Book bites: 3–4 book list

[intro music]

ANNOUNCER: Listen @ The Arts Unit.

[didgeridoo playing]

JADE ARNOLD: The Arts Unit would like to acknowledge that this podcast is recorded on the homelands of the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening.

You're listening to 'Book bites', a series of bite-sized readings that feature on the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge book lists, read to you by the authors themselves. It's the perfect way to discover your next great read, so let's get started!

[page turning]

Hi, I'm Jade Arnold, Premier's Programme Officer, Reading and Spelling. Today's 'Book bites' guest is Kristin Darell, who has 7 titles on the PRC book lists. Kristin is going to be reading from 'Taronga Presents, Poo at the Zoo', which was published in 2024 by Penguin Books Australia.

This book features on the 3-4 book list and is Book 1 of this fun and informative adventure series.

Let me read you the blurb.

Sophia and Ollie have always dreamed of working at the zoo like their parents. Now, they've been given the chance to volunteer! But it's not all fun and games-- they'll have to start at the bottom and work their way up, learning the ropes of what it really means to be a zookeeper at Taronga Zoo Sydney. And that means one thing-- cleaning up after the animals.

Join the best friends as they dive into the wild world of zookeeping, discovering new animals and fun facts at every turn. Now, let's listen to Kristin Darell read the first chapter!

KRISTIN DARELL: Chapter 1, A Real Job. 'Ollie, come on', Sophia yelled, waving goodbye to her dad, and racing towards the Taronga Zoo entrance. She barely paused as she bounded up the steps 2 at a time and then ran under the archway. As she flew down the stairs and around the corner, the sound of traffic was replaced by the tweets, chirps, squeaks, warbles and caws of countless birds. It felt like entering another world-- a wildlife world. For Sophia, it felt like coming home.

A couple of kookaburras laughed as she charged past. One of them had wild ruffled feathers sticking up out of its head.

'Sorry to disturb you, kookas', Sophia said. She paused near the ticket office to see where Ollie was.

She couldn't stop the giggle that burst out as her best friend jogged towards her, sandy-coloured curls sticking in all directions. His hat must have fallen off during his dash from the car park.

He looked just like the ruffled kookaburra!

Ollie was clutching his hat in one hand, along with his water bottle. He had a notebook and pen in his other hand.

'Did you sleep in again?' she said.

Ollie put everything on the ground, shrugged off his backpack and packed it.

'Why are we in such a hurry?' he asked.

'Because,' Sophia said, bouncing on her toes, 'today is The Day.'

'Okaaaaay.' Ollie stood back up. 'Let me guess. It's Monday.'

Sophia put her hand on her hip and squeezed her lips together. Ollie's confused look only lasted a second before his mouth turned up into a grin.

'You should see your face', he said. 'As if I don't know.'

Sophia huffed and snatched his water bottle, squirting cool water into her mouth.

'But, Soph,' Ollie continued, taking the bottle back, 'your mum said we had to meet her at 8 o'clock. We've still got 10 minutes, plenty of time.'

'I want to be early. We're getting a real job at last, a zookeeper job, something different-- important-- special, just like Mum!'

Sophia's mum was one of the vets at Taronga's Wildlife Hospital and was so passionate that she even fostered orphaned native animals to hand raise them until they could be released into the wild.

'Can we go now?' Sophia asked.

'Sure, but no more running.'

'Fine. Walk fast.'

Sophia fell into step beside Ollie as they headed along the entrance plaza, already filled with staff getting everything ready. Shouts of 'hello' and 'good luck' followed them as they passed. Ollie's dad worked at the zoo as well, so Sophia and Ollie knew everyone and everyone knew them.

'Hey, Dad', Ollie called out, spotting him up a ladder near the toilet block. Ollie's dad was in the Backyard Team. They did important practical jobs all over the zoo and helped with things the animals needed.

'Hey, guys. Have fun today', he called.

'We will', Ollie said.

'What do you think our job's going to be?' Sophia asked, as they kept moving.

'Well, it's not with the Backyard Team', Ollie said. 'Dad would have said something.'

'Do you think it could be in the Wildlife Hospital?' Sophia asked. 'Oooh, maybe we'll be working on the echidna breeding programme.'

'Or helping train the seals.' Ollie's eyes were shining.

'Or', Sophia turned to Ollie. 'LIONS!' they said together, grinning. Sophia sighed. 'I'd seriously be happy to do anything with lions. How awesome would that be?'

'The awesomest', Ollie replied. 'Actually, is that even a word?'

'Hey, you 2', a familiar voice called from the gift shop.

'Pixie!' Sophia bolted over, almost knocking Pixie over with a full-body hug. 'I'm so glad you're here today.'

Pixie had been volunteering at the zoo since she was 13 as part of YATZ, the Youth at the Zoo Programme. Now she was out of school, she was still volunteering, but also studying to be a zookeeper. Plus she had a part-time job in the gift shop. With her pink hair and green eyes, she was the coolest person Sophia knew. Maybe now they'd even get to work together.

'I hear it's a big day for you guys', Pixie said.

'What did you hear? Who did you talk to? Do you know what our job is?'

Pixie laughed at Sophia's rapid-fire questions.

'I might', Pixie said, one side of her mouth quirking up. 'But you'll find out soon enough. You'd better get a move on.'

Sophia glanced at her watch.

'Crackers!' she said. 'Seven minutes. Come on, Ollie.'

Sophia pushed Ollie around the corner, down the stairs and straight through the ticket gates. They waved at the person setting up for the day.

Sophia and Ollie never needed a ticket. Having a parent working at Taronga was like having a permanent zoo pass.

As they rounded the corner, they saw a crowd of little squirrel monkeys gathered on a branch near the edge of their habitat to greet them. Their black noses, framed by little white faces, were twitching as they looked around.

'Morning, Inuki and Lorenzo! Hello, Yasuni and Nadal!' Sophia called to them, slowing to a walk. 'Where's Toto?'

'There he is', Ollie said, waving furiously. 'Hi, everyone.'

As if in answer, they all started chattering excitedly.

'I hope we get to look after them', Sophia said, as they hurriedly moved on. 'They're so cute.'

'We should say hi to Willow and Ella too', Ollie said, pointing to Gulamany Nura, 'Koala Country'.

Sophia laughed. 'Good morning, sleepyheads!' she yelled. 'You know they'll be asleep, like always.'

'Well, you'd sleep a lot too if all you ate was eucalyptus leaves', Ollie said. 'They don't get much energy from that diet.'

'Well, what's your excuse for sleeping so much?' Sophia asked, raising her eyebrows.

Ollie grinned and shrugged. 'I just like it.'

As they walked up the path to the Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, they saw Sophia's mum step through the doors.

Sophia gave her a quick hug.

'Hi, Donna', Ollie said.

'Good morning! Right on time.'

Sophia glanced at Ollie. He smiled.

'Come on then', Donna said. 'It's time to get to work.'

Sophia's heart was pounding as she followed her mum into the building.

One day she hoped to be walking through these doors to start her animal care training and eventually as a wildlife vet. This job was the start, and it was going to be so special. She could feel it.

JADE ARNOLD: That was the first chapter of 'Taronga Presents, Poo at the Zoo', which is on the 3-4 book list for the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge.

If you enjoyed it, be sure to check out the rest of the book, and look out for other PRC titles by Kristin Darell, including 'Taronga Presents, Party Animals' and 'Football Fever, the Kickoff', as well as her new middle grade series coming out in February titled 'It's a Twin Thing.'

'Taronga Presents, Poo at the Zoo' by Kristin Darell. Text copyright Kristin Darell 2024. First published by Penguin Random House Australia Proprietary Limited.

Thanks for tuning in to 'Book bites'. We hope this story inspires you to keep reading and helps you on your way to completing the Premier's Reading Challenge. Don't forget, if you finish the book, make sure you add it to your online reading record.

This podcast is produced by the Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education as part of the 'Listen @ The Arts Unit' series. For more information about our programmes, to access our show notes or to listen to our other podcasts, explore our website at artsunit.nsw.edu.au.

For more information about the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge, including our book lists, visit premiersreadingchallenge.nsw.edu.au.

[intro music]

ANNOUNCER: Listen @ The Arts Unit.

[didgeridoo playing]

JADE ARNOLD: The Arts Unit would like to acknowledge that this podcast is recorded on the homelands of the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening.

You're listening to 'Book bites', a series of bite-sized readings that feature on the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge book lists, read to you by the author themselves. It's the perfect way to discover your next great read, so let's get started!

[page turning]

Hi, I'm Jade Arnold, Premier's Programme Officer, Reading and Spelling.

Today's 'Book bites' guests are Kate and Jol Temple, who have 25 books on the PRC book lists. You'll be listening to Kate and Jol Temple reading from the audiobook of 'Frog Squad-- Dessert Disaster,' which was published in 2024 by HarperCollins Australia and is book one of the 'Frog Squad' series.

This book is on the 3-4 book list and is a hilarious story that covers belonging and sustainability, presented as a TV programme. Let me read you the blurb.

'Step into a top-secret world, where frogs don't just eat flies. They eat danger. This is Frog Squad. Frog Squad comes to the rescue of a mega tanker in distress, and it's full of ice cream. Will these brave rescue frogs be fast enough to stop Professor Cain and the Total Organisation of Amphibious Devious Scoundrels, or TOADS, from controlling the global supply of ice cream?'

Now, let's listen to Kate and Jol Temple read the first chapter.

KATE TEMPLE: 10:43 AM, the lily pad. Welcome to the lily pad. Its exact location can't be revealed.

What we can tell you this is home base for some very brave frogs. The bravest frogs in the world, in fact-- Frog Squad! An elite team of highly trained frogs with a very important job-- keeping us safe from danger. For the first time in history, our cameras have been granted access to their secret world. So strap in as we take you behind the scenes.

It's hard work. It's risky work. It's action-packed. But right now, these fearless rescue frogs are enjoying a little downtime.

JOL TEMPLE: Can I get anybody another Croaka-Cola?

KATE TEMPLE: OK, so maybe not quite so action-packed at the moment, but R&R-- that's Ribetting and Recreation-- never lasts long when you're in Frog Squad.

JOL TEMPLE: Oh, absolutely.

KATE TEMPLE: An alert has just come in.

[siren]

JOL TEMPLE: That Croaka-Cola will have to wait. Frogs, get your wetsuits on.

KATE TEMPLE: That Squad Leader Tony Rowley. He's the big dog around here.

JOL TEMPLE: Big frog. There are no dogs on the lily pad. It's a health-and-safety issue-- not making that mistake again.

KATE TEMPLE: Oops, sorry. Tony's the big frog around here, and it's his job to give orders and get his team of elite frogs ready. Tony's a green tree frog, so he's just as comfortable climbing in the treetops as he is deep-sea diving. Want to know more about Captain Tony Rowley? Here we go. Role-- squad leader. Species-- green tree frog. Special skills-- underwater rescue diver, rainforest navigation, dad jokes. Quote?

JOL TEMPLE: Keep calm and frog on.

KATE TEMPLE: Frog facts-- green tree frogs might look cute and innocent, but they can release a toxin on their skin that causes their enemies to suddenly start pooing. You sure don't want to get on Tony's bad side. Back to the action. [? inaudible ?] has rushed to the equipment room to change into wetsuits and get ready for the next mission. I'm not exactly sure why the team members wear wetsuits. After all, they are frogs, so they're already waterproof.

JOL TEMPLE: Many people ask, 'Why do frogs need wetsuits?'

Yeah, why do we need wetsuits?

Saltwater, Nelson. If we get too much saltwater, we can dehydrate. And that could mean a trip to the hospital for a hoperation.

KATE TEMPLE: One member of Frog Squad who knows a thing or two about hoperations is Nelson.

JOL TEMPLE: I lost my legs on a mission to France a few years back. You might think that I'd be pretty down about it, but I'm a glass half-full kind of frog. I always look on the bright side of life. So maybe I don't have frog legs, but now I have these super cool attachments, like this speed flipper!

KATE TEMPLE: Nelson's high-tech attachments mean he can do things other frogs can't.

JOL TEMPLE: This one is spring-loaded, so I can jump extra high. And this one's my favourite. It's an electric eggbeater. Now I can whip up a cake with my legs.

KATE TEMPLE: Want the lowdown on Nelson? Here we go. Sergeant Nelson Hewitt. Role-- pilot. Species-- black rain frog. Special skills-- helifrogter pilot and repair frog, detachable legs, pizza eating. Quote?

JOL TEMPLE: Don't worry. Be hoppy.

KATE TEMPLE: Frog facts-- don't be fooled by Nelson's frown. All black rain frogs have a permanently sad face. They can also dig tunnels.

People always think Nelson is unhappy or angry, but he's the opposite. Underneath that constant frown, he's one happy frog. He's known for his positive attitude on the lily pad. And you can always count on him to cheer up the team with one of his frog jokes.

JOL TEMPLE: You want to know why I'm so happy? I'm a frog. I eat whatever bugs me.

KATE TEMPLE: But there's no time for gags right now because right now, there's an alert.

[siren]

JOL TEMPLE: Frogs, gather round for the mission briefing. We don't know what the mission is yet, but I have a feeling we're about to find out right after this ad break.

Hello, I am a very, very handsome frog. And I smell so good-- just like the swamp. Do you know why? Because I wear a fancy frogrance. The name-- Swomp. If you want to smell like a handsome frog, wear Swomp-- the new frogrance for frogs.

[croaking]

KATE TEMPLE: Welcome back to Frog Squad. The team of elite frogs is gathering in the command room, where leader Tony Rowley gives the orders.

JOL TEMPLE: So what's the mission, boss? Where are we headed today?

KATE TEMPLE: That's the voice of Agent Quito Gonzalez. You may not have seen him earlier because he's invisible-- well, see-through, anyway. His role-- intelligence. Species-- Ecuadorian glass frog. Special skills-- partial invisibility, master of camouflage, and forward scout. Favourite quote?

JOL TEMPLE: Well, I can see you, but you can't see me.

KATE TEMPLE: Frog facts-- Ecuadorian glass frogs are so transparent you can actually see their organs. They also make a high-pitched whistling sound and can leap a long way. Watch out! Quito is a master of avoiding detection. That comes in very handy on hoperations. It also makes it easy to see if he's stolen your lunch.

JOL TEMPLE: Hey, did someone take my fly sandwich? I could have sworn I left it in the fridge.

KATE TEMPLE: But it's not lunchtime. It's action time. And there's some bad news.

JOL TEMPLE: Umm, no. Frog Squad, forget about the sandwich. We have a green alert. We've received a distress call from an ice cream tanker in the Indian Ocean.

An ice cream tanker?

Yeah, it's a big cargo ship full of ice cream.

KATE TEMPLE: I love ice cream.

JOL TEMPLE: Me too. We all love ice cream. But this ice cream tanker is in trouble. And if it sinks, we'll have an ice cream spill on our webbed hands.

KATE TEMPLE: An ice cream spill that size would threaten the lives of any sea creatures in the area.

That was the voice of Dr Jilly Gilly. She's a marine biologist in this team.

And when it comes to sea life, Dr Jilly Gilly knows what she's talking about. She's also got a huge following on FrogTube, where she uploads videos about marine life. Let's get the lowdown on Dr Jilly Gilly.

Role-- marine biologist. Species-- corroboree frog. Special skills-- marine science, medic, frogtuber. Quote-- 'Like and subscribe'. Froggy facts-- Corroboree frogs are the brightest and most poisonous of all the species of frogs in Frog Squad. So don't cross Dr Jilly. She's a fierce protector of marine life, and she's not afraid to prove it.

Hi, froggy followers. There's a dangerous mission going on. It's top secret, but hopefully, I'll be able to share more soon!

JOL TEMPLE: Frog Squad, this is what we train for. Hop to the Dragonfly.

[footsteps]

KATE TEMPLE: 10:57 AM, the Dragonfly is the rescue helifrogter that Frog Squad use on its missions. But due to recent funding cuts to Frog Squad's hoperations, there's only one Dragonfly on board the lily pad, and it looks like there might be some maintenance issues.

JOL TEMPLE: Unfortunately, the department isn't really giving us the money we need to buy all the spare parts to keep the Dragonfly in the air, which is why we agreed to make this reality show-- to bring in some extra cash. I don't know how we're going to perform a dangerous rescue mission when the helifrogter isn't hoperational.

KATE TEMPLE: Always the optimist. Nelson has the situation under control.

JOL TEMPLE: It's all good, boss. I took some engine parts from one of the jet skis and a new circuit board from the vending machine on deck F. We'll be fine.

KATE TEMPLE: Nelson has saved the day. The helifrogter lifts up from the deck of the lily pad, and we're off like a frog in a sock.

[helicopter whirling]

JOL TEMPLE: Is that actually a saying? Frogs don't usually wear socks. They just end up getting wet.

JADE ARNOLD: That was the first chapter of 'Frog Squad-- Dessert Disaster', which is on the 3-4 book list for the New South Wales Premier's Reading Challenge and the first book of their 'Frog Squad' series. The recording of this chapter is used with permission from HarperCollins Australia.

If you enjoyed it, make sure you check out the rest of the book and look out for other PRC titles by Kate and Jol Temple, including their 'Bin Chicken' series. That bird has arms, funny bones, and many, many more. You can also listen along to the full audiobook of 'Dessert Disaster' from HarperCollins Australia, narrated by Kate and Jol Temple. It's available now from all major audiobook suppliers.

Thanks for tuning in to 'Book bites'. We hope this story inspires you to keep reading and helps you on your way to completing the Premier's Reading Challenge. Don't forget, if you finish the book, make sure you add it to your online reading record.

This podcast is produced by the Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education, as part of the Listen @ the Arts Unit Series. For more information about our programmes, to access our show notes or to listen to our other podcasts, explore our website at artsunit.nsw.edu.au.

For more information about the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge, including our book lists, visit PremiersReadingChallange.nsw.edu.au.