The Children’s Book Review | February 24, 2016
Written by Julian Ledlin
Illustrated by Danny Pinn
Age Range: 7-10
Paperback: 271 pages
Publisher: Chombombastone (2013)
ISBN-13: 978-1482313925
What to expect: Adventure and mystery in an Australian bush setting.
Nine-year-old Johnny Foolish may be foolish by name, but he is very clever by nature. He loves exploring and having adventures in the nearby Amaroo Bushland— Amaroo means ‘a beautiful place’ in one of the local Aboriginal dialects. When he discovers that greedy developers have plans to teardown his favorite stomping grounds, it becomes clear that he and his cousin Patsy must do what it takes to stop them. If they are to succeed, Johnny and Patsy must dig deep and learn from their mistakes.
Julian Ledlin, a bush regenerator by day, writes with expressive language and an upbeat cadence that has you zinging through the pages. The entire experience and adventure is a great ride for young readers to be a part of as they witness the personal growth of both Johnny and Patsy. The book itself has been printed on environmentally sourced paper that comes from sustainable forests— an added bonus that fits in with the environmental message of the story.
“Patsy listened intently, especially to the bit about the Water Spirit. She knew all too well that this bit of bushland had a history of strange, unexplained events and she truly believed that something was looking over this special part of the world.”
Complete with bush walks and a vegemite sandwich, Johnny Foolish is an Australian tale worthy of a read—too right!
Add this book to your collection: Johnny Foolish
About the Author
Julian Ledlin is the father of two young adventure-loving boys. A bush regenerator by day & writer of childrens fiction by night. Julian’s main goal in life is to play guitar under a tree, which he does as often as he can. This is Julian’s first book. For more information, visit: johnnyfoolish.com.
About the Illustrator
Danny Pinn is no stranger to creating many a splendid thing. When he’s not drawing, he’s either recording albums, doing podcasts or tearing holes in the universe… usually all three at once. Don’t believe me? Check out dannypinn.netand see for yourself. This is Danny’s first book.
About the Designer
Shell Kitty is a TV and print designer who lives and breathes art. She’s makes jewellery, she makes music, she makes style look easy. Don’t believe me? Check out kittyandbuck.com and see for yourself. This is Shell’s first book.
About the Editor
Desanka Vukelich was born to read. When she’s not crossing i’s and dotting t’s she can be found looking up at She-Oaks in her local National Park. This probably explains her hawk-like editing skills. Don’t believe me? Check out fortheloveofwords.com.au and see for yourself. This is Desanka’s first children’s book.
Johnny Foolish, written by Julian Ledlin and illustrated by Danny Pinn, was reviewed by Bianca Schulze. Discover more books like Johnny Foolish by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Adventure, Australia, Australian Authors, Environment & Ecology, and Mysteries.