Flora: Australia's Most Curious Plants

When it comes to flora, Australia is a land of diversity.

From rainforests to deserts, mountains to the seashore, 90 per cent of our plant life is unique to this ancient land. Treasures like our wattles, eucalypts, grass trees and banksias are part of our heritage and identity – and they still flourish here today, on the oldest landmass on Earth.

Flora celebrates and highlights these diverse and curious plants, looking into the history, quirks and uses of our native plants, and how vital they are for our unique ecosystems. Tania McCartney brings her trademark skill and style in both writing and illustration, using her substantial experience in children’s literature to examine Australia’s botanical riches to pick out engaging, informative and surprising facts to share with young readers.

The book includes spreads on the Gondwana Garden, Deadly Flora, Bush Food, Flora Ancestry and more. Meet the Tasmanian Mountain Ash, which is both the world’s tallest flowering plant and the tallest hardwood tree, growing more than a metre each year...for up to 400 years! Share in a park ranger’s discovery of a living Jurassic fossil deep in a secret sandstone canyon. Learn how to avoid the most painful plant on earth, the gympie gympie, whose fine little hairs inject a fiery venom that feels like acid and electrocution all at once!

The author introduces readers to hard science too, including information on plant classification, countless cool scientific facts and binomial names and scientific terms, with a handy glossary aimed at children at the back of the book.

Age suitability: 7-12

About the author

Tania McCartney is an author, illustrator and editor with over 30 years of experience in publishing. She has many titles to her name, including Fauna: Australia’s Most Curious Creatures, I Heart the World, Mamie, Merry Everything and Australia: An Illustrated Map. Tania is a passionate advocate for increasing children’s literacy and is the founder of Kids Book Review and was an ambassador for the National Year of Reading 2012. Tania has received many awards and commendations for individual publications, but also for her broader contribution to the sector, including the Laurie Copping Award for Distinguished Service to Children’s Literature (CBCA ACT) in 2017.

Tania McCartney
Published October 2024
Hardback
48 Pages
280mm x 235mm
ISBN 9781922507716