Just So Stories

I seem to have collected a few so here’s the round-up of all I have left for this year – every single one of utmost excellence as we know we will get from this publishing house, and all of them with subject matter that will engage, fascinate and inform kiddos.

Every Rock has a Story: An A to Z of Australian Geology – Kitty van Cuylenburg. Illustrated by: Cher Hart

ISBN: 9781486316731

RRP: $32.99

I don’t think there are many kiddos who won’t stop to pick up an interesting rock – or, indeed, dig in the soil, garden, beach, wherever in the hopes of finding something interesting. Some adults are the same [that could be just us I’m talking about].

For your mid- to upper-primary kiddos this is a treat worth offering whether they are rock-hounds or not. Almost 70 pages of exploring all manner of geological wonders of our country whether landforms, processes or types of rocks and minerals. Each double spread has an image of the subject, several paragraphs of info, a couple of sidebar fun facts or extras, beautiful watercolour illos/diagrams/maps as well as location. Backmatter includes an overal map of locations, timeline, glossary and acknowledgements – and it has stunning endpapers! What more could one desire? It’s a 5 🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨rating for about Year 3 to Year 6/7.

Introduction
A – Artesian
B – Bald Rock
C – Crater
D – Dolerite
E – Earthquake
F – Fossils
G – Granite
H – Halite
I – Island
J – Jointing
K – Kosciuszko
L – Limestone
M – Mount Augustus/Burringurrah
N – Nugget
O – Opals
P – Pink Diamond
Q – Quarry
R – Resources
S – Stromatolites
T – Talbot Bay/Ganbadba
U – Uluru
V – Volcanoes
W – Wave Rock/Katter Kich
X – Xenolith
Y – You
Z – Zircon
Map of locations
Timeline
Glossary
Acknowledgements
View the full table of contents (PDF, 772KB).

Wombat Poos are Square – Sophie Gillies. Karen Erasmus

April 2025 | $ 26.99
ISBN: 9781486318759

While I have a real problem with children’s fiction that depends on an over-use of poo/fart jokes, an engaging narrative non-fiction that offers younger kiddos a highly accessible entrée into some biological facts is very different. This entertaining rhyming book will have your Smalls fixated on animal poos and how to identify them, so be prepared for an influx [perhaps I need a better word there] of poo-related ‘did you know’s…….’. The refrain of ‘wombat poos are square’ will delight them as this is always a fact that they relish and repeat ad nauseum to anyone standing still long enough to hear it. I love that there are animals with which they might not be familiar, either in person or by name such as the potoroo and the quenda. The backmatter follows up the rhyme with short factual paragraphs about each critter and its poo and a glossary. Again with stunning endpapers – terrific text and gorgeous illustrations. What more to say it’s a steaming pile-up 5 💩💩💩💩💩 rating for Smalls from Prep to around Year 3.

The Wonderful World of Carnivorous Plants- Suzanne Houghton

April 2025 | $ 26.99
ISBN: 9781486319527

The Kid who adores plants and has a bedroom that looks far more like a conservatory, has tried unsuccessfully with carnivorous plants a couple of times. Like her mother before her, who was also fascinated by these, she doesn’t have any luck but that doesn’t diminish her interest in them.

I know many children are also intrigued by these ferocious plants and love to hear about them and read about them. Suzanne Houghton is an expert in creating narrative non-fiction that has readers fully engaged from the first line and this is no exception.

Special call-out first up for the endpapers as the unwary insect travels across the book heading for a Venus flytrap until ‘yummm’! Some of your kiddos will know that one by name if not by sight and also the pitcher plant but not as many will be familiar with some of the others [nor me!] e.g. the byblis and waterwheel plants.

Whether it’s sticky leaves that cause the sticky end or perhaps some other method, all kiddos love to hear these somewhat gruesome endings for unsuspecting insects. Now they can also discover the important role these plants play in the ecosystem and their symbiotic relationships with other organisms. This is a terrific one for either general interest or to supplement units of inquiry on living things, with backmatter of extended information and glossary. It’s a definite 5 🌿🪰🌿🐜🌿rating for readers from Prep upwards.

The Great Shark Egg Case Hunt – Kasey Whitelaw. Sylvia Morris.

October 2025 | $ 26.99
ISBN: 9781486318308

You might think that the amount of time I spend on beaches and living a five minute walk away from some, I should have found at least one shark egg case. Nope! It’s on my bucket list for sure, just for the pure fascination of these.

This book has so much to offer and not just in terms of the actual subject matter. I love that it’s focused on kids being citizen scientists, finding specimens, identifying these and recording them for the purpose of compiling knowledge and protecting species.

I had not heard of the Great Eggcase Hunt prior to this but you can be sure, I am now redoubling my efforts in my pursuit of the elusive shark (or, close relatives – skate or chimaera) eggcases. This explains to readers not only what to look for but how to handle (or not), record and report their findings. Alongside that there are references to other marine creatures, which the kiddos will also relish.

There is extended information on the species mentioned throughout, a glossary and info plus QR code on the Great Eggcase Hunt in the backmatter. Great text pitched well at the intended audience from Kasey Whitelaw and, as always, Sylvia Morris’ delightful illustrations – their soft tonings really suit the ocean vibe of this one. It’s a sharky 5 🦈🦈🦈🦈🦈rating for readers from around Year 2 up to end of Year 6/7 – would make a great class project for those living in the right locations!

Main story
Meet the egg-ceptional egg-layers
Egg case discoveries in our story
Glossary
More information about the Great Eggcase Hunt
Be careful and kind
Acknowledgements

The Very Stinky Fly Hunt – Andrea Wild. Karen Erasmus.

November 2025 | $ 26.99
ISBN: 9781486318308

Okay, so judge me – I don’t like flies. There! I’ve said it. We live in a house in Queensland with no screens on any window or door. Flies and mozzies are the bane of my existence.

However, that does not mean I can’t appreciate that someone who devotes their scientific pursuits to learning more about these irritating – sorry, interesting insects is working on improving our knowledge of how these insects help in the ecosystems and their importance to biodiversity.

For kids, the fact that the fly is the very stinky one, and that Dr Keith is hunting it down in toilets will be the icing on the cake [sorry, not sorry about that imagery].

Based on the real-life scientific activities of Dr Keith Bayless, dipterist [new word for me – how about you?] whose job is studying our country’s 25 000 species of flies (!!!!!!!! 25k!!!!!!!!!), of which less than 7 000 have been given a scientific name – [I guess, the rest are just ‘Hey you! over there buzzing!’] – that in itself is a fact worth hearing.

There is backmatter info on Keith, Clisa Australis aka The Very Stinky Fly, a glossary and a list of dipterist’s equipment for any children keen to start exploring poo for samples [I shudder at the very thought – thank goodness The Kid is past her mini-Attenborough stage].

Your readers will love it for the quirky grossness of it all but they will also be quite intrigued by the information offered up. Another great addition to either general reading or curriculum support, it’s of course got a 5 🪰💩🪰💩🪰rating for kids from around Year 2 to Year 4ish.

Look, See, Find Me – Sandra Severgnini

November 2025 | $ 26.99
ISBN: 9781486319886

This latest from one of my favourite local creators will be much loved by your kiddos who all love to be visual detectives, and all of whom are fascinated by camouflaging animals – certainly, I’ve never come across a kid who wasn’t thus.

Sandra’s gift for illustration is a byword in excellence and in these images, as her, also excellent, rhyming text invites the reader to find the ‘hidden’ creature, young readers will enter into the hunt with alacrity.

Ranging from the larger Western screech-owl to mid-size chameleons of different types to much smaller critters such stick insects [always one of The Kid’s favourite pets – so many mini-creatures we’ve raised], there’s something here to fascinate any child no matter their preference for tricky creatures.

I am especially glad to see the orchid mantis which I’ve always thought so beautiful, and some delightful seahorses. Following up with more extended information including more about each mentioned species and camouflage in general plus the glossary and some fun endpapers, it’s always a given that Sandra’s books are top-shelf so it’s a not-so-well-hidden 5 🔎🔎🔎🔎🔎rating for kids around lower-mid primary – excellent addition to your UoI on Living Creatures and complementary topics.