1. Animals
2. Art techniques
3. Birds
4. Book design
5. Camouflage
6. Death
7. Ecosystems
8. Environment
9. Insects
10. Life
11. Nature
12. Perspectives (Art)
13. Plants
14. Rainforests
15. Reptiles
16. Seasons
17. Trees
18. Visual literacy

Leaves, twigs, branches and bark collect on the ground in forests all over the world. We call this leaf litter, but it isn’t really rubbish at all. If you look closely, you will discover a world of animals and plants living side by side, a busy secret world we hardly ever see.

This exquisitely beautiful and carefully researched work takes the reader on a journey into the world hidden in the litter beneath a single tree. The book follows the seasons and the various changes which occur at different times of the year. It highlights the role of camouflage in nature and reveals the cycle of life and death confronted by predators and their prey. Revealed are the many natural threats to animals occasioned by the environment in which they exist. It includes an incredible range of animals, a number of which will be new to the reader. It contains flaps to be lifted by children, to reveal creatures below.

The realistic artwork displays the numerous layers found in the ecosystem of the forest floor with clear bright colours and interesting perspectives giving an almost tactile intensity to the illustrations. The size of the plants, the litter and the various insects and animals is proportional, providing a very realistic view of the life in, around and under the forest floor that serves to highlight the ecological importance of leaf litter and its place in the wider circle of natural life.

At the back of the book is a quiz that invites readers locate ten things on each page. Also included is a glossary of the uncommon terms which appear in the text. The book is produced in a large folio sized format 37 cm (h) x 24 cm (w) which allows the illustrator to reveal the immense detail that can be found in the many layers of litter beneath the trees.

The late Rachel Tonkin was an experienced non-fiction children’s illustrator, writer and editor of children’s non-fiction. She was a dedicated environmentalist and conservationist which is very evident in this work. Rachel Tonkin’s ‘Leaf Litter’ is a monumentally detailed work which reveals the fascinating drama of this subterranean world in vivid and meticulous detail.

‘Leaf Litter’ was 2007 winner of The Wilderness Society Environment Award for Children’s Literature – Non-Fiction, and was shortlisted for the 2007 CBCA Book of the Year Awards – Eve Pownall Award for Information Books

1. Teachers’ Hub, Resource on ‘Leaf Litter’ https://www.teachershub.com.au/books/leaf-litter/
2. The Children's Book Council of Australia Judges' Report 2007 https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/Documents/Book%20of%20the%20Year/2007/CBCA_JudgesReport_2007.pdf
3. Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre ‘Leaf litter habitats’ https://fieldofmar-e.schools.nsw.gov.au/fact-sheets/leaf-litter-habitats.html
4. Nature Play Queensland ‘Learning and playing with Leaves.' https://natureplayqld.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Learning-and-playing-with-Leaves-2-1.pdf
5. Land Care Victoria/City of Whittlesea ‘Burnt trees and their leaf litter – Nature’s protective barrier.’ https://www.landcarevic.org.au/assets/Uploads/Burnt-trees-and-their-leaf-litter-Natures-protective-barrier.pdf
6. Zart Art 2007 (Penders Grove Primary School) ‘Leaf litter’ https://zartart.com.au/zartstatic/page/leaf-litter
7. Planet Ark ‘National Tree Day -Earth Alive: an action-based investigation of local biodiversity.’ https://treeday.planetark.org/documents/doc-378-earth-alive-2012.pdf
8. Zanthorrea Nursery Perth WA Newsletter Autumn 2012 Review of ‘Leaf Litter’ by Rachel Tonkin https://www.zanthorrea.com/bush_telegraph/bt_autumn_2012.pdf