Without sharing too much of my personal life on the world wide web 2015 was a chaotic year of failed romance but the motto on a lot of people’s lips at the moment ‘New Year, New You’ has pushed me into action. So, here I am to bring you a rather relevant review of a book by Krista Bell.

Having been forced to watch the cricket on tv over the recent holidays I thought this wonderful picture book I’ve had sitting on the shelf would be a great start to getting back into reviews. ‘Burning the Bails: The Story of the Ashes’ is about the events linked to the creation of The Ashes in 1882. It is told by 6 year old Russell and uses a combination of fiction and fact to explain how the English cricket captain was presented with an urn of ashes which went on to become a symbol of rivalry between England and Australia in the cricketing world.

By coming from the perspective of a child Krista Bell helps young children engage in an important part of Australian sporting history. As well as this the book is filled with paintings by Ainsley Walters and photographs from the time. With cricket being at the heart of so many young Australians and reading sometimes being hard to sell to boys, this book bridges the gap to encourage young cricket lovers to engage with reading more.

Title: Burning the Bails: The Story of the Ashes
Author: Krista Bell
Illustrator: Ainsley Walters
Distributor: Scholastic Australia
Publisher: One Day Hill, $19.99 RRP
Ages: 5-8