Evie and Rhino
Nerida McMullen, illustrated by Astred Hicks
Walker Books


This tale is based upon a true story of a shipwreck in 1891 off the south-west coast of Victoria in a coastal region well known for shipwrecks. One such was SS Bancora, which was travelling from Calcutta with a cargo of animals bound for Royal Melbourne Zoo. Among the animals was Rhino: the creature manages to make it to the shore, along with possibly some monkeys, parrots and cranes.


Enter Evie, a ten year old girl who lives with her once famous ornithologist grandfather, in an erstwhile grand mansion, Lunar House, having lost both her parents in a shipwreck two years back and since when she hasn’t spoken a word. She doesn’t any longer go to school and thus it is that the day after the Bancora shipwreck, she is wandering along the dunes to the beach and makes a discovery that will transform her life, and that of Rhino, for ever.


Told from alternating viewpoints, Evie’s and Rhino’s, we see the two forming an unlikely bond, a very deep one that provides a balm for the girl’s grieving spirit. All too soon though, the zoo sends a representative to recover the amazing animal. However Evie isn’t prepared to let Rhino go without doing her utmost to keep her beloved animal.


In Evie and Rhino, Nerida McMullen has created two hugely endearing characters, and we meet a number of other interesting characters too. The storytelling is superb – you’ll find yourself laughing at Rhino’s antics, and tearful on occasion, at the challenges both Evie and Rhino face; it’s a truly memorable tale of rediscovering your inner strength and your voice, and the healing power of friendship.

Scattered throughout the book are Astred Hicks’ deftly drawn illustrations along with occasional telegrams and cook’s apple pie recipe – apple pie having played a significant part in the story.