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Echidnas

The Best Children’s Picture Books To Read with an Echidna Plushie

Echidna toys are not just spikey cute animals for children to play with, but can engage and entertain kids too. Role playing echidna stuffed toys to tell stories can help to make children’s books like ‘Spikey’s Day Out’, ‘Little Puggle’s Song’, ‘Millie Loves Ants’ or ‘Spines in the Sand’ come to life.

Sharing a story with your child’s soft and cuddly echidna plush toy can help child development and improve your child’s reading, communication and vocabulary skills. A much loved echidna toy could be the perfect learning companion for children to practice their reading and storytelling skills. And if your child has an interest in echidnas or Australian animals, then children’s books that feature an echidna theme are the perfect book to entertain them.

We’ve compiled a selection of some our favorite story books for children featuring the spikey echidna. Children can experience story time together with their favourite echidna toy and take them along on their imaginative adventures as they turn the pages of these echidna theme children’s books.

Spikey’s Day Out

Written and illustrated by Eva-Marie Welsh

Spikey, the echidna, is snuffling around the forest floor in North Tropical Queensland, Australia. He meets a bandicoot and they talk about the coast. Later, the echidna goes for a swim in a creek and meets Paddles the Platypus. Yes, echidnas can swim! He then meets up with a wallaby and asks to have a ride in her pouch to the coast. But the wallaby carries a joey in there, and Spikey would be too prickly. She suggests that he gets a lift with the nearby transport company. He achieves this by climbing into a packing box. Later, while unloading at the coast, they discover the echidna. He climbs out of the box and encounters the local wildlife. There are frogs peeking and cassowaries thumping. Spikey rolls up into a ball. After a long day, the echidna digs a hole in the ground for sleeping. Art work of a Tawny frog mouth owl, a Rainbow Lorikeet, Licuala palms, palms, mushrooms and beautiful vines are included. It’s a cute and educational story.

Little Puggle’s Song

Written by Vikki Conley and illustrated by Hélène Magisson

A lonely echidna searches for his voice. Every time Puggle tries to make sound nothing comes out. Can Puggle find his voice and join the bush choir?

Eric the Postie

Written by Matt Shanks

Eric had a dream … he knew he could be the best postman ever. There was one big obstacle – he didn’t have any mail to deliver. Eric is not going to let that stop him … An adorable, heartwarming story about chasing your big dreams, no matter how little you are.

Millie Loves Ants

Written by Jackie French and illustrated by Sue deGennaro

‘Millie trundles through the trees, Wildflowers bending in the breeze. If there’s just a chance of ants, Millie’s nose will do its dance.’ But just why does Millie the echidna adore ants?

Find out in this glorious new picture book from award-winning author and Children’s Laureate Jackie French, and talented illustrator Sue deGennaro.

Spines in the Sand

Written by Diane Lucas and Colwyn Campbell

‘What’s that strange dark bundle rolling across the sand?’ Pedro and his mum rush to find out. Following animal tracks to see where an animal leads you is a wonderful journey with a child.

Wombat Big, Puggle Small

Written by Renée Treml

Join in the mischief as a little wombat and an echidna puggle play with opposites and word pairs. This beautiful new board book by Renée Treml features her trademark gentle, playful rhymes, and stunning illustrations of Australian animals.

Echidna Jim Went For A Swim

Written by Phil Cummings and illustrated by Laura Wood

The animals all had a wonderful time … until Echidna Jim went for a swim.

It’s a fun day at the beach for all the animals! They splash and surf and paddle and bob. But what will happen when prickly Echidna Jim goes for a swim?

Scaly-Tailed Possum and Echidna

Written by Cathy Goonak

This engaging story tells how the possum got its scaly-tail and the echidna got its spikes. Passed down from generation to generation, this is a traditional Dreamtime story. Scaly-tailed Possum and Echidna features two iconic Australian animals; the scaly-tailed possum, found only in a remote part of the Kimberley, and one of Australia’s most unusual mammals, the echidna. Vividly illustrated with paintings on silk, this Dreamtime story includes detailed descriptions and photographs of the scaly-tailed possum and the echidna. It also tells of the Wandjina, the Creator and Great Spirit, an important part of Aboriginal dreamtime stories from the Kimberley.

The Echidna Near My Place

Written by Sue Whiting and illustrated by Cate James

A delightful addition to the Nature Storybooks series, The Echidna Near My Place tells the story of a child and their nana, and the echidna they love to follow around.

Nana and I walk through the paddock most days. And you know what? An echidna lives here. We don’t always see it. But I’m always looking for it.

As a young child and their nana go for walks together, they follow a short-beaked echidna keenly observing and discussing what its life might be life. Learn with them about what echidnas eat, where they live, and how they protect themselves. A wonderful addition to the acclaimed and award-winning Nature Storybook series, which provides memorable reading experiences, combining narrative and factual forms.

The Echidna and the Shade Tree

Written by Mona Green and Pamela Lofts and illustrated by Pamela Lofts

The echidna, who cares for the children while the other animals hunt, uproots the great tree that provides shade to the whole desert.

Puggle

Written by Catriona Hoy and illustrated by Andrew Plant

Puggle the orphaned baby echidna is taken to a tall house on a hill to live with lots of other rescued bush animals. Little by little, he thrives and grows, until the time comes for him to return to the wild.

E Is for Echidna: My Australian Word Book

Written and illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft

Presents an alphabet book with words for Australian animals, plants, and other natural features depicted in aboriginal-style illustrations. On board pages.