[H. F. Brinsmead,] like Nan Chauncy and Patricia Wrightson, writes within the narrow context of an Australian scene but with an awareness of human values which is universal.

Pastures of the Blue Crane is a most appealing story of a young girl's growth into womanhood. The theme is common enough, though rarely carried out well; what gives an original slant to this story is the honest treatment of an unfamiliar situation…. [Ryl] grows, beautifully and convincingly, before our eyes from a cold, priggish snob into a delightfully alive, unpredictable human being. It is a lovely study. The setting too is vividly evoked.

There remains a doubt whether this is a book for children. It is beyond question a sensitive and true picture of adolescence…. It is in fact a book for the odd child, and after all we have plenty of books for the ordinary child.