Volcano

Volcano by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft (Allen & Unwin) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781761180644

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

In the darkest part of the ocean, ‘a new volcano births a new mountain’. A chimney develops, and it draws in tiny bacteria. Stretching up and up, the mountain starts to support corals and other creatures. And it is always erupting. Soon the mountain breaches the surface of the boiling sea. Exposed to the air, the lava slows and cools. Plants sprout and birds nest on their fresh island home.

Who needs a submarine when Claire Saxby’s lyrical lines dive deep beneath the waves to explore the essence of underwater volcanos? This poetic pilgrimage brings earth sciences to life for children aged five to eight, and along the way they’ll discover how places such as Hawaii arose. Lovely language flits like fish, reflecting the light and the dark of Mother Nature’s most explosive creation.

Jess Racklyeft’s moody blue abyss is soon scorched with flaming orange flashes of lava. The colours become brighter and brighter as the mountain moves towards the sky; more and more vivid flora and fauna are attracted to the volcanic sanctuary. Readers will gasp when they open the gatefold illustration and glimpse the gushing peak in all its glory.

Kids who adored Claire and Jess’s previous books – Tree and Iceberg – will relish the roaring rumble and tumble of Volcano. Drama bursts forth from every page, as evocative words and images form a ring of fire in young imaginations.