Beau And Belle’s Beautiful New Home by Kristin Martin

A trio of bilbies walk to their new home behind the wire fence. They bemoan the fact that they have little water and no food, because of the rabbits, cats and foxes, and so need to find a new home. Easter Bilby leads the two young bilbies through the rabbit fence and into their new home, completely free of the introduced species which have had such an impact on native animals. But once inside the protected area, they find it is very bare. So some negotiation is required to firstly find some seeds. Lizard points out the that there are already seeds in the ground, while the Mistletoe Bird shows them what the birds do in spreading seeds. And the Hopping Mice show how they spread seed wherever they go. For the seeds to grow, they need water. Bearded Lizard points out that the rain will soon come and germinate the seeds wherever they are. The bilbies show the others how they dig, causing furrows in the ground just right for water capture and seeds to thrive. They then burrow down into the ground to stay until the rain passes.

The next double page shows a bright, luminous image of the desert after the rain passes. Growth is luxurious, colourful and widespread. And the illustrator, Bianca Richardson, has added the names of each which will encourage young readers to try and grow some of these themselves. The illustrations are wonderful, showing the red desert in its majesty, covered by growth after the rains, and supporting the many animals that live there.

Several pages will bring gasps of surprise from the young audience. The double page showing the rain is breathtaking, as are the following double pages showing the desert in bloom. The last double page has illustrations and information about each of the introduced animals shown in the story: Foxes, cats and rabbits. And of the animals now protected in these safe havens: bilbies, hopping mice, mistletoe birds and bearded dragons. Each of the protected animals has a role to play in the desert environment and young readers will love reading about what these animals do to survive.

Themes: Bilbies, Environment, Survival, Desert, Introduced animals, Protected species.

Fran Knight