In secret spots, hidden pools, fields of sugar cane and tangled rainforests, June Perkins and Helene Magisson’s enchantingly illustrated poetic adventure, Magic Fish Dreaming, delves into the delights of the Wet Tropics, where poems are waiting to be caught by children curious enough to notice and question.

Beginning with a hunt for a giggle poem, the sounds and sight of the seashore are collected in a net. As the materials are gathered up we are invited to look, wonder and explore with the senses of a naturalist, reveling in the fun of learning about the world and the spell of pouring it into words.

This effervescent collection of poems is perfect for adults and children to share, in the spirit of its community of people, plants, animals and places. With their insightful stories and dialogues, June’s poems are perfect for reading aloud or performing together.

It is also a book to be relished alone, quietly absorbing the reflective verses that celebrate the wonder in looking into the waters or up to the stars in stillness and silence. Magic Fish Dreaming should be out, open and working its magic in every kindergarten, primary classroom and home—it will certainly stay with me as I set off on my next poetic expedition.

Helen Ramoutsaki, poet, lyricist, performer and educator