Volcano

by Claire Saxby, Jess Racklyeft

Deep in the ocean, far beyond the reach of even the brightest sun, the earth quakes. Hagfish scatter and snailfish flutter. Lava pillows flash and fade, rumpling the seabed as a new volcano births a mountain. Where hot meets cold, a chimney forms. Here begins a colony of unexpected creatures. Other chimneys grow and cool, grow and cool, while the mountain stretches ever upwards. A rumble becomes a roar and the sea boils. Lava fireworks the sky. A new island is born.

More volcanoes erupt under water than exist on land. In the vein of Iceberg and Tree - combining deep scientific research, lyrical language and stunning illustrations - Volcano is the next exploration of the natural world from the CBCA award-winning team of Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft.

Genres: Nonfiction

32 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

An Australian writer of fiction, non fiction and poetry for children

Reviews

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent example of narrative non-fiction to clearly explain the birth of an island from underwater volcanic disruption. Sentences are short and and harness rich and descriptive language that is beautifully supported by the vibrant, mixed media double page illustrations. The combination of language and illustration take the reader through the early formation of underground mountains and their impact on the underwater life.
At the end is some fascinating information on new work that explains chemosynthesis - where energy and food is created through chemicals rather than light. Unfortunately the presentation of this information in a small cursive font is hard to read and would be worth reworking in a future edition.

CBCA 2026 Eve Pownall Notable title.

[LibraryKath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learn all about how volcanoes work and the effects they have on the land with gorgeous art and a fabulous big foldout in the centre of the book. Colourful, easy to follow and fascinating. I read it with a small boy and he added sound effects. Lots of fun.