Posted in Book reviews by Aashi, Book reviews by kids

Book review: Wongutha Tales

Wongutha Tales are stories from May L. O’Brien’s childhood and Dreamtime stories.

My favourite Bawoo story was ‘Why Emus Can’t Fly’. ‘Why Emus Can’t Fly’ is about the emus who would always brag about how they flew but when the other animals got annoyed they lost their power of flight. The moral of the story was: don’t brag, instead treasure and be humble with your gift and you will keep that gift. I enjoyed reading Wongutha Tales and learning about the Dreamtime stories. The message of the ‘Why Emus Can’t Fly’ story is so important and teaches a valuable lesson about humility and gratitude. I think it’s a great reminder to appreciate our talents and not boast about them.

It’s amazing how stories like these can contain such timeless knowledge. Wongutha Tales provides a unique perspective on life and nature, and the Dreamtime stories are deeply rooted in Aboriginal culture. I believe learning from different cultures and their teachings is crucial to broadening our understanding of the world. These stories have certainly left a lasting impression on me, and I look forward to exploring more indigenous literature.

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5 as it was a fascinating read. I enjoyed learning about the stories. I found the storytelling to be captivating and engaging. The way May L. O’Brien shared her childhood experiences and the Dreamtime stories was truly amazing. I was drawn into the world of Wongutha Tales and felt like I was alongside the characters as the tales unfolded.

Overall, this was not just an entertaining read, but also a fascinating one. It’s a book that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in Indigenous culture, storytelling, and valuable life lessons intertwined in captivating narratives.


Aashi is a regular book reviewer for Alphabet Soup. You can read more of her book reviews here. To send us YOUR book review, read our submission guidelines. Happy reading!

Posted in Book reviews by kids

Book review: Astonishingly Good Stories

REVIEWED BY HANNAH, 10, QLD

Astonishingly Good Stories by RA Spratt, Penguin Australia, ISBN 9780143779261

Hannah reviewed her own copy of this title.

Image shows the cover of a book of short stories for children: Astonishingly Good Stories by RA Spratt. The cover illustration is filled with tiny illustrations of characters from inside the book: a child with an axe, a monster with a giant lollipop, a mer-pig.

Astonishingly Good Stories is a very funny, heart-warming collection of short stories including characters from RA Spratt’s other book series. The stories include Fractured Fairytales and stories of Nanny Piggins’ stunningly beautiful relatives (aunts and grandmothers). For Friday Barnes fans there is a short Friday Barnes story based on Christmas.

I like a lot of the stories but I actually liked the Friday Barnes one best. I am surprised by this because I thought Friday Barnes was too old for me and I didn’t understand the plot of other Friday Barnes stories, but I did understand the plot of this story and it was really good.

The prequel to Astonishingly Good StoriesShockingly Good Stories – was equally good and I suggest you read both of them. I would not change this book at all.

I’d recommend this book to people who like books that make you laugh and ‘myths and legends as you’ve never read them before’. Ideal for ages 8 and up.

Take a look inside this book on the publisher’s website.


This is Hannah’s first review for Alphabet Soup! To send us YOUR book review, check out our submission guidelines. Happy reading!