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Over In ...
Over in Australia: Amazing Animals Down Under
Learning becomes fun with this book about the animals that are unique to Australia. In Over in Amazing Animals Down Under , amazing artwork will inspire children in classrooms and at home to appreciate environment, ecology, and the world around us! The perfect Australia children's book, Marianne Berkes makes animal habitats for kids exciting with Over in Australia , which doubles as a fun, interactive, counting book for kids! Most of the animals in Australia are unique, meaning they live ONLY in Australia. From kangaroos to koalas, they are a fascinating bunch. Once again, Marianne Berkes makes learning fun. Kids will hop, slurp, and munch as they imitate and count the animals. Like Over in the Arctic , the cut-paper illustrations will inspire many an art project. Plus Marianne provides tons of ideas for activities and curriculum extensions about Australia, literature, writing, and animals. Teachers and parents, as well as kids, are the winners. Parents, teachers, gift givers, and many others will
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 25, 2021
#39 in my 365 Kids Books challenge and multi-year effort to get Goodreads to fix the Top Readers, etc. lists. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf.
I don't know why Australia keeps popping up, but I keep grabbing Australian titles because I love how weird the critters are. In this particular case, I also love the collage, love the adaptation of the song, really love the backmatter with detailed info on how the art is made, among many in-depth bit, love the extra hidden critters although be warned, Libby couldn't cope with formatting the text at the end.
Library copy
I don't know why Australia keeps popping up, but I keep grabbing Australian titles because I love how weird the critters are. In this particular case, I also love the collage, love the adaptation of the song, really love the backmatter with detailed info on how the art is made, among many in-depth bit, love the extra hidden critters although be warned, Libby couldn't cope with formatting the text at the end.
Library copy
March 26, 2018
Put to the rhyme of one of Raffi's songs, children will enjoy looking at the various Australian animals and learning their numbers too. Plus, each page has a little hidden creature. Can you find them?
Ages: 3 - 7
#geography #australia
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
Ages: 3 - 7
#geography #australia
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it! Visit my website: The Book Radar.
May 14, 2015
Delightful version of "Over in the Meadow" about the animals of Australia. Detailed cut-paper illustrations and delightful introduction to the unusual animals on the continent of Australia. The pages are teeming with new vocabulary and information. As a bonus to the 10 animals sung about in the song, there is also a hidden animal on each page. Information about all twenty animals is given at the end of the book along with tips from the author and illustrator. The wealth of information included in this book is delightful and fascinating. A wonderful way to meet the amazing animals of Australia.
October 2, 2019
Probably my least favorite of the "Over In... series, this one has too many babies that are called joeys. It's confusing to kids when they're learning what the babies of a certain kind of animal are called and 5 of the 10 animals listed are joeys while 2 of the 10 animals are chicks. Also, animal number 10 is an emu: "Over in Australia acting like a mother hen lived a huge father emu and his little chicks ten. ... with their father 'mother hen.'" Yeah, it's confusing to the target audience and just doesn't flow right.
April 20, 2011
too cute, fun number book (and hidden picture book!) and beautiful, bright, interesting collage illustrations, now I want to do an Australian storytime! Been reading a really fun adult mystery series set in Australia called the Phryne Fisher mysteries and I just watched the Thorn Birds so I'm kind of obsessed with Australia now, maybe I'll visit and find me a priest...just kidding...
Some fun activites are included in the back as well for teachers and librarians and parents.
Some fun activites are included in the back as well for teachers and librarians and parents.
November 8, 2016
This book simply goes through ten different animals that live in Australia and what they like to do.
This book is so super cute! I think it would be a great and fun way to introduce students to different animals in different places.
I would read this book aloud and perhaps maybe the whole series and have each student have a specific country and do some research on the different animals and we can make a class book about all the different countries' animals.
This book is so super cute! I think it would be a great and fun way to introduce students to different animals in different places.
I would read this book aloud and perhaps maybe the whole series and have each student have a specific country and do some research on the different animals and we can make a class book about all the different countries' animals.
March 25, 2011
A counting tale with repetitive rhythmic phrases and cut paper illustrations of Australian animals. Additional options for enjoying this book include an I Spy feature, info about each animal, extension activities, discussion questions, further reading, a list of internet sites, tips from the illustrator, and sheet music for Over in Australia.
August 5, 2015
Book has lesson plans for teachers: Fact or Fiction?, Australian Animals are Amazing! The "Hidden" Australian Animals, About the Animals, Tips from the Author and the Illustrator and the song sung to the tune "Over in the Meadow"
August 12, 2016
I love this series where each page features and animal from one to ten with a parent and a child. This entry features animals found in Australia such as crocodile, wallaby, gray koala, platypus, rainbow lorikeet, wombat, sugar glider, brolga, bilby, emu
May 24, 2017
It's fun to learn a little more about the animals in Australia. My son wishes there were more father's in the book!
**Talking points - what types of things does you mom ask you do to? What types of things does your dad ask you to do? How are they the same or different?
**Talking points - what types of things does you mom ask you do to? What types of things does your dad ask you to do? How are they the same or different?
October 13, 2011
We love these books by Marianne Berkes. Always lots of good info about the animals themselves and she always works with amazing (and often different) artists.
October 9, 2012
Cute variation of "Over in the Meadow". Pictures were great; I loved the paper art! Read with preschool topic of Zoo Animals.
August 19, 2016
Good selection of Australian animals; very nice cut paper illustrations.
January 11, 2017
I love this rhyming book. I wish the illustrations were a little more defined for small children but I enjoyed them very much. Great information.
October 5, 2020
Beautifully illustrated children’s book can be sung to the tune of ‘over in the meadow’. A wonderful addition to any child’s book collection.
May 5, 2021
Title: Over in Australia
Author: Marianna Berkes
Illustrator: Jill Dubin
Genre: Fiction
Theme(s): photo collage
Opening line/sentence : Over in Australia
Brief Book Summary : This book expresses the different animals and baby animals that live in Australia. Using their actions to show what they do. Numbers are also incorporated throughout showing how many babies each animal had.
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): The collages of photos add a very nice touch to the pages.
Dislike(s): More information on the animals
Patterns(s): counting the numbers of baby animals on the page.
Puzzle(s): none
Consideration of Instructional Application : A great book to start off the idea of collage and creating one. This book shows beautiful examples of collages to incorporate in this art. It also good example for numbers.
Author: Marianna Berkes
Illustrator: Jill Dubin
Genre: Fiction
Theme(s): photo collage
Opening line/sentence : Over in Australia
Brief Book Summary : This book expresses the different animals and baby animals that live in Australia. Using their actions to show what they do. Numbers are also incorporated throughout showing how many babies each animal had.
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): The collages of photos add a very nice touch to the pages.
Dislike(s): More information on the animals
Patterns(s): counting the numbers of baby animals on the page.
Puzzle(s): none
Consideration of Instructional Application : A great book to start off the idea of collage and creating one. This book shows beautiful examples of collages to incorporate in this art. It also good example for numbers.
March 3, 2023
Not our first time getting this one out of the library. Though this series always follows the same formula (animal rhymes set to the tune of “Over in the Meadow”), the paper cut illustrations are exquisite, the book has a lot of good back matter to tell more about the various animals, and my kids love to search for the hidden animals.
June 11, 2018
This one was hard to categorize- it's a song, picture book, fiction, AND has nonfiction information. But it's fun to see how the author makes the rhymes work. The cut-paper collage illustrations are wonderful.
May 6, 2017
#numbers #DownUnder #Aussie #Australia #animals #Counting #YoungReaders #PictureBook #BookReview #ChildrensBooks #amreading Familiar rhyme introducing animals and counting in a new ecosystem.
January 30, 2018
This was a good book to read. It tells you about the the animals and gives you activities that the kids can do.
March 7, 2018
Singing book about Australian animals.
2018 storytime theme: Australia
Reviewed from a library copy.
2018 storytime theme: Australia
Reviewed from a library copy.
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July 26, 2021School Library Journal recommends this book for PreS-Gr 2.
Pair with "Australia" book by Pete Cromer.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
Pair with "Australia" book by Pete Cromer.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
March 27, 2024
Fabulous non-fiction about the animals of Australia, rhyming with special hide n seek pictures. Gread as a learning activity.
July 25, 2013
Marianne Berkes' books are an absolute delight to read. Not only are they entertaining, as all good pre-school books should be, they are extremely informative. Whenever I read one of her books, I, as well as my little boy, learn something. I can't even imagine how much research must go into these books. So when her newest book about Australia was released this year, I had to buy it. And, of course, have her sign it, because as I've mentioned before, she is very gracious about that.
The illustrators for her books are amazingly creative, especially for the "Over in..." books, using polymer clay for some titles and for this one, paper cuts. The depth created by these three dimensional media is rich and breathtakingly lovely.
Over in Australia, like the other "Over in..." previous titles is set to the tune of Over in the Meadow, so once you work it out for the first one, the following books pretty much fall into place. Over in Australia, also like the other "Over in...", is a beautiful book and an educational and fun (really!) read. I would recommend the entire series for any toddler/pre-schooler.
The illustrators for her books are amazingly creative, especially for the "Over in..." books, using polymer clay for some titles and for this one, paper cuts. The depth created by these three dimensional media is rich and breathtakingly lovely.
Over in Australia, like the other "Over in..." previous titles is set to the tune of Over in the Meadow, so once you work it out for the first one, the following books pretty much fall into place. Over in Australia, also like the other "Over in...", is a beautiful book and an educational and fun (really!) read. I would recommend the entire series for any toddler/pre-schooler.
April 13, 2012
Meet Aussie animals you know like the kangaroo and some you've probably never heard of such as the brogla in this beautifully illustrated and highly informative tribute to Australia's animals.
What I thought: This book works on so many levels. First, it's a concept picture book about counting. Second, it educates readers about Australian animals. Thirdly, the hidden animals will intrigue the children. I didn't notice them until the book told me to look again. The illustrations are gorgeous. I'm fast becoming a fan of cut paper collage. I can hardly pick favorites, but I really like the lorikeets and the bilbys. The additional information at the end of the book is fabulous. Where was this book last summer when I was reading and teaching about Australia during the summer reading program? The activity guide was especially helpful. I loved the interview with the illustrator. It was nice to get an inside look at her technique. Maybe I'll try cut paper collage one day in a program with my library kids.
What I thought: This book works on so many levels. First, it's a concept picture book about counting. Second, it educates readers about Australian animals. Thirdly, the hidden animals will intrigue the children. I didn't notice them until the book told me to look again. The illustrations are gorgeous. I'm fast becoming a fan of cut paper collage. I can hardly pick favorites, but I really like the lorikeets and the bilbys. The additional information at the end of the book is fabulous. Where was this book last summer when I was reading and teaching about Australia during the summer reading program? The activity guide was especially helpful. I loved the interview with the illustrator. It was nice to get an inside look at her technique. Maybe I'll try cut paper collage one day in a program with my library kids.
February 17, 2014
This was a cute little counting book about Australia's unique animals. I like the idea behind the paper art, but I felt the backgrounds were too busy which was distracting to the animals. The animals' details are really quite lovely, so I feel it's a shame the backgrounds take away from that. The text is put into rhyme and it's okay - not very impressive. I don't learn much about the animals from the text. A fun element to the book is that once you've read through it, you go and read the book again to find the hidden animal in each picture. If the text was spectacular, having to read it again wouldn't be such a chore. So, we just went back and looked for the animal instead of reading it all over again.
So, this is an okay book. It could have been better with a few tweaks.
So, this is an okay book. It could have been better with a few tweaks.
December 7, 2013
This book is intriguing and the illustrations are as effective as the text. Little know animals from Australia are featured on each age. The text is written in rhyme with the rhythm of and old folk song. It also works as a counting book! I loved the added end material extending the information. This is a book that readers will enjoy and can also be used to support classroom lessons. I look forward to exploring some of the other titles in this series. I'll get this one for sure for my school library and maybe add a few more from the series.
March 23, 2011
Great little counting book to use when trying to introduce kids to a new country, Australia! There are plenty of similar books for jungle animals but it is great that there is one not only about the unique wildlife of Australia, but that has a nice, repetitive rhyme that kids can latch on too. This would be a good one for the upcoming 2011 Summer Reading Club theme.
May 14, 2011
A rhyming counting book about animals in Australia. The book includes facts on each animal in the back of the book. There are also some illustrator tips and an additional "I spy" feature at the end of the book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews