The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fast and Slow Animals
By (Author) Sami Bayly
Hachette Australia
Lothian Children's Books
1st October 2025
Australia
Children
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage reference: Encyclopaedias, general reference
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Wildlife and habitats
Childrens / Teenage social topics: Environment, sustainability and green issues
Childrens / Teenage general interest: Nature, animals, the natural world
Hardback
128
300g
Is the Australian tiger beetle faster or slower than a basset hound Find out all about some of the world's fastest and slowest animals in the latest beautifully illustrated encyclopaedia from award-winning author and illustrator Sami Bayly.
Whether you like to take things fast or slow, you will lose yourself in this stunning encyclopaedia filled with incredible detailed illustrations and fun facts about some of the most fascinating fast and slow animals in the natural world. Featuring facts and astonishing illustrations about sixty amazing fast and slow animals, including the super speedy black marlin, the cheetah and the gentoo penguin, and the oh-so-slow dwarf seahorse, the gila monster and the immortal jellyfish. Children and adults alike will wonder at these speedy and not-so-speedy animals.PRAISE FOR SAMI BAYLY'S BOOKS 'Stunningly illustrated and deeply informative' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY 'Beautiful and detailed . . . A treasure trove, ideal for 8-year-olds and older who are interested in natural history and fascinating creatures' SCHOOLDAYS MAGAZINESami Bayly is a natural history illustrator based in Newcastle, NSW, who loves all things weird and wonderful. She finds the beauty and importance of all animals regardless of their appearance, and hopes to share her appreciation with others.
Sami's first book, The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals, won the Children's Indie Book of the Year Award and the Australian Book Design Award for Younger Readers. It was a CBCA Honour Book and was shortlisted for an ABIA Book of the Year for Younger Children and longlisted for the ABA Booksellers' Choice 2020 Book of the Year Awards. Her second book, The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals, was a CBCA Honour Book, an ABIA Book of the Year for Younger Children, won an Australian Book Design Award for Younger Readers and was shortlisted for the Children's Indie Book of the Year 2020. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Peculiar Pairs was shortlisted for the CBCA Eve Pownall Award and longlisted for Children's Indie Book of the Year Award. Sami's most recent books are How We Came to Be: Surprising Sea Creatures, How We Came to Be: Creatures of Camouflage and The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Extinct Animals. To keep up to date you can follow Sami on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samibayly