There seems to be no end to Jackie French’s wonderful imagination and storytelling skills. The latest in the French/Whatley collection of children’s books takes us into the fascinating world of kangaroos and wallabies. Following in the line of The Secret World of Wombats, How High Can a Kangaroo Hop is an extensively researched book filled with facts and delightfully punctuated with French’s characteristic anecdotes. These bring to life the not-so-well-known world of one of our national symbols. Beginning with the archaeological history of Australia’s fauna, French traces the natural history and evolution of the kangaroo, exploring relationships with humans, life cycles, variations between species, and behaviour of this remarkable marsupial. Bruce Whatley’s lively illustrations are a welcome addition to the text which is occasionally dense with information. Younger readers will certainly find some amusement in the roo and wallaby jokes at the end while budding wildlife observers will find the field information in the final pages of use. Recommended for readers seven to 12 years, this book would be ideal for school projects or for anyone interested in natural history. I certainly discovered some things as I was reading through.

Candice Cappe is the manager of the National Library of Australia bookshop

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