Being Australians, we’ve all probably heard of our humpback whales, which make the long winter journey from the Antarctic to the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean to have their babies. They then travel all the way back again to feed greedily on the krill in the cold Southern waters. But did you know that during this migration they travel around 25 000 km every year?

This book tells us that’s the longest swim of any animal on Earth.

It also tells us they aren’t the only animals that make epic journeys across our planet. Little baby swallows fly all the way from Europe to Africa and back again. The globe skimmer dragonfly makes the longest journey of any insect from India to East Africa. And the largest animal in the whole world, the African elephant, travels across the dry Kalahari with the old matriarch leading the way to the huge wetlands, where there are pools and rivers of fresh water. These are just a few of the 20 amazing migratory stories in this book. Every page is stunningly illustrated. The emperor penguins walk in a long line, one behind another, in a background of white and blue ice. The brilliantly coloured monarch butterflies flutter in their hundreds through the green forests of Mexico. And a myriad of Christmas Island red crabs pour across a road on their way to the sea.

This is a special book that would thrill children and adults alike.

Reviewed by Merle Morcom
Age Guide 8+