Books
🌿🌻K is for Koala by DK Publishing (illustrated by Marc Pattenden)
This illustrated Animal Alphabet board book features alliterative facts about the koala, an Australian marsupial with a very special diet.
🌿🌻Q is for Quokka by DK Publishing (illustrated by Jean Claude)
This illustrated Animal Alphabet board book features alliterative facts about quokkas, small marsupials from the western coast of Australia.
🌿🌻Our World: Australia by Maree McCarthy Yoelu (illustrated by Sophie Beer)
This illustrated board book provides snapshots of a day in Australian life, including words and expressions, food, cultural references tucked into illustrations. A simple appendix provides explanations for words and references.
🌿🌻123 of Australian Animals by Bronwyn Bancroft
🌿🌻ABC of Australian Animals by Bronwyn Bancroft
🌿Over in Australia by Marianne Berkes
Like other titles in Berkes’ series, this book reimagines the song “Over in the Meadow” with ten Australian animals and their babies. Additional information about each animal can be found at the back of the book.
🌿The Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy
In this 2022 book, a wombat hosts a parade of animal guests in his burrow as they take refuge from a bushfire. This story is based on true observations of the 2020 Australian bushfires, where other animals were observed to survive the fires by sheltering in available wombat burrows.
🌿Kangaroo & Crocodile by Bronwyn Bancroft
Written and illustrated by an Aboriginal Australian artist, this vibrant book of Australian fauna depicted in a vibrant style. If you cannot find this title, Bancroft has written (and illustrated) many other books about Australian wildlife that are equally wonderful.
Don’t Hug the Quokka by Daniel Errico
This illustrated book describes how very cute the quokka is– and how the quokka’s extreme cuteness does not entitle us to hug it (unless the quokka says “yes”). This is a really cute book about bodily autonomy for kids (and adults).
The Koala Who Could by Rachel Bright
This illustrated book tells the tale of a hesitant koala who is so afraid of trying anything new that he decides time and again to stay in his tree. When his tree unexpectedly begins to fall, the other animals plead with him to let go.
Creative Art Opportunities
🐨Coral reef-inspired multi-layer collage with die-cut fish and brightly colored ripped paper
🐨Paint or draw on paper shaped like Australia
🐨Painting with rubber snakes or spiders
🐨Painting with string dipped in liquid watercolor paints
🐨Painting with giant feathers
Hands On Experiences
⛅️Stuffed animals of koala, kangaroo, platypus, etc.
⛅️Large feathers (emu)
⛅️Rubber snakes
⛅️Feel around in a sensory bin of dark murky water like a platypus (corns starch and food coloring)
⛅️Explore giant paper eggs (emu and cassowary)
🌿Go for a walk with a stuffed animal or baby doll in a “pouch” like a marsupial
🌿Play with a stuffed animal or doll riding on your back like a baby koala
🌿Dig a “burrow” in the earth for a wombat
Songs to Learn and Sing
“Along the Road to Gundagai” – ABC Kids
“Give Me a Home Among the Gum Trees” – ABC Kids
“Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree”
“Waltzing Matilda” – Larry Groce
“Old Man Emu” – ABC Kids
“Kangaroo” – Caspar Babypants
“We Are the Platypuses” – Claudia Robin
“Echidna Lullaby” – Claudia Robin Gunn
“Tara Tuatara” – Claudia Robin Gunn
“The Little Blue Sushi Shop Penguins”
“Koala La La” – The Wiggles
“Out the Back” – Don Spencer
“My Island Home” – ABC Kids
“Raining on the Rock” – ABC Kids
“I’ve Been Everywhere” – ABC Kids
“The Quartermasters Store” – ABC Kids
NIYN – Australia on Spotify
NIYN – Australia on YouTube
All playlists are works in progress and are actively curated when I have a unit in play or preparation, so new songs may appear and old songs may be removed if they don’t suit my designs.
Nature In Your Nurture 