About the Holiday
When you love to read, you want to share the excitement that books hold. Get Caught Reading Month encourages people to pass along their love of all things written by asking folks to take pictures of themselves reading their favorite book and uploading those images to social media. Movie and TV celebrities, sports figures, authors, illustrators, teachers, mom, dads, grandmas and grandpas, and kids of all ages take part in this favorite annual event. Why don’t you?! For more information, visit the Get Caught Reading website.
True Tales of Animal Heroes Series
This new picture book series presents real-life stories of animals from around the world who have shown courage and individuality. Through her stories Vita Murrow, an educator, writer, artist, and mom, shows kids that heroes don’t always wear capes or rely on gadgets—some wear fur, rely on claws, and have a brave heart. Your kids will fall in love with these inspiring animals!
Fluffles: The Brave Koala Who Held Strong through a Bushfire
Written by Vita Murrow | Illustrated by Rachel Qiuqi
Fluffles the koala lived in southeastern Australia in a vast eucalyptus forest. His home had everything she needed, from delicious leaves to lots of koala friends to sturdy branches to snooze on. “Then one day, a storm announced itself with a BOOM of thunder.” It hadn’t rained in a long time and the lightning strikes threatened to set the forest on fire.
Fluffles watched the sky. She knew that if she saw “red and brown clouds in the sky,” it meant there was a fire. Soon “the cool grey sky indeed grew red.” Fluffles ran for the nearest tree and, using her nimble hands, scurried up to the top of the canopy. The fire sped along the ground, coming to the stand of trees where Fluffles sheltered. She held tightly onto the tree as the fire “jumped at the lower trunk and kissed at the branches.”
Image copyright Rachel Qiuqi, 2021, text copyright Vita Murrow, 2021. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.
At last, the fire burned itself out, and Fluffles wanted to come down and look for her friends, but the trunk was still too hot. “If she climbed down now, it might burn her hands.” Still, the tree wasn’t safe. Carefully, she climbed down, but each grasp hurt her paws. By the time she “reached the forest floor, her hands were one big ‘ouchie.’” Fortunately, there were helpers ready to put soothing cream and special mittens on her paws. It felt nice, but Fluffles was missing something to calm her feelings too.
When her paws had healed and it was time for the mittens to come off, Fluffles reached out to the other koala who was recuperating with her for a big hug. Instead of fear and worry, Fluffles now felt “relief and comfort.” Released back into the forest, Fluffles and her friends stuck together as they watched the forest renew itself slowly but surely.
Two pages of backmatter, including photgraphs, reveal more about the koala population of Australia as well as how veterinarians and volunteers rescued and nurtured the koalas caught in bushfires in 2020.
Image copyright Rachel Qiuqi, 2021, text copyright Vita Murrow, 2021. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.
Through Vita Murrow’s true story of a koala surviving a forest fire, kids discover not only the courage shown by these gentle creatures but interesting facts about their eating habits, instincts, paws, and emotional needs. They also learn how wildlife experts are deployed immediately to areas ravaged by fire in order to help injured animals or those whose homes and food sources are destroyed. A sweet fact that will further endear koalas to kids is how much they love and need hugs.
Rachel Qiuqi’s soft-hued illustrations will melt readers’ hearts. Her adorable Fluffles and the other koalas are sweet and lovable and their expressive faces show love, determination, fearlessness, and trust. Images of Fluffles clinging to the helper’s pant leg after the fire as well as the koalas hugging and snuggling in their eucalyptus tree will make all readers smile. Qiuqi’s light green leaves depict the coolness and comfort of the eucalyptus forest, and her textured portrayals of the storm and the smoky skies place readers in Fluffles’ point of view as she gazes out on the burning landscape. As the forest grows back and the koalas return, kids will see that courage comes in brave acts as well as hugs.
Ages 4 – 7
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2021 | ISBN 978-0711261594
Discover more about Vita Murrow and her books on her website.
To learn more about Rachel Qiuqi, her books, and her art, visit her website.
You can find Fluffles: The Brave Koala Who Held Strong through a Bushfire at these booksellers
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million
To support your local independent bookstore, order from
Onyx: The Wolf Who Found a New Way to Be a Leader
Written by Vita Murrow | Illustrated by Anneli Bray
For seventy years no wolves lived in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park. Then one day a group of wolves was reintroduced into the park. As the wolves flourished, “each ridge of the mountain was protected by its own pack. While wolves had traditionally lived in the park, some people did not agree with bringing them back. “In one wolf family, hunters stole the father away in the night. Leaving the mother and her pups alone.”
As the pups grew, most were feisty, but Onyx was “small and shy. Life was unusually hard for him.” But he had developed his own way of thinking. When it was time for him to leave the pack, he ventured out and met a family like his—“a lone mother wolf with pups.” Instead of fighting with the pups, Onyx played with them. The pups came to think of Onyx as their father, and Onyx enjoyed his relationship with the pups, especially the smallest one, Bravo, who had a strong, independent personality.
Image copyright Anneli Bray, 2021, text copyright Vita Murrow, 2021. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.
Onyx taught Bravo to share food and to understand that things weren’t always fair. He also showed him that Onyx would always be there for him. When Bravo left his family, he found “a partner and a pack of his own.” One day he saw an old wolf coming into his territory. He knew he would have to defend his ridge, to demonstrate that he was a leader.
But the old wolf was Onyx. Bravo had “planned to snarl and growl, attack and defend,” but when he looked into Onyx’s eyes, he remembered the lessons Onyx had taught him. Instead of fighting, Bravo demonstrated to his pack that showing respect was another way to be a leader. Over time, Bravo’s behavior was passed down to the other wolves in the pack, and “Bravo’s ridge was a place for any wolf who dared to be different.”
Two pages following the text tell more about the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone as well as about the two wolves featured in the story and includes photographs.
Image copyright Anneli Bray, 2021, text copyright Vita Murrow, 2021. Courtesy of Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.
In Vita Murrow’s compelling true story of wolves reintroduced into Yellowstone and followed by wolf watchers and wildlife biologists over their lifetime, children learn that one of the most powerful traits one can have is the ability to think differently. Acting on those individual feelings and beliefs can lead to influencing others as well as the outcome of important situations. Nature lovers will also be fascinated with the facts Murrow presents on wolf pack behaviors, how father and mother wolves teach their young, and how wolves recognize each other even after long separations. The story of these particular wolves and the program to reintroduce wolves into Yellowstone serve as a wonderful spark for further research and learning.
Anneli Bray takes readers to the mountain ridges of Yellowstone, where they get a panoramic wolf’s eye view of mountains, waterfalls, valleys, and the forests beyond. Through various images, kids can see how Onyx was different from his brothers and sisters. They’ll also notice that, although he was the one hanging back while a pup, Onyx is the first to strike out on his own. Bray also depicts how Onyx teaches Bravo and reigns in his more aggressive behaviors with actions and facial expressions, developing him into a leader. When Onyx crosses into Bravo’s territory, Bray’s illustrations enhance the suspense and poignancy of Murrow’s story. The final image of Bravo’s ridge demonstrates the legacy that can result from individual thinking.
Ages 4 – 7
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 2021 | ISBN 978-0711261457
You can find Onyx: The Wolf Who Found a New Way to Be a Leader at these booksellers
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound
Picture Book Review
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