Just So Stories

Harper Collins Australia

June 2023

• ISBN: 9781803705286
• ISBN 10: 1803705280
• Imprint: Usborne GB
• RRP: $19.99

by Alex Frith  Jerome Martin  Alice James  Tom Mumbray  Lan Cook  Micaela Tapsell

Illustrated by Federico Mariani Dominique Byron Shaw Nielsen

This is very much the type of book my nerdy child-self loved, and which so many children still love. Jam-packed with fascinating facts that are wildly diverse in nature, and, like a box of chocolates, that one can dip into randomly and pick out a choice morsel for consumption.

Yesterday, after a day in the library, I had a year 4 class for the afternoon, and after they had finished their task we spent the last 15 minutes of the day, exploring this book – much to their interest.

Had we a little more time, I have no doubt we might have spent quite some time as there were so many choice tidbits from which to choose, and I would also have invited kiddos to pick out one they were particularly interested in, but as it was, I chose and was quite random in my choices.

We explored the mystery of the Sphinx, Yetis (very popular and much discussion on other humanoid cryptids such as Big Foot and I also enlightened them as to our own home-grown version, the yowie), what do scientists know about the colour of dinosaur feathers and more.

This is a perfect choice for kiddos from around 8 or 9 years upwards, makes a terrific gift as well as being a super-handy filler for those odd moments when you want a little brain break in the classroom