The Wonder Horse by Mark Greenwood

Even if you have heard of Phar Lap, the famous race winning horse, you are sure to discover even more when you read this book. Readers who love history and mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this intriguing story and it is also one to share with horse lovers. I especially loved the descriptions when Phar Lap (also known as Bobby) was taken into a field to enjoy sweet grass and clover. I did find the descriptions of adding heavy weights to make racing harder for Phar Lap, who kept winning, very distressing. I guess I should disclose I am not a fan of horse racing but I was fascinated to read about this special horse/hero.

Discover the answers to these and many other questions in this book:

• Do you know how Phar Lap go this name?
• Where did Phar Lap run his final race?
• Did Phar Lap look like a champion when he was a young colt?
• Did this famous horse win every single race he ever entered?
• Is Phar Lap from Australia?
• What is the sweet treat his trainer always gave him?
• How many races did Phar Lap win?
• What happened on the day of the Melbourne Cup in 1930 before the race?
• Why did the owner and trainer need to protect Phar Lap?
• How do you feel about horse racing after reading this book? 

Here are some other books about Phar Lap that might be in your school library:

Last week I talked about another book from this splendid, thoroughly researched, series. These books are perfect for young curious readers in your library. They are easy to read with short chapters, big print, and page turning stories from history. Huge thanks to Freemantle Press for sending me copies of these two books from the History Hunter series. The Wonder Horse was published early in June 2025. Here are the teachers notes and these are well worth exploring because they contain extra web links and a vocabulary list. Read more details about The Wonder Horse in this blog post from The Bottom Shelf.

Who needs a time machine when you’ve got the History Hunter? He’s your fearless guide, taking you back through time to investigate mysteries that have puzzled the world for generations. From royal treasure rooms to racetracks, you’ll follow the clues, ask the tough questions and maybe even crack the case. These books are a history adventure double-pack that’s cooler than any video game! Better Reading

I previously talked about these horse racing picture books:

Subbie and his mate

Fabish the horse that braved a bushfire

The Epic Race

Odder: An Otter's story by Katherine Applegate illustrated by Charles Santoso

Many older readers will have met Odder via the verse novel with the same title by Katherine Applegate. That book has 270 pages. It is fairly easy to read because of the format but the intended audience is readers aged 9+.  Now we also have Odder: An Otter's story which is a picture book for readers aged 5+.  Huge thanks to University of Queensland Press for sending an advance copy.

Look at the cover of this new picture book - it is sure to appeal to all young readers. How can anyone resist this sweet little sea otter - she seems to be looking straight at the reader on the cover inviting you to explore her story. Then there is the added bonus that this book is a based on a true story. Children are always fascinated by true animal stories. Odder: An otter's story is a book you should certainly consider adding to your school library collection. Older readers might like to borrow the verse novel and the picture book. I would be keen to display them side by side in the library. Reading a verse novel can be quite an emotional experience. It is so impressive that, even with the pared back text, Katherine Applegate gives her readers of this picture book version beautiful insights into the emotions of little Odder.

I did a brief comparison of the two texts - of course the picture book story is very much abridged. 

Verse Novel:

page 23 "Her mother called her 'Odder' from the moment she was born. Something about the way the little pup never settled, something about the way her eyes were always full of questions."

Picture Book:

page one "They call her 'Odder' from the moment she is born. Something about the way the little pup never settles, something about the way her eyes are full of questions."

Odder is saved by humans, they teach her the skills her mother would have passed on about swimming, and grooming and eating crabs. Eventually Odder is released back into the ocean but sadly she is attacked by a shark. Luckily, she survives and is rescued again.

"This time, though, she will never go back to the ocean. The shark bite has forever changed her. She can no longer move the way she was meant to move. She can no longer play the way she was meant to play." 

But there is something important Odder can do. Another pup has been rescued. The little pup is so helpless.

"Little one,' Odder whispers, 'I will teach you how to crack open crabs, and fluff up your fur, and use your tummy as a table.' ... 'But most of all, silly minnow, I am going to teach you how to play."

Bookseller blurb: Meet Odder, the Queen of Play! She twists, darts, weaves, and rolls, leaving frothy trails behind her. Why just somersault when you can triple-doughnut? Why dive when you can dazzle? Odder spends her days playing underwater and learning from her mother, until a storm changes everything and she is rescued by humans. Based on Katherine Applegate's bestselling novel, this lyrical story, inspired by a true programme pairing orphaned otter pups with surrogate mothers, explores resilience, healing, and the vital role of play through the eyes of one of nature’s most beloved creatures.

In the US this picture book is published by Macmillan. 

I previously read and loved Odder - the verse novel. It spent over 52 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Now University of Queensland Press have acquired the rights to Odder - the picture book edition.  Here is a quote from their Instagram page:

UQP is thrilled to announce that we've acquired the picture book edition of ‘Odder: An Otter's Story’ by Newbery Medallist Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso. Adapted from the middle-grade verse novel of the same title, the story follows a playful sea otter pup named Odder whose life is turned upside down when she is separated from her mother during a storm. It is a poetic and heartwarming tale of resilience, healing and wildlife conservation.⁠ UQP has acquired ANZ rights and will publish in May 2025.⁠

US cover

In my blog post about the original verse novel I said: The character of little Odder is sure to linger with you long after reading this warm-hearted story. I think this book would be terrific to read aloud or you could give it to any animal lover aged 9+. One powerful aspect of this storytelling is the way Katherine Applegate uses point of view. As a reader you really are right inside the head, heart and eyes of the young otter called Odder.

Here is the UK cover of the original verse novel:

UK cover

You are sure to be familiar with other splendid books by Katherine Applegate - if you click on the label assigned to this post you can read many of her other books.

Wishtree

Click here for a link to my blog post about the books in the Ivan series

Dogtown (book one); Mouse and his dog (book two)

This Morning I met a Whale by Michael Morpurgo illustrated by Christian Birmingham

Michael, as the title tells you, meets a whale. But whales are not supposed to be in his part of the river Thames. And whales are not supposed to be able to communicate directly with humans but this whale can and he has come specifically to talk to a child. His grandfather has told him a child will listen and a child will share his important message about degradation of the environment and the distress humans are causing whales. 

"He showed me the bottom of the sea, a coral reef lay dying and littered with rubbish. I saw a sperm whale being winched bleeding out of the sea, a leatherback turtle caught up in vast fishing nets, along with sharks and dolphins. There was an albatross, hanging there, limp and lifeless. ... He showed me skies so full of smoke that day had become night, and below them the forests burning. ... You are killing the world. Tell a child ... only a child will put it right."

Companion book:

Bookseller blurb: At sunrise, young Michael spots a whale on the shores of the Thames and thinks he must be dreaming. But the creature is real and it has a message for him – one that only an open-minded child can deliver to the rest of the world. The whale warns that the earth’s days are numbered and that humans must put right the damage they are doing, but how can Michael fulfil his promise to tell others when neither his teacher nor his classmates will believe his story? Within hours, the city and the wider world have learned of London’s remarkable visitor, and all eyes are on the whale’s struggle against the receding tide. Michael must now join his new friend in a race against time to reach the ocean, and hold fast to his promise in the race to save the world itself.

Do you have a favourite children's book illustrator? I have lots - but one that would most certainly make my top twenty list would be Christian Birmingham. 

This is a slim book with only 80 pages but it is also a powerful story with a strong environmental message. Even though the publication date is 2009 I think this book is still available. Readers in your library will love this story even more when they discover it is based on real events. In 2006 a whale did swim up the Thames as far as a Battersea Bridge and sadly, like the whale in this book, she did not survive. 

You might have this book in your school library because it is a Premiers Reading Challenge title Grades 5&6 [1038]. 

Michael Morpurgo was 2003–2005 Children's Laureate, has written over 100 books and is the winner of many awards, including the Whitbread Children's Book Award, the Smarties Book Prize, the Blue Peter Award and the Red House Children's Book Award. His books are translated and read around the world and his hugely popular novel War Horse is now both a critically acclaimed stage play and a highly successful film. 

Christian Birmingham is considered one of the best young illustrators working today. After receiving a degree in Illustration from the Exeter College of Art he has gone on to illustrate many books for children such as A Kitten Called Moonlight by Martin Waddell and several titles by Michael Morpurgo, including The Wreck of the Zanzibar, named the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year in 1995.

Lotus and Feather by Ji-Li Jiang illustrated by Julie Downing

Lotus has been unwell, and her illness has taken her voice away. The other children no longer invite her to play. She lives with her kind, wise and compassionate grandfather beside a lake that used to be filled with lotus flowers, birds and fish. 

"One morning, Lotus went to collect reeds for her Grandpa. She stopped in awe when she saw a big bird, as white as fresh snow, standing in the marsh grass. Its wide wings edged with black feathers, like lace on a dress. Above the long, curved neck, its head was crowned with a red top like a dazzling ruby."

As Lotus stands looking at this exquisite creature a gunshot startles her. Her bird has been shot. She carefully carries him back to her grandfather. Over the coming weeks and months Feather gradually heals and eventually he stands up and even seems to dance. This entrances the other children. Then one evening Feather begins to crow loudly. He has sensed an earthquake. Lotus and her grandfather rush to alert the villagers because their lake is about to flood. 

Bookseller blurb: A winter illness left Lotus, a little girl, without a voice and without friends. A hunter's bullet left Feather, a crane, injured and unable to fly. As Lotus nurses Feather back to health, their bond grows. Soon Feather is following Lotus everywhere, even to school! The bird dances to the girl's reed whistle, much to the delight of the other children. One day, when the village floods, Feather helps raise the alarm as Lotus and her grandfather urge their neighbors to get to high ground. Feather is a true friend to Lotus, but the time comes when Lotus must be a true friend to him--by encouraging him to migrate with the rest of the cranes. The next spring, Feather miraculously returns, and that's not all . . . he has brought new life to the nearby lake. Inspired by the true story of a crane that rescued a Chinese village, and graced with sensitive watercolor illustrations, this lovely book about respecting nature offers deep emotion and delightful surprises.

Elegant storytelling and arresting compositions combine for a deeply satisfying emotional and aesthetic experience. Best shared one-on-one or in a small group so that children can pore over the lively and engaging artwork. School Library Journal

Downing’s finely crafted illustrations perfectly complement this reassuring story. Done with watercolor, pencil, and paint and digitally collated, they have the look of Chinese paintings, with misty backgrounds and gently bending reeds. The rosy-cheeked children wear red scarves, alluding to the author’s own childhood during the Cultural Revolution. Kirkus

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything set up an extensive display of books for Chinese New Year and among them I found Lotus and Feather. This is a book to read and treasure and it has wonderful illustrations. It was published in 2017 but I think it is still available although sadly, as with all US Picture books now, it is very expensive at over AUS$40. I have not found a paperback edition. 

Here is the webpage of the illustrator Julie Downing. Read more about Ji-Li Jiang here. You can watch a video of the book at Storyline Online. 

Feathers Together by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso

Storks Klepetan and Malena plan their migration every year leaving behind the cold winter in Europe and spending summer in South Africa. They make this huge journey year after year

"But then Malena got hurt. ... After much resting and healing Malena's wing did not hurt but it wouldn't flap, so she couldn't fly up to their nest."

Luckily a kind local man saw this dilemma and so he constructed a series of ramps to assist Malena. But what will happen when Winter arrives. Sadly, Klepetan has to leave without his mate.   

"... missing each other was like having an itch in a place neither could reach to scratch. Missing made new food taste icky and old foods taste blah. It made sleeping too loud and waking up too quiet."

Spoiler alert - our beautiful pair of storks are reunited.

"This book is inspired by the true story of Malena and Klepetan; two white storks who spent a season of each year living over eight thousand miles apart. They reunited every spring for nineteen years in the village of Brodski Varos, Croatia, until Malena died of old age in 2021. The pair birthed and raised sixty-six fledglings with the support of their human caretaker, Stjepan Vokic (a school caretaker)."

The Australian distributor for this book is Thames and Hudson. It is priced just under AUS$30. Hopefully there will be a paperback edition because purchasing this book might be beyond most school library budgets. 

• Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills.
• They live on all continents except Antarctica and are most common in tropical regions.
• Many species prefer to be in or near wetlands, though some occur in drier areas.
• There are 19 species of stork.
• Storks have remarkable eyesight, allowing them to spot small prey from great distances.
• They use their keen vision to locate fish, amphibians, reptiles, and insects, which make up a significant portion of their diet.
• Storks are highly social birds and are often seen in large flocks, especially during migration.
• Storks belong to the family called Ciconiidae and make up the order Ciconiiformes.
• The lifespan of storks is about 30 years and sometimes up to 40 years.

Migration: The average journey south takes 49 days and almost 20,000 km. This stork species sets out from Europe and moves over the Strait of Gibraltar into the Sahara desert, following the heavy thermal systems that allow it to efficiently soar to its destination (and even conserve energy in the process!). These flocks, some with almost 11,000 individuals, then follow the Nile River south to eventually settle in various African countries, including Kenya, Sudan, and South Africa.

Storks are classified into these six categories - the storks from this story are Ciconia Ciconia.

• Genus Mycteria: Known for the Painted Stork and the familiar White Stork.
• Genus Anastomus: Home to the Openbill Storks.
• Genus Ciconia: Includes the Woolly-necked Stork and the Black Stork.
• Genus Ephippiorhynchus: The Saddle-billed Stork falls under this category.
• Genus Jabiru: The Jabiru is the only member, native to the Americas.
• Genus Leptoptilos: Notable for the massive Marabou Stork and the Lesser Adjutant.

The author draws out the tension in the most delicious way, readers rushing to the end so that the birds can be reunited, and likely there will be no dry eyes in the house when the duo are finally once again nestled next to one another, feathers together. The digital illustrations give marvelous personality to each stork, their every emotion evident and so relatable for readers. Kirkus Star review

Here is a 16 minute video where you can see Caron Levis and Charles Santoso. Look for these other books by Caron Levis:

Ida, Always

Check out this interview with Charles Santoso and Caron Levis. Charles Santoso (he lives in Singapore) is the illustrator of Happy Hippo (2021), Feeling Grateful by Kobi Yamada (2022), Wombat Underground: A Wildfire Survival Story by Sarah L. Thomson (2022), Finding Muchness by Kobi Yamada (2021), The Bookstore Cat by Cylin Busby (2020),  Dandy by Ame Dyckman (2019), Watch Out for Wolf! by Anica Mrose Rissi (2019), Peanut Butter & Santa Claus by Joe McGee (2019), Dragons Get Colds Too by Rebecca Roan (2019), Penguin & Tiny Shrimp Don’t Do Bedtime by Cate Berry (2018), No Boring Stories! by Julie Falatko (2018), The Snurtch by Sean Ferrell (2016), Peanut Butter & Aliens by Joe McGee (2017), I Don’t Like Koala by Sean Ferrell (2015), Peanut Butter & Brains by Joe McGee (2015). He’s also illustrated a number of middle grade novels, including Odder by Katherine Applegate, (2022) Willodeen by Katherine Applegate (2021), A Boy Called Bat series by Elana K Arnold (2018), and Wishtree by Katherine Applegate (2017) - a New York Times bestseller.

Their latest collaboration is this one - Mighty Muddy us:

Subbie and his Mate by Corinne Fenton illustrated by Mark Wilson

 

The most famous horse race in Australia is The Melbourne Cup. It is always run on the first Tuesday in November. in 1992. After his racing career ended Graham Salisbury adopted him.

"Subbie and Graham went to schools, then hospitals and aged-care homes. They visited sick children and lonely old people, those who were fearful or sad or shy. Subbie bought happiness and laughter to them all."

"After the Black Saturday bushfires, Graham and Subbie toured the scorched and blackened countryside, bringing smiles to tired, frightened faces."

Horse lovers will adore this true story about an amazing horse and an even more amazing man. It could also be a book to share with groups of children on Melbourne Cup Day – I had a teacher in my former school who was always looking for books to share with her class on Melbourne Cup Day. 

The story of Subbie touched my heart especially when, as an older retired horse, he visited hospitals, schools and aged-care homes and even assisted people emotionally after the Black Saturday bushfires. He was so much more than a winning racehorse. Reading this book made me want to know more about Graham and Subbie. If you have time, there are a few YouTube videos about Graham and Subzero – they made me cry – so very special. Here is a very short one. And one that is around 3 minutes long. 

The end papers are perfect, but I do wish a different image had been selected for the cover. To me, that is the only weak part of this book. I think the image on the page 'For a handshake and a dollar Graham Salisbury bought the famous thoroughbred' would have been a better choice – it is a powerful, emotional illustration that perfectly matches the tone and themes of this book. Here are a set of teachers notes from the publisher with questions and activities and a further reading list. Take a look at this review from Kids' Book Review.  In this interview with EQ Life Magazine, Corinne Felton talks about making this book with Mark Wilson. You can see other books by Corinne Fenton here. And books by Mark Wilson here. 

Here are some notes about the illustrations by Mark Wilson: I use a lot of photos of Subbie for each illustration, of which there are many, including Corinne’s own photos of Subbie at his home. I watched films of Subbie to study how he walked, bowed and galloped, particularly how Subbie and Graham interacted. I sketched from these photos and films, finding different angles, never directly copying, but using them to make sure that all the detail in the illustrations is as realistic as possible – for instance, Subbie’s long thin nose. I draw different angles. Sometimes it’s a long shot, then perhaps a view from above, a ground-level angle, then a close-up, then a long shot - so Subbie is small in the overall picture. Many people do this when making documentaries or movies, for variety, to keep the viewer engaged. I approach picture books the same way.

Here are a couple of other (much less serious) books to share with your students about horse racing:

The Epic Race

I'm not especially keen on these next two books but they might be in your school library - they are both very silly but they might give your young students a smile.

The Secret Elephant by Ellan Rankin

Told as a first-person narrative, a young elephant named Shelia describes her life in Belfast zoo and the big change that happened when World War II began.

"At night, enormous machines flew in the air and dropped strange things on the city. Great bangs shook the ground and flashes of orange light burned across the sky. I couldn't see other animals through the smoke. I didn't understand what was happening or where the loud noises were coming from."

Luckily her keeper has a plan. The pair sneak out of the zoo each night and hide back at the keeper's own home. Very young readers will laugh to see Shelia drinking out of the toilet and dusting her skin with flour from an upturned canister. But of course, over the years Shelia keeps growing and eventually she is too big to stay inside. A neighbor reported seeing an elephant on the street and so young Shelia can no longer leave the zoo. Her keeper is not going to let the young elephant suffer and so every evening she went to the zoo and to sit in her enclosure. 

This book is based on a true story. During World War II the government in Belfast were worried a bomb would drop on the zoo and all the animals could escape endangering lives. They ordered some of the zoo animals to be killed. Denise Weston Austin was a keeper at the zoo. She rescued Shelia, a baby Asian elephant, and kept her at home during the war. Eventually someone discovered this and so Shelia had to stay at the zoo but during air raids, Denise would rub her ears and stay with her to keep her calm. Shelia survived for twenty-five years after the war. She died in 1966. Denise died in 1997. 

If you look closely you can see a tiny elephant beside her grave.

Read more here:

Belfast City

Belfast Telegraph

BBC Video (not suitable for young children)

Movie trailer - Zoo (2018)

The Secret Elephant is a new book published (Hachette Children's Books) in 2023 and it is available in both a hardcover and paperback edition. See inside this book here. 

Here are some books for much older readers that explore the care of animals in a zoo during wartimes.

An elephant in the Garden. 

When I read this book, I was sure it must have been based on a true story and 

now I read that true story is this on from Belfast zoo. 

When the Sky falls - for mature readers aged 10+

The Midnight Zoo for readers aged 12+

And for very young readers here is another book that looks at rescuing an elephant in a zoo.

Mrs Bibi's Elephant