Here in Australia we are so LUCKY to have a talent like Sami Bayly. And we are so lucky she has applied her amazing illustration skills to the production of the most fabulous nonfiction books about animals of all shapes and sizes. Every reader, young or old, is sure to discover an animal that they have never ever heard of in one of her books. These book are sure to spark curiosity and they are a fabulous resource for a classroom. Sami is also a fabulous presenter. I heard her speak to a huge crowd of children and teachers at an event last year and she totally captured the attention of everyone.
In this interview Sami Bayly talks about her processes. Her web page contains a wealth of materials to explore.
Sami's first book, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ugly Animals, won the Children's Indie Book of the Year Award and the Australian Book Design Award for Younger Readers. It was a CBCA Honour Book and was shortlisted for an ABIA Book of the Year for Younger Children and longlisted for the ABA Booksellers' Choice 2020 Book of the Year Awards. Her second book, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dangerous Animals, was a CBCA Honour Book, an ABIA Book of the Year for Younger Children, won an Australian Book Design Award for Younger Readers and was shortlisted for the Children's Indie Book of the Year 2020. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Peculiar Pairs was shortlisted for the CBCA Eve Pownall Award and longlisted for Children's Indie Book of the Year Award.
I visited a school library today planning to borrow The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Extinct Animals by Sami Bayly partly because it is a 2025 CBCA (Children's Book Council of Australia) Eve Pownall (Non Fiction) Notable or long list title. In my hurry I picked up the wrong book - a companion volume The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ugly Animals and this turns out to be Sami's very first book.
The CBCA judges said:
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Extinct Animals by Sami Bayly is a visually stunning and deeply moving tribute to the species lost to extinction. The book’s vintage-style design, with its fabric spine and tactile cover, evokes a sense of nostalgia, while the carefully structured content delivers an urgent message about conservation. The four-page contents section immediately sets a somber tone, featuring grey symbolic images of each extinct creature. However, the true artistry lies in the detailed double-page spreads that follow, where Bayly’s exquisite watercolor illustrations bring each animal to life. The inclusion of size comparisons, from the diminutive Yunnan Lake Newt to the imposing Megalania, provides readers with a tangible sense of scale. Each entry follows a consistent format, offering scientific classification, description, diet, extinction status, and habitat, along with an engaging 'fun facts' section. The meticulous organization makes the book both an accessible reference and an immersive reading experience. With an introduction dedicated to lost species and a call to conservation, this book is not only an informative resource but also a powerful reminder of humanity’s impact on the natural world. A beautifully crafted and thought-provoking addition to Bayly’s series, it is an essential title for young readers and educators alike.
Bookseller blurb: Marvel as you enter the fascinating hidden world of ugly animals in this encyclopedia of the animal kingdom's most unusual and beauty-challenged species. It's time for ugly animals to shine! With more than sixty ugly animals to explore, this compendium of the unusual celebrates the beauty in 'ugliness'. Children and adults alike will pore over the breathtaking scientific illustrations of unusual animals, debating their relative ugliness and merits, learning about science and nature along the way. Featuring illustrations and facts about the thorniest species the animal kingdom has to offer, from the naked mole rat to the goblin shark, aye-aye, sphinx cat, blobfish and many more 'ugly' beauties.
This might sound odd but I feel a little sorry for the ugly animals. I love that Sami Bayly says her book is a celebration of "the beauty in ugliness". Actually, a few of these creatures are somewhat appealing - the American Manatee; the Aye-aye; the Saiga Antelope; and the Helmeted Hornbill. You can see art from this book
here.
A companion book could be Blob The Ugliest animal in the World by Joy Sorman illustrated by Olivier Talle.
In September Sami will release her new book:
Featuring facts and astonishing illustrations about sixty amazing fast and slow animals, including the super speedy black marlin, the cheetah and the gentoo penguin, and the oh-so-slow dwarf seahorse, the gila monster and the immortal jellyfish.
Here is an interview where Sami Bayly talked about her book
It made me laugh to once again see that in the US our Australian books have different titles and different covers!
You might also have seen these two books by Sami Bayly. I am sure they will be in many school and public libraries.
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