Just So Stories

Harper Collins Australia

April 2026

• Imprint: HarperCollins AU
• ISBN: 9781460766743
• RRP: $24.99

As the winter draws in, it’s getting closer to whale season in Queensland which will be particularly exciting this year as one of The Kid’s 21st birthday presents from me is a voucher to swim with the whales, and I think it will be quite the memorable experience for her. We see the whales off-shore often and she’s even surfed in relatively close proximity, and it’s not just us that has a fascination, respect and even reverence for these amazing creatures. Children have long been intrigued by whales both in fiction and fact and this beautiful book, so thoughtfully created by two masterful exponents of their respective crafts will be an absolute winner.

As an inclusion in any life cycle unit it will be a marvellous addition but the gloriously rich poetic language and the stunning illustrations will provide the most wonderful impetus for students’ own creativity.

We know well Claire Saxby’s ability to produce quality narrative non-fiction (and of course her fiction and poetry!) but there is a vast amount of research and personal learning involved as she describes the process of this particular whale’s end and the continuation of other life that it generates.

Her mention of the literary concept of ‘viewpoint character’ will be an immensely valuable teaching opportunity for your more able students including right into the secondary English classroom, along with the scientific elements and the connectivity of us all with the ocean and its inhabitants. HC’s brilliance in including this explanatory video from Claire demonstrates just how this can slip into so many learning experiences from various angles.

Children such as those in our local schools who are very much involved with the EcoMarines initiative, as well as those who live far inland away from the ocean will relish this virtual expedition into the depths via Peter Cheong’s striking illustrations echo the colours, the depths, the shallows, the palette of colours across the creatures mentioned.

All of this is wrapped up in an utterly beautiful textured landscape format binding which takes this book to another level altogether by the illusion of the wide expanse of the sea between two covers – just a triumph all round this one! An unreserved leviathan 5 🐋🐋🐋🐋🐋rating for this one and a round of applause for both creators and publisher – watch for this one on award lists.