Lilli-Pilli’s Sister (Anna Branford, illus by Linda Catchlove, Walker Books)

Bringing a new child into a family is always an exciting (if fraught) occasion and this book presents the event with a slight twist: the family look pretty much like humans except for some telltale differences—they have pointy elfish ears and delicate gossamer wings. Yes, they are fairies. (Though mummy fairy’s belly is so huge and she’s so heavy that she can barely fly.) Lilli-Pilli helps her father make a crib for the baby from a curl of redgum bark, and when they finish there’s the small matter of finding some soft material to line it. So Lilli-Pilli asks a kookaburra for a feather, a painted apple moth for an empty cocoon and a white-winged triller for a small nest. Everything is ready for the newborn—however, there’s a little surprise at the end. The book is sweetly illustrated, with realistically drawn drawings of the natural world—the Australian fauna and flora—and cutesy representations of other animals like ladybugs and lizards. Suitable for primary school-aged girls who are soon to have an addition to their family, the book is a gentle celebration of new beginnings.

Thuy On is a Melbourne-based reviewer and the books editor of the Big Issue

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews