Our World of Wild Wonders

By Jevita Nilson & Jess Racklyeft

Reviewed by Mia Macrossan

This is a companion to Our World Full of Wonder by the same creators which focused on natural wonders. Here they explore a careful selection of wild animals that inhabit our world. As stated in the Wild Facts page ‘animals have evolved unique feature and behaviours to help them thrive‘ and each animal chosen has guaranteed appeal for young readers.

Twelve interesting or exotic animals ranging from Madagascar to the Mariana Trench are featured, all illustrated in Jess Racklyeft inimitable warm and appealing style. We see innumerable Monarch butterflies resting, an echidna taking refuge from a wildfire, a raft of sea otters floating in the kelp forests of the Pacific Coast, a murmuration of starlings in Britain, a lone leopard lurking in the grass searching for food and more.

Jevita’s text is brief, descriptive, painting a word picture enhanced by bold illustrations. She is partial to alliteration which peppers every text: herds of hooves, a flock of flamingos forages for food, winter winds whip across the ice, glide like ghosts, fierce fangs, a blizzard blusters and more. This gives the language a lilting quality which makes it easy and attractive to read aloud. Teachers looking for examples to show a class will find this book a treasure trove.

For the science and nature enthusiasts the Wild Facts page has a map showing the location of each animal and gives more specific details and the final page is a useful glossary.

This charming book deserves a place in any school or home library.

CSIRO Publishing 2025

Jevita Nilson

Jess Racklyeft