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: Creative Writing Magic

A follow up to Unleash Your Creative Monster, Creative Writing Magic is full of even more tips and tricks to get young writers writing.

Children can tap into their inner Creative Monster and come on a journey to learn all about writing great stories and creating magical characters. 

Creative Writing Magic is packed with information all about different writing techniques, plotting, and character development, but because of the fun and engaging way it is presented, it never feels overwhelming or difficult. 

Andy Jones speaks directly to the reader in his short conversational chapters, while Olaf Falafel’s cute and hilarious illustrations help to illuminate the ideas.

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.

 

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: 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.

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.

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: Exploring the Elements - A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table

This book – and its companion books (see below) are like the perfect day for me. With caramel on top. The joy they bring me – I can't even.

The thing about this stunning series is that it is intensely comprehensive yet served in bite-sized pieces... an intellectual smorgasbord that keeps you coming back for more.

In Exploring the Elements, my periodic table fangirl side entered overdrive. Earth's elements are a regular fascination but this deep dive, sans too-boggling jargon, will cram young heads with wows. 

Review: Sharks Up Close

Did you know the word ‘shark’ is thought to have come from the Dutch word for ‘villain’ or ‘scoundrel’? Hearing about shark attacks off different parts of our coastline this definition matches what many believe.

But sharks are central for the health of our marine ecosystem and are becoming endangered through human behaviours and climatic change.

Sharks Up Close provides a balance between the non-fiction text and visually rich photographs to stimulate interest in these much maligned animals and highlights the role they play in ocean life. 

Review: Blue: Dragon of the Sea

Aleesah Darlison has a deft hand when writing books about wildlife and, as she is herself passionate about critters of all kinds, shapes and sizes, that comes as no surprise.

Little Blue is a nudibranch and if you’ve never heard of them, seen them or even read about them before, why not check them out because this book is bound to spark much interest with your little people. After all, you will want to be the font of all knowledge for them when they start wanting to know more! 

These super-colourful shell-less sea slugs are often referred to as ‘sparkly sea cupcakes’ which is a pretty cute description and with over 3000 varieties with an emphasis on varieties - such a range of colours, shapes and features, it’s pretty appropriate.

Review: How To Be A Fantastic Sensational Good Enough Kid

Cheerful, warm, vibrant, satisfying to hold and chock full of brilliant information for celebrating uniqueness (or for when you don’t feel quite enough), this book is a game-changer. A life raft. A first aid kit. I could go on, but I won’t.

With a team of earnest, hilarious little animals representing the various parts of your brain, and a friendly narrator taking you by the hand from the get-go, how could it be anything but magic!

Whether you’re feeling average, isolated, scared, unable to make a friend – or perhaps you’re aware that you’re winning at everything when others are not! – this book contains strategies and ideas for all the variables that life throws up.

Review: Behind the Screens

Behind the Screens not only offers friendly and timely information about navigating the online world, it also empowers and reassures young people that their choices and actions can help them thrive online.

Getting a phone? Get this book!

There’s no doubt the internet is a voracious, sometimes dangerous beast, which can also be a force for good, wonder and enlightenment. There’s also no doubt that we must handle this beast with wisdom and care.

 
Behind the Screens gives us a blueprint for the latter.

 

Review: The Amazing Generation – Your Guide To Fun And Freedom In A Screen-filled World

Encouraging young readers to strengthen their powers of attention and think for themselves, The Amazing Generation lays out scientific and anecdotal evidence of the deliberately addictive nature of social media and smartphones.

There are a multitude of fabulous ideas in its clever and appealing 'Rebel’s Code':

Use technology as a tool. Don’t let technology use you! Fill your life with real friendship, freedom and fun.

The book encourages us all to outsmart the tech companies – or to at least think about our daily habits. To find our own ways to switch off, have fun, connect in real life and create fulfilment, whether we're plugged in or not.

It also helps us to think about who we look up to – and why.

Fascinating anecdotes (did you know that many who live and work in the tech industry will NEVER let their children have social media or smartphones??) and stories from real life young-adult rebels who’ve ditched tech and not only survived but thrived, are all parts of this journey.

Review: This Bird: Noticing Our Urban Birds

‘Oooooo … doo-doo-doo-whipp!’

‘Pew pew.’

That's the call of an eastern whipbird, one of the many wonderful birds I hear living in the Blue Mountains in NSW. 

Also full of vibrant native birds is a new book called, This Bird: Noticing Our Urban Birds, created to help identify and celebrate birds in our backyards, local parks and streets. 

This Bird is written and illustrated by Astred Hicks in collaboration with Dr Holly Parsons, an ecologist and community educator. The book is a stunning way to connect with nature and be in the present moment.

Review: The AR in Sydney Harbour

The AR in Sydney Harbour is a new book from Judith Barker and Janie Frith who won a Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Award in 2019.

It takes “the various spelling patterns of the bossy 'r' (ar) sound in the different and various words”, and spotlights them on a journey around Sydney Harbour.

There’s lots to see on this exploration. Ferries are the main form of transport, joining other vehicles – tour boats going whale spotting, and seaplanes travelling overhead.

Review: giwang: Weather & Wildlife On Wiradjuri Country

I acknowledge the Gubbi Gubbi, the traditional custodians of the land on which I live and write, and pay my respects to elders past and present – Redcliffe, Australia. I also acknowledge and pay my respects to all the First Nations people of our land, and in particular, the Wiradjuri, traditional country of my children and grandchildren.

What an absolute pleasure it is to be able to review this wonderful, and very important, new book with its roots in Wiradjuri Country and its language.

Author, Belinda Bridge, has a strong matrilineal connection to Wiradjuri land and has long been passionate about preserving the language and culture of her mob. She is well qualified to be sharing knowledge as she holds a post-grad in Wiradjuri Language, Heritage and Culture, along with her degree in Creative Writing and Professional Writing, and her TAFE teaching of Wiradjuri Language.

This new book can provide entry level language for students new to learning Wiradjuri across the year levels, and even adults. The six cycles of Wiradjuri Country are determined by the moon and the calendar months paired to each in this book are indicative only. These cycles can be changeable when impacted by weather events.

The animals most active during these cycles are named and illustrated but this may also change due to those fluctuations of the cycles. For example:

dinawan = emu

galing-galing bu niganaga bu ganhang-girri = wet and hot and becoming warm [December & January)

yili gariwang-girri = dry becoming cool [April & May].

Your jarjums will find it fascinating but all children, whether on Wiradjuri lands or not, will also be intrigued. And what an opportunity to explore the weather and wildlife of the Country on which your kiddos live and learn. My middle daughter, Aunty Kim at her school on Country (Lithgow PS), is passionate about teaching her students their language and culture, and even though she has learned so much over the past six years she's been living and working there, this will be still be of great value to her.

For those who are focused on a future of walking together, and who are developing their own First Nations collections mindfully, this is an extremely valuable resource.

The design is really engaging as well - with striking illustrations from Peta-Joy Williams and a sense of connection and flow throughout the book which, after all, is exactly what the learning is about - from ancestors to the present to the future, from year to year, cycle to cyle.

It's a fabulous book conceived and executed with skill by two Wiradjuri creators, making this even more significant, particularly for those little fellas who are growing up in their own Wiradjuri culture.

An outstanding 5 🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘rating for this one.

Title: giwang: Weather & Wildlife On Wiradjuri Country
Author: Belinda Bridges
Illustrator: Peta-Joy Williams
Publisher: Aboriginal Studies Press, AUD $24.95, NZD $29.99
Date of Publication: November 2025
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922752031
For ages: 5+
Type: Non-fiction

Review: Pocket Potters: Little Guides to the Harry Potter Stories

Especially for Harry Potter fans come a set of books called the Pocket Potters: Little Guides to the harry Potter Stories.

There are three titles in the series out now: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. And they're like a special gift book. Hardcover, full colour, and packed with information. 

Each book is focused on one of the characters (Harry, Hermione, or Ron). 

Working your way through the 32 pages in each book, you're treated to a potted summary of the character's experiences throughout the Harry Potter series.  

The books are highly illustrated, highlighting what's memorable or important about the character and their life at Hogwarts, and at home. 

They progress through the school years with events like being sorted into their houses, playing quidditch, and learning magical spells.

Review: Britannica All New Children's Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don't

Britannica All New Children's Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don't is divided into eight chapters and packed with facts and figures.

Did you know that more than 99.9% of species that have ever existed are not extinct?

Have you ever heard of a quark (part of a proton)?  

This is the perfect browsable encyclopedia, presented with numerous diagrams, timelines, illustrations, and infographics that give it significant visual appeal.

It covers a broad range of subjects, from the endless skies of the universe, and the wonder of the earth, to the human body, ancient history, and the potential of new and emerging technology.

Review: Ningaloo: Australia

This non-fiction picture book is itself a ‘wild wonder.’

Ningaloo – Australia’s Wild Wonder looks at the extraordinary natural phenomenon of  land and sea known as Ningaloo, and celebrates both the awe-inspiring and quiet things that make this place unique.

Penned by Australia’s beloved Tim Winton and accompanied by 100s of gorgeous, hand-painted illustrations by Cindy Lane, it’s a veritable treasure trove of surprise and information.

From itty bitty blind fish that live deep in the murky depths, to massive whale sharks in the glossy blue sea, Ningaloo features more than 50 species of aquatic and terrestrial animals and plants.

Guest Post: Aaron Uscilla on Equipping Kids with Critical Lenses: A Look at the Sayings We Use

We all do it. We pepper our conversations with little nuggets of wisdom, those common sayings passed down through generations. 

Curiosity killed the cat, we might warn a too inquisitive child. Or, Blood is thicker than water, we say to emphasize family loyalty. 

These phrases are catchy, memorable, and roll off the tongue so easily. They seem to wrap up big ideas in neat little packages.

But what if these familiar lines are only part of the story? What if the wisdom we think we are sharing is, well, a bit incomplete?