Just So Stories

CSIRO Publishing

October 2024 | $ 24.99
ISBN: 9781486317875 

Some readers might recall another froggy book I reviewed recently where I also shared our personal love of our amphibian friends. So, quite naturally, I was delighted to be able to review this one especially when these two outstanding creators have paired up. As you would expect, this is a joy from start to finish. From the endpapers which are a catalogue of native frogs, to the rhyming narrative non-fiction that delivers information of all kinds in an engaging and easily digested way.

In slithery eggs, a male frog crouches.

Tadpoles soon hatch and then enter his pouches.

Inside those two pockets they turn into frogs,

then jump off and scatter to hide under logs.

Pouched frog

Readers will not only learn about our various frogs and their habits but also be encouraged to care for the environment to provide safe havens for frogs as well as learn how to create a frog hotel and frog-friendly garden. The backmatter also includes more detailed information about our various frog species and their needs, as well as a glossary.

What a superb addition to any classroom unit on science/biology, native animals and being eco-warriors. With some additional teaching notes to round it off, it’s a perfect jumping off text into your next scientific adventure.