Review: Our Family Zoo

How many pets are too many pets?

One? Five? Ten? Or is there always room for just ONE MORE?

From the moment I picked up this book, I knew I was in for some fun. The front cover immediately sparks curiosity, with illustrator A Yi cleverly connecting the illustrations to the title. Before you even turn the first page, there is already so much to notice, predict and chat about.

And then we meet a character who wants another pet.

The only tiny problem? Take a close look at the illustrations, and you will quickly discover that this household is already home to quite the collection of animals!

Undeterred, our determined character sets about persuading Mum, offering option after option for her to consider. The possibilities keep coming and so does the fun.

Then Mum adds a delicious little twist. A special gift is arriving.

Cue the brainstorming!

What could it be?

This is where young readers can join in, make predictions and let their imaginations run wild. I am definitely not going to spoil the brilliant ending. This one deserves to be discovered together.

The rhyming text makes this book an absolute joy to read aloud. It has bounce, rhythm and plenty of opportunities for children to join in. I especially love the bolded words and phrases which naturally encourage readers to play with their voices, build excitement and bring the story to life.

And those animal sounds? So much fun! The labelled sounds invite children to interact with the story, and I can already imagine a classroom full of learners adding actions, voices and a little dramatic flair. It would be a fabulous springboard for role play or a reader’s theatre experience.

There is plenty for young writers to notice too. Author Maura Pierlot uses strong verbs, descriptive adjectives and question marks to create energy and build anticipation. Teachers could use these features as mentor text moments before inviting learners to create their own version. What pet would they try to persuade someone to welcome into their home?

There is even mathematics hiding amongst all those animals. Count the pets, sort them, compare groups or create your own pet-themed number problems. I love a book that naturally travels across the curriculum.

And please do not rush past the endpapers! They provide another opportunity to explore the animals featured in the story and could spark further research at home or in the classroom.

I also really appreciated the connection to pet rescue. Beneath all the humour and chaos is an opportunity to gently open conversations about caring for animals and the important role rescue organisations play.

This is a joyful, energetic read that invites children to look, listen, predict, count, perform, research and wonder.

My kind of book!

If you love books that get children talking, laughing and learning, add this one to your read-aloud pile and make sure you save time to explore every last illustration.

And when you reach that ending? No peeking! Make your prediction before you turn the page.


Title: Our Family Zoo
Author: Maura Pierlot
Illustrator: A. Yi
Publisher: Scholastic Australia
Publication Date: 1 June 2026
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761643545
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book

Review: Peculiar Parents

Did you know some kangaroo mothers adopt orphaned joeys? Or that a baby humpback whale weighs as much as a large car when it’s born? Find these morsels and more in Peculiar Parents written by Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder and illustrated by Ingrid Bartkowiak.

Using playful text, detailed research and little-known facts, distinguished children’s author Owen Reeder brings animals’ lives to life. Topics such as choosing a mate, home selection and building, family life and parental habits are explored.

Review: Tiki and Jill and the Great Australian Camel Race

Some picture books are so much more than a simple story. Tiki and Jill and the Great Australian Camel Race is one of those books.

On one level, this is a recount of the real-life Great Australian Camel Race. Held from April to July 1988, this race saw camel riders race from Uluru in the Northern Territory to the Gold Coast in Queensland – a distance of over 3,000 km.

Review: Australian Geographic - World's Most Freaky

If you love animals and love being able to wow your friends with random fun facts, then Australian Geographic’s World’s Most Freaky is for you.

 
Sorted by world regions and with plenty of ‘freaky’ animal facts clearly sectioned with a photo and a small amount of text, this book allows readers to either dip in and out or devour the details from cover to cover.

The facts within are not intended to horrify, repulse or make you cringe – as the title word ‘freaky’ may imply – but rather to intrigue, fascinate and elicit the ‘wow – no way!’ factor. The whole point is to open your eyes to the uniqueness and tenacity of nature, with a side dose of awareness, so we can all step towards conserving these beautiful creatures for generations to come.

 

Sunday Shelfie - Valerie: Australia's Bravest Sausage Dog

Happy #sundsyshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome Lucinda Gifford. This week we are celebrating Lucinda’s delightful picture book Valerie: Australia’s Bravest Sausage Dog.

Join Valerie on her unforgettable journey and discover just how far a brave little dog can go!

Living the beach life and riding the swells. 
Practising backstroke and digging up shells.
Dining on oysters and fancy ice cream... 
Valerie knew she was living the dream.

All over Australia and all around the world, people fell in love with Valerie - the bold-hearted dachshund who escaped a campground on Kangaroo Island and roamed the wilderness for over 500 days before being reunited with her loving owners.

Written and illustrated by Lucinda Gifford
Published by Allen and Unwin

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Review: Australian Geographic - World's Most Extreme

Would you rather be a capybara and stay underwater for up to five minutes or a bee hummingbird and fly backwards with incredible precision?

From the moment I picked up Australian Geographic: World's Most Extreme, I was hooked. This is the kind of non-fiction title that invites readers to dive straight in and explore.

Several features immediately caught my attention. The title sparked my curiosity, the textured cover added another layer of appeal, and the animal-print endpapers had me smiling before I even turned the first page.

The format makes this book highly accessible for readers of all ages. Each continent is explored, allowing readers to travel the world and discover fascinating creatures. Clear headings help readers navigate the text, while intriguing subheadings encourage them to keep reading. Fast fact inserts provide bite-sized information, and the stunning photographs bring every page to life.

For educators, this book offers countless opportunities for classroom learning. It provides a wonderful springboard for geographical investigations as learners explore where animals live around the world and compare continents, environments and ecosystems. The fascinating facts and measurements throughout the book create authentic opportunities for mathematical thinking as learners compare, estimate and order sizes, speeds and weights.

Science lessons can be enriched through investigations into living things, adaptations, habitats and the remarkable features that help animals survive in their environments. The stunning photographs also make this a valuable resource for art, encouraging learners to examine colour, texture, scale, composition and the power of photography to tell a story.

One of the strengths of this title is its ability to spark wonder. Readers will find themselves sharing facts, asking questions and making connections long after they close the book.

This is one title in a series, and I can confidently say I need every single one on my shelf.

Highly recommended for classrooms, libraries and curious readers who love discovering the incredible world around them.

Title: Australian Geographic -World's Most Extreme
Creator: Australian Geographic
Publisher: Hardie Grant Children's Publishing
Publication Date: 28 April, 2026
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781761218064
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Non-fiction

Review: Daddy Bear

There’s something extra special about a child’s relationship with their father. 

And there are some things, like this relationship, that simply can't be celebrated enough.

Rory H. Mather and Helene Magisson capture the essence of this relationship in their delightful picture book, Daddy Bear – a gentle and heartwarming peek into a child’s beautiful bond with their daddy.

Review: Oh No!

An elephant carrying a three-tiered wedding cake down a set of stairs … what could possibly go wrong?

Author and illustrator, James Foley, really is the master of the ‘what if?’ and he doesn’t disappoint in his latest picture book offering, Oh No!

It’s not only the elephant that’s involved in this hilarious tale, though; there’s also a pig, and a piranha or two. 

And a wedding!

But ... where did the chaos start?

Review: That Bird Can Draw!

That Bird Can Draw! is a new picture book from Ged Adamson. 

It’s the story of a young girl, the narrator, who loves creating art. It’s her favourite thing in the world. 

She becomes disillusioned and a bit jealous though, when she thinks someone else is better and their artwork draws more attention. 

The someone else is a bird named Vera, who belongs to the girl’s grandfather, and they discover Vera’s artistic talent quite by surprise.

Review: Mega! Australia’s Megafauna

Did you know that evidence suggests that Australia’s First Nations people lived alongside megafauna for thousands of years? Doesn’t that just blow your mind? This and other facts are explored in Mega! Australia’s Megafauna, created by Laura Holloway and Liz Duthie.

Holloway’s playful writing style creates vivid, memorable facts about the mega animals that existed in Australia between 2.5 million and 11,700 years ago. Think massive echidnas, platypuses and kangaroos. My current favourite animal is Australia’s longest snake ever, the Bluff Downs Giant Python which was 10m long.

Sunday Shelfie - The Boy and the Shark

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome the wonderful Cate James. This week we are celebrating Cate’s delightful picture book The Boy and the Shark.

William is stuck at his little sister’s noisy birthday party.

William does not like parties. William likes sharks.

He wonders if sharks do not like parties either. Perhaps he should find one and ask ...

From Cate James comes a timeless adventure full of curiosity, surprises and friendship.

Written and illustrated by Cate James

Published by Affirm Press 

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Review: Oceanforged 2: The Silent Island

Book 2 in Amelia Mellor’s five-book fantasy adventure series begins in a sea of calm. But don’t be fooled because once we’re reacquainted with Cori, Jem and Tarn, the action moves into top gear.

The three teens, thrown together in Book 1 when Cori stole a magical gauntlet and was unwittingly thrown into the role of Champion, are now tasked with locating the other pieces of Oceanforged Armour and saving their nation from destruction.

Thinking that the Loyalists will help them, Cori is shocked to discover they’re on their own. 

What’s more, they have less than six months to find the hauberk tunic – the second piece of armour – and push back the Great Dark Tide that is on its way and will destroy the nation of Aquinta and everything they know.

With no other choice, Cori, Jem and Tarn set off in Jem’s houseboat, Lucky, to try and find Mutemont, the mysterious island thought to be the hiding place of the hauberk. 

Sunday Shelfie - Bendable

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome the wonderful Kelly Brodie-Brown and Tommy Doyle. This week we are celebrating their delightful picture book Bendable.

Mules are sturdy creatures, they’re resilient and strong. Mules are known for hauling heavy burdens all day long. Mules are trusty and robust, solid and dependable. 

Mules, however, aren’t exactly known for being bendable! Can Julie the mule soar into the spotlight? Find out in this adorably inspiring story about reaching your goals, one tumble at a time!

Written by Kelly Brodie Brown
Illustrated by Tommy Doyle 
Published by Scholastic Australia 

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Review: False versus Facts

In a world where misinformation is rife, False versus Facts is an excellent reminder that we should look for the evidence behind statements to understand what’s factual and what’s false. 

This book is packed with facts and myths. Do you know which is which?

From facts about the earth, humans and science, to animals, history and food, False versus Facts puts the spotlight on information and confirms what’s real and what’s not. 

False versus Facts is carefully designed with succinct information, bright ‘fact’ and ‘false’ embellishments, and simple, stylised illustrations.

Review: Hafsa’s Way

Hafsa will not take no for an answer. She intends to be a doctor but her parents do not hold the same dream for her. Her parents don't support the idea of girls being doctors and believe she should follow a more traditional path and seek marriage.

As a companion novel to the Amal Unbound and Omar Rising, we are once more transported to a small Pakistani village, hours away from the big city of Lahore. 

Hafsa Imtiaz discovers a flyer advertising the Bukhara Summer Science Camp, in Lahore, that teaches kids about medicine. She applies without her parents’ permission and is excited to be accepted. Her parents believe the camp is expensive and will not let her go to Lahore unsupervised. Hafsa persuades her father to let her go after her sister, Shabnam and her husband, Sohail, who live near the camp, offer to pay for the camp and let her stay with them.

Sunday Shelfie - Trickshot Harri

Happy #sundayshelfie day! It is my pleasure to welcome the wonderful Jake Minton.This week we are celebrating the fun and engaging picture book Jake has created with Adrian Lloyd and Adam Jackson, Trickshot Harri.

Roar for Trickshot Harri as he learns that scoring the most goals isn’t everything – it’s teamwork that makes the dream work!

Book two in the bestselling Animal World Cup series, Trickshot Harri the Cheetah World Beater, is packed with insider jokes and pitch-perfect details, and captures all the intense excitement of the game while exploring the importance of sharing and being part of something bigger.

Written by Adrian Lloyd and Adam Jackson

Illustrated by Jake Minton
Published by Little Book Press

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Junior Review: Saving Shark Pup

This is the true story about a shark pup that had to leave its mother and gets stuck on a beach. 

But there are always people to help, and help they do. 

Little shark pup washed up on Manley Beach, Sydney, in September 2017. 

Review: Monkeypig

Molly has been happily living in the jungle with all the other monkeys. But Molly has a secret. She is in fact a pig. No one had ever noticed, but after a non-monkey scent is discovered, suspicion begins to rise that an impostor has infiltrated the group. Can Molly manage to go undetected or will she get found out and banished from the group forever?

Review: Australian Backyard Buddies

There is something truly delightful about a book that encourages young readers to pause… to look closely… and to notice what has always been there. Australian Backyard Buddies does exactly that.

This engaging text celebrates a range of living creatures that share our everyday spaces. It invites curiosity with its unique contents page, drawing readers into a world that is familiar yet often overlooked.

Each double page offers bite-sized information about backyard creatures - their habits, habitats and behaviours. 

Review: Milly Meelyu

For years now we have seen children and schools becoming more actively interested in conservation and caring for the environment and wildlife. It's now well over 30 years since my first teaching gig with Year 5 when I created a literature-based unit of inquiry based on Fern Gully, we wrote a (published) letter to the editor of the Courier-Mail regarding the threatened destruction on Mt Warning and started an enthusiastic Environment Club.

But it is far more recently that we have begun to share and teach the cross-cultural perspectives of how our First Australians have always been custodians and caretakers of the land, water, plants and creatures.

Now we aim for this more inclusive approach to our conservation efforts and thus welcome any support for these endeavours including books such as this one. I'm not terribly familiar with wildlife of Western Australia beyond the most well-known and these meelyu - spiny-tailed skinks - were new to me entirely.