Somewhere for Little Bear by Britta Teckentrup

Publisher blurb: Little Bear lives happily in his cozy cave deep in the woods. He loves picking berries in the day, listening to the birds sing under his favourite tree in the evenings, and curling up comfily on his soft leaves to sleep each night. But when Bear wakes up one morning to find his beloved forest ablaze, he must make a quick escape, away from his cozy cave, friendly faces and the comforts he knows. He walks and walks in search of somewhere new to call home but finds he's not welcome in the places that look most familiar to him. Feeling hopeless and alone, Little Bear must journey even further into the unknown. And only in the most unfamiliar of places, does the kindness of new animal friends lead Little Bear to discover the true meaning of home . . .

"I must be brave ... I must find somewhere new to call home."

But there are rabbits in the burrow, a family of foxes under the leaves behind the log; and some delicious berries but oh no a wild boar has claimed them. Little Bear walks and walks and eventually he reaches a different forest - a place where he is made welcome - a new home at last. 

This is a book you could share with a preschool group or sitting beside your own young reading companion. The illustrations are so special, and the story demonstrates the power of kindness. 

If your library budget allows, I highly recommend adding books illustrated and by Britta Teckentrup to your collection. Her name is a label on this post - if you click that link you will see lots of her other books that I have featured here on this blog. 

Here in Australia our Grade 4 students have a unit of work about bushfires as part of their Geography studies. I have a Pinterest with other books that explore this natural disaster and its impact on our Australian bush and animals.

Here is another book about little bear:

It’s cold in the woods, and it’s time for Little Bear to start his winter sleep. But not before he says good night to all of his special forest friends—badger, deer, rabbit, mouse, fox, owl, squirrel, and wolf. Now Little Bear can happily fall asleep in his warm and cozy den all snuggled up to his mother . . . knowing that his friends will watch out for him during his long winter’s sleep.

Scout and the Rescue Dogs by Dianne Wolfer

Scout's mum has died and because her dad is a long-distance truck driver, Scout is now at boarding school. As is often the way with boarding school stories Scout feels lost and she is also bullied. Luckily, as the story opens, the Christmas holidays are beginning and here in Australia that means Scout can leave school behind for the next five or six weeks. In the first week, leading up to Christmas, Scout joins her dad as he drives through Northern Victoria and Southern NSW with a delivery of dog food which has been donated by a philanthropist. 

At each animal shelter Scout meets some sweet dogs and other rescued animals including a baby wombat. The owners of the various shelters explain why dogs are left and how desperate they are to find new owners for these pets. Scout is a girl of action. She can see some of these dogs would be fabulous companions for other long-haul drivers like her father. Her class teacher has set up a pen pal assignment for the summer holidays and Scout is matched with a kind girl called Anika. Together, via email, they design a website for the rescue dogs and (spoiler alert) Scout finds the perfect little dog to join her own family.

Meanwhile ferocious bushfires are engulfing enormous parts of Southern Australia. The air is filled with smoke and Scout and her dad have to race home and prepare their own house in case the fire reaches the town where they live. If you are book talking Scout and the Rescue Dogs you could read aloud pages 198-203 which describe the fire coming so close to their home. I have a Pinterest of other books that explore bushfires here in Australia. 

"Shelters full of pets as rental crisis bites" Sydney Morning Herald 23 March, 2024 by Tim Barlass

By coincidence, our Sydney Morning Herald newspaper had an article today about animal shelters and the huge number of dogs and cats being surrendered. This is an issue which is explored in Scout and the Rescue Dogs. In the article today the animals are taken to rescue centres because their owners need to be able to rent somewhere to live and having a dog or cat is not looked on favorably by landlords. In Scout and the Rescue Dogs - dogs and cats are taken there when they turn out to be unwanted Christmas presents. And there is also the horrendous issue of illegal puppy farms and the urgent rescue of very badly mistreated dogs. 

Scout and the Rescue dogs has been shortlisted by the CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) in the Younger Readers category.

Here are the judges' comments: Realistically set during the 2019/20 bushfires, this book journeys with Scout and her dad as they deliver donations of dog food to animal shelters throughout southeastern 

Australia. The bushfires and the geographical details related to their travels are accurately presented. Grieving the loss of her mum, sparked by their travels, the people they meet and a school friendship project, Scout develops a website to connect shelter dogs with truck drivers needing company. Responsible internet use, described throughout the text is commendable and age appropriate. Including creative design features, this fictional narrative is heartwarming and uplifting, dealing sensitively with topics of parental loss, environmental threat, bullying and separation balanced by optimism and the love Scout shares with her father and with animals.

Strengths

• Scout has an authentic voice.
• Scout is a problem solver and her idea of matching shelter dogs with long distance truck drivers is practical and realistic.
• There is an interesting side story in this book about girls and STEM, fostering curiosity and hobbies like rock collecting.
• Adult readers will well remember the dreadful bushfires referred to in this story.
• The urgency of the bushfire danger, Christmas celebrations and the delivery of donated dog food to various animal shelters is an effective device which moves the plot along at a good pace.
• Scout and her dad have a warm relationship, but I did find all the 'dad' jokes a little tedious at times. On the other hand, you could use these with a group of students in your library as a way to introduce the lighter side of this story.
• The concept of philanthropy is one that is worth exploring with upper primary readers.
• You could use this book to explore maps of Southern NSW and Northern Victoria - in fact I kept hoping the book might contain a map because I was very keen to follow their journey.

Dianne Wolfer has a generous selection of photos of dogs in trucks here. 

Weaknesses

• Is this book worthy of our most prestigious award? I think it is an enjoyable story which I would happily recommend to a reader aged 10+ but there is nothing here that excited me. I look for books that stretch a reader; that contain a rich vocabulary; and that involve deep emotions.
• The CBCA criteria under Literary merit says:  The language exhibits breadth and variety of vocabulary and precision. And under the Theme heading: Ideas and messages within the narrative are skilfully presented and crafted. The reader can recognise the themes or develop a fresh perspective. I was not able to apply these criteria to this book.
• This story is very Australian and very location and time specific - I am not sure it will appeal to, or translate to, an international audience which is something I always hope will happen with our CBCA winners.
• At times all the extra issues in this book felt quite overwhelming - climate change; puppy farms; koalas burnt in bushfires; struggling farmers; death of a parent; animal rights; injuries to firefighters, and animal euthanasia. 

Here are some very brief teachers notes from Scholastic. Here is a review from The Bottom Shelf. 

Read these reviews for more plot details:

The talented Dianne Wolfer has created an interesting chapter book full of innovative thoughts and ideas around the importance of considering properly, what is involved in choosing a dog or giving one as a gift. Kids' Book Review

Dianne Wolfer has written an engaging, heartwarming novel that touches on some big topics, including the death of a parent and dangerous bushfires (the terrible 2019/2020 summer bushfires are used as background context). While it is confronting in parts and doesn't shy away from honestly discussing these issues it carries a lightness courtesy of Scout and her father's loving relationship, a lovely smattering of dad jokes, Aussie slang and cultural references to summer cricket, Christmas traditions and road trip sights and sounds. Read Plus

Scout and the Rescue Dogs by Dianne Wolfer with illustrations by Tony Flowers is oozing with community spirit in the face of adversity, layered, authentic and endearing characters, a glimpse into the world of community outreach by truckies and gorgeous dogs needing to find their forever homes. This story seamlessly weaves together in a riveting and non-didactic way many themes including, the truckie community full of heart and spirit making deliveries during the 2019-20 Victorian bushfires, climate change, responsible pet ownership, puppy farms, a positive father daughter relationship, grief and loss. Reading Opens Doors

See other books by Dianne Wolfer including these ones which I really enjoyed. She has written a huge range of titles including picture books, picture books for older readers and novels:

The Dog with Seven names

CBCA Book of the Year Early Childhood 2014

Koala Ark by Stephen Michael King

"It came fast and without warning. The smouldering embers drifted into a smoky mist. There was great concern for the billabong friend."

The bushfire has arrived. Koala has a boat - an ark - and he sets off to collect all of his friends so they can be taken to a safe place. 

An ark! The original ark was filled with animals gathered by Noah - but in this book the disaster is not a flood it is a huge bushfire and the hero is not a man, it is a small, but heroic koala.

I love the spare text in this book and the hand drawn, fine line illustrations which on every page beautifully extend the text. Every face in this book conveys enormous emotion. Readers from other countries will be introduced to words such as billabong and Australian animals such as the Hopping Mouse, galah, bowerbird, tawny frogmouth, lorikeets, black cockatoos, and the bandicoot. 

The opening end paper of Koala Ark is presented as an aerial or bird's eye view of small islands near the coast of the Southern Ocean. Each area is inhabited by a different  group of animals. The landscape is lush and green. Then on the next page there is a huge orange and yellow image. You may immediately think, as I did, of fire.  On the title page we can see koala island and koalas enjoying their daily life but something is coming - a bushfire. On the final end paper the viewer zooms in even closer and it is clear the danger has passed and the koalas are once again able to enjoy their small patch of precious habitat.  The end paper images in Koala Ark reminded me of the images by Stephen Michael King for the story Up the Creek from Beetle Soup by Robin Morrow illustrated by Stephen Michael King (1997). 

Read the true life events that inspired Stephen Michael King to write this book. Sales of this book will be used to support: Koalas in Care  and Aussie Ark/ Koala Ark Project.

Companion reads:

You could also compare the bushfire images in Koala Ark with an earlier book by Stephen Michael King - Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle:

Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle

Take a look at my Pinterest collection of picture books about Bushfires here in Australia.

Sunshine by Marion Dane Bauer

When Ben was just three years old his mother left. One day she was there the next she was gone. Ben has spent his life wondering. Why did she leave? Did he do something wrong? Is there something he could do to persuade her to come back? Is any of this connected with his own anxiety? Ben is afraid of heights and the dark.

One of the ways Ben has been able to cope with his life circumstances is through the deep friendship of his beloved dog named Sunshine. 

Now that he is older Ben asks his father if he can spend a week staying with his mother. She lives on a very remote, off grid island in the middle of north Minnesota. His father takes him to meet his mother and she arrives in a small canoe. The journey to her home will take several hours and about half way the canoe will need to be portaged (or carried across some land) before the journey can continue.

Very early in the book though, readers are given a hint or two about Sunshine. Ben reaches out to pat her and his father says "you're doing it again, aren't you?". Doing what? Later in the cafe Ben drops a few cold chips for Sunshine:

"Ben drops another French Fry on the floor. It lands next to the first, pale and limp, but Sunshine, lying with her chin on her paws, doesn't even glance at it. He likes to feed her leftovers, but she not much for eating them."

Wait a minute - do you know any dog who would leave a chip, even a cold chip, lying on the floor? Then Ben steps into the canoe and realises his dog is missing. 

"Why did he think he needed to go looking for Sunshine anyway? She's there. Just the way she always is. Right in front of him ... "

Perhaps you have worked out something about Sunshine (read the Kirkus review for plot details). Over the course of a few days with his mother Ben will learn things about himself and more importantly things about his mother and the events from her past that lead her to leave her precious young son. This is a very moving, deeply engrossing and emotional story. It is a short book with 193 pages so I read it all in one session. Readers who love dogs will recognise the relationship between Ben and Sunshine. I really enjoyed the vivid outdoor scenes on the island and the mention of Loons - birds I found fascinating when I lived in Canada.

The Kirkus Star review says: Richly character driven, immersive, evocative, and painfully sad, this effort can’t fail to move young readers. Ben and his family seem to be White.  An outstanding exploration of childhood trauma from a masterful author.

This book is for every child who has been abandoned and for every child who has been hit.  This book is for every child who believed they were the reason the bad things happened to them. An adventure in the wilderness and an adventure in the pain of children whose parents have let them down, this is the story of any child who cries on the inside and aches to be loved and wanted. A Book and a Hug

Readers who enjoy the outdoors, will find Ben and his mother’s exploration of this pristine an remote island appealing — like Ben’s first encounter with the lake’s loons and a mother bear and her baby. The week is one big adventure for Ben and he discovers he can be resourceful and brave. Children's Books Heal

Companion reads:

October, October

Small as an Elephant

The Secrets we Keep

Years ago I read these two books - terrific junior verse novels - so I have had the name Marion Dane Bauer in my mind and that is what led me to firstly add Sunshine to my very long "to read" list and then later, just this week, to buy it because the $28 hardcover was reduced to less than $10!

Little Dog Lost

Little Cat's Luck

One Potoroo by Penny Jaye and Alicia Rogerson

"Under a slab of granite, pressed tight against the earth, there is a young potoroo. His toes are burned. His tail is scorched. His heart still races from the flames."

A lightning strike has ignited a bush fire in the scrub. The injured potoroo is rescued by two gentle hands. Once he has healed the potoroo will need to return to the right habitat. It needs to be a place with granite boulders but no pythons and no foxes and no feral cats. "Somewhere with deep leaf litter and truffles."

One Potoroo is a non fiction book but the text is presented as a narrative. US Author Melissa Stewart defines Narrative Non-Fiction as “prose that tells a true story or conveys an experience. This style of writing appeals to fiction lovers because it includes real characters and settings; narrative scenes; and, ideally, a narrative arc with rising tension, a climax, and denouement. … it generally features a chronological sequence text structure”.  The themes of nature conservation, bushfire survival, and habitat are so important and very well explored in this text. The illustrations are very appealing especially the rock textures, the red bottle brush flowers and the close ups of the potoroo. I like the subtle change between the front and back end papers from bushfire destruction to the regrowth of flowers and small plants.

There are four species of potoroo: Gilbert’s potoroo; Long-footed potoroo; Broad-faced potoroo; Long-nosed potoroo. One Potoroo features a Gilbert's Potoroo from Two People's Bay in Western Australia. Sadly this sweet little creature is the world's most endangered marsupial. There may be as few as 100 to 120 Gilbert's Potoroos left. The Broad-faced potoroo is considered extinct. The Long-nosed potoroo has a conservation status of 'near threatened' and the Long-footed potoroo has a conservation listing of 'vulnerable". 

The Gilbert's potoroo is name after John Gilbert the scientist who first studied it in the 1800s. 

Read more here. And at the back of the book One Potoroo there are two pages of facts and information about rescue and conservation programs.  See inside this book here.  Here is the web site for the illustrator Alicia Rogerson. Her art reminded me of Mallee Sky illustrated by Tannya Harricks.

The striking nature of the illustrations support the emotions of the story. They immerse the reader in the scenery of the West Australian bush, making us feel that we’re right there caught up in the tense predicament of this brave marsupial. Reading Time

This book is a CBCA Eve Pownall notable title for 2022. 

Gilbert’s Potoroo is a small nocturnal marsupial which lives in small groups or colonies, slightly smaller than a rabbit, with a dense coat of soft grey-brown fur. With furry jowls, large eyes and an almost hairless tail, it weighs in at around a kilogram. Backyard Buddies

I love the idea of book pairs and it is even better when you can pair a non fiction book with a fiction picture book as you can with these two - One Potoroo and Miss Lilly's Fabulous Pink Feather Boa. 

Here is my previous post about Miss Lilly's Pink Feather Boa. This is a story of friendship and redemption.

You could also compare One Potoroo with Sebastian lives in a hat.

Christmas is coming to Australia read Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle

Begin by reading the opening words of Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle by Glenda Millard illustrated by Stephen Michael King. Read them slowly:

"One orange evening, tiger-striped with blackened trees, a pig sat, reminiscing."

One of the most beautiful ways a young child can acquire new words is through stories, through books, and specifically through picture books. Look at these words - tiger-striped, blackened, and that exquisite word reminiscing. 

"the raging bushfire had come and licked the earth bare."

"Night fell as dark as burnt toast, except the holes where the starlight leaked through."

Little Applesauce is feeling low. Bushfires have destroyed nearly everything and so Joe and Marigold are now living in a shed and yes, a new baby is coming. The Shepard family live high in the hills. Young Billy Shepherd notices a star which is shining above Joe and Marigold's home. The family climb into their ute and head down to visit. Applesauce is convinced there will be no Christmas this year but she is so wrong. The Shepherd family have arrived and then another old battered car rolls up. Inside are Marigold's three elderly aunties and they seem to have gifts. There is a plum pudding; some shortbread; and a fruit crate. Joe puts some hay into the crate and Marigold comes out of the shed.

"Marigold carried a bundle in her arms. ... Applesauce inched closer - there on the hay was a baby!"

Yesterday we looked at Wombat Divine which told of preparations for a Nativity play. Here we have another way of telling the Nativity story.  The combination of Glenda Millard who is a master wordsmith, with Stephen Michael King and his delicate art, have created a book that is just perfect in every way.  One thing to especially notice when you find this book (I am sure it will be in most libraries) is the way Stephen controls your reading pace. Twice he inserts wordless pages where you can pause and wonder. Australian children will recognise the references to gumnuts; cockatoos; the illustration of an echidna; the ute; yabbies; damper; and the images of a bushfire ravaged landscape. I'd like to think if you are reading this book in a different country you could take a little time to research these if you are lucky enough to be reading this book in a school or library. 

If your child is familiar with the traditional nativity story they are sure to appreciate this book on an even deeper level.

• Joe - Joseph
• Marigold - Mary
• Three old Aunties - Three wise men
• The Shepherd family - the shepherds minding their flock of sheep
• A flock of cockatoos - the angels on high

And we have the star, and the stable and the birth of a special baby.

Sadly Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle is now out of print. It was first published in 2008. I hope the publisher considers producing an anniversary edition in 2023 perhaps. You can see some art from this book here. 

I have not really talked about book dedications here on my blog but I do like the words inscribed in this book by Glenda Millard: "In loving memory of my Nana, Florence Alice, with thanks for silver sixpences, plump plum puddings and Christmases that came from the heart."

The illustrations in this book are some of my favourites. They capture the softness of the season, including a double page spread (no words) of a star filled sky. The soft blue washes and sparkling stars are juxtaposed against a desolate, post bushfire landscape. The intensity of the fire is only seen on the endpapers (please take a look at those endpapers). Stephen Michael King

Applesauce discovers that Christmas does not need to be all about glitzy decorations, fancy foods and expensive presents. 

It does indeed come from the heart.

The Fire Wombat by Jackie French and Danny Snell

 

Every word in this book is liquid gold and every page turn carefully paced. Here are a few lines from the text:

"Everything they'd known was grey - A crumbling ash and smoke-smudged day."

"But now the weeping sky gave rain, sweeping off black fire's stain."

As the story opens the bushfire has started and it is moving quickly. The animals awake to the sound and smell of smoke and flame. Larger and more agile animals flee - kangaroos and cockatoos. Others borrow deep into the dirt - echidnas or seek shelter in underground tunnels - wombats. Once the fire storm has passed we see the small animals emerging from their safe place. The trees are all destroyed and the earth is scorching hot. With burnt paws we see the wombat stumbling on searching for water and food. The creek bed is dry and the wombat collapses but overnight there is a miracle. Humans have dropped food for the animals, including carrots, a favourite of all wombats along with precious water. 

When you see the name Jackie French on the cover of a book you know you are in the safe hands of a master storyteller. And of course we all know how much Jackie loves wombats.

After reading Death of a Wombat (a book for much older students) many years ago I am somewhat sensitive to books about bushfires and their impact on our Australian wildlife especially on small slower moving creatures like wombats. Luckily you can see from the cover that the wombat in this book (thanks Danny Snell) is smiling and that the bushfire has passed - notice the black tree stump and the black tree trunks in the background. The other important thing to notice is the regrowth. That is an amazing feature of our native flora - the way it quite quickly recovers after horrendous fires. Within days, it seems, new shoots appear.

The Fire Wombat is a CBCA 2021 Notable book. I am certain it will make the short list of six picture books which will be announced on 30th March. 

I have talked about Bushfires in a previous post.

Here are some teachers notes for The Fire Wombat. 

I would pair this book with these:

Bindi by Kirli Saunders illustrated by Dub Leffler

Bindi is eleven and as school begins she has a feeling:

something

about this year

feels different

there's a change in the wind

and I'm excited

to find out

what it is ...

Bindi comes from a beautiful family. They share culture and country and at school Aunt Lindy talks to the children about "the importance of caring for Country that you sit on, and the Country you belong to. Aunt Lindy explains listening deeply means haring from the heart, hearing with more than ears."

Bindi finds a beautiful bird a black cockatoo or garrall. He is badly injured but with care Bindi and her family nurse him back to health and while the final release scenes are very sad they are also triumphant. Our climate can be harsh and it is not long before bushfires arrive. Bindi's house, built by grandfather is saved but other homes in her street are destroyed:

we wander the shards of our street

finding roofs bent

over smouldering bedframes

globular glass hints

at stained-window histories

melted water tanks

chatter stories about the tinder-dry earth

When you pick up this book to read or if you loan it to a reader in a school library I have an odd suggestion.  I would copy the final pages which contain the Gundungurra Word List to keep beside you as you read. I really appreciated the use of authentic language in this book but constantly flipping from front to back meant I lost some of the rhythm of the verse novel narrative. 

I adore verse novels and Bindi is up there with the best. The power of this parred back writing comes from fragments of text are able to convey enormous emotions and catastrophic life events.  I marvel at the skill it takes to write in this way:

Then Mum shares a story from her childhood - one of shelling peas by the dulang (river) with Nan Hoskins. From a time when she was safe and grounded by her community who cared for Country, taking only what they needed sprouting the land with careful back burns. 

And for a moment,

I forget

that Mum was taken.

Binid was published by Magabala Books in 2020. I do hope it arrived in time to be submitted for our CBCA Book of the Year awards. I am sure this is a book that will be selected for the 2021 Notables list and from there it is sure to appear on the short list. Here is an interview by Joy Lawn where she talks  with Dub Leffler about Bindi.  Read more about Kirli Saunders and Dub Leffler. Discover more about Kirli and her creative process here.

The Death of a Wombat by Ivan Smith illustrated by Clifton Pugh

"Before noon more than twelve hundred square miles of 

bushland will be totally destroyed."

"The wombat comes from a pleasant family, fussy and gentle, slowminded, and polite."

"Everything likes a waddler."

Tuesday Treasure

The Death of a Wombat was originally a radio documentary presented in 1959. Sadly this is another one of the books that was recently discarded from my former school library along with the audio recording (a treasured vinyl LP record). Luckily I have my own copy of the book and I was able to find the audio is still available.

This is a deeply moving story with exquisite language.

Here are the first lines:

"It is night.
The moon is there.
The story begins in dry bushland,
bristling from the rough skin of Australia."

A piece of glass sits in the sun. By noon the fire will be raging.

This is not a book to share with a young child but this moving tale and amazing art should be shared with older groups in upper Primary and High School.

"Dozens of his koala cousins have died in the trees. They were not able to move, of course, but they clung on hard to the branches as the skin was burned like fresh, wet paint from their snouts."

My copy of this book was published in 1973 and includes a foreword by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.  Ivan smith wrote this story as an allegory on the human condition but for those reading this book today I think the scenes will resonate as a harrowing but also an accurate description of our recent national bushfire catastrophe and the impact on our beautiful animals.

Bushfires in Australia

Image Source SBS News 3rd January, 2020

There have been a few questions on various forums about books teachers and teacher-librarians might share with children as we all struggle to make sense of the bush fire crisis here in Australia.  Here are some that should be easy to find in Australian Primary school libraries and council libraries. Thanks to my friend at Kinderbookwitheverything for her discussion of this topic.

I am not suggesting anyone share these books with children who are directly or even indirectly affected by the fires.  These are books to use if your children (living in other areas) have questions about these events. I would expect any parent or teacher would take the time to read a book first to check it is suitable - this is especially important for a topic as serious as this. Here is a quote from Megan Daley to her KidsNextRead Facebook group: "As someone who lived through the 2011 floods in Brisbane I know it was way too soon for children/families to be reading books about floods (even with a good ending) as they lived it, and in the months afterwards. Everyone is different - but I had several little people in my life who were unable to read anything about natural disasters for a very long time indeed. Just something to be mindful of as I know there will be many people in this group who are directly affected by the fires."

Bushfires

Fire by Jackie French illustrated by Bruce Whatley. Here are a set of Teachers Notes from the Geography Teachers Association NSW. And another set from the publisher.
Here is the blurb from the publisher web site:

One small spark bought fire awake

Winding like a small black snake

Fire flickered, fire crept

Flames snickered, bushfire leapt...

Inspired by the bushfires that have affected many Australians, Fire is a moving and sensitive story of a natural disaster as seen through the eyes of a cockatoo. The fire mercilessly engulfs homes and land, leaving a devastating path of destruction. But from the ruins, courage, kindness and new life grows.

The House on the Mountain by Ella Halcombe illustrated by David Cox
Here are a set of discussion questions and web links to use with this book.
Here is the blurb from the publisher web site:

The powerful story of a family who lose their home in a bushfire and their journey of recovery.

REMEMBERING BLACK SATURDAY

There is a fire coming, and we need to move quickly. Mum and Dad start packing bags, grabbing woollen blankets, the first-aid kit, torches, and then the photo albums. Dad puts Ruby on her lead and ties her up near the back door. My chest feels hollow, like a birdcage.

Atmospheric and intensely moving, this is the story of a family experiencing a bushfire, its devastating aftermath, and the long process of healing and rebuilding.

Through the Smoke by Phil Cummings illustrated by Andrew McLean
Here are a set of Teachers Notes from the publisher shared by Pegi Williams bookshop.
Here is the blurb from the publisher web site:

The fire awoke like a dragon. Its flames licked the sky, and smoke veiled the sun.

With a hungry crackle and an angry hiss, the cruel beast circled, trapping them.

Until, through the smoke, knights appeared.

Through the Smoke tells the story of three kids, their imagination and a frightening fire in the Australian bush.

Wombat Goes Walkabout by Michael Morpurgo illustrated by Christian Birmingham

Here is the blurb from the publisher web site:

One day Wombat digs the deepest hole he's ever dug and crawls into the cool darkness to think. But when he climbs out again, he can't see his mother anywhere. He is all alone.

As he wanders through the great outback looking for her, Wombat meets all kinds of wonderful creatures – Kookaburra, Wallaby, Possum, Emu, Boy and Koala. None of them think very much of him, though.

But when a fire sweeps through the bush, it is Wombat's skills which save the day, and afterwards everyone races off to find his mum and bring her back to him.

Fabish the horse that braved a bushfire by Neridah McMullin illustrated by Andrew McLean
Read my review comments - this book was short listed in 2017 by the CBCA.
Here is the blurb from the publisher web site:

Fabish was a handsome grey racehorse. In his racing days, he wasn't the fastest horse, but he always tried his hardest. And when he retired, Fabish took care of the yearlings in a paddock far away from the training track. Fabish showed the flighty young horses what was expected of a racehorse.

One hot summer day, a wild wind blew up and the yearlings were restless. Then Fabish smelled smoke. Fire was coming, fast. The trainer threw open the gate and said, 'Go now!' Fabish neighed to the young ones and they galloped away. All through the night, the fire raged and the trainer battled to save the racehorses in the stables.

But what would become of Fabish and the yearlings? Could he save them from the firestorm?

Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle by Glenda Millard illustrated by Stephen Michael King.

From QBD bookshop: 

Applesauce is convinced that there can be no Christmas this year -- her heart, where Christmas comes from, is as small as a gumnut and there was no Christmas in it at all. But then something special happens and Applesauce discovers that Christmas does not need to be all about glitzy decorations, fancy foods and expensive presents. It does indeed come from the heart.

Firefighters

Image source: Samaritans

Where there's Smoke by Robin Lovell illustrated by David Miller
Here are a set of teachers notes from the Curriculum Corporation.
Here is the blurb from the publisher web site:

One hot January day, a bulldozer cuts a new track near the creek and firefighters back-burn around their house a bushfire is coming, and smoke fills the air. Bodie and his mum shut all the doors and windows, and make sure there is no rubbish around the house that can catch fire, all the while listening to their CB to keep track of what s going on.

The fire comes closer; fire trucks arrive to fight the fire will their house be saved?

Where There’s Smoke deals with what firefighters do when a bushfire gets close, and what you can do to protect your property.

Web sites to investigate

Tasmanian Fire Service - School Fire Education

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority - Bushfire Education

NSW Rural Fire Service - Resources for Teachers