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April 2025

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By Andrew Kelly & Hélène Magisson Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Andrew Kelly is a Melbourne environmentalist and writer of numerous children's stories including Little Lon and Peregrines in the City . Hélène Magisson is a Brisbane illustrator, originally from France where she worked

By Philip reeve Reviewed by Mia Macrossan Philip's first book was the epic YA steampunk Mortal Engines, 2001, which created a world of 'municipal Darwinism', where rampaging motorised towns and cities are on the move, attacking and eating each other, prowling around

By Billie Rooney &  Anke Noack
Reviewed by Sandy Driessens
“We share the world with many creatures. Some move by day, others by night. In a town bustling with cars and buses, kangaroos thump, thump as if to say, ‘This road is too dangerous. How can we cross to the other side?’”
Australia’s precious native animals travel to find food, shelter and safe places to breed. Whether it is on land, in the sky or in water, because of human habitation and construction, the journey is more difficult and dangerous. However, across highways, through farming land and by waterways, wildlife corridors have been and continue to be built to help these animals reach safe havens.
In her debut work, Billie Rooney has written an educational story, semi-hidden as a warm children’s picture book. She skilfully parallels the animal and human habitat and how they interact. Her use of onomatopoeia brings the animals to life with the ‘snuffle, snuffle of platypus’ and the ‘scuttle, scuttle of red crabs’. Though not rhyming, her subtle use of alliteration provides a sense of rhythm to the animals and their habitat. She closes with a description of wildlife corridors, the corridors mentioned in the story and a glossary of terms, completing the educational component.
Award-winning illustrator, Anke Noack complements the tenderness of this story with images that typify the characteristics of specific animals, in colour, texture and facial expressions. The cover and endpapers are delightful, highlighting the stars of this book. She bleeds the human habitat into the natural habitat, in double page spreads, portraying the corridors with almost architectural detail whilst softening the images with native plants.
Produced by the CSIRO, this is a beautiful educational book that will appeal to young readers. Not only does it deal with major construction it also speaks to the importance of providing havens in our own back yards. It will engage them with their surroundings and also give them hope that we can share our world safely with many creatures. It should have a special place in homes, libraries, schools and early education centres.
CSIRO Publishing 2025 Billie Rooney Anke Noack  

By Helen Milroy Reviewed by Sandy Driessens “So many joeys, puggles and pups. Let’s look after our precious bush bubs.” Australian native animals range in size, characteristics and habitat, but when we talk about their babies, with their special names, they become particularly

By Claire Saxby & Jess Racklyeft Reviewed by Sophia Evans ‘Deep in the ocean, far beyond the reach of even the brightest sun, the earth quakes.’ Thorough research is interwoven with lyrical language to bring the journey of a new mountain to life.

By Heidi Cooper Smith Reviewed by Tyrion Perkins Heidi Cooper Smith is a Brisbane based Illustrator and also author of her own picture books, Six Sleepy Mice, Too Many Ducks, Odd Sock Sid, and Secrets of the Seasons. At first glance, Hatch appears

By Angie Cui & Evie Barrow Reviewed by Mia Macrossan This clever subtle story, so beautifully extended by its sensitive illustrations, is a perfect package of artful storylelling, emotional engagement and gorgeous artwork. It's a remarkable achievement for Melbourne based debut author

By Charlotte Barkla Reviewed by Margaret McKay Lowndes Charlotte Barkla has structured her historical fiction series around a single address, 11 Ruby Road, and 1925 is the second instalment, the first having been set in 1900. In this story, the first family

By Tull Suwannakit Reviewed by Lara Cain Gray Tull Suwannakit is best known in the children’s fiction world as an illustrator. His work has always included rich visual storytelling, but he is now emerging as an impressive writer, too. Higher Ground is clearly

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