Have you ever wondered what it would be like to look at a starry sky without a single sound around him? 

Or looked at a wildflower and not known the name?

Perhaps you’ve only ever visited the big cities and never explored further afoot.

Well, look no further, Australia, Illustrated by Tania McCartney is an amazingly illustrated picture book which explores many different aspects of the Australian landscape.

Australia has such a diverse landscape and this book captures so many of the hidden gems that each state has to offer.

As the reader explores each state they learn about famous Australians, the type of weather and the iconic buildings. We also explore the endangered and endemic animals, local food and hidden bush tracks.

As we read through this story I was able to talk about the different places I had visited and places we would love to go. We were also able to wonder about how people feel about living in different parts of Australia and what those children might get up to on the weekend.

Australia Illustrated by Tania McCartney is a book that you can read little by little or in one sitting. It is also a great book that you can return to again and again as there is so much to discover on each page.

Tania McCartney is a superb illustrator and if you can’t be inspired to take a trip around this great big land, then perhaps no book can convince you!

So what can you do at home?

 – Check out a map of Australia and see where Tania has illustrated.

– Look at the large map of Australia and each state and read the different towns and cities that make up the illustration. Choose one or two to find out more about.

– What has Tania McCartney drawn to make each state unique? Do you agree with this?

– Could you create a book like this about another country?