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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”.

 

 

Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art

Nov22
Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art

Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Ancient Cave Art

Hannah Salyer

Clarion Books, 2023

48pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

 9780358469841

Give a child a flat space and the means to make a mark and that is exactly what they will do.  And not only will they make marks but there will be a story that goes along with them, one that the child can visualise and tell in greater detail than the marks can depict and the viewer can ascertain. 

And from this stunning and intriguing book we learn that such activity is almost instinctual as it traces human history and “the lives, dreams and stories of our ancient ancestors” through the images portrayed in rock art. From the earliest known markings – those of prehistoric man discovered in the Biombos Cave, South Africa – these time capsules demonstrate the vital information and connections made between peoples around the globe who, despite the difficulties and dangers they faced daily still took the time to create, even though each etching might have taken many days and many people to complete.  From the making of tools to make a mark to the choice of medium to use as an enduring pigment, the effort to create these becomes apparent and underlines their historic importance, with a strong message of why they need to be both appreciated and  preserved.   

With its clever title, Ancestory takes the reader on a short journey of a long period showing how the creation of pictorial works is an integral part of who we are, and then, in the final pages, offers more detailed insight including links to more information for those who want to know more, making this a book that spans not only its topic but also age groups and the curriculum.  While young readers are often fascinated by the lives of the “cavemen”, older visual arts students can also discover much that will satisfy the upper bands of the Australian Curriculum. 

Fascinating.

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. 

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.

 

Our Country: Where History Happened

Nov13
Our Country: Where History Happened

Our Country: Where History Happened

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Country: Where History Happened

Mark Greenwood

Frané Lessac

Walker , 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781760653576

In the first book in this series, the creators took readers on a journey to the ancient wonders of this land – landscapes and landshapes that have existed for billions of years. Now, they have put its people in the picture, tracing some of the significant events that have shaped the life lived today.

Beginning with the statement, “The story of our country is told in stone”, the reader begins their new journey with a visit to Ubirr in the Northern Territory, one of over 100 000 important rock art sites around Australia that pass on the historical, cultural and spiritual knowledge of Australia’s First Nations peoples.  They then move on to the significance of a pewter plate with a chiselled inscription nailed to a post in 1616 in Western Australia, showing that the story of this country can be told through pictures and words, artefacts and mementos just as much as it is through observed and lived events.   The journey continues through a timeline of other important events – mapped out on the front endpaper – each including that basic statement,  a broad explanation with language reminiscent of a tourist brochure as well as a brief, fact-filled paragraph about the event itself.   And all set against a backdrop of Frané Lessac’s stunning artwork! Then, acknowledging that there is much more to this story than can be covered in a picture book, the final endpaper has a different timeline of other critical events inviting the reader to find out more and perhaps even produce their own entry for the book. 

Younger students are often challenged by the relevance of having to study that which has happened before their time, particularly as their maturity level has them living in the here-and-now exacerbated by the instant connectivity the internet offers, and so this book is the most attractive and engaging way to introduce them to the concept of times past and how those times have shaped their here-and-now.  Would we have had the recent Voice referendum, even the daily Acknowledgement of Country, if not for the work of Eddie Mabo?  Would they have even been born in Australia if not for the impact of World War II on Europe and the waves of migrants who sought a new life here? 

As well as being a must-have entry level book to learning about the history of the country they live in, the content, format and potential of this book ensures its inclusion in collections spanning all ages and abilities especially if students are old enough to step beyond what happened and consider what if… If Dirk Hartog had done more than nail a plate to a post and claimed this country for the Dutch; if French captain de Surville had turned west to investigate the land his crew claimed they could smell five months before Captain Cook claimed the continent for England… 

History in the form of facts and figures, dates long gone and people long dead, can be greeted with a groan by many, but this series with its engaging format and just the right amount of information to bring it into the realm of the reader has the power and potential to grab the imagination and spark a desire to learn more.  It epitomises the theme Australia: Story Country.

Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth

Nov10
Ultrawild

Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth

Steve Mushin

A & U Children’s, 2023

80pp., hbk., RRP $A34.99

9781760292812

When the introduction to a book is entitled ” Ludicrous Ideas are Bootcamp for Brains” then you know you have something that is going to be out there and it’s going to appeal to your wild thinkers, your madcap inventors and all those other kids who dwell in the Land of What If?

This is a most unusual book in both format and content and yet it is also most intriguing.  The author himself says that he had been having “outlandish ideas” for as long as he can remember, some successful, some not-so, but he is on a mission to “crush climate change by transforming every city on Earth into a jungle (or whatever other type of ecosystem it was before humans trashed it)”.

So in a comic-like format that follows his thought processes, he designs habitat-printing robot birds and water-filtering sewer submarines, calculates how far compost cannons can blast seed bombs (over a kilometre), brainstorms biomaterials with scientists and engineers, studies ecosystems and develops a deadly serious plan to transform cities into jungles, rewilding them into carbon-sucking mega-habitats for all species, and as fast as possible. But, as a highly-respected industrial designer, artist and inventor these are not the random machinations of a child’s wildest dreams, but serious collaborations with scientists and others who are concerned about the planet and which incorporate futuristic materials and foods, bio reactors, soil, forest ecosystems, mechanical flight, solar thermal power and working out just how fast we could actually turn roads into jungles, absorb carbon and reverse climate change. Each project has been researched and while not yet necessarily put into practice, each is theoretically possible and some are already happening,

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Underpinned by quotes from those who have gone before including 14th century philosopher William of Ockham who said that “the simplest solution is almost always the best” (Occam’s razor) this is one to inspire all those who are concerned about climate change but who want and need to do more than reduce their personal use of plastic and who can see that doing what has always been done might not work in time, let alone be successful. It validates the wacky and the wild ideas some students have and encourages them to go even further.

Shearer

Nov6

Shearer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shearer

Neridah McMullin

Michael Tomkins

Walker 2023

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

9781760653163

Click go the shears, boys — click, click, click,
Wide is his blow and his hands move quick,
The ringer looks around and is beaten by a blow,
And curses the old snagger with the bare-bellied yoe.

Click Go the Shears is one of those traditional Australian songs that our children learn about the same time they learn the iconic Waltzing Matilda. But while the origins and meaning of that song are learned alongside the lyrics, what is the story behind some of the strange words and phrases in the shearing song?  Surely sheep are shorn using machinery.

But before Frederick Wolseley perfected his invention of mechanical shears in 1888 – a design 25 years in the making – sheep were shorn with hand or blade shears requiring great skill and considerable strength in the hand, arm and back and then, as now, it was one of the most physically demanding jobs as far as stress to the human body according to a 2000 report by the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission. 

Iconic images of the 19th century shearing shed. Shearing the Rams (top) and The Golden Fleece (bottom) both by Tom Roberts.

Iconic images of the 19th century shearing shed. Shearing the Rams (top) and The Golden Fleece (bottom) both by Tom Roberts.

Shearers travelled from woolshed to woolshed as wool became one of the most valuable resources of the Australian economy, particularly as gold discoveries dwindled, and among those men, was Jack Howe who had “hands the size of tennis racquets, legs like tree trunks and wrists made of steel”. 

Shearer is the story of the day Howe sheared a record 321 sheep in 7 hours and 40 mins at Alice Downs Station in Blackall, using blade shears, bringing to life the story of a man still regarded as Australia’s greatest shearer and after whom, the iconic navy blue singlet of the tradie is named.  

With her books Eat My Dust, and Drover  and the upcoming Tearaway Coach, Neridah McMullin is becoming known for telling the stories of those who have had a significant impact on Australian life, particularly that of rural communities, and thus opening up all sorts of opportunities to explore further.  Shearer continues this tradition, particularly as attendances at shows that bring the country to the city continue to break records and shearing demonstrations attract huge crowds.

For a century Australia “rode on the sheep’s back” and this book gives readers, young and older, an entry point to investigate the hows and whys of this common saying. 

The A – Z of Who I Could Be

Nov5
The A - Z of Who I Could Be

The A – Z of Who I Could Be

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The A – Z of Who I Could Be

Chloe Dalton

Kim Siew

A & U Children’s, 2023

64pp., hbk., RRP $A22.99

9781761180422

When she was young, the author used to love watching people like Anna Meares, Louise Sauvage and Nova Peris as they appeared on the world stage of the Olympics or Paralympics, but then despaired as they disappeared for the next four years. Female sporting heroes were not worthy of prime time television and there were few role models to aspire to so she founded the [female] athlete project to redress the balance – 40% of participation but only 4% of television coverage.

Being an Olympic gold medalist herself, Dalton is well-placed to understand the need for young girls to have role models and so in this new book she has created a thumbnail sketch  of Australia’s top female and non-binary athletes, Olympians, Paralympians and World Champions – from Ash Barty to Zali Steggall – across 26 different sports including  Ash Barty (tennis), Belle Brockhoff (snowboard cross), Taliqua Clancy (beach volleyball), Danni Di Toro (para-table tennis), Ellie Cole (para-swimming), Caitlin Foord (soccer), Georgia Godwin (gymnastics), Tayla Harris (boxing/AFLW), Isis Holt (para-athletics), Jessi Miley-Dyer (surfing), Steph Kershaw (hockey), Lydia Lassila (aerial skiing), Anna Meares (cycling), Nova Peris (athletics/hockey), Bendere Oboya (athletics), Ellyse Perry (cricket), Alicia (Quirk) Lucas (rugby 7s), Madison De Rozario (wheelchair racing), Sharni (Layton) Norder (netball), Ariarne Titmus (swimming), Tamika Upton (NRLW), Darcy Vescio (AFLW), Melissa Wu (diving), Jessica Fox (canoe slalom), Yvette Higgins (waterpolo), and Zali Steggall (alpine skiing),

As well as acknowledging the achievements of these women and perhaps inspiring young girls to find out more about those they admire, perhaps it would also inspire a class dictionary of other female athletes who are the students’ heroes so they, too, become household names. Perhaps names like  Jessica Fox,  Sam Kerr or Alyssa Healy might feature or even those of Dawn Fraser, Lauren Jackson or Debbie Flintoff on whose shoulders they stand.

Given their achievements recently one could argue how many female Australian cricket or soccer team members the general public could have named just twelve months ago so perhaps with book like these and the increase in interest, we are moving towards Dalton’s dream that  “One day, female athletes will receive equal coverage in the media, and will be recognised by their achievements, not by their gender”.   

Who’s the Gang on Our Street?

Nov3
Who's the Gang on Our Street?

Who’s the Gang on Our Street?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who’s the Gang on Our Street?

Susanne Gervay

Nancy Bevington

Big Sky, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781922896810

There are lots of gangs on our street – a rock and roll gang with spiky hair; a soccer gang with bright uniforms; a billycart gang who race down the hill; a music gang, a dancing gang, an acrobat gang… so many gangs that I don’t belong to but I could if I wanted to!  Because I have funky-punky hair, I love to move and play; I can fly faster than any human can run; I can hang upside down and twist and turn better than anyone… 

This is a jaunty, unusual introduction to one of Australia’s most iconic birds, the sulphur-crested cockatoo, and, as if to prove Gervay’s point about their versatility, there is a gang of them investigating a newly-fallen tree outside my window as I write.  They’re hanging upside down on the food feeder chains, looking for bugs in the newly peeling bark, while there is always one standing guard… and their distinctive squaark always lets us know when they are in the neighbourhood.

But for all that I see these birds almost every day once the mountain weather starts to warm up, there is still a lot in this new book that I hadn’t noticed, such as the fact that they always use their left leg like a human hand, so I will be observing them with fresh eyes this summer. 

Narrative non fiction has overtaken the traditional facts-and-figures books that used to be the core of the library’s non fiction collection and between them, Gervay and Bevington have produced something that is unique, fun and very appealing bringing this Australian icon right into the realm of the reader.  A short quiz encourages the reader to explore the fun facts that are included and ensures that these birds that bring so much joy through their antics (even though these are provoked by the eternal search for food) will become favourites for a new generation.