Star the elephant is as big a hero as Rainbow. When food shortages force Star and her aunt and mother to leave their homeland, they must travel the land and swim the ocean to find food. But the threat of humans is very real, and when Star’s mother and aunt are caught, she fears she may never find a place to call home again.

Star the Elephant is also inspired by real events. This time it’s the incredible story of three bull elephants from Malaysia who swam to Singapore in search of food in 1990.

Lai infuses truth with fiction in this great series, and she does it in the best way for kids to enjoy, understand, and learn. The stories are fiction, with wonderful characters and loads of action, but at the back of each book, Lai provides the background for the stories, along with a variety of facts about the featured animals to help kids learn more.

Lai’s illustrations are so suburb. Funky and colourful, full of emotion and packed with details. They are a delight to explore, and I think will really help kids who love a visual to guide their reading experience.

Star and Rainbow are such superb little heroes, and the good news… these are only the first two books in the series. There’s still more to come!

Title: Rainbow the Koala and Star the Elephant
Author/Illustrator: Remy Lai
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, $14.99
Publication Date: 14 April 2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761065453/9781760526849
For ages: 6 – 9
Type: Graphic Novel