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Rick LeCouteur
Inviting young readers to marvel at the wonder of nature's creatures
Rick's Blog
#bunyipsbooksbeyond
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The Golden Thread: Fibonacci in nature, medicine, & imagination (#444)
Leonardo of Pisa, better known as Fibonacci , never saw a sunflower. Yet the sequence of numbers he revealed in 1202, namely 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, describes the hidden architecture of nature itself. Spirals in pine cones, seeds, shells, and galaxies all whisper the same mathematical poetry. Each new term born from the sum of the two before, each life form echoing the balance between order and chaos. Fibonacci and the Logic of Life In plants, Fibonacci numbers are not a
Rick LeCouteur
6 days ago2 min read
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The Future of Bedtime Stories: Can AI replace a parent’s voice? (#439)
Once upon a time, bedtime meant a parent’s voice softening into the rhythm of a story. Perhaps a worn copy of The Very Hungry Caterpillar  or Goodnight Moon  held between lamplight and pillow. Those few minutes before sleep were sacred. A ritual of connection, language, and imagination. But in the glow of our digital age, this nightly ritual is quietly changing. With parents stretched thin and technology creeping into every corner of family life, traditional storybooks are be
Rick LeCouteur
Nov 14 min read
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Stories in a Fragile World: Why children’s books matter (#435)
This year’s Frankfurt Kids Conference 2025, held as part of the Frankfurt International Book Fair, gathered voices from every corner of the children’s publishing world. Authors, illustrators, translators, and educators. The theme could hardly be more urgent: Children’s Books in a Fragile World . In a time shadowed by war, migration, climate anxiety, censorship, and the digital noise that surrounds childhood, the question is not simply what stories we tell, but why we tell the
Rick LeCouteur
Oct 302 min read
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They’re Just Kids: They don’t know what they don’t know (#414)
Children come into the world curious, fearless, and gloriously unaware of limits. They don’t know what they don’t know. And that’s exactly what makes them such natural learners, explorers, and storytellers. Curiosity Before Confidence Watch a child pick up a feather, chase a shadow, or ask why the moon follows the car. They’re not embarrassed by what they don’t understand. They’re enchanted by it. Every day is a question waiting for an answer. Or better yet, a mystery waiting
Rick LeCouteur
Oct 182 min read
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Go Where You’re Scared: Permission to be new again (#399)
When painter Alex Katz  was asked, late in a career most artists would envy, if he still worries about new work failing, he laughed and...
Rick LeCouteur
Aug 313 min read
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Vanishing Acts: The black hole of children’s picture books (#350)
Every year, roughly 4 million new books are published globally. Â That staggering number represents the hopes and dreams of millions of...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 123 min read
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Animals in Childhood Development: What animals teach children (#346)
In the modern Western world, animals play a central role in childhood. Â From the moment a baby is born, animals surround them in...
Rick LeCouteur
Jun 84 min read
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Mutualism: Children’s picture books inspire cooperation (#325)
A mutualistic relationship is when two organisms of different species work together, each benefiting from the relationship.  Organisms...
Rick LeCouteur
May 233 min read
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The Unseen Teacher: The Animal as the Fourth Educator (#322)
Over the past decade, a quiet revolution has taken root in early childhood education: animals are increasingly being recognized not just...
Rick LeCouteur
May 93 min read
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Who Are Indie Authors? Part 2: Indie Bookstore Day 2025 (#311)
Saturday April 26th 2025 is Indie Bookstore Day! It’s a nationwide celebration of everything we love about independent bookstores. Their...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 252 min read
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Who Are Indie Authors? Part 1: Why do writers choose this path? (#309)
Over the last two decades, the publishing landscape has undergone a quiet revolution. Â No longer solely the domain of large publishing...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 244 min read
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(Un)Real Animals: Anthropomorphism and the science of early learning (#288)
We’ve all seen it: a storybook lion wearing spectacles and sipping tea, or a talking squirrel with a backpack heading to school.  These...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 284 min read
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More Than a Story: Branding in children's picture books (#276)
​Admiral William H. McRaven, renowned for his distinguished 37-year career as a U.S. Navy SEAL and leadership roles, including overseeing...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 163 min read
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Failing Forward: A lesson, not a verdict (#263)
Failure is a universal experience, yet it remains one of the most feared aspects of life. Â We are conditioned to avoid it, to view it as...
Rick LeCouteur
Mar 43 min read
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The Flightless Cormorant: A symbol of resilience in peril (#241)
Will your grandchildren be able to see a flightless cormorant in the wild?  The Galápagos Islands are a place of wonder, a natural...
Rick LeCouteur
Jan 273 min read
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Changing the Narrative: Animals as more than metaphors in picture books (#236)
Children’s picture books have always been a gateway to exploring the natural world. Animals, as beloved characters, help children connect...
Rick LeCouteur
Jan 193 min read
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Bonza Biodiversity Bonanza: Australia’s expanding protected areas (#218)
As the world grappled with its share of challenges in 2024, Australia quietly achieved some remarkable milestones in conservation. Â ...
Rick LeCouteur
Jan 42 min read
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A Lion's Silence: Forms of language and forms of life (#216)
The following famous assertion by Ludwig Wittgenstein encapsulates a profound philosophical conundrum about language, meaning, and the...
Rick LeCouteur
Jan 44 min read
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Who Owns a View? Tree vandalism in Sydney (#215)
Tree vandalism is an issue that has quietly plagued Sydney for years, often unnoticed or ignored by the wider public. It’s a crime...
Rick LeCouteur
Jan 35 min read
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Blurring Species Lines: Connecting children to nature through picture books (#213)
The interconnectedness of all life forms has long been celebrated by Indigenous cultures worldwide, whose traditions honor the kinship...
Rick LeCouteur
Jan 23 min read
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