Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

The Sisters Saint-Claire (Carlie Gibson, illus by Tamsin Ainslie, A&U)

The Sisters Saint-Claire by Carlie Gibson is a delightful story, enchantingly illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie. The whole production—from the neat little hardback to the detailed illustrations—is reminiscent of the popular ‘Ruby Red Shoes’ series. The story follows Cecile, the youngest and tiniest of the Sisters Saint-Claire. As the baby mouse of the family she has previously always stayed at home on market day. But the day comes when all mice must visit the great world outside, and Cecile is finally allowed to accompany her sisters to sell her pies. I loved this story. I kept wanting to reuse the word ‘delightful’ because no other word sums up the frothy, quaint fun that Gibson and Ainslie have created. It’s effortlessly charming, with an amusing rhyme and quite frankly edible illustrations. I can easily see The Sisters Saint-Claire becoming a series; with so many sisters, there is a great deal of scope for more adventures in the years to come. This will appeal to readers aged five and up, and is perfect for a birthday present.

Isobel Moore is a bookseller at Readings St Kilda

 

Category: Junior newsletter Review list Reviews