Rakali of the Riverbank by Stephanie Owen Reeder. Illus. by Rachel Gregg

Rakali are one of two native Australian rats and have different names used by Indigenous people throughout Australia. The term rakali comes from the Ngarrindjeri people of the Murray River area of South Australia. The rakali is also known as the golden-bellied water mouse or native water rat and is only one of two amphibious mammals in Australia. The other being the well-known platypus.

This engaging narrative non-fiction book tells the story of Rakali as he travels and patrols his riverbank home over one night. The reader learns about Rakali’s eating habits and prey, his natural habitat, the predators he must be mindful of, and his family of young pups. The story is clearly told and the appealing softly toned, full page illustrations perfectly complement the text. The emphasis throughout on new and key words adds another layer of learning to the story.

The final pages provide so much more interesting information about the rakali, the name chosen by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency in 1995. There is a detailed diagram with explicitly labelled features as well as a map of the rakali’s habitat. A valuable glossary is included along with the conservation status of the rakali.

Once again CSIRO Publishing has published another fabulous story to provide younger readers with an opportunity to enjoy learning about our amazing Australian wildlife. An excellent book for all school libraries and classrooms. Teacher notes are available.

Themes: Australian Native Animals, Mammals, Habitats, Ecosystems, Family, Predators.

Kathryn Beilby