In light of the bushfires currently burning through so much of our country, our thoughts are with anyone affected, directly or indirectly.
We know that in situations such as these, children are often exposed to messages regarding bushfires through television, radio, fire danger rating signs, and general conversation. Exposure to this information can raise questions and sometimes safety concerns for children, so our Children and Youth Services team has created a list of books to help children and young people understand bushfires.
The Victorian Government’s Better Health Channel has some great resources to help talk to children about bushfires; find it here.

Online books

Picture book

• Birdie and the fire (Queensland Government resource)

Bush Fire Social Story

A social story is a learning tool to help people of all ages with autism interpret information.

• Bush Fire Social Story (Early Connections Alliance)

Books available on our catalogue

Picture Books (preschool and primary aged children)

• Fire by Jackie French (Scholastic Australia, 2015)
• The house on the mountain by Ella Holcombe (about the Kinglake bushfire) (Allen & Unwin, 2019)
• Wednesday is Jim Day by Catherine McLeod (Whortleberry Books and Manuscripts, 2019)
• Fabish: the horse that braved a bushfire by Neridah McMullin
• Koala by Claire Saxby (Walker Books, 2017)
• Bush baby rescue by Rebecca Johnson (Juliet, Nearly a Vet series book 4) (Penguin Books, 2013)
• Wombat goes walkabout by Michael Morpurgo (Harper Collins, 2000)

Primary School

• Through the smoke by Phil Cummings (Scholastic, 2019)
• 47 degrees by Justin D’Ath (Penguin, 2019)
• Bushfire rescue by Justin D’Ath (Penguin, 2005)
• February Dragon by Colin Thiele (New Holland, 2005)

​​Young Adult books

• Facing the flame by Jackie French (Matilda Book 7) (Harper Collins, 2017)

​Coming soon

• My Australian Story: Bushfire: A story about bravery and survival by Sally Murphy (Scholastic, 2019)
• Ash Road by Ivan Southall (Text, 2013)