Amy's balancing act by Bjorn Sturmberg. Illus. by Laura Stitzel

On first read of this boldly illustrated picture book about the use of clean energy there was some initial confusion about the story. However, on reading the final pages where each new clean energy source is explained, it helped to clarify understanding of the story and the message being presented.

Young Amy delivers post on the island of Energia using an ageing packhorse named Clyde. Along her journey she finds her customers complaining about how destructive Clyde is for the local environment. As Clyde begins to find the workload too much, Amy is encouraged to use other sources of energy including a goanna, albatross and glider.  Each of these Australian animals represents clean energy. The goanna presents photovoltaic solar panels, the albatross presents wind turbines, and the glider represents pumped hydroelectricity. This book sends the clear message that finding solutions to energy concerns plus teamwork will help human society in the future.  For middle primary school and lower secondary students studying sources of energy, this book may be useful as an introductory text.

Themes: Energy, Teamwork, Environmental Concerns, Change.

Kathryn Beilby