
The recent catastrophic fires in Los Angeles have been a reminder of the unpredictability of our world, and the devastation natural disasters can cause. The only positives to come out of such terrible events, is witnessing the humanitarian spirit of helping those in need and the push for understanding climate change and how we best look after our world. To know how we can help prevent such dire events from happening, we need to learn and understand the causes to implement preventative measures for the future.
It is our children and future generations that are going to be left with the difficult task of maintaining the environment within the ever changing landscape of land clearing, population increase, pollution and the world of technology. It is therefore very important that we educate children about natural disasters and what we can be doing to prevent these events from happening. Learning about the world we live in, the different landscapes and how we best look after our environment, is imperative for the future of this world.
The topic of natural disasters is often a distressing and difficult topic to teach and learn for both teachers and students as it entails so many stories of death and destruction and doom and gloom. Natural disasters include:
Droughts
Wildfires
Earthquakes
Floods
Heat Waves
Landslides and Avalanches
Tropical Cyclones including hurricanes and tornadoes
Volcanoes
If we try and approach the topic of Natural Disasters from the importance of learning about and understanding our world, rather than fearing it, we can build a future of inventors and environmentalists that will look after this planet for generations to come.
As a Teacher and Author, it was very important for me to write and create books that teach lessons about the world we live in to help create curiosity and inspiration for the reader. I wrote the Aqua Dog series to help teach children about floods and bushfires. These books are designed to be used in the classroom to help teach the topic of natural disasters, making them a great introduction for natural disaster research projects, water safety and fire safety.

Out on the farm, to keep himself cool,
Aqua would swim in the dam or the pool.
When the rain didn’t fall, there was no water supply,
The tanks became empty and the land bone dry.
When an angry fire came sweeping through,
What did Aqua Dog decide to do?
Aqua Dog Flames captures the extraordinary bond between a man and his dog. This inspiring book tells of the devastation of the Australian Bushfires and the hope and light that friendship brings.

Aqua the farm dog really loves to swim.
Sometimes the farmer gets angry at him.
Instead of herding sheep he loves to splash.
Diving under water in a flash.
When the rain falls and the water levels rise.
A lesson is learnt of immeasurable size.
When a flood puts his talents to the test.
Is swimming what Aqua Dog does best?
Aqua Dog is an endearing story about a farm dog that loves to swim. The gorgeous illustrations capture the West Australian Farming landscape beautifully and the lovely message to follow your passions makes this book a must read for all age groups.
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