24 Jul Book Review: New books for curious kids.
Tiny frogs, wise owls and surprise eggs—this month’s non-fiction picks are packed with facts and fun.
Explore these brilliant books for little learners and big thinkers.
New for older children
Birds of Prey
written and illus. by Myke Mollard, pub. Woodslane Press, h/b RRP $24.99. Ages 8+
This outstanding book about the amazing birds of prey from all over the world, takes a deep dive into all aspects of the individual birds: the family they belong to, their size, migration routes, what they eat, their habitat-even to those that are now extinct.
Myke’s illustrations are so intricate that they show each talon, beak, feather and variation of their species in so much fascinating detail that you can be totally absorbed with each small bit of information. Recommend for home/libraries.
New for younger children just discovering the world of nature
Tink, Tink, Tink
by Sarah Ecclestone, illus. Marina Zlatanova, pub. by New Holland Publishers, h/b RRP $19.99. Ages 3+
The frog is very tiny, brown and found in a very few gullies in Central Queensland. With fewer than 150 of them in the wild and critically endangered, this delightful book has been written to help the breeding program continue at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (insert link) to save the rare Kroombit Tinkerfrog.
Tink, Tink, Tink is the sound the little frog makes, and the words combine finding the number of hidden frogs on each beautifully illustrated page, with illustrations of it’s rainforest habitat.
Australia: First Colours
Australia: First Numbers
written and illus. by Jess Racklyeft, pub. Affirm Press (Simon & Shuster), board book, RRP: $14.99. Ages 0-3
Jess Racklyeft has written two wildlife books (amongst many others) for slightly older children Australia: Country of Colour and Australia’s Baby Animals and now she has two board books that introduce the wildlife through counting (1-10) and the array of amazing colours of the Australian wildlife, for babies and toddlers.
Learning Country: A First Nations Journey Around Australia’s Traditional Place Names
written and illus. by Rhyia Dank, pub. HarperCollins, h/b RRP $24.99. Ages 1+
Beautifully written and illustrated using her aboriginal art and language, Rhyia designs each double-page spread from the stories of her childhood in the Gulf of Carpentaria. She links the natural surroundings of each area she travels to in this story with it’s traditional Aboriginal name.
“I was almost home, but there was one last stop. As night fell, I looked down to the sea and saw the reflection of the bright stars in the ripples made by the hungry hammerhead shark. We were at Boigu – the place at the very top of our lands”
I Am Not an Owl
by Rhonda Ooi, illus. by Mel Corrigan, pub. Woodslane Press, h/b RRP $24.99 Ages 3+
The author has woven a story about young Alexander “who knows everything about nocturnal animals” with factual information about some familiar Australian nocturnal animals that are awake when he is asleep at night. Alexander’s mother tries to get him to go and have a daytime sleep even though it’s not dark. He resists, as he looks at each nighttime animal he is familiar and announces that he is NOT nocturnal like they are, he doesn’t need to sleep during the day like them.
Two more new books released later this year:
How Big is the Sky?
written and illus. by Kimberly Brown, pub. by Affirm Press (Simon & Shuster), h/b RRP $24.99 Ages 4-8
“Some things can be counted. Other things aren’t so easy to measure. Like the warmth of laughter, or love that’s as limitless as the sky. How do you measure the immeasurable things?”
Neighbourhood Nest
written and illus. by Sarah-Jane Lightfoot, pub. by Affirm Press (Simon & Shuster), h/b RRP $24.99 Ages 3-8
Maggie the magpie is very surprised when she finds an extra egg in her nest. Whose egg could it be? Does it belong to the kookaburras at the end of the path? Or the galahs by the oval? Or maybe the rainbow lorikeets in the gum trees?
A celebration of nature in our neighbourhoods and an invitation to bird-watch in our own backyards.
Lastly a mention of a fresh look at a reprint of a popular book-
The Amazing True Story of How Babies Are Made 10th Anniversary Edition
written and illus. pub. by Fiona Katauskas, ABC Books AU, h/b $24.99 Ages 5+
Fiona, a well know Australian cartoonist, writes:
When my oldest son asked where babies come from, I made my way to a large bookshop, expecting to find shelves groaning with volumes on the subject. Instead, I found only two books- one was complicated and boring and the other was 1973’s “Where Did I Come From?”. I bought the latter and had the rather surreal experience of reading the same still-charming-but-outdated book to my son that my mother had read to me.
Illustrated in cartoon style, through ink drawings with a watercolour wash, it clearly offers the information a parent might need to discuss the topic. It’s the type of book you could browse in and out of as the child grows and needs more factual information.
We originally reviewed The Amazing True Story of How Babies Are Made (2015):
‘If you’re looking for a book for children that’s accessible but honest, sex positive and inclusive, THE AMAZING TRUE STORY OF HOW BABIES ARE MADE is pretty much perfect.’ — Child Magazine
Now in the updated, 10th anniversary version it’s for parents wanting help with that talk.
