Did you know that 90 per cent of Australia’s plant life is unique to this country? With about 24,000 native plant species, many have adapted to some very special ways to be able to survive the harsh elements such as needing smoke and fire to reproduce.

This book teaches us about Australia’s native plants. Each double-page spread features a section from parts of a plants through to water, desert, sci-fi, and deadly flora. There are page spreads on grasses and acacia, proteaceae, wild flowers, bush food and the Gondwana garden among others. The pages are packed full of facts, diagrams and illustrations.

There is so much to learn. Eucalyptus roots not only draw up water from down below but also minerals and metals from the soil. Traces of gold can be stored in the tree’s leaves. Tasmania has both the tallest and smallest eucalypts. The Wiradjuri people heat the resin of Dyurigalgal Mugarr (spinifex) which makes a tar-like glue which they use for tools and weapons.

Some Proteaceae have seeds that rely on chemical compounds found in smoke to trigger germination. As soon as they ‘smell’ the smoke they release their seed. How clever is that! As a way to funnel the rain to their roots, some wattles fold up their leaves when the rain comes.

The pages are peppered with information on each section, from where the plants grow, what they look like, indigenous use, their clever tricks they use to germinate or survive, as well a variety of all sorts interesting and surprising facts.

We learn about what plants are critically endangered and how we can help increase native habitat around where we live.

Tania McCartney has done a great job of combining information with her beautiful illustrations to engage the reader on every page. There is a lot to this informative book meaning hours can be spent being absorbed by just looking and reading. With much inspiration here for younger readers, it’s a terrific opportunity to then go out into the garden or the bush and further understand what an incredible diversity of plants there in the the diverse landscape of the land.

Reviewed by Jane Stephens

Download Teachers’ Resources for Flora by Tania McCartney

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tania McCartney is an author, illustrator and editor with over 30 years of experience in publishing. She has many titles to her name, including Fauna: Australia’s Most Curious Creatures, I Heart the World, Mamie, Merry Everything and Australia: An Illustrated Map. Tania is a passionate advocate for increasing children’s literacy and is the founder of Kids Book Review and was an ambassador for the National Year of Reading 2012.

Tania has received many awards and commendations for individual publications, but also for her broader contribution to the sector, including the Laurie Copping Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature (CBCA ACT) in 2017.

Visit Tania McCartney’s website