Claire Saxby (text), Julie Vivas (illus.), Koala (Nature Storybooks), Walker Books Australia, 1 August 2017, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781925126396
Like the other excellent titles in Walker Books’ award-winning Nature Storybooks series, Koala features a winning combination of a compelling and lyrical narrative, accurate facts about an animal’s life history and attractive illustrations.
This story follows a baby koala who leaves his mother to venture out on his own, encountering a few challenges and dangers along the way before eventually establishing a territory of his own.
Multi-layered text suits a good range of ages, interests and reading abilities. The lyrical narrative makes a great read-aloud story, and the informational text is accurate and interesting.
The endearing watercolour illustrations are sure to melt the hearts of young animal lovers.
Back matter includes a succinct overview of the koala’s basic biology and an index.
Reviewed by Julie Murphy
