A Is For Australia

by Frané Lessac

What is the Fremantle Doctor? Where is Qui Qui? And why are some islands named after days of the week? You’ll uncover these exciting facts when you explore the A to Z of Australia – from Bondi to Kakadu and all the way to Taronga Zoo. Discover why Australia is one of the most amazing countries in the world!

Genres: Picture Books, Australia, Geography, Childrens, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Frané Lessac is an author and illustrator, having created beautiful illustrations for more than forty books. Frané’s first book My Little Island, was named a Children's Book of the Year by the Library of Congress, a compilation of her paintings from Montserrat. She has contributed her distinctive paintings to many picture books, including On the Same Day in March named Top Ten Science Books by ALA Booklist. The Donkey of Gallipoli, named an Honor Book for the Children’s Book Council’s Book of the Year Awards, Kirkus Review’s Best Books, CBC NTSS Books for Young People USA, and an USBBY Outstanding International Books. Her contribution to Amnesty International’s “We Are All Born Free” celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has been translated into more than 30 languages and an USBBY Outstanding International Book. In 2010, Frané was awarded The Muriel Barwell Award for Distinguished Service to Children's Literature. She is married to children's author, Mark Greenwood, and they have collaborated on many children's books including is The Greatest Liar on Earth and Drummer Boy of John John. Frané constantly visits schools, libraries and festivals in Australia and overseas sharing the process of writing and illustrating books empowering both children and adults.

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

From its colourful cover with the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge or the trams of Melbourne trundling around, this picture book is a delight. I like the vibrant colours and the way the book starts with the map of Australia with certain prominent places marked. Each page is filled not only with iconic Aussie images but also with interesting facts, some of which I was unaware of. One was the golf played at night in Coober Pedy with glowing golf balls or the amazing number of species of marine life in The Great Barrier Reef. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a famous town, city or natural feature such as Lake Eyre, Australia’s largest salt lake.

Even though MCG stands for Melbourne Cricket Ground and the picture shows cricket being played on it, I would have preferred to have see it feature AFL, (Aussie Rules or Australian Football) though our indigenous game does get a mention. And I did think it was a shame that it mentioned koalas were sometimes called bears when they so obviously are not bears at all. Despite those couple of minor quibbles this is a great book that will help not only those who live overseas but those who call Australia home learn more of our stunning country.

This is a book that every school, library and home should have and that hopefully will encourage a greater love and appreciation of our amazingly unique country and its wildlife. This book is a joy to look at, read and learn from.

[Dianne Wolfer]

A gorgeous fact-tour of Australia

[Teacher Librarian Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great way to introduce Australian landmarks, cities, states and tourist attractions. Interesting facts and it is done alphabetically- very appealing to children. The illustrations capture the imagination and curiosity of students. A springboard for lots of topics!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A-Z of iconic places in Australia. All the biggies are there; from Uluru to Kakadu. With fast facts and gorgeous colourful illustrations, this would make a great keepsake for visitors to our wide brown land, or kids travelling around with their families. I was glad to have been to all the places in the book, bar three.

[gemsbooknook Geramie Kate Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘A factastic tour of Australia from A to Z with award-wining author and illustrator Frane Lessac.
What is the Fremantle Doctor? Where is Qui Qui? And why are some islands named after days of the week? You’ll uncover these exciting facts when you explore the A to Z of Australia – from Bondi to Kakadu and all the way to Taronga Zoo. Discover why Australia is one of the most amazing countries in the world!’
This book was lovely.
As an Australian, I love getting my hands on books about Australia; especially children’s books. knowing that little Aussie readers and their families are getting to learn about Australia through awesome books like this one makes me very happy.
One of the things that surprised me most about this book was that I actually learned a lot from it. Some of the facts in this book I already knew but many of them were new to me which made for a really great reading experience. As the facts are presented in bite-size portions they won't overwhelm or bore young readers.
I was very happy to see so many wonderful places in Australia feature in this book. I also loved the varied information that was provided about each of the featured places. Having been to some of these places reading this book had a hint of nostalgia for me. As for the places I haven’t been to, I have now added many of them to my bucket list.
Frane Lessac has done a wonderful job with this book. As an author-illustrator, Lessac has perfectly melded information with illustrations. The illustrations are bold and filled with colour which adds an extra element for children to enjoy when reading this book.
A is for Australia by Frane Lessac is a must-have for all Australian households.

Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com

[Tessa Wooldridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frané Lessac’s brightly illustrated information book, A Is for Australia, uses the alphabet to highlight the variety of Australia’s landscapes, flora, fauna and cultures, from Kakadu in the north to Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem National Park in the south. Lessac’s gouache paintings, dominated by rich blues, greens and ochres, completely fill each page and echo elements of the text, the latter using a small font for the range of factual details about each featured place.

The book begins with a double-page map of Australia naming and locating each of the places that follow. Many of the places named in the text are linked to their Indigenous origins and meanings, and there is a balance between historical and contemporary facts. (I was disappointed to find small errors and non-preferred nomenclature in the text. One example is the use of ‘Arrenta’, a highly unusual spelling for the Arrernte people of Central Australia.)

A Is for Australia is a useful jumping off point for children who want to go exploring. Whether it is a reference to Echuca’s water ski race or the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the 5,300 kilometre dingo fence or the European explorers of the Torres Straits, there are kernels of information in this book to launch many an excursion into further reference sources.

My copy of this book was provided by Reading Time, the review journal of The Children’s Book Council of Australia. A version of my review appeared in Reading Time on 18 May 2015: https://readingtime.com.au/a-is-for-a...

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive, informative and fascinating introduction to the the diversity of life found on and around the numerous reefs located in Australian waters. Working through the alphabet, each entry is introduced in larger font with a simple explanation of the creature and it’s relationship to the reef. Smaller paragraphs of specific and interesting facts are placed across the entry, mostly double paged, amongst the carefully designed and colourful illustrations that capture the vibrancy of the underwater reef world. Primary students will be enthralled and as they are introduced to amazing facts about some unknown creatures along with familiar ones. Younger children will also be intrigued with the coverage and bright illustrations. If reading aloud, the simpler opening paragraphs could suffice for some, with other information being at the adults fingertips to respond to questions.
The book also supports various curriculum objectives, primarily information in the marine sciences but also the geographic locations of the reefs, conservation and climate concerns. The last page presents some different fish to spot in the book which will prompt further detailed examination. A wonderful addition to Lessac’s growing collection of quality illustrated non fiction for children.

[Susan Underbrink · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley and Familius for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's nonfiction book. This is a pretty specific kind of book. It is geared for children learning their alphabet and to kids from Australia. There were some words that are probably not well known to kids from the US. I still thought the book was fun and interesting. There were even new words for me to learn. Very short and quick. 3 stars

[Lexi Wesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! I thought it was a fun way for students to learn about other places, as well as the commonalities and aspects of the place. The illustrations were very vibrant and added depth to this informational text. I think students can learn so much about Australia and what it has to offer by reading this book! Great read!

[Christelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Ever wanted to know about Australia? Well this is a gorgeous tour of it from A to Z from a fellow Australian I never knew about some of these places

[Kerri Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Full of amazing facts about our country Australia, and full of beautiful illustrations. Good for all ages.

[Tempest Reign · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing A-Z fact book about some of Australia's landmarks, with beautiful illustrations. We love getting to travel around the country every time we read this.