The Bilby vs the Bunny


Are you in the Easter Bunny or Easter Bilby camp? Last year I shared a blog featuring five bilby books, so this year it’s the bunnies’ turn. In Australia our connection with rabbits is complex. As an introduced species, rabbits are a pest that threatens native wildlife. This is reflected in literature; compare the sweet… continue reading »


5 Bilby Books to read at Easter


In Australia, rabbits are destructive pests, so shy marsupial bilbies are the new heroes of Australian Easter Bunny stories. Bilbies look like rabbits. They’re a similar size and they have very long ears. Here are five stories with bilby characters. Three books share the same Easter topic with bilbies as the same central characters, but… continue reading »


10 Big-hearted Elephants


Who doesn’t love elephants? Big flappy ears, long trunks, determination, and big-hearted … One of my favourite childhood memories is of sitting beside a crackly record player, listening to the story of how The Elephant’s Child got his trunk. Although his aunts and uncles kept spanking him for his ‘satiable curiosity’, The Elephant’s Child never… continue reading »


The Rabbits


In my previous post, The Bilby versus the Bunny, I wrote that in Australia our relationship with rabbits is complex. With Easter just a few days away, today’s post features The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan, an extraordinary, thought-provoking title. At first glance, this award-winning book looks like a kids’ title, and it… continue reading »