What do you think?
Rate this book
What Snail Knows
Lucy and Dad move a lot, so it’s hard to make friends.
Lucy’s glad she has Snail, the perfect pet for a lonely girl. If only she had her own shell to hide in every time she started at a new school.
But this place is different. She likes her teacher, Miss Darling. She likes her classmates, especially Tahnee. She even likes Mei-hui’s van park, where she lives with Dad and Snail. This place feels like home. Can she convince her dad to stay?
Lucy’s glad she has Snail, the perfect pet for a lonely girl. If only she had her own shell to hide in every time she started at a new school.
But this place is different. She likes her teacher, Miss Darling. She likes her classmates, especially Tahnee. She even likes Mei-hui’s van park, where she lives with Dad and Snail. This place feels like home. Can she convince her dad to stay?
224 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2022
31 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Apel
9 books15 followersKathryn Apel is an Aussie children's author who writes too much. She paints pictures with words, because much as she'd love to, Kat can't draw. Kat's goal is to find the perfect word for every situation. Sometimes that's a lot harder than you think!
Kat's Books;
VERSE NOVELS:
What Snail Know
Too Many Friends
Bully on the Bus
On Track
PICTURE BOOKS:
Mad Cows
Miss Understood
The Bird in the Herd
Up and Down on a Rainy Day
This is the Mud!
CHAPTER BOOK:
Fencing with Fear
Kat's Books;
VERSE NOVELS:
What Snail Know
Too Many Friends
Bully on the Bus
On Track
PICTURE BOOKS:
Mad Cows
Miss Understood
The Bird in the Herd
Up and Down on a Rainy Day
This is the Mud!
CHAPTER BOOK:
Fencing with Fear
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 28, 2023
There is a lot packed into this short, verse-like novel for children 7/8+.
Grief, isolation, poverty, environmental issues, friendship, community and love.
A very age appropriate story of the need for community and environmental action/impact.
The story includes a moving father/daughter relationship, an inspiring teacher, an aware and loving classmate and a caring neighbour.
Highly recommend!
Grief, isolation, poverty, environmental issues, friendship, community and love.
A very age appropriate story of the need for community and environmental action/impact.
The story includes a moving father/daughter relationship, an inspiring teacher, an aware and loving classmate and a caring neighbour.
Highly recommend!
October 1, 2023
Wholesome, sweet and so beautiful!
October 2, 2022
Told in verse - linear, shaped, short and long, + occasional one line commentary from children in the class - this is a gentle and uplifting story about young Lucy (in Year 2) as she starts at another, in a very long line, new school. There is just her and Dad, and that is what Dadwants - its just them and they are nobody else's business. They are always on the move, with Day looking for work and struggling to put food on the table. Their latest stop is a caravan park and when Lucy starts school she is friendless and teased - second hand clothes, poor hygiene and immensely shy so struggling to make friends. She finds a snail to keep for a pet and when the class starts on a term long project to help - at home, at school and in the community - Lucy is paired with the very popular Tahnee - a kind, considerate, and gradually, loyal friend. Snail provides the inspiration for their first poster and continues to play a significant role. The class project presents practical and engaging activities around conservation, sustainable practices, and active engagement with the community.
The soft and expressive pencil illustrations provide wonderful support for this story that celebrates trust, family, friendship and hope as Lucy's kind and gentle nature provides a starting point for building a home. Highly recommended for a read aloud with young children - around 7+ - as some questions about Lucy's lifestyle and dealing with grief and loss might arise for those not familiar with struggling families, and independent 8 to 10 year olds.
The soft and expressive pencil illustrations provide wonderful support for this story that celebrates trust, family, friendship and hope as Lucy's kind and gentle nature provides a starting point for building a home. Highly recommended for a read aloud with young children - around 7+ - as some questions about Lucy's lifestyle and dealing with grief and loss might arise for those not familiar with struggling families, and independent 8 to 10 year olds.
April 12, 2024
Representation: Side Asian character
Trigger warnings: Hospitalisation, physical injury, death of a mother in the past from an illness
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
I found out that one of the two libraries I go to still had verse novels up their sleeve like this one and after reading some I thought sometimes they were a hit and other times they were a miss. Not long after I picked it up and read it, and when I finished it swiftly I felt it had a great execution making it stand out from other novels like this I've read. It starts with the main character Lucy (This is the fourth character with that name I saw this year. Coincidence? Probably.) whose last name I don't know who recently moved to a new place (presumably somewhere in Australia) with her father. Lucy transfers to a new school (who knows how many schools she went to before leaving since her father moves a lot?) but this time she wants to stay because of all the new characters. I noticed a few titbits about the narrative which I didn't mind (I only found them intriguing.)
The story said Lucy is in Year Two (the Australian equivalent of second grade because school works differently here) which means that she'd be seven or eight. With that out of the way Lucy tries to convince her father to stay here and initially he wants to move again to someplace else but I don't know why until much later on. The other integral part revolves around a snail called Snail (Out of all the names in the world the snail is called Snail. Really?) Snail is a side character which I enjoyed reading but wasn't significant but some references to snails are in the writing style and even some poems are in the shapes of snails and hearts which I don't see that often but good for me I suppose. There's also a plot point about cane toads and killing them with 'kindness' as they are an invasive species (which is true.) There is a revelation where the father says Lucy's mother died from an illness and he could never fully move on from that but in the end he decides to stay ending the narrative on a high note.
Trigger warnings: Hospitalisation, physical injury, death of a mother in the past from an illness
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
I found out that one of the two libraries I go to still had verse novels up their sleeve like this one and after reading some I thought sometimes they were a hit and other times they were a miss. Not long after I picked it up and read it, and when I finished it swiftly I felt it had a great execution making it stand out from other novels like this I've read. It starts with the main character Lucy (This is the fourth character with that name I saw this year. Coincidence? Probably.) whose last name I don't know who recently moved to a new place (presumably somewhere in Australia) with her father. Lucy transfers to a new school (who knows how many schools she went to before leaving since her father moves a lot?) but this time she wants to stay because of all the new characters. I noticed a few titbits about the narrative which I didn't mind (I only found them intriguing.)
The story said Lucy is in Year Two (the Australian equivalent of second grade because school works differently here) which means that she'd be seven or eight. With that out of the way Lucy tries to convince her father to stay here and initially he wants to move again to someplace else but I don't know why until much later on. The other integral part revolves around a snail called Snail (Out of all the names in the world the snail is called Snail. Really?) Snail is a side character which I enjoyed reading but wasn't significant but some references to snails are in the writing style and even some poems are in the shapes of snails and hearts which I don't see that often but good for me I suppose. There's also a plot point about cane toads and killing them with 'kindness' as they are an invasive species (which is true.) There is a revelation where the father says Lucy's mother died from an illness and he could never fully move on from that but in the end he decides to stay ending the narrative on a high note.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2022
When we finished What Snail Knows, by Kathryn Apel, I asked Mr 7 if he liked it, his response was, ‘Yes, it was really good, I liked it, quite a lot actually, it was very good.’ I probably don’t really need to add anything to that endorsement but I will!
My small person and I read this book over a series of nights as our bedtime reading. One chapter a night to enable him to get used to the verse novel format and also manage the feelings that came with reading this…it’s a sad story to begin with about loneliness, isolation and grief. At times I didn’t think he’d stick with it as he was a little worried in places and clearly uncomfortable with the content (he’s a sensitive little soul and worries about things - even fictional characters - deeply). But, he stuck with it and I’m so glad he/we did.
This little book gently tells a tale of the love between a father and daughter and in doing so also touches on environmental issues, poverty and the need for everyone to have friendship and community. It’s a super sweet story about finding your place.
As an introduction into verse novels and an age appropriate story about environmental action and community building this book is a clear winner. The illustrations are gorgeous and it lends itself to so much discussion (for parents and teachers) and extension activities (for teachers).
Highly, highly recommended.
My small person and I read this book over a series of nights as our bedtime reading. One chapter a night to enable him to get used to the verse novel format and also manage the feelings that came with reading this…it’s a sad story to begin with about loneliness, isolation and grief. At times I didn’t think he’d stick with it as he was a little worried in places and clearly uncomfortable with the content (he’s a sensitive little soul and worries about things - even fictional characters - deeply). But, he stuck with it and I’m so glad he/we did.
This little book gently tells a tale of the love between a father and daughter and in doing so also touches on environmental issues, poverty and the need for everyone to have friendship and community. It’s a super sweet story about finding your place.
As an introduction into verse novels and an age appropriate story about environmental action and community building this book is a clear winner. The illustrations are gorgeous and it lends itself to so much discussion (for parents and teachers) and extension activities (for teachers).
Highly, highly recommended.
June 4, 2022
Another beautiful verse novel from Katherine Apel. Divine.
June 26, 2023
Now there’s just Lucy and Dad. Mum got sick and didn’t come home from the hospital. Lucy’s tired of moving all the time and being the new girl. She likes where she lives and wishes she had friends, but Dad says it is just them now. They don’t need anyone else, but Lucy does need more. That’s when she finds a snail, and Snail becomes her friend. She tells Snail everything, what she does at school, her dreams and wishes.
This school is different. Tahnee doesn’t seem to notice Lucy’s crumpled clothes, untidy hair, or dusty smell. Tahnee wants to be her friend. The teacher wants everyone to work on a project about being helpful. Where does this lead? Lucy wonders how she can be helpful to other since she has no money and lives in a caravan. The journey leads Lucy on a journey of discovery.
I enjoyed this rich verse novel, an insightful story of loneliness, isolation, grief and finding hope.
Recommended for readers eight years and older.
This school is different. Tahnee doesn’t seem to notice Lucy’s crumpled clothes, untidy hair, or dusty smell. Tahnee wants to be her friend. The teacher wants everyone to work on a project about being helpful. Where does this lead? Lucy wonders how she can be helpful to other since she has no money and lives in a caravan. The journey leads Lucy on a journey of discovery.
I enjoyed this rich verse novel, an insightful story of loneliness, isolation, grief and finding hope.
Recommended for readers eight years and older.
April 28, 2023
This is a sweet little story in verse about finding your place and expanding your circle, even when it’s scary.
Lucy has always had her dad, and no one else. They move around a lot, and her dad says they need to keep to themselves. But then something happens and Lucy gets scared there’s no back-up plan.
Most of the story is set at school as Lucy slowly begins to be accepted by her peers and most of the connection comes through homework tasks set by the teacher.
It’s a brilliant quiet story about found family and community and a somewhat slice of life narrative that was brilliantly done. I loved the word art and simple language that dealt with much more complex themes.
Lucy has always had her dad, and no one else. They move around a lot, and her dad says they need to keep to themselves. But then something happens and Lucy gets scared there’s no back-up plan.
Most of the story is set at school as Lucy slowly begins to be accepted by her peers and most of the connection comes through homework tasks set by the teacher.
It’s a brilliant quiet story about found family and community and a somewhat slice of life narrative that was brilliantly done. I loved the word art and simple language that dealt with much more complex themes.
March 4, 2023
A gorgeous Australian middle grade verse novel about Lucy, a year 2 student who lives with her father in a caravan park and dreams of them finding a place to stay permanently. She loves her new school, her new friend and her teacher and the hopes and dreams she's creating in this place. What Snail Knows explores the day to day living of a family without much to their name, the stress of financial troubles on parents and the challenges of connecting with others and accepting help. But it also has a lot of hope as the community supports Lucy and her dad.
CBCA Notable Book 2023.
CBCA Notable Book 2023.
March 8, 2022
This was a lovely simple story with so much heart from the verse to the illustrations. The wonderful theme of helping others - whether at school, at home, in the community or our planet. Spoken though the eyes of a child torn between her loyally to her father & her need to be part of a community.
The verse is so gorgeously told, it makes me remember the 5/6 year old I once was.
The verse is so gorgeously told, it makes me remember the 5/6 year old I once was.
April 6, 2022
I adored this book. It is such a lovely story of friendship and helping others, but it is also cleverly written and set out. Kat Apel plays with words and spaces, filling the pages with imagery. Mandy Foot’s illustrations compliment the story perfectly. I highly recommend this delightful verse novel.
June 27, 2025
A beautiful, warm, emotional and heartfelt read. What a stunning wee read written with heart and gentleness. I am a big fan of verse novels and this doesn't disappoint. I really enjoy this author and her writing style. Lucy will tag a your heartstrings and you will simply want to wrap her up in a big hug.
A great primary read-aloud!!
A great primary read-aloud!!
April 26, 2022
Lovely verse novel, gentle story about fitting in and finding a place where you can settle. Lucy and her Dad move regularly, after the loss of her mum. With the help of a snail as a friend, Lucy is able to find her place to settle.
Read
September 6, 2025This has been on my ‘want to read’ list for ages and it was worth the wait. A beautiful story about kindness and belonging 💕
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews