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Little Horses

Feb12
Little Horses

Little Horses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Horses

Deborah Kelly

Jenni Goodman

Wombat Books, 2024

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

9781761111310

Out in the bay, where sailboats glide

Little horses drift and glide

Changing colours so predators pass

In gardens of sponge and coral and grass

In the calm peaceful waters, disturbed only by the rise and fall of the tide, little seahorses spend their lives swaying with the movement of the water, occasionally spotted by sharp-eyed scuba divers who are lucky to see them amongst the seaweed. They give birth and raise their young in a way that only seahorses do, continuing a cycle that is generations old.

But then a storm hits the bay and the seahorses are swept away from their home by the tumbling, crashing waves to a barren place where there are no sponges, coral and grass until…

Inspired by true events when severe storms hit Port Stephens, NSW between 2010 and 2013 and almost wiped out the fragile population of White’s Seahorses (hippocampus whitei) – so much so that it was declared endangered on the IUCN list – this story tells the story of how scuba diver David Haraski spotted two seahorses beginning to build a new home on an old lobster pot that had also been swept away bit which was starting to sprout new corals and sponges. With the adage, “If we build it, they will come” in mind, in 2018 Haraski  built and placed the first seahorse hotel onto the Port Stephens seabed – and it worked.  Haraski the tried his concept in Sydney Harbour where there were other endangered populations and now these seahorses hotels are springing up around the world, including a dedicated breeding program at Sydney Sea Life.

This is such a positive spin on how humans are working to save the environment and its creatures that it deserves a place in any library collection to support the environment and sustainability curriculum. The gentle rhyme has a rhythm that mimics the wave movement, building to a crescendo when the storm hits, and all set against eye-catching artwork that is so lifelike.  There are notes about both the seahorses themselves and the seahorse hotels to add context and whet the appetite to know more and explore further.

With summer beach holiday memories still fresh in the mind, this is the ideal time to encourage students to think what lies below the yellow sands, beneath the rockpool calm and beyond the sparkling waters and used together with Beach Song and Voice of the Sea, there is the trifecta of storybooks to form the basis of the investigation.

 

 

 

Beach Song

Feb2
Beach Song

Beach Song

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beach Song

Ros Moriarty

Samantha Campbell

A&U Children’s, 2024

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

9781761180248

A day at the seashore can be full of surprise, wonder and excitement.

Leap through the waves like a dolphin.
Glide through the water like a fish.
Soar along the sand with the seagulls.
What will you do when you go to the beach?
So many students will be reflecting on their recent holidays, perhaps even writing about them, and for many that will include a stay at the beach.  So sharing this lyrical journey of the writer’s day at the beach, moving like the lizard moves, burrowing like the crab burrows, blowing like the whale blows… can serve as an inspiration both for their memories and their writing.  Often recounts of times gone by are little more than “and then” stories, but to see how both author and illustrator have used words and pictures to celebrate the joy of being at the beach can only stimulate their creativity as they think about what they really saw. MAybe even inspire them to look at the beach with fresh eyes next time as they take time to be in the moment.

 

Who has the biggest Mouth?

Jan13
Who has the biggest Mouth?

Who has the biggest Mouth?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who has the biggest Mouth?

Judy Cannon

Verena Heirich

Little Steps, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.95

9781922678096

On a trip to the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa the children are looking for the creature with the biggest mouth.  While they discover lots of interesting and unique information about a number of individual species, do they find the one with the biggest mouth?

Young readers will have fun predicting who they think is the winning candidate as they share this book and they may be surprised by their discoveries.  If the reserve list for the latest Guinness Book of Records is any indication, little ones are fascinated by these sorts of extremes and so this could be the start of an individual or group display of investigating who, in the animal kingdom, has the biggest, longest, heaviest, smallest whatever encouraging young naturalists to delve deeply into the 500s collection to read and interpret with purpose while learning about measurement, comparison and adaptation.

The Deep End: Real Facts About the Ocean

Jan5
The Deep EndReal Facts About the Ocean

The Deep End
Real Facts About the Ocean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Deep End: Real Facts About the Ocean

Drew Sheneman

HarperCollins, 2023

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

9780063224551

Despite the wild weather that has plagued Australia’s east coast recently, many will have enjoyed a beachside holiday and some will have wondered about what actually lives in that deeper water out beyond the breaking waves.

So they will enjoy this exploration and explanation told in a mixture of regular text and cartoon illustrations as Brownbeard the pirate, his first mate Alan the parrot and a knowledgeable scientist take them on a journey that spans the development of the discovery of the deep from those who first dived to find food to the development of modern sonar and submersibles, the things they found and saw and the legends that they sparked.  There is an introduction to some of those mysterious creatures that can survive the incredible pressure of being kilometres below the surface, as well as the cold and the permanent darkness.  But as well as the humour there is also a serious side as it is revealed that on a recent trip to the Challenger Deep, the deepest known part of the ocean on the planet, a plastic bag was discovered floating in the depths and the darkness, raising awareness that despite its size and still being relatively unexplored, the ocean is in danger. 

This is a unique way of piquing the interest of curious readers, all of which is factually accurate, and sparking a desire to learn more through more conventional presentations. 

 

 

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

Dec3

 

 

 

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where are all the Christmas Beetles?

Suzanne Houghton

CSIRO Publishing, 2023

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

9781486317905

Once upon a time, not so long ago, our kids looked forward to summer barbecues because it meant they were going to be bombarded by those shimmering green and gold beetles with the sharp little feet that clung to skin and clothes.  And rather than being afraid or squealing in surprise, they knew they were Santa’s special messengers and if they whispered what they wanted for Christmas, the beetle would take the request straight back to Santa. 

But now those kids want to share that Christmas ritual with their kids and there are fewer and fewer beetles to be seen!  There are no tell-tale dead patches in the grass where the grubs have eaten the roots,  they aren’t high in the gum trees either and they’re not even buzzing around the street lamps like they used to do.  Where have they all gone?  

In this beautifully illustrated book that brought back so many memories of Christmases past, the author/illustrator speculates on what might have happened to them.  Could it be the changing weather? The drought? The floods? The loss of habitat?  Scientists don’t know for sure yet and have initiated the Christmas Beetle Count for sightings and photos to be shared but before students get involved in that there are really useful notes at the back of the book as well as teachers’ notes that can help them become junior scientists and help solve the mystery.

After all, what’s Christmas in Australia without Christmas beetles and how will Santa ever know just what to leave underneath the tree? 

Evolution

Nov25
Evolution

Evolution

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evolution

Sarah Darwin, Eva Maria Sadowski

Olga Baumert

What on Earth Books, 2023

64pp., hbk., RRP $A39.99

9781912920532

Since human life emerged on this planet, people have speculated on how it all began with many communities developing creation stories to explain what they didn’t know or understand – stories that still guide life today in some places.  But in the mid 1800s, two scientists – Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace – independently developed a theory known as evolution by natural selection,  and in this easily accessible, beautifully illustrated book, the great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin explains the theory –  what it is and how it works.

Feature spreads explain the important things that you need to know, a timeline plots the history of life on Earth., maps and charts show the Tree of Life, and extensive back matter includes a glossary, and index, a bibliography and the whole is backed by both the Natural History Museum in London and the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin making it a model of authoritative presentation. As well as what has gone before, there are also sections on how humans have changed their own worlds, how evolution continues to influence adaptation and survival and a suggestion as to what the future holds, as long as we are willing to learn from the past.  

As well as being an excellent introduction to the history of life on this planet spanning 4.5 billion years, this is also an important addition to both the environment and sustainability curriculum and collection because “The better we understand evolution, the better we can protect the planet”.

 

 

Cosmic Wonder: Halley’s Comet and Humankind

Nov21
Cosmic Wonder: Halley's Comet and Humankind

Cosmic Wonder: Halley’s Comet and Humankind

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cosmic Wonder: Halley’s Comet and Humankind

Ashley Benham-Yazdani

Candlewick Press, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9781536223231

Over 4.6 billion years ago,  about the same time the rest of our solar system was created, a comet was born – one that now visits this planet on its long orbit around the planets and the sun and beyond, only once is a person’s lifetime.  Unlike many others that are comparatively short-lived because they lose ice and debris each time they pass a star, this one has survived and for those lucky enough to be alive in 2061 it will light up our skies once again.

Named after the Edward Halley, the astronomer and mathematician who calculated that the comets that had been seen in the skies in 1531, 1607, and 1682 were one and the same and accurately predicted that it would return in 1758, Halley’s Comet has been orbiting since time immemorial, the last time being in 1986.  During that time it has seen so many changes on this planet as humans developed and with their curiosity and creativity have transformed it.

Essentially then, this is a history of Earth seen from the comet’s perspective as it makes its regular sweeps told in simple, almost lyrical, language and depicted in stunning artworks.  Tracing the changes (which are summarised in the final pages) it tells the story of the planet’s development from a time when nothing and no one saw it light up the night sky to that of a lone teacher fascinated by it perched like Humpty Dumpty on a wall in her garden  in 1986.  (I have no idea why scaling a 2 metre wall would give me a better view but there I was…)

As well as giving the reader a unique perspective on history, showing us just how small we are and how short our time here is, this is one not only to explore the other bodies in the universe but also to consider what the comet might see when it returns in 2061, provoking all sorts of textual and artistic responses.  What would they like it to see? They might even consider what their contribution to those changes might be. 

Innovative and visually outstanding, this is such a different way to view the world that it will capture not only those budding astronomers but also those who dream and wonder and imagine… Another reason to have a rich and vibrant non fiction collection. 

Mr Clownfish, Miss Anemone and the Hermit Crab

Nov17
Mr Clownfish, Miss Anemone and the Hermit Crab

Mr Clownfish, Miss Anemone and the Hermit Crab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr Clownfish, Miss Anemone and the Hermit Crab

Sean E. Avery

Walker, 2023

32pp., hbk., RRP $A25.99

9781760654344

In the ocean there is no closer friendship than that between Mr Clownfish and Miss Anemone.  She protects him with her stinging tentacles if a big fish threatens him, and he protects her from other fish, cleans her tentacles twice a day and finds delicious small morsels of food they eat together, although Miss Anemone does get lonely when he swims off because she is tethered to the side of a large rock. They are each other’s heroes, 

On Miss Anemone’s birthday, Mr Clownfish gives her a hermit crab as a present and then goes in search of something special for their birthday tea. But when he returns, Miss Anemone has disappeared!  Convinced she has been kidnapped he follows the tracks in the sand and finds Miss Anemone riding on Hermit Crab’s back delighted in being able to explore the ocean at last. Mr Clownfish is devastated, convinced he is  no longer needed. But he has a very important lesson to learn about friendship… 

For those who have seen Finding Nemo (and this is a good reason to show it again),  the fun and friendships of the cheeky clownfish will be well-known as will the diversity of life on the ocean floor that is so beautifully depicted in Avery’s iconic, quirky illustrations, as Mr Clownfish delivers dinner in a scoop of seaweed rather like an underwater Uber Eats.  Apart from being a most engaging story of a special friendship that opens opportunities to explore the symbiotic relationships of creatures, not just in the ocean, and their interdependence so they can survive. it also puts the intricacies of human friendship into the spotlight.  Written for an age group that is just starting to build relationships beyond family ties, and often being very possessive of those, it raise questions about whether it is possible to have more than one special friend and how to respond if our special friend finds someone else.  While they might not need their friends to protect them in the way that Mr Clownfish and Miss Anemone interact, what are the unique attributes of their friends and how do they enrich each other’s lives? 

As with Frank’s Red Hat, shortlisted in the CBCA 2023 Book of the Year awards, Avery has offered our younger readers a most delightful read but with many more layers than meet the eye,  

Secrets of the Saltmarsh

Nov16
Secrets of the Saltmarsh

Secrets of the Saltmarsh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secrets of the Saltmarsh

Claire Saxby

Alicia Rogerson

CSIRO Publishing, 2023

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

9781486317141

Where the land meets the sea is a fringe that is sometimes sea and sometimes land – depending on the tides – one of the most unique environments of the planet. For thousands of years First Nations people have harvested the rich seasonal food resources they offer and they support countless  life cycles from that of  tiny bacteria to large migratory birds, each dependent on each other and the land, ocean, water, wind, sunlight and seasons, at the same time as they store up to four time more carbon than ordinary forests.

While they have often been drained to provide more room for human housing, slowly we are learning more about how critical they are to the planet’s health and this new book for younger readers by a master pf narrative non fiction starts to raise awareness from an early age.  From the front endpaper featuring just some of the birds that can be found to the final one featuring fingerling fish, the book is a masterpiece of introducing this special, little-known environment.  Written in the first person, each double page spread focus on either one of the elements that is so crucial to the saltmarsh or the creatures that live within it and how they contribute to wellbeing, and, like the inhabitants of the marsh, there is a symbiotic relationship between Saxby’s lyrical text and Rogerson’s illustrations.

Perhaps I was drawn to this book because I have just finished Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, a novel in which the environment plays such a significant part in the story, and, to my knowledge, there have been few books on this biome for young readers despite its diversity and importance.  Nevertheless, like The Great Southern Reef, this is an environmental phenomenon that is accessible to so many of our students and thus one that greater awareness will build an appreciation for.

A must-have in any collection focusing on environmental biodiversity.  Teachers’ Notes are available.

 

Giinagay Gaagal, Hello Ocean

Nov12
Giinagay Gaagal, Hello Ocean

Giinagay Gaagal, Hello Ocean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giinagay Gaagal, Hello Ocean

Melissa Greenwood

ABC Books, 2023

24pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9780733343001

Gaagal (ocean) is our special place,

we love to swim in the waves.

We’ll catch some yamaarr (fish),

eat, dance and play games.

Is there anything more iconic than the sights and sounds of little ones running down the beach to dip their toes in the cool waters of the ocean on a hot summer’s day, carefree and careless?

It’s a scene that has been and will be repeated for decades and decades as the sun beats down and the waves invite. But, after reading this lyrical ode to the ocean, perhaps this summer our children might stop and consider the privilege they are enjoying, maybe even offer a word of appreciation…

But first, before walking on Country, we talk to the land

and het her know that we re here to play.

We are grateful for what she has to offer,

we promise to take care of her during our stay. 

Woven among the stunning artwork that is so evocative of the experience if you take the time to look at it, is a description of something that has been done over and over and over – dancing over the hot yellow sand, gathering bush fruits and collecting pipis in the tide zone, keeping an eye out for sharks and knowing when it is safe to swim, watching the whales and dolphins twist and turn in their own special water dance, collecting shells, dodging crabs, building a fire to make lunch and sheltering from sunburn – all taking on a bit of extra magic as the children play but all the while having that connection that keeps them aware of how lucky they are. “We say, ‘Yaarri yarraang gaagal, darrundang, Goodbye ocean and than you,,, until next time.'”. Each thing has its own particular and unique place in the landscape and landshape that is so much more than just for the delight and amusement of the human intruders. 

As with Miimi Marraal, Mother Earth, there are indigenous words scattered throughout,  and the full text is included in both English and Gumbaynggir in the final pages, adding to the resources for preserving and revitalising First Nations languages.  

This is another of a number of brilliant new books that help our children understand the significance of that now-familiar Acknowledgement of Country, perhaps even inspiring them to develop their own connections as another summer looms and they too, “must go down to the seas again”.