Animal Force

Written by Cerise Madsen

Illustrated by Sally Heinrich

Midnight Sun, 2026

Reviewed by Zewlan Moor

Animal Force is an exciting adventure tale for ages 8-12 which will appeal to readers for a few reasons. First of all, it is a nice slim volume, with a satisfying story complete at 122 pages. International publishers have been talking about how they want shorter books, in response to decreased attention spans in the current generation of younger readers. To me, this volume is comparable to the 130-page Apple Fiction books I grew up reading in the 80s. They were un-intimidating, yet had a meaty plot and narrative arc.

Secondly, this is a nice combination of contemporary realism and fantasy. The start of the story features 11-year-old twins, Leo and Kelly, who are travelling on the ferry over to their camping holiday on an island. From hints in the text, it appears to be the Cleveland Ferry to North Stradbroke Island. For Queensland children, this local setting will be an unusual and welcome change. Other readers will be interested to explore this sub-tropical part of the world. The characters and their dialogue are drawn in a remarkably realistic way, and the chapter titles draw the reader in. For example, Chapter 1 is called “Would You Rather? Alaskan Dog Sledders or a Bowl Full of Maggots?”

The children make friends and enjoy swimming, snorkelling and campfires on the island, while having to contend with some thoughtless people camping nearby. They have fun making sandcastles in the shape of their spirit animals. The realism gradually blends into some fantasy elements, as the children start to exhibit some startling powers when they are angered by the “feral” campers.

Thirdly, kindness and inclusion are demonstrated in interactions with one of the characters, a young boy called Wallum. Wallum is autistic and uses sign language to supplement his verbal communication. He is portrayed as an interesting and valuable member of their gang. These signs are illustrated, and will add to the appeal of the book for all those readers who like to learn secret codes.

Finally, the presentation of the book is very attractive. The cover is glossy and seems to shimmer  like the iridescent scales of the fish, although there is no spot gloss used. Sally Heinrich’s black-and-white illustrations of the spirit animals, with their scientific names, are dotted throughout the text. There is an animal cast list with a brief description, and their endangerment status and habitat listed at the back. Further information about the Ramsar wetlands, internationally protected habitats for shorebirds and sea creatures, is included. There is also a list of council and not-for-profit environmental resources and groups children and families can get involved with.

This is the debut novel of Cerise Madsen, a speech pathologist from Brisbane, who has successfully used her professional expertise to weave a tale of environmental protection and inclusion. It will appeal to fans of Candice Lemon-Scott’s Ocean Warriors: The Rise of Robo-Shark and “Eco Rangers” series; and Tina Strachan’s “Wilder Zoo” series. Reading this book reminds me of The Thing About Oliver by Deborah Kelly, which was another book from a small Australian press about autism and the ocean. That book has connected with so many children, parents and teachers, and I suspect Animal Force may spread through word-of-mouth in the same way.

Zewlan Moor is the author of Nothing Alike, The Bill Dup and Our World: Philippines. Her latest book, Say Hello Like an Armadillo is out in the US/UK in June 2026 and Australia in Summer 2026-7. Pre-order or add it to your Goodreads Want To Read shelf now!