Nature books from:
Nature books: 2021 and on
Environmental Award for Children's Literature: Winners and Shortlisted Books
Check out the very first years of the Environment Award For Children's Literature up to the Millennium.
You can purchase some of the books using the links below. *This webpage has affiliate links with retailer Booktopia, which means that the Wilderness Society may receive a commission for a sale that it refers, at no extra cost to you.
2021
Picture Fiction
The Giant and the Sea
Written by: Trent Jamieson
Illustrated by: Rovina Cai
Hachette Australia
A giant stands on the shore, watching the sea. She never moves, never speaks, until the day she turns to a little girl and says, ‘The sea is rising.’
The brave girl takes the message to the town. But when the people refuse to listen, the giant must find another way to save them.
Perfect for the children of the Climate Strike, this is a lyrical and deeply moving story about climate change, standing up for what you believe in, and the power of hope.
Non-fiction
Tree Beings
Written by: Raymond HuberIllustrated by: Sandra Severgnini
Exisle Publishing (EK Books Imprint)
We depend on trees for our survival, yet few of us understand just how fascinating these beings really are. With a foreword by the world-renowned anthropologist Jane Goodall, Tree Beings is an adventure through the secret world of trees.
You’ll also learn the science behind trees, including discoveries about how they ‘talk’ and why they are our best allies in the fight to slow down climate change. Explore tree wisdom from many different cultures and some famous and fascinating tree species, brought to life in a vibrant combination of illustrations and text.
Trees are essential to our world. Tree Beings is your guide to appreciating trees through the stories of people who love them. So strap on your hiking boots, and enjoy this informative adventure through the wonderful world of Tree Beings!
Fiction
The Power of Positive Pranking
Written by: Nat Amoore
Penguin Random House Australia
Green Peas is our name and pranking’s our game! A symphony of alarm clocks at assembly? Yep, that was us. A stampede of fluffy guinea pigs? It’s next on our agenda. But for me, Cookie and Zeke, it’s about more than just fun. We’re determined to make a difference. And when the adults won’t listen, us kids will find a way to be heard—as long as we can stay out of detention! No activist is too small, no prank too big… and things are about to get personal.
Picture Fiction
Brother Moon
Written by: Maree McCarthy Yoelu
Illustrated by: Samantha Fry
Magabala Books
Beneath the dark sky of the Northern Territory, Hippy-Boy is captivated when Great-Grandpa Liman tells him the mysterious story of his brother and how it guides his connection to Country.
Great-Grandpa is a masterful storyteller and, as the tale unfolds, he finally reveals his brother is the moon—a wonder of the universe. Hippy-Boy learns how his great-grandfather uses the phases of the moon when he goes hunting and fishing, and why it is important for us all to have an understanding of the natural world.
Liman (Harry Morgan), the author’s grandfather, was a respected Wadjigany man, a leader amongst his people and the community. Liman was born at Manjimamany in the Northern Territory in 1916. He was a canoe maker, hunter, community mediator, and a family man who lived off the land and travelled the seas. Liman spoke Batjamalh, his first language, and other languages from the Daly River area
Larry Leadbeater: field notes from a fairy possum
Written and illustrated by: Jo Watson
Little Steps Publishing
Larry is a tiny fairy possum with a tremendous problem.
He’s on a mission to find a home that’s just right for him.
Brimming with friendship and optimism, his adventure invites us into a world where even the most challenging circumstances can be overcome.
Bandits
Written and illustrated by: Sha'an d'Anthes
Hachette Australia
Fern lives in a colourless, lifeless city and has only ever seen trees as pictures in her books. Fern is told that the bandits who come in the middle of the night to steal from the city dwellers are bad guys, but when she follows them back to their home she discovers a land of colour, life, friendship and a future she believes in.
BANDITS is the second picture book from Sydney-based artist Sha’an d’Anthes, whose career has seen her travel, show and sell her work all over the world.
Give me some space!
Written by: Philip Bunting
Scholastic Australia - Omnibus Books
Una dreams of a life in Space.
Life on Earth is just so so-so.
But how will she get there? And will she complete her mission to discover life in Space? And did she remember to feed Neil the goldfish?
Non-fiction
Hold on! Saving the spotted handfish
Written by: Gina M. Newton
Illustrated by: Rachel Tribout
CSIRO Publishing
This is the story of a quirky and primitive little fish that is famous for two reasons: walking on its ‘hands’ (pectoral fins), and being one of the first marine fish in the world to be listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Dive into the undersea world of this quirky little species and discover how scientists are stepping in to help save them.
Ninja Bandicoots and Turbo-Charged Wombats
Written by: Hazel Flynn
Piccolo Nero (Black Inc Books)
Why are 1,000 trees needed for every koala in a zoo? How do you check a tree-kangaroo’s pouch for joeys? Why is a wombat’s poo really square? And how do dogs help look after ‘extinct’ bandicoots?
In this factual, involving book, 9-12 year-olds learn about endangered Australian wildlife, including Leadbeater’s and Mountain Pygmy possums, Baw Baw frogs, wedge-tailed eagles, orange-bellied parrots and Guthega skinks, and they meet the zookeepers and conservation experts working hard to save them.
The Wonderful Wisdom of Ants.
Written and illustrated by: Philip Bunting
Scholastic Australia - Omnibus Books
The answers to life’s biggest questions can be found in the smallest places, once you’re ready to look.
Get set for an insightful (and hilarious) peek into what we can learn from the world of the ant.
Fiction
The Carbon-Neutral Adventures of the Indefatigable EnviroTeens
Written and illustrated by: First Dog on the Moon
Allen & Unwin
Meet our superheroes:
– Binky, aka The Monotreme!
– Worried Norman, once bitten by a radioactive croissant and now Pastry Person!
– Letitia, an occasionally bossy science-wombat and genius inventor!
Together, they are the EnviroTeens and they are about to get very, very angry. Singleuse Plastic Brendan may have an evil plan to destroy all the world’s turtles with his dastardly tur-tele-pooter but, believe it or not, there is something even more sinister than an angry plastic bag on a garbage island in the middle of the ocean … Climate change! Oh no! The EnviroTeens will do anything to stop this impending disaster: scale slippery volcanoes, scurry through forests full of poisonous armpit monsters, even meet Senator Ian, the Climate Denialist Potato. But can three teenagers and a chicken save the whole world? Why not, nobody else is! Maybe they are in with a chance? I can’t look, it’s too exciting! A hilarious graphic novel about a group of teens who are determined to clean the planet and clear the air
Edie’s Experiments 2: How to Be the Best
Written by: Charlotte Barkla
Illustrated by: Sandy Flett
Penguin Random House Australia
I’m Edie and I’m obsessed with science.
So I was sure that Annie B and I would win the Eco Fair competition.
Then Dean Starlight arrived and started sabotaging our project.
Now the competition has become an epic science battle of robotic spider attacks, exploding foam and sneaky spying.
Dean thinks he’s the best scientist of Class 5Z, but we’ll show him…
Weirdo #15: Planet Weird
Written by: Anh Doh
Illustrated by: Jules Faber
Scholastic Australia
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEE!
Not only is it PLANET DAY,
it’s also Weir Do’s BIRTHDAY!
And his party’s going to be so HUGE
you’ll see it from space!
It won’t be easy . . . but it will be FUNNY!