Where the River Runs Free (Vikki Conley, illus Jedda Robaard, Windy Hollow)

Where the River Runs Free is a celebration of time spent outdoors by multi-award-winning author Vikki Conley (Where the Lyrebird Lives) and illustrator Jedda Robaard (The Littlest Penguin and the Phillip Island Penguin Parade), showing readers there’s no playground quite like nature. The story follows Maya and Johnny on a walking adventure around the river, where they see butterflies, ducks, native birds (including the beautiful Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo), tadpoles and more. Conley’s clever use of alliteration and word repetition gives the book a songlike quality, while Robaard’s whimsical illustrations create a sweet and playful mood, especially in the mesmerising way she captures sunlight on the page. Amid the magic nature offers, Conley and Robaard include smaller, familiar moments, such as a much-needed pause for snacks, that will resonate with adults and children alike. Where the River Runs Free has a subtle plea: continue exploring and seek the extraordinary in the ordinary. The book is a powerful reminder of how bushwalking improves our wellbeing and the precious moments we gather when connecting meaningfully with fauna and flora. Recommended for children aged 3–6 and fans of Sarah Ayoub and Mimi Purnell’s Nice and Slow and Maura Finn and Cate James’ Birdsong by the Billabong.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Nadia Heisler is a CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) writer with a background in journalism and a passion for children’s books. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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