• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2019 October #2
  Like analog gifs, the specialized lenticular photo illustrations in this "photicular" book respond to the page's movement. For instance, a slow page turn will set a kangaroo hopping, a galah sharpening its beak, a wombat waddling, or a peacock spider flashing its colors, while a fast one sends a frilled lizard, echidna, and camel racing. This mesmerizing feature is a draw for readers of all ages, but the more sophisticated text makes this collection of Australian animals most appropriate for upper-elementary-schoolers. A few pages of informational text preface the animal profiles, which pair a page of text with a moving image. Sheer delight! Grades 2-5. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Dan Kainen is an artist, designer, and inventor living in New York City. He is the creator of the bestselling Photicular books Safari, Ocean, Polar, Jungle, Wild, and Dinosaur. His website is DanKainen.com.

While working with some of the pioneers of holography, Dan created a special spotlight that was used by Soho’s Museum of Holography to light holograms. The related field of holography led to Dan’s interest in lenticular art and, in turn, after nearly a decade of research and experimentation, to the creation of his “Motion Viewer,” his third patent in that field and the inspiration for Safari and the other Photicular books.


Ella Morton is a New Zealand-born, Australia-raised, Brooklyn-based writer, focusing on overlooked aspects of history and culture. After covering consumer technology at CNET she hosted Rocketboom NYC, a web show about New York’s quirkier people and places. Her most popular interview was a chat with Cookie Monster on the set of Sesame Street. Ella was associate editor at AtlasObscura.com, where she wrote about such topics as tobacco smoke enemas, Victorian streaming music services, and the etiquette of marrying a ghost.