Bear by Natalia Shaloshvili

"Bear thinks. I love being a bear. I love my cookie. I love my book. I love my balloon. I love siting on my bench, all by myself."

But what will Bear do when other animals arrive wanting to share his bench seat, wanting to have a bite of his cookie, or take a look at his book and even ask for balloon? Finally, it all gets too much, and Bear lets out a loud roar. The animals all flee but then Natalia Shaloshvili gives her readers one more scene where perhaps there is a way for Bear to feel better but now poor Duck has to give away his cookie and you and your young reading companion are sure to want to talk about what might happen next. 

Holding in your feelings can have unintended consequences. Kirkus

There is a fine line between a book that is written to 'teach a child a lesson' - heavy handed versions of this can be labelled didactic - and books that explore an aspect of life that might be familiar to a young child which shows familiar feelings and reactions.

Bear is a book that is filled with big, big feelings and it all feels so real watching the way Bear reacts to others. We are privy to the narrative in his head as he navigates situations with his friends. AND his facial reactions are perfect.

While Bear's words say one thing, his expression and the clever use of font say another, giving the reader the opportunity to consider his body language and speculate on what he is really thinking, offering yet more lessons in how to "read the room", particularly if the adult sharing the book begins a conversation about these sorts of non-verbal cues and clues. Read Plus

Let’s talk about those illustrations—because wow. They’re gorgeous. Natalia Shaloshvili brings Bear’s world to life with a whimsical, textured art style that feels both magical and totally unique. Each page is a little work of art, with rich colours and soft details that invite young readers (and their grown-ups!) to pause and explore. Mummy is reading Books

I highly recommend you look for Bear and add it to your Primary School or preschool library collection. 

Bookseller blurb: A hilarious and heartwarming picture book about sharing, big feelings, and learning how to speak up! Packed with vibrant illustrations and laugh-out-loud moments, Bear is a delightful story that little readers will want to revisit again and again. Perfect for bedtime, story time, or any time! Bear is ready for the perfect day - blue skies, a cosy bench, his favourite book, a delicious cookie, and a bright balloon. Bliss! But just as he settles in, Fox wants a spot on the bench. Then Wolf asks for a bite of cookie. Rabbit wants a turn with the book. And Elephant? Well, he has his eyes on that balloon...Before Bear knows it, his peaceful day has turned into a chaotic whirlwind of sharing, and he's about to explode! AAAAAARGH! From the brilliant mind of author-illustrator Natalia Shaloshvili, Bear is a laugh-out-loud, beautifully illustrated story about learning to say what you really mean before your emotions take over.

Natalia Shaloshvili began her creative career as a fashion and editorial illustrator, working with a number of international magazines and creative agencies, including Grazia, Women's Health, and Gala. Later, she found her true passion in children's books and paintings. Her original work can be found in private galleries and homes around the world. She lives in London, England, with her family. Find her on Instagram as @nataly_owl. See inside Bear here.

Here are other books by Natalia Shaloshvili. I will be heading off to my library to hunt for these:

Companion books:

Five Bears You could also look at Otto The Top Dog

Something's wrong

Norton and the borrowing bear

Two for me, one for you

Good for you, good for me

The Memory Tree by Britta Teckentrup

"Fox had lived a long and happy life, but now he was tired. Very slowly, Fox made his way to his favourite spot in the clearing ... Fox closed his eyes, took a deep breath and fell asleep forever."

His animal friends gather to remember the life of their friend Fox. While they are gathered talking, sharing and listening a small orange plant emerges from the snow and as each story is told it grows bigger.

"The animals talked about Fox all through the night. And, in the morning, the little plant had grown into a small tree. The animals saw the tree and knew that Fox was still part of them."

Take a look at the labels I have assigned - grief, loss, death to this post. Now please take a few minutes to read this previous post about books that deal with these subjects.

As usual, Britta Teckentrup’s illustrations are gorgeous. The wintry scenes are atmospheric and steeped in symbolism. She has also cleverly captured the changing seasons in a lovely page that has been split three ways. Her forest animals are charming and their eyes are wonderfully expressive. This picture of Fox and Mouse enjoying the sunset is my favourite illustration – just look at those colours and the comfortable companionship! Get kids into books

Blurb: Fox has lived a long and happy life in the forest. One day, he lies down in his favourite clearing, takes a deep breath, and falls asleep forever. Before long, Fox's friends begin to gather in the clearing.

One by one, they tell stories of the special moments that they shared with Fox. And, as they share their memories, a tree begins to grow, becoming bigger and stronger, sheltering and protecting all the animals in the forest, just as Fox did when he was alive. This gentle and comforting tale celebrates life and the memories that are left behind when a loved one dies.

Yes, this book deals with a very difficult subject but using animals makes it a gentler reading experience for young children. Your school library needs all kinds of books - happy, sad, funny, frivolous, serious, mysterious, complex and even books like this that deal with this big topic - the death of a loved one. 

Companion books:

Fox A circle of life story

The bear and the wildcat

Waiting for wolf

The hare-shaped hole

Circles in the sky

Ida always

A Leaf called Grief

Mystery of the Missing Turtles illustrated by James O'Hanlon

"All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises! Turtles are reptiles with a shell that has formed by fusing their rib cage to their backbone. ... There are 350 living species of turtles around the world and many more extinct series have been discovered from fossils. ... Collectively, the scientific name for all these shelled animals is Testudines."

This book has been written by a team of scientists: Deborah S. Bower, Ricky-John Spencer, Michael B. Thompson, James U. Van Dyke. Here is a link to the teachers notes. 

Brooke loves watching the turtles in the creek near her farm. She has learnt to identify the different types of turtles but she also, sadly notices that that they all seem to be big and old. Where are the baby turtles? Brooke finds a nest with turtle eggs, but she makes a terrible discovery - all of the eggs have been eaten. What has happened? Brooke is a problem solver and a budding scientist. She sets up a 'trap' with chicken eggs hoping the thief (or as she calls it the criminal) will be caught on her camera. The culprit is a big red fox. Brooke continues with her observations, and she sets up a wire grid to protect the nest. By the end of this book over 100 baby turtles can be seen crawling down to the creek.

About the authors: Associate Professors Deborah S. Bower, James U. Van Dyke, and Professors Ricky-John Spencer and Michael B. Thompson are turtle biologists who created the 1 Million Turtles Citizen Science Project to encourage participation in turtle conservation in Australia. Associate Professor Elizabeth Hale researches and teaches children’s literature and writing at the University of New England. Dr James O’Hanlon is an award-winning science communicator, author and illustrator. Whether through art, science or storytelling, James works to illuminate the beauty and complexity of creatures that are often overlooked

As I mentioned, the turtle eggs are being eaten by a fox. I expected to read more details about foxes as an introduced species here in Australia in the end notes. There is only a brief mention of this. It is good, however, to read about the turtles we have here in Australia, the difference between a turtle and a tortoise, the way turtles help our environment and most important of all the Citizen Scientist Project - '1 Million Turtles'. There are very useful teaches resources on this page too. 

The 1 Million Turtles is a national community conservation citizen science program. This program promotes a strong collaboration between scientists and the community to support initiatives aimed at conserving threatened Australian freshwater turtle species.  

Aims:

• Increase survival rates of freshwater turtles and turtle nests, and by doing so, increase our turtle populations by at least 1 million. Hence the program name '1 Million Turtles'.
• Increase knowledge of freshwater turtle distributions across Australia and identify hotspots for future conservation.
• Train the community in methods that promote turtle conservation, like how to save a turtle on a road, or protect a turtle nest.

As you have seen this final point is the focus of Mystery of the Missing Turtles. 

There seem to be lots of non fiction books about Sea Turtles so I curious about the difference. This Wikipedia article talks about the way turtles and tortoises are given different names in different countries. Here is what I found from a US page:

• Sea turtles and land turtles are two distinct types of turtles that have different adaptations for living in their respective environments.
• Both sea turtles and land turtles play important roles in their respective ecosystems.
• Public awareness and conservation efforts are needed to protect these amazing creatures from threats such as habitat loss, pollution, and over-harvesting.
• Sea turtles have a more streamlined body shape, which allows them to swim more efficiently in the water. Their limbs are modified into flippers that help them move through the water.
• Land turtles have sturdier limbs and a more dome-shaped shell that provides protection against predators.
• Another physical difference between sea turtles and land turtles is their ability to retract their limbs into their shell. Land turtles have the ability to retract their limbs and head into their shell for protection.
• Sea turtles, on the other hand, cannot retract their limbs into their shell, as their limbs are modified into flippers.
• Land turtles lay eggs in nests dug in the ground, and the eggs take several months to hatch. The hatchlings are small and vulnerable and are often preyed upon by predators.
• Land turtles are known for their long lifespan, with some species living for over 100 years. The Galapagos tortoise is one of the longest-lived land turtles, with some individuals living for over 150 years.
• Australia is home to 34 native turtle species, including 28 freshwater turtles and 6 marine turtles, each with unique characteristics and conservation statuses. Read more here.

There are so many new books from CSIRO Publishing that combine a narrative with non-fiction text or content and which explore very interesting topics but I do have one small criticism - I wish this series had continued to emulate the wonderful Nature Storybooks or as they were formerly called Read and Wonder and used similar illustrators with less reliance on digital images. Titles such as The Forgotten Song has brilliant illustrations as does Where are all the Christmas Beetles. 

The content of all of these CSIRO Publishing books will be of great interest to young readers and also very welcome in schools to link with syllabus content.

Find some of my blog posts here.

My friend has a comprehensive Pinterest collection of books about tortoises and turtles. Companion books:

Read more here

Worth a Thousand Words by Brigit Young

You can see Tillie (Matilda) with her camera. Tillie is an observer and through this she has become almost invisible to her classmates until they need things found. The kids have labelled Tillie "Lost and Found". She can find lost objects and her camera sometimes helps when she reviews the images she has captured through the day. Lost objects, are easy to find, and safe but what about a lost person? At times this story feels like a detective or mystery television program. Tillie and Jake gather clues, visit places linked with Jake's dad, and Tillie takes heaps of photos but then she takes one of Jake's dad in a compromising situation and this whole lost and found adventure becomes very serious. Tillie is about to lose her first and only friend since her serious accident but it seems impossible to tell Jake what she has seen.

The kids in this book uncover some adult behavior - the kind of behavior I don't think I have ever read about before in a middle grade book.

I have a suggestion of how to book talk Worth a Thousand Words with your readers aged 10+. Read the blurb. Talk about how Tillie loves her cameras, she has four different types, and talk about how they have helped her cope with her now complex relationship with her father who feels enormous guilt over the accident that left her with a painful disability. Now read chapter 18 - it will break your heart to read the scene where Tillie smashes all of her precious cameras. This scene should leave your library group with a heap of unanswered questions and make them keen to dive into this book.

You can hear an audio extract from Chapter One here.

Publisher blurb: Ever since a car accident left Tillie Green with lasting painful injuries, she's hidden behind her camera. She watches her family and classmates through the lens, tracking down misplaced items and spotting the small details that tell a much bigger story than people usually see. But she isn’t prepared for class clown Jake Hausmann’s request: to find his father. In a matter of days, Tillie goes from silent observer to one half of a detective duo, searching for clues to the mystery of Jake’s dad’s disappearance. When the truth isn’t what Jake wants it to be, and the photographs start exposing people’s secrets, Tillie has to decide what—and who—is truly important to her.

There are some hilarious scenes mixed in with some quite serious and scary ones!! Tillie is a smart and courageous young girl who, although hiding behind her camera lens, finds her inner self once she steps away from it. A great story of family and friendship for all ages!! Miss Mahee's Library

Worth a Thousand Words was published in 2018. I am not sure how I came to have my copy but it probably came from a recent charity bookfair. Worth a Thousand Words was a debut novel for Brigit Young. You can read Chapters One and Two here. I think the ebook might still be available. 

Companion books (I read both of these decades ago):

Half a Chance

The World from Here by Cassy Polimeni illustrated by Mel Armstrong

Blurb: Milo lies in the grass watching cottony cumulus clouds transform into animals. Maya looks out a plane window and marvels at the sky outside and the shapes countries make below. Through their different perspectives, Milo and Maya remind us that there are countless ways to experience the world.

Here is a new word for today - Nephology - the study of clouds.

This book combines a narrative interspersed with facts about clouds. There is a glossary and a fact page to extend your child's understanding of weather, cloud names, thunderstorms, and the ways weather can affect us.

Thanks to CSIRO Publishing for sending a review copy of The World from Here. Check out the teachers notes here. 

• Explores the sciences that help us understand our world, and the wonders that make living here on Earth so rewarding.
• Presents scientific facts on weather, geometry, astronomy and patterns in nature in an accessible and engaging way.

There are also terrific opportunities of further things to explore after reading this book such as mushrooms, frogs, Pangea, clouds on Mars, the constellations, and shapes in nature such as fractals, tessellations and spirals. This book could also open up a discussion about ways to cope if a child is afraid during a thunderstorm. 

It is an accessible and engaging introduction to Earth Sciences that will inspire curious readers aged 4 and up to learn more about the environment. Books and Publishing

Things look different from up here, with Earth spread out below like a giant quilt.

See more pages inside this book here.

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything talks about Cloud Appreciation Day but you could celebrate clouds any time. I think this topic might be covered in our school syllabus documents but with your preschool group or younger grade you could easily enjoy exploring clouds and books about clouds as a part of a mini unit. Here are a few of my favourite books about clouds:

This is very very old - Clouds by Peggy Blakeley

Cloud Atlas

Lizzy and the Cloud (this is a must-read book for every child)

When cloud became a cloud

Cassy Polimeni is a children’s author and freelance editor whose stories celebrate our connection with nature and the environment, and the relationship between science and wonder.

Here are some of her books:

Mel Armstrong is an illustrator from New Zealand. Here are some of her previous books:

Muttonfish Magic by Aunty Ruth Simms, Lucy Robertson and Jasmine Seymour

"These are true stories from my lived memory in my mother's language, as well as the memories of my sisters and brothers ... They are stories from a different time, and from a place significant to all Australians." Aunty Ruth Simms

Publisher blurb: Aunty Ruth remembers going with her mother and brothers on a day out to the cove near their home, to learn traditional fishing and abalone hunting and cooking methods. After a day on the rocks watching mum work her magic, they return home with a feed for their family.

There are two text lines in this book that really resonated with me:

"We filled our pram with just enough muttonfish for a family meal ... "

This is the essence of sustainability surely. They only took what the family needed.

"No plaque marks our fishing spot or spills our secrets. We remember."

These simple words are a powerful way to talk to the children in your family and library about the importance of shared stories, shared culture, wisdom of the elders, and community memories. 

This book should be an essential addition to your school library.

Dharug woman and Prime Minister’s Literary Award winner Jasmine Seymour accentuates the family’s bond through illustrations that radiate warmth and connection. Her expressive depictions of family interactions, combined with luminous land and waterscapes and meticulous renderings of local flora, deepen the book’s sense of place and belonging. Primary school-aged readers familiar with Seymour’s Open Your Heart to Country and Lisa Kennedy’s books will appreciate Muttonfish Magic. It is an impressive picture book that should receive critical acclaim and wide educational use. Joy Lawn Books and Publishing

Thanks to Magabala Books for my advance copy of Muttonfish Magic which will be published this week.

When you share this book in your library, please talk about Aunty Ruth Simms and explain that this story comes from her lived experience. You could find a map of the La Perouse area and talk about the way the kids and their mother walked across a golf course. You will also need to look at pictures of muttonfish (abalone) and muckendy (rock cod). Other names for abalone are: Sea Ears, Ear Shells, Muttons Shells, Muttonfish, Pāua, and Ormer. Here is a video from the ABC you could share with your older students. 

Muttonfish (abalone)

Read more about Red Rock Cod here

You might compare this photo with the wonderful illustration by Jasmine Seymour

Better Read Kids are hosting an event for this book on 21st February 2026.

It would be good to also read Going Fishing with Nana. I would also share Going for Pippies and Three Dresses. 

Aunty Ruth Simms was born on The Reserve in La Perouse in 1941 as one of nine children. She grew up with a strong connection to both Larpa and Jerrinja cultures. From a young age she learnt about traditional bush foods, language and medicines and went to sleep on ‘goonjarn’ stories (ancient spirit stories). Today, Ruth lives in Nowra with her daughter Trudy and works as an Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO) in local primary schools. She has a Diploma of Education and is passionate about embedding Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum. She is currently the longest serving AEO at the NSW Department of Education and remains a strong advocate for her people. In 2012, Aunty Ruth was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for her contributions to education.

Lucy Robertson is a primary school Teacher Librarian and has always been passionate about good stories. She grew up on a vineyard and winery in Mudgee before studying journalism and creative writing, later completing an education degree after a move to the South Coast surfing village of Culburra Beach. When Lucy first started working with Aunty Ruth, she was struck by her beautiful stories of fishing, crabbing and shell work with her family in La Perouse and ‘The Dock’ in Orient Point, eventually convincing her to start writing them down for future generations.

Jasmine Seymour is a Dharug woman and descendant of Maria Lock, who was the daughter of Yarramundi, the Boorooberongal elder who had met Governor Phillip on the banks of the Hawkesbury River in 1791. Maria was the first Aboriginal woman to be educated by the Blacktown Native Institute. She was married to carpenter and convict, Robert Lock and their union resulted in thousands of descendants who can all trace their Dharug heritage back past Yarramundi. Jasmine is a member of the Dharug Custodian Aboriginal Corporation.

Baby Business

Here is an interview with Jasmine Seymour about this book

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead

The Experiment is a thrilling suspenseful dramatic exploration of friendship, family 

and what it means to be human. It’s dynamite! Story Links

Compelling and page-turning. Kirkus

Nathan and his parents know they are actually aliens living on Earth as a part of an experiment (yes that is the title). Nathan lives in New York and to some extent he lives like a normal kid - going to school, using his phone to talk to his friend, enjoying sleepovers, and reading his favourite comic - Calvin and Hobbes. But early on in the story a few things seem strange. He has to brush his teeth five times a day including at school with a special pink paste, his mother documents all his food and Nathan himself is weighed and measured regularly. Nathan also has some friends who live in different parts of America - Izzy (Isabel) from Illinois; Nina from New Mexico; Annie from Alabama; Leo from Louisiana; and Miriam from Missouri. Are you noticing a pattern here? And then we read that some kids have disappeared. 

The action moves with a swift pace as we watch a count down at the start of each section - Lift off minus eight days; Lift off minus seven days; Lift off minus six days; Lift off minus ten hours; Lift off minus ten minutes; Fate and Happiness. You should also stop and notice the chapter headings.

There is a moment in this book on page 255 where I found myself screaming at Rebecca Stead. I was sure Nathan was either going to die or be whisked off to Kast. I read The Experiment late into the night and again around 3am and then this morning I finished it off. This is a long book (207 pages of smallish print) but readers aged 9+ with reading stamina are sure to find themselves quickly hooked into the story. 

I want to mention a couple of things that I loved and that are quite different in this story - Nathan does not hide things from his parents - as a group they feel like a team and all of them want to discover the truth about The Kast and Hester and also find out why Nathan now has a tail (he names her Tuck) - you can see this on the cover. The other aspect of this story that was very different from other books about power and control came at the end (spoiler alert) when Hester is taken away on the spaceship and not punished and it seems she might have some sort of odd, but nevertheless happy, ending. 

Publisher blurb: Nathan never understood what was ‘fun’ about secrets, probably because he’s always had to keep a very big one, even from his best friend, Victor. Although he appears to be a typical grade-six kid, Nathan learned at an early age that his family is from another planet, and he’s part of an experiment to work out how to behave like a human and blend in. But the experiment suddenly seems to be going wrong. Some of the other experimenters, including Nathan’s first crush, Izzy, are disappearing without a word. After his family is called back to the mothership, Nathan begins to question everything he’s been taught to believe about who he is and why he’s on Earth. Can he, Victor and Izzy uncover the truth? The Experiment is a fast-paced adventure—with aliens—that asks universal questions about how we figure out who we want to be, whether it’s ever too late to change, and the importance of friendship.

Betsy Bird has penned a very detailed review of The Experiment (but be warned it is filled with spoilers). She links this book with Charlotte's Web, and like my experience of reading this book, that idea has also blown my mind! Betsy recommends reading her review AFTER reading The Experiment - and I whole heartly agree. Also DO NOT SKIP to the end of The Experiment - please let the story unfold and know you can trust Rebecca Stead that there will be answers to all of your (and Nathan's) questions.

Strong character development, like the complicated backstory of a villain, brings further depth, as do the believably strong relationships, including Nathan’s unbreakable friendship with Victor. Stead’s creativity shines here, from Nathan’s unusual tail to later plot twists and turns (not to mention the tattletale, alien-enhanced cat). Anyone who enjoys Stead’s writing, along with sci-fi lovers and even superhero fans will easily devour this latest offering, staying up late under the covers with flashlight in hand to read just one more chapter. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

In this video Rebecca Stead talks about her books including The Experiment and Rebecca is interviewed by Betsy Bird. Here is the Reading Time review (but I disagree with the idea that this is 'tongue in cheek') Here is the review from Ms Yingling.

A few years ago I penned a post about Science Fiction books for young readers. For myself I well remember reading Trillions by Nicholas Fisk and The World Eater by Robert Swindells and having my mind blown because that's what Science Fiction can do - and now that has happened again with The Experiment - my mind is officially blown again. But by far the best books to compare with The Experiment are Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left by Robin Klein and Edsel Grizzler and the Voyage to Verdana by James Roy. Sorry, these are both old books now so you will have to hunt in a library.

Halfway across the Galaxy and Turn Left

Edsel Grizzler and the Voyage to Verdada

Here are the teachers notes

Galax Arena by Gillian Rubinstein (1992) is a far more sinister story but it is also a book that I thought of after reading The Experiment. 

Read a detailed description of the plot here

And try to find these too:

The Last Cuentista

The Raven's Song

You might also look for this book:

The Future Trap

I think parts of The Experiment will also linger with me because earlier this week I re-read The Giver by Lois Lowry which, as you probably know, also talks about control and manipulation. 

Here are other books I have read and enjoyed by Rebecca Stead:

When you reach me

The list of things that will not change

Liar and Spy Five posts

Bob

The Lost Library