Alice’s dislike for Eddie but also a creative way for him to show his good intent and how he’s not the man she thinks he is. I loved reading Eddie’s perspective. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and is up for a bit of fun for a good cause which brings a lot of humour to the story. But at the same time he has a good heart and tries his best to do the right thing. It was a great contrast to see Eddie’s perspective of his behaviour versus Alice and the broader community.

All the characters we’ve met in previous books are there – a nice bonus of a series set in a small town. You don’t need to have read anything in order but if you have, then seeing these past characters pop up is a little joy and hark back to previous adventures. I like the progress of time in this type of series. While some things happen concurrently others take place months or years after other evets and it’s good to see the town going on with their lives.

There is a lot of character depth which is always tricky with something so short and with so many players involved. On one hand, knowing the history of everyone else did a lot of heavy lifting but they are also good, solid secondary characters. Even if you aren’t aware of their histories from other books you get a real sense of who they are.

This is a fun, light-hearted read even with the seriousness of Alice’s motivation and her emotional hurt. Being so young is a benefit and it’s easy to see their foolishness but also their stubbornness playing out in a way that you know they only need to see what is right in front of them to know everything is going to be ok.

You can purchase Eddie and the Show Queen via the following

Dymocks | Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible | Author

Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy (#4) by Cathryn Hein

30 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 3 Stars, Audiobook, Australian Women Writers, Levenham Love Story, Romance Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Published: 22 August 2017 (print)/1st February 2025 (audio) Goodreads badge
Publisher: Cathryn Hein/Bolinda Audio
Pages: 176/4 hrs and 42 mins
Narrator: Ayesha Tansey
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Rural Romance
★   ★   ★ – 3.5 Stars

No girl forgets her first crush. The least he could do is remember it.Chrissy James has only been home in small-town Levenham a few weeks when her teenage crush plays hero and saves her from an aggressive drunk. Seven years ago, Nick Burroughs was the school hottie while she was the overweight girl with braces, bad hair, and an unrequited obsession with the sports star every girl in school wanted. Her failed efforts to attract Nick’s attention still burn.

Chrissy sure has his attention now, but she’s older, smarter and focused on settling into her new dream job as wine marketer. No matter how sexy he’s grown, or how keen his interest, Nick will need to do a lot more than see off a drunk if he wants to win her over.

But Chrissy doesn’t count on the determination of a Burroughs boy in love. Nick will do anything to recapture Chrissy’s heart, even if it means acting the romantic fool and embarrassing himself in the process.

Will Nick’s efforts to make amends for the past backfire or will Chrissy’s career thwart everything? 

Three books under our belt we are well into the dynamics of this small country town. Chrissy arriving home gives her a chance to catch up with old friends, recap what’s happened with their books, and get reacquainted with the town. It’s also a great way to fill in readers who aren’t going through the series in order.

The characters once more are powerful on the page, their whole beings come to life as Hein uses words skillfully to capture someone’s essence right away. The Aussie voice shines through and the country friendliness and community returns as we see more of this town and the residents.

The connection to previous books remain, we see a continuation of their stories in the background, Chrissy’s job is a good spot to learn about the local events and find out information. That’s one thing I enjoy about these books is the organic way information is shared and told. It isn’t orchestrated in convoluted ways to have everyone just happen to all be in the square to hear something or have one busybody sharing news around town. It’s a thriving community and as people go to businesses and use the services you get to know people, even if they aren’t all the close knit friends.

I liked this, it wasn’t as enjoyable as the others but it connects well with the previous stories. With Danny and Beth getting together in the previous book we’re introduce to the Burroughs boys and in Hein’s creative writing we’ve opened a door to find out more about the rest of the Burroughs family.

Nick tries to make up for his bad behaviour when they were younger and I understand Chrissy’s apprehension. I liked how Nick accepts his failings and it was sweet how he tries to fix it. It’s the kind of book where you are on both characters side. I understand Chrissy’s perspective, but it is endearing to see Nick tried to make up for past behaviour.

As a continuation of the series it was a good stepping stone and I liked the gradual way we’re moving out from the original group, expanding the town while keeping the key figures and town staples.

You can purchase Chrissy and the Burroughs Boy via the following

 Dymocks | Blackwell’s

Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible | Author

 

Hogbert by Briony May Smith

24 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: , , ,

Published: 31st January 2025Goodreads badge
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Illustrator: Briony May Smith
Pages: 32
Format: Picture Book
★   ★   ★   ★  – 4 Stars

Uh-oh! When a tasty trail lures Hogbert away from his family, he ends up all alone in the forest. Can he find his way home? Lush artwork, subtle fairy-tale references, and the kindness of new friends keep readers smiling.

When Mommy Boar sends her little snufflebugs to explore the forest for the first time, she cautions them to stick together. After all, the Big Bad Wolf could be near! But Hogbert’s keen nose has other ideas, and after following a trail too far, he finds himself trembling alone in fear. What’s that rustling in the leaves? Just a little red squirrel on her way to visit her sick granny! What’s that growl coming through the trees? Just a snoring white doe who took a bite of an apple that made her sleepy! With each temporarily scary encounter, Hogbert finds that the world is a less frightening place, and that the same sense of smell that led him into trouble may just lead them all out of it again.

Standard disclaimer that I was lured in by the absolutely adorable cover. Smith has done a brilliant job depicting teeny tiny Hogbert the baby boar.

Not only that, the story is gorgeous. The format is clever and the illustrations through the rest of the book are stunning. I love the design of the animals and the scale and angle Smith uses to portray the vast forest and the smallness of Hogbert and his new friends is incredibly creative.

Each character feels unique and their personalities come across on the page. Smith doesn’t try to make them overly personified, they are still animal in nature, but there are feisty bunnies, and a sweet fawn, plus many other forest creatures that work together.

I enjoyed the story was not as scary as Hogbert believed, but there was also truth in what he had been told. The big bad wolf is in the forest, but it may not be entirely true you will be eaten by them. The instinct of the animals is demonstrated well and I liked the sweet ending where the forest comes together to help the lost babies find their way home.

You can purchase Hogbert via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust

Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence by Doris (Nugi Garimara) Pilkington

16 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, Australian Women Writers, Classic, Fiction Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Published: 30 May 2023Goodreads badge
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Pages: 192
Format: Paperback
Genre: Novella
★   ★   ★   ★ – 4 Stars

A Stolen Generations story of astounding courage: three Aboriginal girls, taken from their mothers, escape barefoot back to their beloved homeland in East Pilbara.

This is the true account of Nugi Garimara’s mother, Molly, made legendary by the film Rabbit-Proof Fence.

In 1931 Molly led her two sisters on an extraordinary 1600-kilometre walk across remote Western Australia. Aged eight, eleven, and fourteen, they escaped the confinement of a government institution for Aboriginal children removed from their families. Barefoot, without provisions or maps, tracked by Native Police and search planes, the girls followed the rabbit-proof fence, knowing it would lead them home.

Their journey – longer than many of the celebrated treks of recognised explorers – reveals a past more cruel than we could ever imagine.

Based on a true story this is a personal account of the journey Doris’ mother and relatives took to return home after escaping confinement as part of Australia’s Stolen Generations practices.

I was surprised to find this book was only published in the 90s. For some reason I thought it was a long classic from the 60s that had been turned into a film later on. But the movie on which it was based came out not long after this was published.

The Wikipedia page has interesting history on how Doris found out about the story and it documents the stages this story went through – from original draft in the 80s until a reworking to what we know today. It is also surprisingly different from the movie which was my first introduction.

It still contains the harsh realities of what the children and families in these Aboriginal communities endured, but there are also differences from the movie – less abduction more informed intent and little chance to fight back against government regulations.

The included letters and telegrams show that no one followed orders or the rules and had their own interests – surprise surprise. That hurt to read because of how avoidable it all could have been, at least for this family.

There is also the blatant reminder about how abhorrent this actually was and for how many decades this went on. This is a book everyone should read, it’s a short book but important because while it is a little fractured, a mixture of story elements and explanations from transcriptions, it flows well and tells the story.

You can purchase Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence via the following

QBD |  Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery |  Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Previous Older Entries