South with the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin

The subtitle of this book says: Follow four remarkable scientists to the edge of the world.

By being one of the first female scientists to join an Antarctic research trip, fearlessly exploring the globe, actively striving to conserve wildlife and leading by example Mary Gillham became an inspiration to female scientists helping to normalise the sight of women in a traditionally male-dominated field.

In this book we meet four scientists. The year is 1959 and that is very significant because only men are considered able to do research in Antartica. The four women we meet here are Mary Gillham from the UK; and Isobel Bennett, Hope Macpherson and Susan Ingham from Australia. Hope and Isobel are marine biologists who plan to study the animals in the rock pools on the shores of Macquarie Island. Mary has been studying birds, animals and plants in a variety of environments from the arid desert to rocky islands. She has a plan to study the seabirds and unique plants and to report on the damage caused by introduced rabbits. Susan wants to check on the seals to make sure their populations are recovering now that hunting is banned. And all four scientists are fascinated by the variety of penguins - Royal, King, Gentoo and the Southern Rockhopper. 

Image Source Antartcia.gov.au

The whole expedition was just 15 days. You can read more and this expedition and about Mary Gillham (1921-2013) and see photos and newspaper articles here. The end papers in South with the Seabirds show four places on Macquarie Island that celebrate the achievements of these women scientists. This book also has a useful timeline and a brief biography of each of the four women. I was thrilled to read that Mary Gillham achieved her PhD. 

Some facts about Macquarie Island:

• Macquarie Island is located halfway between Tasmania and Antarctica and a station was established on the “green sponge” in 1948. The Island was used as a half way point to establish the first radio link between Australia and Antarctica during Sir Douglas Mawson’s 1911 expedition.
• Throughout the year, the Macquarie Island teems with vast congregations of wildlife. Where the nutrient rich waters of the Southern Ocean meet warmer northern waters, rich feeding grounds are created and make the island an ideal haven for penguins, seals and seabirds to live and breed.
• Macquarie Island was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1933. In 1997, World Heritage status was granted due to its outstanding geological and natural significance.
• Rabbits, rats and mice, brought to the island over nearly 200 years of visitation and occupation were finally eradicated in 2014, after a 7-year, eradication program. With grazing pressures removed, the island is returning to its former lush, green glory.

In my former school library our Grade 6 students completed a unit of work on Antartica. This book would be a perfect resource. Using this book you could also explore women in Antarctica - scientists, explorers and as people working in the various stations. The publisher webpage has a link to a set of teaching notes to use with South with the Seabirds. 

Here are some websites to explore:

Ten Pioneering Women of Antarctica and the Places Named for Them

The story of the first Australian women in Antarctica

Behind the News Macquarie Island (2023)

Behind the News Rabbit on Macquarie Island (2019) YouTube

When you introduce the topic of women in science you could also talk about Beatrix Potter. The children are sure to be familiar with her characters like Peter Rabbit and other animals characters who appear in her small books, but Beatrix Potter was also an amazing scientist especially in the area of mycoloy. I think your students will be amazed to learn that as a woman in 1897 she was not permitted to present her research to London’s Linnaean Society, the bastion of Victorian botany, which was exclusively male and barred women from membership, denied them access to the research library, and wouldn’t even allow them to attend the presentations of scientific papers.

We are so lucky to have a talent like Jess McGeachin producing books here in Australia.

Fly

The tree at Number 43

Deep

Kind

South with the Seabirds is a CBCA 2025 Eve Pownall (Non Fiction) Notable title. I am very hopeful it will be one of the six short listed titles which will be announced at the end of March. 

The 2025 CBCA Book of the Year Awards Eve Pownall Award Notables are…

• All About the Brain by Gabriel Dabscheck (Berbay)
• Always Was, Always Will Be by Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson (Magabala Books)
• Anti-Racism Kit by Sabina Patawaran & Jinyoung Kim, illustrated by Emma Ismawi (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
• Australia’s Baby Animals by Jess Racklyeft (Affirm Press)
• Before the Mountain had a Name by Fiona Levings (Forty South Publishing)
• Come Together Again by Isaiah Firebrace, illustrated by Jaelyn Biumaiwai (Hardie Grant Explore)
• Design & Building on Country by Alison Page & Paul Memmott, illustrated by Blak Douglas (Thames & Hudson Australia)
• Extreme Animal Facts by Jennifer Cossins (Lothian Children’s Books)
• Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney (NLA Publishing)
• Follow Your Gut by Ailsa Wild & Lisa Stinson, with Briony Barr & Gregory Crocetti, illustrated by Ben Hutchings (Scribe Publications)
• I am a Magpie, I am a Currawong by Bridget Farmer (Black Cockatoo Books)
• The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Extinct Animals by Sami Bayly, illustrated by Sami Bayly (Lothian Children’s Books)
• Into the Ice: Reflections on Antarctica by Alison Lester & Coral Tulloch (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• Making the Shrine: Stories From Victoria’s War Memorial by Laura J Carroll (The Crossley Press)
• Now for the Good News by Planet Ark Environmental Foundation, illustrated by Sarah Wiecek (Penguin Random House Australia)
• Plantabulous! More A to Z of Australian Plants by Catherine Clowes, illustrated by Rachel Gyan (CSIRO Publishing)
• Seed to Sky: Life in the Daintree by Pamela Freeman, illustrated by Liz Anelli (Walker Books Australia)
• Sensational Australian Animals by Stephanie Owen Reeder, illustrated by Cher Hart (CSIRO Publishing)
• South With the Seabirds by Jess McGeachin (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• Sunny Finds His Song by Catherine Storey & Penny Watson, illustrated by Sarah Matsuda (Wet Season Books)
• Too Many Tigers by Monica Reeve (Forty South Publishing, Tasmania)
• Unreal by Kate Simpson, illustrated by Leila Rudge (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu by Diane Lucas & Ben Tyler, illustrated by Emma Long (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)
• Wedge-tailed Eagle by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Christina Booth (Walker Books Australia)
• When the World Was Soft by Juluwarlu Group Aboriginal Corporation, illustrated by Alex Mankiewicz (A&U Books for Children and Young Adults)

Summer Birds by Margarita Engle illustrated by Julie Paschkis

It is International Women's Day - time to celebrate women in Science. I often think about this book Summer Birds and then I searched my blog the other day and realised I hadn't actually talked about it here. Unfortunately, Summer Birds was published in 2010 so you may have to hunt out a copy in a library.

Reading this book several years ago was a revelation. People used to think butterflies came out of the mud in the summer - like magic. Maria Merian, from a very young age, was a curious girl. She collected butterflies and caterpillars but she had to do this in secret because in the 1650s she could have been accused of witchcraft.

Maria observed that caterpillars come from eggs. These are eggs laid by summer birds (butterflies). Caterpillars eat leaves and grow bigger and bigger. Eventually the caterpillars spin cocoons. Then comes the complex part. Inside the cocoon, while they rest, the caterpillars turn into butterflies and then they come out of their cocoon ready to fly and sip nectar. Maria also noticed a change like this with frogs and tadpoles. 

"When people understand the life cycles of creatures that change forms, they will stop calling small animals evil. They will learn, as I have, by seeing a wingless caterpillar turn into a flying summer bird."

About Maria Merian (1647 - 1717) born in Frankfurt, Germany died in Amsterdam:

"At the age of thirteen, Maria was well on her way to disproving the ancient theory (that butterflies came from mud). By careful observation she discovered that metamorphosis is natural, not supernatural. There was no witchcraft involved. Beginning with silkworms brought from Asia by a merchant, she watched the slow process of change, recording every detail in her notes and sketches ... Today as a result of Maria Sibylla Merian's careful studies, we know that butterflies, moths, and frogs do not spring from mud."

See more images of her work here

In 1705 she published Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium (“The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname”). Arguably the most important work of her career, it included some 60 engravings illustrating the different stages of development that she had observed in Suriname’s insects. Similar to her caterpillar book, Metamorphosis depicted the insects on and around their host plants and included text describing each stage of development. The book was one of the first illustrated accounts of the natural history of Suriname. Britannica

Read more and see her art here:

Botanical art and artists

British Museum

Natural History Museum

Royal Society video (4 minutes)

The Conversation (Background reading for teachers)

Here is another book about Maria Merian written for children:

Perhaps you have some books from the Little People Big Dreams series in your library. I would love to see a book in this series about Maria Merian. Here are some other women scientists to explore:

Using Summer Birds as a jumping off point I highly recommend the verse novels written by Margarita Engle. AND every library should have one or two books illustrated by Julie Paschkis - her art is incredibly special.

Singing with Elephants

Books illustrated by Julie Paschkis

The Seed by Isabel Pin translated by Rosemary Lanning

 

"Once upon a time - in a small, distant part of the great, wide world - there were two tribes ... "

This is such a powerful opening sentence filled with story possibilities. Now think about the names of the tribes - the Scarabs and the Chafers. Perhaps you have heard of scarab beetles but I had not heard of chafers. 

When an object falls from the sky the two tribes set out to investigate using very different methods. The Scarabs "scraped splinters from its surface and took them to their scientists who examined them with the very latest scientific instruments." The Chafers, make notes and sketches and their scholars review all their historical records to compare with this new object. Happily both groups come to the same conclusion. The object is a cherrystone. 

"There was only one problem. The cherrystone had come to rest right on the border." And so, as you will have guessed, a war begins with weapons and strategies. Years pass. Meanwhile the seed ...

I will leave you to guess the scene when the two tribes finally confront each other across their battle line. 

One day a seed drops from the sky and lands right on the border between two territories. The tribes on both sides of the border immediately claim it. ""This means war!"" their leaders declare. Both sides prepare for battle with great inventiveness, creating huge arsenals of deadly weapons, and drawing up complicated plans of attack. But ironically, in the midst of all these preparations, the seed itself is quietly providing the simple solution that the tribes, in their haste, have overlooked. Google

The Seed is of course long out of print. It was originally published with the title Der Kern in 2001.

Here are some of the illustrations - they really appeal to me.

Pin's "unusual" artwork is "filled with texture," noted School Library Journal contributor Marianne Saccardi, the critic adding that the "fantastical creatures"—part cockroach and part bee—are imaginatively rendered. Encyclopedia.com

A possible companion book would be this one:

It fell from the Sky

And if you want to read a less serious book about mysterious objects and beetles try to find this one.

Babak the Beetle

Isabel Pin is a new discovery of mine. She is an award-winning illustrator who has published more than 40 books, received numerous awards, and was nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in 2011 and 2012. Born in France, she lives in Berlin, Germany.

The Seed is another terrific book from North South - I would love to visit a library one day, such as the International Youth Library in Munich and explore all of their titles - every book from this publisher that I have discovered is such a treasure. 

Many years ago I worked with my Grade Five students exploring Picture books on the theme of conflict resolution. Here are some of the books we explored - and I do wish I had also included The Seed.

Two Giants

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez illustrated by Felicita Sala

"They gawked at the geckos. They peered at the pythons. 

And they marvelled at the monitors."

As a young child Joan Beauchamp Procter was fascinated by reptiles. Her curiosity about these, often strange creatures, led her to read lots of books and also to collect small lizards so she could observe them. 

She loved to visit the Natural History museum in London and eventually became an assistant to the curator and later she took over his duties. Enormous Komodo dragons were of special interest to Joan and she was invited to design an custom enclosure at the London Zoo for two Komodo dragons which were sent from Indonesia. In 1928 Joan presented a scientific paper about these curious creatures to the Zoological Society. This is significant firstly because of the topic; then because the paper was delivered by a woman when almost all of the scientific world was male; and thirdly we have a girl (now a woman) who is interested in reptiles - a topic not usually associated with women especially in the 1920s. While all of this is important, I do like the way none of this is sensationalised in this biography. Reading about a young girl who loves reptiles is presented in a natural, almost matter of fact way.

Image Source: Science.org

Publisher Blurb Andersen Press: Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests: slithery and scaly ones, who turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets... While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her favourite lizard with her everywhere - she even brought a crocodile to school! When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the Natural History Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo, including a home for the rumoured-to-be-vicious komodo dragons. There, just like when she was a little girl, Joan hosted children's tea parties - with her komodo dragon as the guest of honour. With a lively text and vibrant illustrations, scientist and writer Patricia Valdez and illustrator Felicita Sala bring to life Joan Procter's inspiring story of passion and determination.

Read more about Komodo dragons on the National Geographic kids web site. And at the San Diego Zoo page. 

The library I visit each week has a fabulous comprehensive collection of picture book biographies for the youngest readers. Every time I borrow one of these books I discover people who have done such interesting things and people who I may never have found if it were not for these terrific books. In US schools the genre of biography is explicitly taught and so publishers have taken advantage of this and that is why so many very high quality picture book biographies have emerged in recent years. 

One word-inspirational. Joan found her passion at a young age and proved her worth as a woman scientist. This book follows her journey of finding her reptilian passion and demonstrating perseverance in her personal and professional journey. In this biography, the reader learns about a scientist who not only studies animals, but also diagnoses and treats them to their best health. Overall, a must add to your library and future read alouds for all readers. Latinxs in Kid Lit

You can see other books illustrated by Felicity Sala here. And here are some of the illustrations from this book too. Here is an interview with the author Patricia Valdez about the writing of this book. 

Nano by Dr Jess Wade illustrated by Melissa Castrillón

The full title of this book is Nano: The Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small.

"This book is made from paper - stone would be too heavy - 

and glass would be too delicate. 

Imagine a book made of chocolate - it would melt!"

Publisher blurb: Everything is made from something ... but the way we make things, from the materials we use to the science and technology involved, is changing fast. Nano offers a fascinating narrative introduction to this cutting-edge area of STEM, better known by the name "nanotechnology". With words by Dr Jess Wade – a highly skilled physicist and trailblazing campaigner for diversity in STEM fields – and beautiful, dynamic pictures by award-winning artist Melissa Castrillón, this is the perfect book for budding young scientists and engineers.

Things I learnt from this book:

• Your body has eleven elements - sulphur surprised me
• There are over 100 kinds of atoms
• One layer of graphite can be extracted to make a new material called a graphene
• A graphene is so thin it is see-through but it is also stronger than steel and bendier than rubber
• Graphene is a nanomaterial - it is one atom thick
• Graphenes are used to make windows that wash themselves!
• Graphenes are used in medicines

Find out more about the application of Nano Science with our own Australian scientist Veena Sahajwalla and her TEDTalk.

This book should be added to EVERY school library. It is such a perfect book to introduce the science of atoms and the uses of nano materials.  AND I am so pleased to tell you this book is not very expensive and there is a paperback edition. (9781406394603).

I think I have found a new favourite illustrator - Melissa Castrillón. Her work has a retro feel which really appeals to me. 

The Last Bear by Hannah Gold illustrated by Levi Pinfold

April and her father move to Bear Island. In the past there were polar bears on the island as the name implies but with global warming all of the bears have long ago disappeared. The nearest land is 400km away and there are no longer any ice flows so polar bears cannot come to the island. 

Wait a minute. I said there were no polar bears on Bear Island but you can, of course, see from the cover, that there is a bear on Bear Island. April and her father are alone in this remote place. Her scientist father is busy with his task of measuring weather conditions and so April is left to wander around the island on her own. Her father is quite a distant figure because he is carrying so much grief over the death, some years ago, of his wife and April's mother.

April does indeed find the last polar bear. He is in bad shape and starving. It is at this point the story becomes slightly fantastical as we watch April befriend the bear, feed the bear, roar with the bear and even allow him to lick her face! The biggest issue for April, after she discovers the reality of global warming and the consequences for her new friend, is how to return Bear to Svalbard where there are many other polar bears.

The Last Bear is a heartwarming story of friendship, determination, kindness, animal human relationships, healing and courage. I think it will be enjoyed by readers aged 9+ especially children who love animals and who care about our planet. It would be terrific to begin reading this book on 27th February which is International Polar Bear Day.

Polar Bears International 

The Last Bear is a debut novel for Hannah Gold. This book will be published next week on 17th February. Thanks goes to Beachside Bookshop for my Advance Reader copy.

Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, The Last Bear invites readers to care about the science behind the fate of an endangered species and to believe in one girl’s magical solution to the problem. Julia Eccleshare Love Reading 4 Kids

My advance copy of The Last Bear did not contain the illustrations by Levi Pinfold. They do look quite spectacular.

This moving story will win the hearts of children the world over and show them that no one is too young or insignificant to make a difference. The Last Bear is a celebration of the love between a child and an animal, a battle cry for our world and an irresistible adventure with a heart as big as a bear’s. Tring Book Festival

After reading or during your reading of this book you will want to find other books about Polar Bears in your school library.  Here are many worth finding collected by my friend at Kinderbookboard and the blog  Kinderbookswitheverything.

You might also look for Seekers The quest begins by Erin Hunter.

I have added this one to my "to read" list. I adore the art of Jackie Morris:

Mike by Andrew Norriss

"We're talking about someone that only you can see, only you know exists, and whose name is Mike. ... What's your name? Your full name?'  'Floyd Michael Beresford,' said Floyd, and it took a second for the penny to drop ... "

My local book shop kindly gave me an advanced reader copy of Mike. I read the blurb and put this book to one side. I did not think I would enjoy this book. I am utterly surprised that I did. In fact, as one reviewer suggested, I read it quite quickly over two sessions. I do need to say right at the start, though, that I think this book would be best placed in a High School library for readers 12+.

Recently I was talking with a friend about sport stories. Out of all the books I have read not too many have been about sport and given my small sample size I cannot recall even one title that has really appealed to me yet here we have a book about tennis. And yes I enjoyed it. Of course it is not just about tennis but readers who enjoy competitive sport will certainly relate to Floyd.

What is this book about?

Floyd is a tennis player. His parents met at a tennis event, they own a tennis court business, they have been coaching Floyd to play tennis since he was two years old - this is a family that live and breathe tennis. Except for Floyd. When he was young and the game was fun every thing was fine. Floyd won a match when he was just five years old and his parents gave him a fish. At this point a few alarm bells rang with me. Is this bribery? Does Floyd really have a passion for tennis or does he prefer fish?  Take a fresh look at the cover design above. I think it is perfect.

"Floyd had loved it. And he was good at it as well. Astonishingly good. And his parents watched his progress with delight and considerable pride."

"It was only a little club tournament but Floyd played three matches that day and won them all. As a reward his parents took him to a pet store and told him he could choose anything he wanted. To their surprise Floyd asked if he could have a fish ..."

By the time Floyd is fifteen there are five huge fish tanks in his room all filled with a huge variety of fish.

Then one day Mike shows up and Floyd is forced to face his fears and real ideas about tennis. Accepting his true feelings about playing tennis at the highest level though, is only the beginning. Mike has other things to show Floyd - life changing things - perhaps he is the guide we'd all like who leads us to our perfect destiny.  The ending of Mike is sure to make your romantic heart smile.

Mike will surprise you. The premise is clever. The themes of identity and staying true to yourself are explored in a thoughtful way. Three cheers for Floyd who is now following his dreams.

Read some reviews:
Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books - " this absolutely bowled me over and really developed my understanding of the complex nature of growing up with a talent."

Book Bag - "There's a wonderful sense of amusement in the tone, and I think this is what keeps the energy quite light the whole way through."

Booktrust -  Floyd is courageous and full of hope, while Mike’s role is somehow simultaneously subtle and ground-shattering, steering Floyd in completely new and surprising directions, an enigma everyone wants solve. This is a beautifully told and enormously uplifting coming-of-age story.

Here are two text quotes to give you a flavour of this writing which will appeal to sports fans.

"By the time he was thirteen, Floyd's schedule had developed into the full blown routine of a professional athlete. Each weekday he would be up at six and out on the court by quarter past. ... Floyd practiced his serves, played a few rounds of flash tennis and then spent the remaining time returning the lobs, back-spins and volleys that his father fired at him from the ball-gun."

"(Barrington) tried to break-up the smooth flow of Floyd's game by lobs that drove him back from the net. He tried to wear his opponent down with shots from the base line that would make him run from side to side and tire him out. ... and even resorted to psychological tricks that players sometimes used to break their opponent's concentration like asking for balls to be changed ... or stopping to retie his shoelaces."

Finally here is the US cover - I do prefer the one from UK above - which do you like?

The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek by Jenny Wagner illustrated by Ron Brooks

"Late one night, for no particular reason, 

something stirred in the black mud 

at the bottom of Berkeley's Creek."

Do you recognise these words from this classic Australian Picture book? To me they are almost as magical as those well known story words - Once upon a time ...

This week all over Australia we are celebrating Children's Book Week. This celebration has two parts. Events in schools and school libraries and the announcement of the CBCA Book of the Year winners.  In 1974 the winner was this truly special book - The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek by Jenny Wagner illustrated by Ron Brooks.

Why do I love this book?  There are so many reasons.
Illustrations - the way the sizes and framing build from a small centred square to a double page spread and back down to the small square image at the end. I love the way this matches the path of the story from the bunyip emerging from the billabong, then moving through the bush to ask about his identity and then back to the billabong again.

Now take a look at the front cover - it should remind you of our Australia coat of arms.

Identity - at its heart this is a book about identity. Who am I? asks the Bunyip. He receives a variety of answers but none are really satisfactory until he finally meets another bunyip.  I love the way our little bunyip perseveres with his question even in the face of the most horrible answer from the man (with no imagination) who declares bunyips "simply don't exist".

Voice - reading this book aloud is a joy.  The repetition of the key question What am I? begs to be read with different emphasis. WHAT am I? What AM I? What am I?  He asks this question six times. The platypus provides an answer but the Bunyip presses on. What do I look like? Finally when the man says he does not exist the Bunyip repeats sadly "What a pity," he murmured. What a pity, what a pity."

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - "No one can see me here. I can be as handsome as I like" he declares. He unpacks his bunyip bag which contains his bunyip comb and mirror. Like the swagman from Waltzing Matilda, the bunyip puts his billy on to boil. Then, in a perfect bookending of the plot, the text from the beginning is repeated "Late that night, for no particular reason, something stirred in the black mud at the bottom of the billabong."

Mood - this moves from optimistic, to hopeful, to devastated, to resignation and back to happiness all in a 32 page picture book!

You can listen to a part of the story here read by Nick Cave for The Storybox Library.  With an older class it might interesting to compare The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek with the 2018 winner from the same category - A Walk in the Bush.  Here is a detailed review of The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek from the UK. I was interested to read the 1977 Kirkus review which seems to have completely missed all the amazing features of this truly special book.

Here is a student made trailer which gives you a good sense of the story if this book is new to you.

You can read more about Bunyips here.

In 1994 Australia Post issued a stamp with an image from The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek.

Take a look at this post from my friend at Kinderbookswitheverything where she shares her lesson content reading this book to her youngest students from K-2.