Ten-year-old Luke and 12-year-old Ben live with their mum in a house that backs on to Cabbage Tree Creek. It’s a fantastic place for the two boys to spend lots of time; Luke birdwatching and Ben fishing, leaping into the water out of the Jumping Tree and imagining where they would go if they had a boat of their own. It’s over a year since their dad left and Luke is having trouble coming to terms with it, unlike Ben who is happy to talk to his dad on the phone.
But their life is changing. A new girl, Frankie, moves into the neighbourhood and teams up with Ben, as they are both starting high school. She calls Luke the Bird Nerd because of his passionate interest in birds, fostered by his Aunt Gem who takes him on birdwatching expeditions. Gem also encourages him to rethink his decision not to talk to his dad.
Ben has always looked out for Luke. A competition to win a boat run by the local council causes the two brothers to have a falling out, as Ben won’t tell Luke why he is sneaking out but ‘You gotta trust me’. Luke is also upset that Maggie the magpie, which they rescued after she was hit by a car, has left and not been seen for a while.
Peter Carnavas’ text is beautifully written and the family dynamics nicely portrayed. Small sketches of birds decorate the endpapers and are scattered throughout the text and the reader inadvertently learns lots of facts about Australian native species.
Reviewed by Lynne Babbage
Age Guide 9+
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Carnavas writes and illustrates stories for children. He has created over 20 books, many of which have been shortlisted or won awards. His work has been translated into many languages across the world and he has presented at many festivals and schools around Australia.
Peter’s first book, Jessica’s Box, was released in 2008, while he was working as a primary school teacher. Many picture books followed, including Last Tree in the City, The Children Who Loved Books and Blue Whale Blues. During these years, he also worked with other authors, most notably as illustrator for Damon Young’s series of children’s books.
After focusing on picture books for nearly a decade, Peter released his first novel, The Elephant, in 2017. The story, about a young girl and an elephant that nobody else can see, was shortlisted for five national awards and won the Children’s Book Award at the Queensland Literary Awards. The Elephanthas since been sold to over ten territories across the world. His next novel, My Brother Ben, was released in October 2021.
Peter lives in the Sunshine Coast hinterland with his wife, two daughters, a dog called Florence and a cat named Harry. He divides his time between writing and working as a teacher-librarian.
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