Just So Stories

Walker Books Australia

July 2025

ISBN13:9781760655679

Australia RRP:$26.99

New Zealand RRP:$28.99

You know before you even open the book that it’s going to be magnificent when the Christopher Cheng name is on the cover. And with quolls excitingly in the news in the last few months, this is a very timely and most excellent new book to add to your collection, and your UoI on Australian/Endangered Animals. [Just look at these great shots from Canberra!]

Christopher has created a wonderful narrative non-fiction book for readers who will be both enthralled by the facts about these scrappy little warriors but also inspired by the lyrical narrative descriptions of this mumma quoll going about her business along with her sweet litter.

The sun is hiding behind distant hills.

The moon follows the sun and soon the blue-black sky is painted with glittering stars.

Nocturnal songs greet the moonlight.

A symphony of croaking, chirping, creaking, scratching.

Does it get any better than that for an opening?

Each spread has a narrative thread in this same almost poetic vein, which will lend itself beautifully to some springboard creative writing on the part of your kiddos. And matched with each is a short factual paragraph (cleverly in a different font), while the whole is absolutely smashing it with the stellar illustrations from Cindy Lane. Also – delightful endpapers! Need to get that mention in. The backmatter has more info plus an index which is a great teaching point as well. Speaking of which there are teaching notes available.

Overall, as you would expect from the extraordinarily talented Christopher Cheng, this a top-notch QUOLL-ity book [sorry, not sorry – it begged to be written!].

Given the dearth of Aussie animal emojis I need to be creative here with my 5 🌛🌛🌛🌛🌛rating [because quolls hunt at night of course!]. I would suggest that it’s eminently suitable for kiddos from around Year 1 up to end of primary.

If you haven’t already, get this one on your orders list and …stand by because I hope to be reviewing Chris’ new picture book in the very near future – yayyy!