The Power of Science Storybooks: Nurturing Curiosity Through Storytelling

Join Bronwyn, from The Hobart Bookshop, for this week’s post on the power of storytelling to convey scientific information. There is such a wonderful range of narrative non-fiction available as this genre is flourishing with many recent publications.

The art of teaching through gentle storytelling has long been a cherished approach to introducing new ideas to young children. When it comes to complex subjects like science, storybooks offer an especially valuable tool. They provide an imaginative and accessible gateway into topics that might otherwise feel abstract or overwhelming. In recent years, science storybooks have flourished in both quality and quantity, offering a powerful way to nurture children’s natural curiosity about the world around them.

Science storybooks combine factual content with narrative storytelling to help children engage emotionally as well as intellectually. Rather than presenting information in a dry or didactic way, these books weave scientific ideas into captivating stories—inviting young readers to explore, wonder, and ask questions. By doing so, they help to lay the foundation for critical thinking, observation, and a lifelong love of learning.

At the heart of these books are authors who skilfully transform rigorous research and scientific detail into vivid, memorable tales. These storytellers act as interpreters between the world of science and the imaginations of children, distilling complex ideas into stories that are not only informative but also deeply engaging.

One of our favourite authors in this genre is Claire Saxby, a master of combining lyrical language with rich scientific detail. Passionate about fostering curiosity and wonder, Saxby’s books are a celebration of the natural world. Her titles—including Wedge-tailed Eagle, Tree, and Tasmanian Devil—bring Australian ecosystems to life with sensitivity and precision. Her newest title, Volcano illustrated by Jess Racklyeft and published by Allen & Unwin), reveals the surprising fact that more volcanoes erupt beneath the ocean’s surface than on land. It’s a brilliant example of how narrative can make lesser-known scientific facts both accessible and fascinating.

Another beautiful addition to the genre is Hatch (published by CSIRO) by Heidi Cooper Smith, a book that explores the hidden lives of egg-laying animals. With vibrant illustrations and a clear, inviting narrative, Hatch introduces children to the diversity of life and the intricacies of various animal habitats. Cooper Smith’s deep love for animals shines through every page, encouraging young readers to observe, appreciate, and protect the creatures they share the world with.

Lucky’s Star (published by CSIRO), the newest book by award-winning author Mark Greenwood, offers a wonderful blend of science and history. It tells the true story of the Murchison meteorite, which fell from the sky over Victoria in 1969, scattering fragments of space rock across the landscape. This story invites young minds to look up to the stars and wonder what mysteries the universe holds—while grounding the wonder in real, tangible evidence from right here on Earth.

We’re lucky in Tasmania to have our own rich pool of talented science storytellers. Authors such as Christina Booth, Anne Morgan, Fiona Levings, and Johanna Bell (who now calls Tasmania home) continue to explore the connections between our natural environment and the stories we tell about it. Bell’s most recent book, Searching for Treasure (illustrated by Emma Long and published by Allen & Unwin), is a gentle meditation on discovery and delight—celebrating the magic of beachcombing and the hidden treasures left by the tide. It's a perfect example of how everyday experiences can be a doorway to scientific exploration.

Tasmanian authors and illustrators excel in this genre.
These are recent additions from Christina Booth, Fiona Levings and Anne Morgan.

Science storybooks don’t just teach facts—they build a sense of wonder. They help children see that science is not confined to laboratories or textbooks but is all around them. By blending storytelling with scientific exploration, these books empower children to see themselves as part of a living, dynamic world—and to ask, always, what else there is to discover.

 

Bronwyn Chalke 

The Hobart Bookshop 

W: https://www.hobartbookshop.com.au/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/HobartBookshop/ 

X: https://twitter.com/HobartBookshop 

Meet the Gorgeous Giselle

Tasmanian illustrator and artist, Ben Clifford, shares the delights of his latest ventures - from illustrating the lavish and adorable Giselle to his foray into working with children to share his talents and love of a good story.

Richard Turner's Giselle Giraffe, published by Starfish Bay Publishing, tells the story of the long-necked, long-legged and somewhat gangly Giselle. At first full of insecurities about her body image she not only becomes accepting of her size but also learns to recognise its valuable and unique benefits. 

This imaginative story was a delight to illustrate for my fifth picture book. I was given the manuscript with no guidance, allowing freedom to dance with ideas. The illustrations took me over 2 years to complete with my upmost thanks to all staff at Starfish Bay Publishing and author Richard Turner for giving me the time needed. As I progressed with the art work, I came up with treasure hunts and activities to include so there are things to find within the illustrations and a guiding list to help readers investigate the images more closely. I love layers within a story! In creating the setting I gave it a timeless look choosing technology and architecture from no later than early 20th century.

The story finds Giselle entering a chic boutique clothing shop, hoping to cover up her insecurities of body image. 

Failing, she returns to the wilds where she finds her answers elsewhere; shining proudly for what she is by using her unique body parts to help others. 

It has been great fun to start sharing my work with young people. To kick off my school appearances I worked with young families at Sorell Library recently. Giselle Giraffe became the finale of the presentation. Displayed on  a big screen, our overbooked group read through the story with one of many treasure hunts included on each page. It was a delight witnessing families bond over the work, and objecting to turning the page until the treasure hunt item was found! 

We also read through The Wildlife Winter Games - a book that demands that the reader chooses from various creatures to decide who would win when competing in the different Winter Games events. The day included large displays of the illustrations and takeaways I had created. Many thanks to Libraries Tasmania staff for one of the best experiences of my life, and the food! You can view photos of the day.

 

Ben Clifford

Ben was born, raised and works in Tasmania. He began illustrating after living in a nice place with  cuckoos and sparrows in England. Ben was first published in 2017 for Elliott's Rainbow Heart with more titles to follow. When he’s not drawing or writing stories, he likes to help others if they’re sad or happy, scaly, fluffy, furry or feathery.

 

W: www.benclifford.com.au

FB: https://www.facebook.com/ben.clifford.art/ 

I: https://www.instagram.com/bencliffordart/ 

 

Further Suggestions for Book an Adventure

Following on from Felicity’s great blog last week, where she wrote about some of the books she has recently read which fit the 2025 CBCA theme, Maureen Mann follows up with some of her own preferences.

The following titles all contain adventures of some sort. My choices are not limited to the short list or even the notables, but they come from my recent reads. They all fit the theme of Book an Adventure

Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold

Silver Trevelon’s father is offered a job as an artist at a turtle rescue centre in Costa Rica. Silver is really excited, but Mum unwillingly accompanies them, even though her qualifications as a vet will be useful. The reader learns that Silver’s parents are stressed by fertility issues; Silver believes she, as a person, is not enough to satisfy them. But the jungle and the volunteers at the rescue centre weave their magic. Silver and her new friend Rafi (and his sloth) have great adventures including watching a leatherback turtle lay her eggs and chasing turtle pirates. This is a great adventure, but the book offers much more.

Birdy by Sharon Kernot

This verse-novel, shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year Older Readers, was better than I expected. It’s a subtle mental adventure, rather than a physical one.  Maddy is a situational mute, traumatised by a bad decision which was publicised on social media. She and her family of Mum and younger brother Charlie move to a small country town where Levi helps her learn to trust people again, and in turn Maddy’s friendship with Alice brings the latter out of reclusiveness and depression. Friendship and nature create a wonderful healing environment. 

Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden by Christy Mandin 

This is a picture book but not necessarily for the youngest readers. Millie Fleur creates a new garden when she and her mother move to Garden Glen which has strict rules for what is grown and how each garden looks, even though their house doesn’t have the same fit. The adventure in this book comes from Christy Mandin’s weirdly created flora and the slow change in the community, a move away from conformity to acceptance of the unexpected and different, that Millie Fleur eventually brings to Garden Glen. 

Cobweb by Michael Morpurgo 

This book is a historical adventure from the perspective of Cobweb, a Welsh Corgi, during the Napoleonic war. Cobweb is taken from his beloved Bethan on the farm, to become a drover’s dog, taught by Goodlad the older droving dog, guiding cattle and sheep to market in London. Once the animals are sold, Cobweb and Goodlad are sent to find their own way home, and end up accompanied by a French drummer boy escaping from the dramas of war. 

To Stir with Love by Kate Mildenhall and Jess Racklyeft

What a simple Monday adventure in the kitchen with Grandma and the narrator. There are many touches of naivety from the young narrator who is not named, but the strength of their loving relationship is never in doubt. The process of making Grandma’s everything cake (complete with recipe at the end) is detailed. I loved the comparisons. Grandma is older than computers! The repeated refrain is My little hand and Grandma’s old hand, wrinkled and sure. Racklyeft’s watercolour illustrations bring the simple but lyrical text alive. It is listed in the CBCA Notable Children’s Books 2025 but didn’t make the shortlist. 

Do you have other titles you’d recommend for Book an Adventure?

Maureen Mann

Retired teacher librarian and avid reader

Book an Adventure

Adventures abound in this year’s CBCA Book Week activities and shortlist readings. Discover some exciting destinations in this post from Felicity Sly.

 

This year’s Children’s Book Week theme is Book an Adventure. Tasmania currently has six groups that are starting their adventure to Shadow Judge the 2025 Awards; across the Early Childhood, Younger Readers and Picture Book categories. Students will explore the six shortlisted titles in their category and vote for one, which they feel should win, after considering the titles against the same criteria that the elected judges use. More about this process can be accessed at CBCA Sun Project: Shadow Judging – Young voices welcome here.

2025 is also the 80^th year of CBCA, and 2026 will mark 80 years of the CBCA Awards; two very exciting years ahead for CBCA. Special merchandise has been produced to commemorate this milestone. A beautiful anniversary notebook, which features some previous Book of the Year (BOTY) artwork, and an Echo the Emu soft toy as homage to the inaugural BOTY winner, Karrawingi the Emu by Leslie Rees. The merchandise range can be found at Children's Book Council of Australia online store.

I have recently read the following ‘Adventure’ books (one from each of the shortlist categories minus New Illustrator).

South with the Seabirds by 2025 BOTY feature artist Jess McGeachin (Eve Pownall Information Shortlist), which I accessed using the Libraries Tasmania Libby app, tells the story of Mary Gillham, one of the first four women to join a research team to Macquarie Island in 1959. I love the panel cutout of the Thala Dan which features someone crouched over a toilet bowl in rough seas. A great discussion starter for conservation and the roles of women in the past and future.

We Live in a Bus (Dave Petzold/Picture Book of the Year Shortlist) accessed in hard copy, tells the tale of a family mum, dad, Suzy, Blob the bus spider and an unnamed narrator, who we assume is a boy, (based upon wearing swimming trunks in the waterhole - as Suzy wears a traditional bathing costume) who are travelling for a year exploring Australia. Some features are identifiable (Wave Rock/Termite mounds/Reef life) and others generic (sunflower fields/waterholes/emus). A gentle story about alternate ways of living. It’s interesting to see that all shortlisted titles in this category appear to be suitable for younger readers, which is not often the case.

How to Move a Zoo (Kate Simpson/Owen Swan/Early Childhood Shortlist) accessed via Sora (Sora in schools - Libraries Tasmania) – an ebook platform available to all government school students and staff –HowToMOveZoo is a lovely tale of how elephant Jessie walked from Moore Park and travelled via the Fort Macquarie Ferry to the new Taronga Zoological Park in September 1916. The author’s note says that a sugar glider travelled in a zookeeper’s pocket, but I couldn’t find it in the digital edition. The illustrations have a heart-warming feel. (View animation by illustrator, Owen Swan).

Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger (Jackie French/Younger Readers Shortlist) accessed via Sora, is the tale of a young girl, abandoned in the Victorian goldfields, who becomes a bushranger to survive and pay her way. The book, whilst telling the rags to riches fairytale-esque tale of Tigg, also explores the issues faced by the Chinese in Australia, the Long Walk many took to get from South Australia to the goldfields, racism and the struggle to survive in a harsh environment. Tigg’s survival is testament to her ability to learn from those around her, without prejudice. A title for readers at the upper age range of this category.

Comes the Night (Isobelle Carmody/Older Readers Shortlist) accessed via Sora, is a dystopian novel, set in an imminent Australian future, where many cities are domed to protect against the (real or potential) ravages of climate change and a toxic atmosphere. With the support of benevolent adults, the youths Will and (genetically engineered) twins Ender and Magda, battle scientists and political authorities with an agenda to dominate and control humanity.

Felicity Sly is a retired teacher-librarian, and CBCA Tas committee member.

  

Tasmanian Creators Uncover the Facts

We are so lucky in Tasmania to have such wonderfully talented children’s writers and illustrators. Discover the fascinating books included in the CBCA 2025 Eve Pownall Notable List several of which also explore local Tasmanian themes.

In defining submission requirements to the Eve Pownall Awards, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) states that “entries in this category should be books with the prime purpose of documenting factual material. Consideration should be given to imaginative presentation, interpretation and variation of style” (CBCA 2025, Eve Pownall Award). Tasmanian creators had great success this year with a total of five books nominated to the 2025 Notable List within this category. Congratulations to Christina Booth (in collaboration with Claire Saxby), Jennifer Cossins, Fiona Levings, Monica Reeve and Coral Tulloch (in collaboration with Alison Lester) for achieving this recognition. 

 

Christina Booth has partnered with Claire Saxby, well known for her literary nonfiction approach in the Nature Storybook series, in Wedge-tailed Eagle. Saxby writes with sensitivity and accuracy in this story of a mother eagle, her mate and the challenges of raising her two eaglets. Booth’s exquisite illustrations capture the majesty and beauty of these winged hunters and the care and gentleness evident when caring for their young. The placement of text within gloriously textured full colour spreads draws the eye to associated text as well as capturing the vastness of the distances the birds travel, their keenness of eye and the feathered details of both the adult birds and the eaglets.

Jennifer Cossins has had numerous successes with her animal information books, and Extreme Animal Facts lives up to her high standards. Stunning design and intriguing organisation has assured that this information book goes well beyond ‘the fastest, the biggest and the smallest’ with original and intriguing groupings from ‘bizarre defence mechanisms’ to ‘the strongest bite’. Including examples from all the classifications – mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and other creatures including insects and invertebrates ensure variety and wide appeal. Each unique grouping of creatures is organised on carefully coloured pages with complementary heading colours in attractive stand out font. This ensures to a unified and cohesive package of fascinating and bizarre facts.

 

Fiona Levings is an author, illustrator and geologist and these three areas of expertise come together harmoniously in her latest book Before the Mountain had a Name. This fascinating and cleverly designed book tells the story of kunanyi/Wellington from its earliest creation to current times. Each double page opens up to show the geological changes from when the mountain first emerges from the Permian Sea to current times. The changing landscape is also illustrated showing the evolution of plants and animals and a cutaway perspective across the bottom pages reflects change over time, with the build-up of sedimentary layers with appropriate fossils nestled within the layers of rock as the mountain grows.

 

In Too Many Tigers, Monica Reeve harnesses simple repetitive text of “too many…” to present the effects of white settlement on Tasmanian shores in the 1800s through to the demise of the last thylacine. Her vibrant multi-media art work includes cut paper collage and rich pencil colouring to portray stunning landscapes and the inevitable impact of white settlement on natural habitats. Through carefully placed date stamps, the inclusion of simple signage and illustrated text for emphasis, the tragic history of the thylacine unfolds. The brevity of the text is amplified by the stunning art work in this quality addition to books about the thylacine and misplaced priorities. 

 

Renowned Tasmanian illustrator Coral Tulloch, join forces with Alison Lester to again share their love of the vast and beautiful Antarctica in Into the Ice: Reflections on Antarctica. This most recent reflection on their past expeditions is told in the first person by each creator as they share memories, experiences, knowledge and understanding gleaned from their frozen voyages. These personal recounts are also interspersed with historical and scientific information including quoted passages and images. This beautifully produced, lengthy picture book is superbly illustrated by Tulloch who has brought the ice, sea, animals, birds, and terrain to life with both detailed illustrations and imaginative interpretations that capture the cold (some pages may even illicit a shiver) and immensity of these icy land and seascapes. Complementary photographs and at times, playful illustrations, add variety to display and inform the reader about the abundant wildlife and changing environment.

 

Jennie Bales

CBCA Tasmania Social Media Coordinator, retired teacher librarian and academic… and a reader!