1. Animal migration
2. Animal tracks
3. Art motifs
4. Climate
5. Desert animals
6. Ecology
7. Endangered species
8. Geckos
9. Goannas
10. Indigenous languages
11. Lizards
12. Reptiles
13. Visual literacy
14. Western Australia

Rocky is an ornate dragon with a story to tell about his mob. Rocky lives under a rock in Noongar Country, SW Western Australia. His story concerns some other lizards who live in the north and desert areas. Rocky introduces us to his family or mob, telling us interesting details of their names, their Country and their individual lifestyle or quirks. The story cleverly blends Indigenous and English language storytelling with scientific facts and information in an engaging read.

Many of Rocky’s mob are being impacted by a warming climate affecting their capacity to reproduce. In the far north Miriwoong Country, Chlamy the frilled lizard’s eggs are unable to survive the increasing wet seasons as they are covered with water or mould. The goannas who lay their eggs in termite mounds found the rising temperature saw all the eggs hatch as girls!
Goanna sought advice and was told to find a new home in the south in Noongar country. As the largest lizard he needed to help all his relatives to travel there and to settle in this new country.

This story is based in science. In the last 140 years the Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1°C and it is predicted to rise a further 2.5°C in the next eighty years. Many animals will not survive this warming, while we tend to think of warm-blooded animals suffering this heat, here we learn that cold-blooded reptiles are also impacted. The rising temperatures affect their food sources and ability to reproduce. Lizars can adapt by moving to cooler areas however scientists calculate the temperature will rise faster than they can adapt leading to probable species loss.

The book is a clever mix of English and Indigenous words that change into the local language as the lizards move through various areas. At the front of the book is a stylised map showing the various areas the lizards move through on their trek. At the back is double page spread providing scientific information about the various lizards in the story and details of the science behind the story.

Norma MacDonald’s illustrations are rich in detail of the story’s fauna and their hot, dry and rocky environments. The inclusion of Indigenous patterns, textures and totems provides great depth to the story. The endpapers are particularly noteworthy. Felicity Bradshaw is a retired Research Officer from the University of Western Australia and Norma MacDonald is a Yamatji woman, born in the coastal town of Geraldton in Western Australia.

1. CSIRO Teaching Notes for ‘The Great Lizard Trek’. Includes a link to the teaching notes by Dianne Gordon https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/7807/#forteachers
2. Reading Time 18 November 2018. Jennifer Mors reviews ‘The Great Lizard Trek’ by Felicity Bradshaw and Norma MacDonald https://readingtime.com.au/the-great-lizard-trek/
3. EducateEmpower blog 16 July 2018 ‘The Great Lizard Trek’ https://educateempower.blog/2018/07/16/the-great-lizard-trek-by-felicity-bradshaw-and-norma-macdonald/
4. University of Tasmania 21 September 2020. ‘Australian reptiles on the brink of extinction’ https://www.utas.edu.au/about/news-and-stories/articles/2020/1058-australian-reptiles-on-the-brink-of-extinction
5. Outback Australia Travel Guide. ‘Australian lizards’ https://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/australian-lizards.html