My Little World
A child's perspective uncovers a whole new world of little animals and plants in this story when they can't see the bigger things the grown-ups see. A child can make a unique contribution to their family and there are fascinating creatures waiting to be discovered!
My Little World, was written by Julia Cooke and published by Omnibus Books (A Division of Scholastic Australia).
ISBN: 9781862917903 (hbk.)
Awards:
My Little World was shortlisted for the Environment Award for Children's Literature, presented by the Wilderness Society. It also appears on the NSW, Victorian and SA Premier's Reading Challenge for years 3-4. My Little World was listed by Readings as one of the Best Kids Books of 2011.
Reviews:
"This is a book readers will feel compelled to hold gently in their hands. Soft colours, fine pencils illustrations and delicate poetry combine to depict a world of tiny animals and plants. The effect is breathtaking. [...] The story is told in verse with a simple rhyming pattern that flows naturally. [...]
The illustrations (gouache and pencil on hot press watercolour paper) are detailed, harmonious and scientifically accurate. [...] The author's notes provide information on some of the plants and animals featured in the story, making this book both a pleasure to read and pour-over but also to learn from.
— Kylie Fornasier, Magpies, April 2011
"Sometimes, something really special comes along and this is one of those times. This is a lovely picture storybook for children as young as four years. The young child is too little to see all the things adults see when they go walking. But this book is about what the child can see the surprising, the shy, the shimmering, the adventurous, the amazing and the fragile. There are caterpillars, beetles, butterflies, stick insects and a myriad of other little creatures and plants that the child sees and the adult may miss. Presented as rhyming text, this is an easy book to read aloud. The beautiful illustrations are by a talented botanical artist and they blend wonderfully with the text. The creatures and plants are labelled and species notes are included at the conclusion of the book. This is a unique book for young and young at heart."
— Joan Steinman, Ballarat Courier, 2 May 2011
"This is a simply lovely picture book. It follows a grandmother and her two grandchildren on a walk through the bush. It is written in first person from the point of view of the youngest child — who often misses the bigger animals pointed out by Gran and Jack, such as kangaroos, wallabies and birds. From the perspective of this small child though, there are smaller creatures to see closer to the ground, things that Gran and Jack would have missed.The book is written in rhyming verse which flows quite well. It is made up of double page spreads devoted to one or two of the smaller inhabitants of the bush — plants, insects, spiders, snails, fungi etc. The illustrations of these inhabitants (and others) are labelled with their name, and are beautifully done. There are no illustrations of the human protagonists except for the title page and verso, but this enhances the book, as it creates the effect of looking through the eyes of the narrator. There are author's notes at the end of the book which tells the reader about the setting of the story (Black Mountain in Canberra) and there are further facts about the inhabitants of the bushland, as well as suggestions for further reading. This book would be an excellent starting point for nature studies and bushwalks. Highly recommended, especially for Canberra schools."
— Rebecca Kemble, Reading Time, May 2011
"Marjorie Crosby-Fairall is an award-winning and highly respected illustrator. The works she has created for My Little World are so remarkably detailed and life-like that, as author Julia Cooke says, 'I'm not sure people will want to close the book for fear of squashing something.' Gum leaves so realistic that they can be picked off the page, ants that will crawl onto your finger if you put it too close, droplets of water that can be drunk from the leaves, skinks with bright, beady eyes that are ready to scamper to safety if you move the wrong way. Crosby-Fairall's beautiful illustrations draw the reader beyond the text and into the living world that Cooke celebrates in her flowing, rhythmic text. Unfortunately rhyming text for younger readers is back in vogue – an almost endless supply of it, it seems – but plant ecologist Julia Cooke has a good ear for language and her verses trip easily off the tongue in a smooth walking pace that carries the beat of the bushwalker's feet. An excellent text to use with junior classes studying mini-beasts, My Little World is a treasure-trove for young environmentalists."
— NSW Association for Gifted and Talented Children
"The book is truly a delight. The text is in verse, whimsical, inspiring and accessible. The illustrations are detailed and elegant, and, of course, technically accurate. I would have loved this book as a child. So many hidden creatures to find within, so much to awaken curiosity. So much to motivate an exploration of the garden or the local bush. Heartily recommended!"
— Margaret Morgan, My Growing Passion
"As Cooke's rhyming text takes us through each lustrous page, Crosby-Fairall's stunning illustrations unfurl a rich tapestry of organic, floral and faunal delights for the reader, complete with small labels, close-up insets and the opportunity to re-seek an insect or an animal at the very end of the book. Set during spring on Black Mountain right in the middle of Canberra, My Little World is a gorgeous way to introduce kids to the prodigious natural world nestled within our nation's rather corporate capital. Author notes reveal further fascinating information on several of the insects featured through the book, making it a priceless aid for teachers."
— Tania McCartney, Kids Book Review
Teachers Notes by Julia Cooke for Scholastic
