Last Bat of the Night

Last Bat of the Night (CSIRO Publishing) David Gullan and Samantha Metcalfe PB RRP $26.99 ISBN 9781486318728

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Last Bat of the Night is a delightful introduction to native Australian megabats on their nightly adventures to feed, drink and pollinate. As the stars come out, a colony of bats passes overhead on a nocturnal adventure. Who will be the one to spot the last bat?

David Gullan is an educator, writer and a lover of nature. He creates stories that introduce young learners to Australian wildlife. He hopes his books encourage children to look up, look down and then take another look around our natural world. He is also the author of the picture book Life in a Hollow.

Samantha Metcalfe is a natural history illustrator whose inspiration comes from the Australian bush. She works primarily in colour pencil, creating realistic and detailed illustrations to capture Australian native flora and fauna. Samantha's previous books include Alight and The Voyage of Whale and Calf. She was shortlisted for the 2019 Children’s Book Council of Australia Award for New Illustrator.

David Gullan has written an engaging rhyming narrative that introduces young learners to Australian megabats. The metre feels natural, not forced, and the text reads aloud smoothly. Cleverly, Gullan has included a game where someone hopes to be the one to spot the last bat of the night. This allows the book to go beyond the pages and be taken into the real world when exploring in nature. The language chosen is simple, playful and keeps the story flowing. Each page has a few sentences that have verbs that bring the Australian bats' habits and movements to life. Bats sprawl and screech among stars overhead, the children entranced as they head home to bed. Dialogue is used at just the right moments.

The text and visuals are balanced and complementary. When each different bat is featured, the name of the bat appears at the bottom or top of the spread. This allows the learner to learn the bat’s name without taking away from the storyline. Threats to bats like powerlines are gently addressed. The descriptive language gives a fullness to the bat’s natural world. The end matter includes information about bats along with the instructions how to play ‘Last Bat’. A handy glossary is included. 

Samantha Metcalfe’s detailed and realistic illustrations of nocturnal settings capture the fleeting moments when day turns to night. The pages move from warm, dusky lit skies of purple, orange and green to the dark pinks, purples and blues. White space is used to great effect with silhouettes of bats against the sky showcasing the shape of the bats as they glide over parks and trees. The illustrations really do have a magical feel and a sense of wonder. The endpapers are an extension of the story with the first spread featuring bats flying across a purple sky and the end spread showing the very last bat flying across a starry sky.

Last Bat of the Night is written for children 5-9 years and appeals to anyone who loves our natural world. Children, parents and teachers will find it an easy-to-read book that can be revisited often. The book beautifully mirrors the bats world and creates wonder and curiosity.

 

The Thing About Dads

The Thing About Dads (Thames & Hudson) Deborah Frenkel and Daniel Gray-Barnett PB RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781760765194

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

The Thing About Dads is a heartfelt, joyful celebration of fatherhood in all its forms. From an award-winning duo comes a rhyming ode to the dads who make life extraordinarily special.

Deborah Frenkel is an award-winning picture book author who wrote The Truck Cat, which won the prestigious 2025 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Picture Book of the Year and ABIA Picture Book of the Year and National Simultaneous Storytime title. She has also written How to Get Home, 100 School Days, The Sydney Harbour Fairy, Boldilocks and Naturopolis.

Daniel Gray-Barnett is an acclaimed illustrator whose debut book, Grandma Z, won the CBCA Award for New Illustrator. It was also in the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art and annual shows. He is self-taught and lives in the Huon Valley in Tasmania.

Deborah Frenkel has crafted a joyful, rhyming story that captures dads in a warm, heartfelt, and loving way. The thing about dads is, they sometimes look tough, but they’re usually filled with the softest of stuff. The story voice is real and endearing. Children will see their dad in the pages, whether he is funny, a big softie, smart, a cook or somewhere in between. Then emerge full of crazy ideas you can do. What I like most is that this book shows dad love and loyalty and that a dad will do anything for their child. The focus is not on masculinity, but the roles dads play, and that role is clear and distinct from a mum. Frenkel has nailed the different dad characters, and I think this is what makes reading the text feel so good. She has used a repeated refrain that makes the reading easy and memorable. The thing about dads is they hide in the loo… I love how she shows that dads have a dad.

Daniel Gray-Barnett’s illustrations are happy and bright. The bright yellow cover is eye-catching with fun dads in action around the title. The book looks like fun before you even open it. The endpapers showcase different dads in different photo frames. Bright colours and cartoon-like depictions of dads not only visually tell the story but are appealing to the eye. Humour appears, bringing smiles to so many spreads. Dad on the loo with hairy legs and a dreamy face is one. Perspective changes from small vignettes to a double-page spread of a dad and child in the bath. I think Daniel Gray-Barnett captures the boundless love, energy and dynamics of dads super well.

The Thing About Dads is written for children 4-6 years with a broader interest age range of children 2-6 years. Commercially, this book would make a lovely Father’s Day gift or read. I can see it appealing to children, parents, teachers and librarians.

 

Just Be Yourself

Just Be Yourself by Emma Freya

 Love has a big day ahead — a new class, a new teacher, new faces, and a name that's tricky for some to say. With pocket treasures and her friends Izzy and Mel (the new girl in class) by her side, she starts finding her footing.

Then comes the assignment to present something cultural from home. Vegemite on toast? Backwards pants? Pappa's ideas don't feel quite right. Mamma suggests fika, a Swedish tradition worth sharing, so together they make chocolate balls for Love's presentation — though the first batch doesn't go to plan. A warm, heartfelt story about new beginnings and the courage to share what makes you, you, and the wisdom of Mamma's advice: just be yourself.

Swedish words are woven into the story and are understandable through context. Translations and pronunciation guides are included for extra support.

A 'Question Time' reflection activity is included to extend reading into conversation. You'll also find the recipe for the Swedish chocolate balls that Love makes in the book.

Peace and Me

Peace and Me by Ali Winter, illustrated by Mickael El Fathi (Lantana Publishing UK — AU edition 2026) HB RRP $ 26.99 ISBN: 9781911373285

Reviewed by Sylvia Forbes

 Inspired by and based on the lives of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates of the 20th and 21st centuries, Peace and Me profiles twelve international, shape-shifting peacemakers, including Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, and Malala Yousafzai. The book tells how each recipient (through their own particular skill sets, observations, bravery, and heart) dedicated themselves to helping make the world a better, more equitable place for people to live in. 

Peace and Me begins with Alfred Nobel himself, who, after studying chemical engineering, met a man who had invented a liquid called nitro-glycerine — and after seeing first-hand how dangerous it was, became determined to find a way to make it safe. He invented Dynamite. He made a lot of money from its success, but he wasn't happy because he realised his invention was being used as a weapon of destruction. Thus, in his will, he instructed that the money he earned from his invention be distributed each year as prizes to people who had achieved greatness for the good of all mankind in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, and Peace. 

Ali Winter has done a great job in whittling these life stories down to a succinct single page of words — keeping them interesting, informative and easy to read and digest.

Mickael Eli Fathi's outstanding, highly detailed illustrations — crafted in a multi-layered mix of patterns, colours, textures and motifs — complement not only the story for each recipient but also give a sense of their character. My favourite elements (out of many) are — the decorated cow with Mother Teresa's story and the ornate wire cage with Shirin Ebadi's story. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, learning about these amazing people and their achievements. (Some I hadn't heard of and some I didn't know enough about.)

I love how each recipient’s story is accompanied by a single line which encapsulates what peace means to them — Peace is ... making sure every child gets to go to school.  

And I love how it concludes with the question — What does peace mean to you?

With peace being an issue of our times, it is important for us all to learn about, discuss and be inspired by these key figures who dedicated their lives to the upholding of peace — and to recognise that they were just regular, every-day people like us. They simply saw an unevenness in society and then did something to rectify it.

Inspirational and beautifully illustrated, Peace and Me is a book for every home, school and library bookshelf.  

Highly recommended for readers aged 7-12+.

A Hat for Every Harriet

A Hat for Every Harriet by Jess Horn, illustrated by Zoë Bennett (Affirm Press) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781923293243

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Harriet has lots of different hats, such as her Sensible Hat for crossing the road, her Listener Hat for paying attention in class, and her Calm-Down Hat for upsetting situations. But when her class has to decorate the hall for the school dance, she doesn’t know which Harriet to be – so she piles all of the hats on top of her head. Before long, they fall with a crash! Her friend tells her to just be herself, so Harriet tiptoes into the dance without any hat at all. And she has fun as Just Harriet.

Crafted with care for kids aged four to eight, Jess Horn’s gentle text examines how neurodivergent children manage to navigate a world that is not made for them, and this encourages empathy and acceptance in neurotypical readers. But the story also empowers all youngsters to recognise their own worth, and to be brave enough to reveal their truth to others.

Zoë Bennett avoids intense visuals, using a delicate colour palette to complement the quiet consideration of the words. There is a delightful whimsy to the hat illustrations – big bunny ears for listening, a chequered cone for having fun – which is appealing. The characters ooze charm and connection, and this warmth washes over the pages and straight into readers’ hearts.

Children love to dress up, and A Hat for Every Harriet builds on this with an emotional layer of learning delivered in a kind and compassionate manner. This is the ideal book for anyone who is struggling with the weight of social expectations.

Story Rug

Story Rug by Sophie Blackall, illustrated by Phoebe Wahl (Hachette Australia) HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9780734424464

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Class 203 has fallen in love with braiding, but there is nothing for Noah to weave – so Ms Morena rips up a whiteboard rag. When Noah runs out of rag, his dad cuts up an old shirt for him to use. Eventually, everyone in the class contributes material – an old baby blanket, an unwanted skirt, a stained tablecloth and more – and they help to stitch the ends while Ms Morena reads books to them. When the braid becomes too long, Noah has an idea – they will coil it up to construct a classroom rug that holds the stories of their textiles and the stories that they heard. Ms Morena is surprised!

Sophie Blackall’s thoughtful narrative entwines the power of storytelling with the joy of communal creation. There is also a subtle nod to the significance of environmental sustainability – forlorn and faded fabrics are repurposed in a useful manner rather than thrown away to exacerbate the landfill crisis. Children aged four to eight will be inspired to make their own ‘story rug’, and Sophie has generously supplied simple step-by-step instructions at the back of the book.

A patchwork of patterns and hues abounds in Phoebe Wall’s fabulous illustrations. There is an almost naive style to the thick, crayon-like strokes and incomplete colouring that is sure to appeal to little kids. Although the images echo an American experience of school, every reader is sure to find themselves reflected among the diverse class members.

In lacing together literature and craft, Story Rug is literally a rags-to-riches tale that reveals the treasure to be found in creativity, community and cooperation. Charm exudes from every page, ensuring that youngsters will reach for this book again and again.

Pterosaurs of the Desert Ocean

Pterosaurs of the Desert Ocean by Andrew Plant (CSIRO Publishing) HB RRP $32.99 ISBN: 9781486320257

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

A hundred million years ago, inland Australia was a sea. Flying pterosaurs built nests on islands, where they raised their hatchlings. One of the pterosaurs, Ferrodraco, teaches her babies to hunt. But she is soon carried away by a cyclone. She finds shelter on a southern cliff ledge. When she is ready, she takes flight – heading north to find her family. Along the way, she encounters Muttaburrasaurus, Weewarrasaurus, Diamantinasaurus and many other creatures of the era. Finally, she ‘hears a familiar call’ and glides to her rocky home.

Andrew Plant’s narrative non-fiction picture book is ideal for six- to twelve-year-olds who are fascinated by dinosaurs, especially Australian species. The presentation of the scientific information in story form – as well as the introduction of a compelling main character – helps kids to quickly connect to the knowledge. For those who want to find out more, Andrew has supplied extensive back matter incorporating details on the Eromanga Sea, scientific names and pterosaurs, plus a useful glossary.

Andrew’s realistic illustrations reveal the unique animals and habitats in dazzling true-to-life colour. From spiky teeth and streaky waves to prickly plants and spiral shells, every element helps to bring the prehistoric world to life. With Ferrodraco, Andrew has created a protagonist who is equal parts authentic and appealing, and in whose epic adventure readers will soon become invested. 

A fresh take on Australian paleontology, Pterosaurs of the Desert Ocean is an immersive experience from the first page until the last. With its synthesis of irresistible images and striking story, it is sure to become a favourite of fossil fans both young and old.