In the Kelp Forest

Apr15

In the Kelp Forest

In the Kelp Forest

Aunty Patsy Cameron & Reena Balding

Belinda Casey

Magabala Books, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781922864345

Beneath the endless waves that sweep the Tasmanian coastline, Myerlee, the giant kelp, sways , her forests giving life and sustenance to creatures that make her their home. Whether it is Payenratters drifting like blades of kelp themselves, Warreners searching for algae as they creep along, Paragannas holding as fast to the rocks as Myerlee herself, or any of the myriad of other creatures that live among her ever-moving blades swirling with the rhythm of the tides, the great kelp forests of the Great Southern Reef play a vital role in the health and wealth of the oceans, and this new book not only introduces young readers to the abundance but celebrates the life-giver, itself.

For many, kelp is just that thick, brown, leathery seaweed found swept up on beaches after a storm, but for First Nations peoples, particularly those of the Tasmanian regions, it is as much a part of their history and heritage as the features of the landscape and just as critical. Yet, scientists estimate that there has been a 95% decline in Tasmania’s East coast giant kelp since the 1940s because of the increase in water temperature that not only pushes it beyond its thermal tolerance but allows the introduction of destructive species like sea urchins as well as enabling the East Australian Current to push further south, displacing the nutrient-rich waters that have fed and nourished the forests in the past.

So, while young readers learn about Myerlee and her inhabitants using words from two traditional languages, Oyster Bay and Coastal Plains, and what happens to them when a storm wreaks its havoc, others might be inspired to learn more about this fringe of interconnected underwater systems that span 8000km from the NSW/Queensland border, around Tasmania and its islands, along our great southern coastline and up to Kalbarri in Western Australia and how it plays such an important part in the lives of those of us who live in southern Australia.

Watercolour images that reflect the ebb and flow of the water itself bring the kelp and its inhabitants to life, encouraging readers to connect those unfamiliar words to their representations, garnering an appreciation for the diversity of life as well as its interconnectedness and importance so that when they see those familiar tough, weather-beaten tangles on the beach – smooth and supple when wet and delicious when roasted on hot coals; hard and shaped into Moirunah and carry precious water when dried – they can ponder the journey it has been on and the devastation its absence has caused.

A peek inside…

Another outstanding book to help readers of all ages better understand and appreciate what our First Nations peoples have known for millennia, and perhaps protect it better.

Sharks Up Close

Apr14

Sharks Up Close

Sharks Up Close

Aidan Green

Wild Dog Books, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781742037264

It’s a piece of music that has sent shivers down the spine of many for decades…

And, after a summer of an unusually high number of sightings off the NSW coast, including four attacks in 48 hours, forcing beach closures and some trepidation amongst swimmers, sharks have made more than their share of headlines over the last few months. While some attribute this to a “perfect storm” of conditions, and others to the large expansion in drone surveillance of the coastline, nevertheless the safety messages have been abundant and awareness raised.

Yet these creatures that have been around for more than 400 million years, outlived the dinosaurs and survived five mass extinctions, some species are now at risk due to overfishing, with some protected in Australian waters including the grey nurse, the great white, whale shark, green sawfish, dwarf sawfish, shortfin mako, porbeagle, scalloped/great hammerheads, and school shark. So this book, part of the Close Up series being re-released in new livery, is timely because as bull sharks are migrating north along Australia’s east coast, particularly during April as they move toward warmer, tropical waters in Queensland for winter, so too are more southern-dwelling species like the great white.

Illustrated with many photographs that enable the reader to see and understand the information in the accompanying text, and written for the younger independent reader, it begins with some general information about these apex predators whose name is thought to come from the Dutch word schurk meaning “villain” or “scoundrel” and who are seen as “totems, ancestors and even gods and symbols of law and order among First Nations coastal groups,

There is a glossary inviting students to explore and develop their vocabulary, and in conjunction with books like Saving Shark Pup,, What’s That? Australian Sharks, Rays & Skates and others in the 597.3 section of the collection discover more about these magnificent creatures so they can be treated with respect rather than fear, as their importance to the balance and sustainability of the world’s ecosystems is understood and valued.

Storm

Apr1

Storm

Storm

Claire Saxby

Jess Racklyeft

A & U Children, 2026

28pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761181719

The summer beach looks much like it always does when the people have all gone home – empty, peaceful, quiet, ripples lapping on the sand in their endless rhythm… But above and below the glassy surface, the creatures are watching and waiting…

It begins with a puff, then another and a shiver dances across the water. A puffball cloud appears, joined by friends, slowly turning from innocent white to menacing grey. – and the watching, waiting creatures take shelter. Because they know and they are not wrong. Soon all hell breaks loose and that quiet, peaceful beach is no more – lashed by a violent summer storm that is so magnificently captured in a four-page gatefold spread as updrafts and downdrafts compete, lightning flashes, thunder cracks and rain lashes the land carried on a wind that seems to know only anger….

And then, as swiftly as it came, it has moved on and the land, the sea and their creatures are calm again, emerging to carry on as they were. But always watching, waiting…

Many of our young readers will have seen a summer storm build and grow and deliver over the last few weeks as “storm season” has lived up to its name, particularly on Australia’s east coast. And they may well have been frightened at its noise and ferocity as it unleashed its fury on the land below because they know it is more than the angels’ fireworks or a giant’s tummy rumbling as we were told as kids, or even the work of the Greek god Zeus who controls thunder, lightning and rain; his Roman counterpart Jupiter, or even Thor, the mighty Norse god .

We know knowledge is power and so, in this new release from this team that gave us Volcano, Tree, and Iceberg, young readers learn about storms through both science and art, demystifying this natural phenomenon that can be so scary, particularly if they have seen its impact and aftermath, because although the ocean creatures resume their regular rituals, often it is not so simple for humans, Using her trademark way with words that turn factual statements into poetry, combined with Racklyeft’s gift to create dramatic illustrations that echo the real thing, both have offered the young reader something special that will not only help them understand the storm but also pose questions about how the creatures know something is brewing and the need to prepare, perhaps sending them to find out more. And if not the angels, a giant or Zeus and co., then who and why? And beyond the science, they can let their imaginations roam in language, art, music and movement…

My mum told me I was born on the wings of a storm that was born in the Southern Ocean and swept across southern New Zealand in an angry demonstration of power and might, and perhaps that is why I have watched in awe at so many and they feed my soul. So to indulge in the lyricism of Saxby’s words and immerse myself in the colours and the energy of Racklyeft’s illustrations is heaven-on-a-stick for me – as I watch yet another one build on the horizon. ‘Twill be another wild afternoon as Mother Nature shows who is really in charge, methinks. Already the birds are silent…

What’s That? Australian Sharks, Rays & Skates

Mar25

What’s That? Australian Sharks, Rays & Skates

What’s That? Australian Sharks, Rays & Skates

Myke Mollard

Woodslane Press, 2026

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781923350151

Most little people can tell you what a shark is, but do they know that rays are something other than beams of sunlight, or that skates are more than something you put on your feet?

In this new release from the magical Myke Mollard who has dedicated his life to providing answers to the questions that our littlies have about Australia’s wildlife, he shows and shares his knowledge about these marine creatures in a way that young readers can understand.

Starting by explaining that there are two groups of fish in our oceans – cartilaginous ones including sharks, rays and skates which have muscular, flexible skeletons ,and bony fish whose skeletons are hard and more rigid – he then briefly explains the differences between the three focus groups before moving on to examine various members of each in greater detail.

So while we might know about bull sharks and great whites, we learn there are also ghost sharks, frilled sharks, zebra sharks and even goblin sharks! Indeed there are 500 different shark species, 182 in Australian waters and over 70 that are exclusively so. Similarly, while we may be familiar with the magnificent manta ray and the smaller deadly stingray (distinguishable from skates by the venomous barbs that trail behind them) there are many other species that swim near our shores, and then there are the skates…

With his lifelike illustrations, accessible format and text that gives enough information to satisfy the reader’s interest and perhaps whet the appetite to find out more, Mollard has again raised awareness of yet more of Australia’s special and unique fauna and their importance in maintaining a balanced marine ecology because you can’t protect what you don’t know.

A peek inside…

And to continue the theme, in June we will be treated to What’s That? Australian Whales, Dolphins & Porpoises which may well become my favourite.

Blue: Dragon of the Sea

Feb11

Blue: Dragon of the Sea

Blue: Dragon of the Sea

Aleesah Darlison

Tamlyn Teow

Wombat Books, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781761112706

Despite its title, this is NOT the story of a winged, fire-breathing dragon who has fallen into the sea and found a home there. Rather it is the story of another of the almost-unknown creatures that live beneath the surface of the sea. With a name pronounced “nudi-brank” and meaning “naked gills”, nudibranchs are probably as far removed from those mythical flying creatures as you can get because they are commonly called sea slugs, come in all shapes, colours and sizes, and there are over 3000 different types.

Blue, in particular, is a blue glaucus or Glaucus atlanticus and between Darlison’s lyrical text that flows just as Blue does, and Teow’s imaginative, colourful illustrations, young readers with a fascination for what’s under the waves can learn about these little creatures that don’t have brains but do have a special trick for keeping themselves safe.

But as well as being “tiny ballerinas of the sea”, with their rapid life cycles, are especially sensitive to changes in their environment, making them invaluable indicators of broader marine ecosystem shifts, particularly those induced by human activities and climate change and so there is a citizen science project for those with a deeper interest to become involved in, particularly those with access to the Great Southern reef from Kalbari in Western Australia, around southern Australia, to Caloundra in south-east Queensland.

If ever there were a need to maintain a robust non fiction print collection, particularly for younger readers, then this is the sort of book that is a role model. How many adults have heard of these tiny little creatures, let alone children? (As a former scuba diver, I had but…) So when you don’t know what you don’t know, how do you know to look for them online? Serendipitous discoveries of books like these with their intriguing covers and titles, enticing illustrations and accessible texts as young readers browse displays or the manageable collection of print resources (as opposed to a zillion unsorted websites) can spark a thirst to know more and perhaps establish a dream for the future.

Whether it’s punk turtles, endangered rainbow birds, bouncing woylies, captivating capybaras, or any of the other fascinating species that Darlison has woven stories around to encourage young readers to celebrate the natural world with her and to better understand the interdependence of the ecosystems and the threats they face, each story offers something new to investigate as the often-unseen world is brought into focus. And awareness is the first step in appreciation and ultimately, conservation.

Saving Shark Pup

Feb1

Saving Shark Pup

Saving Shark Pup

Sharon Dalgleish

Amandine Thomas

A & U Children’s, 2026

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761182013

Sometime, somewhere in the depths of the ocean, a great white shark gives birth to a baby. Unlike some species that lay leathery eggs, this baby is fully formed and independent from the moment it is born, and mother and baby swim off in opposite directions. Instinctively, the baby shark knows how to swim and explore the ocean to feed itself – until the day it is caught by the surf and is powerless against the pounding waves…

This is the true story of that baby shark that was found on Manly Beach, near Sydney, in September 2017 and the repeated attempts to rescue it and keep it alive so it could be returned to the ocean. At first, the rescuers tried to drag Fluffy out to deeper water, but the incessant surf returns him to the beach and so more thinking and expert advice is required…

One of the divers who stayed with Fluffy in the pool overnight at Manly Sea Life Sanctuary

Telling the story in the present tense almost as an observer of the events as they happened, Dalgleish has captured the events of those two days so that the young reader is enthralled and needs to know if Fluffy makes it safely back to his ocean home, accompanying the story with snippets of information such as sharks going into a trance-like state and becomes disoriented if they are turned upside-down which may explain why this one kept returning to the beach.

Given the recent spate of shark attacks along Sydney’s beaches this summer, including one at Manly, this is a topical and timely release that could be an integral part of a focus on beach and shark safety as we try to educate young swimmers about shark behaviour and when it is best to stay out of the water. How do we keep ourselves safe when we swim at the beach? Why would people go to such lengths to rescue a shark pup? Should species, like the great white shark, be protected in Australian waters? What does “protected” mean?

But as well as investigating the facts about sharks, their habits and habitats, it is also an opportunity to explore the human aspect as once again, emotions surface as there are calls for culling of sharks, the installation of shark nets and research into how both sharks and humans can inhabit the same space together. Students could investigate if shark nets effective or if there are better ways to detect the presence and potential danger using technology, setting the groundwork for a formal debate with all the literacy learning that that entails.

Because the marine experts decided not to cause Fluffy any further trauma by tagging him, the reader cannot follow the rest of his adventures once he is eventually released, and so it would seem his known story ends with the final pages of the book. However, older students might like to investigate how what starts as a fleeting human interest story becomes the kernel for building something as engaging as this. How has the author taken an incident that was fleeting and localised news at the time and built such an appealing story? Working backwards, what questions might she have asked? What research might she have done? How has she blended fact and fiction? What is the difference between writing a news article and a story for young readers? And those who prefer to illustrate than write could ask the same questions about Amandine Thomas’s illustrations. What did she need to know and do to bring Fluffy to life in a way that he is no longer an anonymous shark, particularly as illustrators usually get the manuscript after the words are written? What techniques, colours and media did she use to make the story so realistic? Such speculations deepen students’ understandings about story-crafting so they improve their own and this is the perfect example of how connections are made.

For me, the best storybooks are those that lead readers (and reviewers) down rabbit-holes by being entertaining as well as educational – and this is certainly one of those.

Tilly’s New Adventure

Nov20

Tilly’s New Adventure

Tilly’s New Adventure

Rhonda N. Garward

Little Steps, 2025

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

978-1-923306-33-2

On a still, moonlit night over 10 years ago, a mother turtle laid her eggs in the sand of a Queensland beach and eight weeks later, Tilly emerged and managed to avoid all the onshore and offshore hazards of being a baby green turtle making its way to the sea and growing up. During her time out in the open ocean she ate jellyfish and small fish, but now she is a teenager it’s time for her to return to the reef to seek out seagrass that she needs so she can become bigger and stronger, so that when she is about 30 years old she can return to that beach where she hatched to lay her own eggs, perhaps even living to be 100!

It’s a long journey back to the seagrass fields and there are many ocean friends to guide her on her way, but even though she is so much bigger and more mature than that little baby that waddled down to the water, there are still hazards and dangers to avoid, like abandoned fishing nets. And when she gets tangled in one, cannot swim and is washed ashore, it looks like getting to the seagrass is not going to happen, let alone being mature enough to lay her eggs or live to 100! Until…

Like its predecessor, this new release is beautifully illustrated with all the creatures and colours of the reef faithfully portrayed, made even better by each page having a flap that lifts out to show even more! A final double page spread identifies those featured in the book so budding marine biologists can investigate further, while there are thumbnail sketches of those that Tilly specifically encountered on her return to the reef. There is also information about green turtles, the Great Barrier Reef, seagrass as well as what the reader can do to help minimise the dangers to the turtles.

A peek inside…

Even if young readers haven’t met Tilly as a baby, this will still fascinate them and perhaps even encourage them to want to learn more about what lives beneath the waves, and what we as humans can do (or not do) to protect them.

Flute: A Dolphin’s Wild Journey Home

Nov13

Flute: A Dolphin’s Wild Journey Home

Flute: A Dolphin’s Wild Journey Home

Kasey Whitelaw

Jenni Goodman

Wombat Books, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781761112294

On Australia’s west coast in a sheltered cove called Monkey Mia, Flute the baby bottlenose dolphin, lives a carefree life playing with her friends, but always wary of the dangers around her – after all, Monkey Mia is part of a larger region called Shark Bay – and always ready to respond to her mother, Piccolo’s whistle and seek safety in the middle of her party. That is, until the day a noisy boat motor rips through the ocean, and curious Flute, drawn to this new sound, is not only separated from the others but is lost and confused. Will she find her way home safely, or will she fall victim to the many dangers that lie in wait for a baby dolphin alone…?

Based on true events which are explained in the final pages of this beautifully illustrated book, young readers are introduced to all sorts of marine life that lives beneath the seemingly tranquil waves of this world-famous sanctuary, as well as those that call its shores home, as they will Fluke on to find her mother and safety, particularly when a tiger shark comes looking for an easy feed. Each of the creatures is then identified in vignettes on the endpapers so young nature lovers not only appreciate the biodiversity of this small area of coast but can investigate those that catch their eye.

In a Q & A with the author, herself a marine biologist who worked with Flute and her family for seven years, giving the book real authenticity, says, her aim was “to create a narrative that would ignite empathy and inspire readers to step back, observe, and get curious about the lives of all dolphins” and this is certainly going to do that because it is books like these, that combine real life with storytelling creating an engaging narrative that leave young readers to not only be more aware of their natural world around them but actively protect it.

An A-Z of Ocean Creatures

Nov6

An A-Z of Ocean Creatures

An A-Z of Ocean Creatures

Myke Mollard

Woodslane Press, 2025

48pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781923350038

If you look at a globe of our planet, it looks like there is more land than ocean, when, in fact, over 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by seas and oceans and from space it looks like a big “blue marble.” However, if you view it through “a whale’s eye view” offered by the Spilhaus Projection with Antarctica at its centre and which takes up this book’s endpapers, it is clear that these oceans and seas are interconnected, forming just one mass of water.

The Spilhaus Projection- Seattle Aquarium

Within that, are an estimated 2.2 million marine species, with only about 242,000 to 243,000 described so far., and if those over 600 – including majestic sharks and colourful fish and corals to fascinating molluscs like octopuses and nudibranchs, as well as crustaceans, reptiles, birds and the awe-inspiring whales and dolphins – are showcased in this new release from Myke Mollard and Woodslane Press. With his characteristic, vibrant illustrative style, Mollard has selected and sorted these creatures by alphabetical order, depicting them with anatomical accuracy on large, double-page spreads, and then meticulously identifying each in vignettes in the closing pages so young readers can dip and delve and discover more if they choose.

A peek inside…

Search this blog for “Mollard” and you will discover many more of the remarkable works of this man who is driven by his passion for connecting kids to Nature, and you will realise that, as with its predecessors, this one truly hits that mark. And although many of those species that are featured in this book may not be those children are likely to encounter on their beach holiday, nevertheless there are some just waiting to be discovered, identified and serve as inspiration to know more. This takes Finding Nemo to a whole new level of exploration – especially through the 591.77 section of the collection. .

The Messy Bath Monster

Oct20

The Messy Bath Monster

The Messy Bath Monster

Tina Wilson, Joan Wilson & Matt Ottley

One Tentacle, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9780648511946

Whenever Monkey has a bath, there is always a big mess left behind so he is convinced that there must be a monster lurking there. He wanted to tell it to stop leaving such a mess, so, being a brave monkey, he decided to go in search of it…

We first met Monkey a few years ago when he took a trip to Venice, and now the little knitted toy is back on a new adventure that involves all sorts of undersea creatures – again, all handknitted by the author’s mother and photographed against real-life backdrops. But as well as the visual experience, there is also an auditory one as award-winning artist Matt Ottley has created a unique musical score to showcase and connect the images, words and music from this and the many other picture books he has created, which can be downloaded for free.(There is both a QE code and a link to access these included with the book, as well as links to the knitting patterns.)

With the CBCA’s 2026 theme being “Symphony of Stories”, this would seem to be perfect timing to introduce children to both the concept of a multi-modal experience, either of this particular book or Matt’s others which include masterpieces such as The Colour of Music, How to Make A Bird, Teacup and Parachute.

Sadly, I have had an infection which has left me temporarily deaf so I can’t hear the music to comment on it, but this is a brief trailer which will be part of live performances taking place in Western Australia in October 2025 (perhaps in NSW and Queensland in 2026) as part of The Sound of Picture Books^TM initiative. Opens up all sorts of possibilities to investigate instruments, the sounds they make, and then, like Tchaikovsky’s Peter and the Wolf, have the children consider which would be best to represent each character. What other creatures might Monkey and Octopus meet and what would be appropriate music for them?

No harm in starting the Book Week 2026 experience early!

The Bottom Shelf

Great books for little people

Archives

In the Kelp Forest

Sharks Up Close

Storm

What’s That? Australian Sharks, Rays & Skates

Blue: Dragon of the Sea

Saving Shark Pup

Tilly’s New Adventure

Flute: A Dolphin’s Wild Journey Home

An A-Z of Ocean Creatures

The Messy Bath Monster

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