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Curious Creatures Talking Together

Curious Creatures Talking Together

Curious Creatures Talking Together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curious Creatures Talking Together

Zoë Armstrong

Anja Sušanj

Flying Eye, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781838740351

Communicating and connecting with others is a critical part of human behaviour and essential for their well-being, whether it be through the spoken word, body language or other means like sounding a siren or wearing a school uniform.  But the animal world is just as “talkative” whether it be through sound, movement, colour or smell and in this book , the third in this series,  young readers are introduced to some of the ways animals communicate and why and how they do it.

Curious Creatures series

Curious Creatures series

There are spiders that dance, whales that sing and lemurs that communicate with seriously smelly stink fights!  Australia has its own entries including the tiny peacock spider that displays a colourful fan as part of its mating routine, and the satin bowerbird with its propensity for all things blue (and the focus of the 2024 National Simultaneous Storytime.

Throughout, there is a link to how the animals’ behaviour is similar to that of humans, such as the wearing of bright clothes to attract attention much as the peacock spider does, and there is an underlying message of trying to understand what they are “saying” so we become more empathetic and protective of them.

Absolutely fascinating, particularly for those who are interested in the animal kingdom already, and worth seeking out the others in the series. 

Footprint

Footprint

Footprint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Footprint

Phil Cummings

Sally Soweol Han

A & U Children, 2024

34pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781761180323

Take the time, a moment or two

To ponder what lies in front of you

And… breathe,  Yes, breathe.

There is an old saying about taking only photographs and leaving only footprints, that could be summed up by this beautiful book as the reader joins a hiker on a walk that begins by taking a track through the forest, experiencing, acknowledging and appreciating the wonders of nature journeying further and further through nature’s diverse landscapes, even stepping into new lands and biomes. And as they go, they are encouraged to absorb and appreciate what they are seeing, and, at the same time, acknowledge that humans have not always been kind to the natural world so they must consider how they, themselves, will move forward in a responsible way.

There is no stopping tomorrow, today.

On you go to find a way .Because

You carry hope and future need.

With careful footprint, plant the seed…

With the modern curriculum’s focus on the environment and its sustainability, today’s child is very aware of the precarious predicament of the world around them, and although they know they must touch it lightly, sometimes the task can be overwhelming.  How can one person make a difference, especially a little one like them?  

With its beautiful illustrations and gentle, lyrical text, this is a discussion starter that can lead to individual actions particularly in their relationship with their environment.  While no one particular pathway such as reducing plastic use or maintaining a bee-friendly garden is suggested, nevertheless children will have been exposed to those sorts of ideas and can choose their own path to walk. And though the pathway may be difficult or sad at times, finding ways around and over the obstacles is part of the journey which must go ever onward. There is hope for a future and they can plant the seeds of theirs now, a concept consolidated by the author talking directly to the reader., making the message personal. Teachers’ notes focusing on the choice and use of the language are available and, in this case, draw out a deeper understanding of the intent and purpose of the book as a while. 

 

 

Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet

Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet

Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green: The Story of Plant Life on Our Planet

Nicola Davies

Emily Sutton

Walker Books, 2024

40pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781406399998

These days young children are very aware of the importance of plants and bees, the  deadly potential of climate change and the concept of “green” being more than just a colour in the paint palette. But what is the connection between them?

It is all explained in this beautifully illustrated picture book. In accessible text, the young reader learns that a tree isn’t just a tree standing green and shady but that it is really busy purifying the air through photosynthesis as it does, and from there they are led naturally through a timeline of the development of plants on the planet, the impact of using the remains of the ancient forests as fossil fuels, and the interaction and interdependence of plants on the planet’s health and function, as they begin to understand why “GREEN is the most important colour in the world.”

This really is the most remarkable book that explains really complex concepts in such a simple way that it should be the starting point for any study into the environment and why we need to protect what we have.  It is the basic WHY of all the what, where, who, how and all the other questions that students have that will provide context and purpose for any investigation, encapsulating and explaining such a  big idea in a way that just gives sense to so much else. No matter what the topic under investigation, if it is about the natural world, it will stem back to plants and their health and prevalence.  

Research shows that the eye distinguishes more shades of green than any other colour and certainly the view from my window has more hues than I could count, but it never ceases to suggest a sense of calm and peace, which is why so many medical facilities are painted in shades of green. This book is the beginning of understanding why this is so, and why it is so important to our lives and well-being. 

A must-have in any collection.

The Beehive

The Beehive

The Beehive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Beehive

Megan Daley

Max Hamilton

Walker Books, 2024

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

9781760655228

Even though Willow hurries to school every day, today is a very special day. Today was the day that Tom the groundskeeper was going to divide the hive of native bees living in the hollow of an old tree, and Willow was going to be able to take half of it home to begin a new hive…

Part of the brilliant Nature Storybooks collection, and written by Megan Daley, a name familiar to any teacher librarian who has been around for a while, this is a book that is a must-have in any library collection, but particularly those where the protection and conservation of the environment is high on the agenda, and even moreso if the students are developing a bee-friendly garden.

Alongside the story of Willow’s growing interest and excitement, is the informative parallel text introducing young readers to Australia’s native bee species – there are over 2000 of them – not only explaining their habits and habitats but demonstrating just how important they are in the natural scheme of things.  While there have been a number of books awakening young readers (and not-so- to the importance and plight of bees, this has a unique local focus that stimulates the imagination into what could be happening in the school playground or the home backyard with some input from an expert – of which there are a growing number. While Willow is lucky to have the help of Tom and her stepdad, both of whom know what they’re doing, it is not hard to find help from experienced keepers, even in the heart of the city. There are apiarists’ associations in every state and territory.

And given Megan’s professional life, and in keeping with others in the series, there is both an index and a glossary included so young readers can begin to learn the cues and clues for navigating non fiction resources so they can find the information they want.

When it comes to narrative non fiction and sparking interest in the world around them, this series is in my top five favourites and this particular addition just adds to their repertoire and reputation. 

 

How to Find a Rainbow

How to Find a Rainbow

How to Find a Rainbow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Find a Rainbow

Alom Shaha

Sarthak Sinha

Scribble, 2024

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

9781761380372

Reena and Rekha may be sisters, but when it comes to the weather, they couldn’t be more different.  Reena hates rainy days because she sees them as grey and gloomy, depriving her of being outside painting all the bright and beautiful things.  Whereas Rekha loves the smell of wet earth and the solitude of being outside when everyone else is in.

As she splashes in the puddles she sees a rainbow, and knows immediately that it is something Reena will want to see.  But by the time Reena joins her, the rainbow has disappeared.  Where can it be?  Will they find it again?

There is a saying, “Without rain, there can be no rainbows”, and this charming story can be read on two levels – that of two sisters in search of a physical rainbow and that of emerging from a gloomy emotional episode and beginning to find joy again.  It offers scope for investigating the science of rainbows (as well as instructions for creating one) , but also helps young readers understand that even if siblings or friends don’t like the same things, there are still ways to come together.  With much of the story carried in the dialogue which is assigned directly to each character, and an original style of artwork, this is a story of two red pandas that offers much to young readers learning to explore the world around them so that they will be looking forward to the next rainy day to explore for themselves. You could even teach them the word “petrichor” which is the grown-up word for the smell of dry earth as rain hits it, and watch them impress others with their knowledge! 

Sensational Australian Animals

Sensational Australian Animals

Sensational Australian Animals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sensational Australian Animals

Stephanie Owen Reeder

Cher Hart

CSIRO Publishing, 2024

64pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9781486316908

These days, when we read the word “sensational” we usually take it to mean “causing great public interest and excitement” but if we take it back to its original meaning of “relating to sensation or the senses” then we arrive at the core of this new, unique offering from CSIRO Publishing and Stephanie Owen Reeder.

For this is not just another book about Australian animals to join those already in the 590s section of your collection. Reeder begins by asking which sensations we associate with Australia – the sight of a flock of galahs, the sound of shrieking cicadas on a summer afternoon, the smell of koala pee raining down from a eucalyptus tree? Or perhaps the taste of prawns on the barbecue or the feel of a mosquito sucking your blood? By using our senses we navigate and make sense of the world around us, and so too do those creatures with which we share the landscape and environment.

And so it is through each of the senses that the reader learns about these creatures with the book divided into sections captioned The eyes have it, Did you hear that, Follow your nose, That’s tasty! and What a feeling. Each section begins with a diagram and brief explanation of how the human version of the organ works, and then explores how various creatures use their senses to navigate, survive and thrive in the natural world, including the super-senses like echolocation and electroreception.  From the large and common to the tiny and uncommon, hundreds of creatures have their secrets exposed in short paragraphs accompanied by detailed illustrations.  While the text is accessible to the independent reader, Reeder respects their intelligence by using or introducing the more sophisticated terms such as “otoliths” and “salivary glands” with each printed in bold type to indicate that it is explained in a glossary at the end.

A dip-and-delve book that will keep the budding naturalist intrigued for hours, this is most definitely one to add to the collection. 

Night Watch

Night Watch

Night Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night Watch

Jodi Todering

Tannya Harricks

Walker Books, 2024

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

9781760655310

As Sun’s final flames linger in the sky and Dusk whispers, Tawny Frogmouth wakens and with a drumming noise, calls Moon over the horizon because together they have a journey to make.  It is time for the Night Watch.

And so, over Australia’s vast and diverse landscapes they travel, bidding goodnight to her many creatures with their babies as they settle down…

Over the years I have read and reviewed many books focusing on Australia’s unique wildlife, each special in its own way, but this lyrical, lullaby-like tale is outstanding. With its bold, oil painting illustrations that echo not only the deepening and then lightening of the night but also the strength that is required to thrive in the landscape, the  reader is taken on the same journey as Moon and Tawny Frogmouth with the words calming and gentling as both reader and those in the book settle down to sleep. It reinforces the notion that even though it might be dark, nevertheless someone or something is looking over the sleeper and dawn will come to begin another day, and with all being well, Tawny Frogmouth’ work is done for the night..

Loved it and if ever there were a must-have book to share at a baby book shower to start the little one on their 1000 books before big school,  this is it.  Timeless and one to pass on and on and on… 

 

Little Horses

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.

 

 

 

Voice of the Sea

Voice of the Sea

Voice of the Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voice of the Sea

John Williamson

Andrea Innocent & Jonathan Chong

Puffin, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761344237

Described as “an unrequited love song to the ocean, a national anthem of the sea”, this is the picture book version of the iconic song by one of Australia’s most loved musicians that has become so integral to the campaign to conserve the oceans that it won an ARIA award.

With references to global warming, overfishing and the risk of losing some of our incredible marine wildlife a turtle swims through what were once pristine waters, narrowly escaping the clutches of a plastic bag already filled with precious creatures, lamenting, “Where did it go? Where has it gone, your love for me?” From the time that the first European settlers landed, the oceans of this country “girt by sea” have been exploited and now, with the personification of the ocean as a friend in need, students are encouraged to think of how we can preserve this natural wonderland – how we can give rather than take.

Written specifically for the Australian Marine Conservation Society, there are both teachers’ notes and a free education kit  to encourage not only an awareness of humans’ impact on the ocean but also how we can embrace it as a friend again including investigating the projects already in place like The Accidental Penguin Hotel.  the seahorse hotels and others that they might become involved in, offering hope for those who are concerned about the planet’s future. 

This is most definitely one for any collection, and the perfect starting point for any investigation of the oceans, it creatures and their challenges. 

 

An Amazing Australian Camping Trip

An Amazing Australian Camping Trip

An Amazing Australian Camping Trip

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Amazing Australian Camping Trip

Jackie Hosking

Lesley Vamos

Walker Books, 2023

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

9781760654948

Having completed their Amazing Australian Road Trip, now the family is off on a camping adventure because Aunty wants to paint “a fantastical beast”.

“It eats like a fish and swims in the lakes, has fur like a dog and venom like snakes, with a bill like a duck, it also lays eggs, has a tail like a paddle and walks on four legs.”

With the 4WD loaded to the hilt and beyond, they head to country to find this amazing creature, finally setting up camp and starting to relax. And although there is lots of wildlife to discover, each with one of the attributes that Aunty has described, none has them all.  What could she be looking for?

As with its predecessor, this is a story that rollicks along in rhyme accompanied by eye-catching illustrations full of detail and humour including the mysterious animal hiding on each page waiting for the eagle-eye to spot…  While many readers will be familiar with camping, and understand the terminology as well as recognising the creatures that the family spot, for those for whom the Australian bush is a mystery there are lots of explanations of unfamiliar words as well as information about the various animals. And, also like its predecessor, it offers a lot of potential for investigation, not the least of which is the meaning and purpose of a glossary.

As summer holidays fade into the distance, this is one that will bring back so many memories for children who spent their time camping “out bush” as they giggle their way through familiar scenes and adventures – although I was a bit concerned that the copperhead snake that inhabits the cool climate region I live in is active at night – and begin to look forward to the next one. 

Loving this series which brings our country to life in such a fun way.