Swimming with Aunty Isobel by Cassy Polimeni, illustrated by Evie Barrow

Title: Swimming with Aunty Isobel

Author: Cassy Polimeni, illustrated by Evie Barrow

Genre: Contemporary

Publisher: NLA Publishing

Published: 1st November 2026

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Price: $24.99

Synopsis: When I grow up I want to be a marine biologist, just like my Aunty Isobel.

The ocean can be a place of wonder, with coral rainbows and breaching whales! It can also be dark and scary. But if you venture out under the light of a pancake moon, you might discover something wonderful. Something that makes anything seem possible.

Inspired by the adventurous life of marine biologist Isobel Bennett (find out more in the educational end-matter)!

~*~

Swimming with Aunty Isobel is a fictional story inspired by real woman, Isobel Bennett  who was a marine biologist in the early twentieth century. In this story, aunty Isobel is teaching her niece about swimming, the sea and what she does as a marine biologist. In this fun picture book by Cassy Polimeni and Evie Barrow, and published by NLA, we get to explore her world and see what Aunty Isobel does when she is swimming under the sea.

This wonderful picture book shows that the ocean can be interesting and wondrous, scary, dangerous and dark. Venturing out into the ocean is a very brave thing to do, and so much better when with marine biologist Aunty Isobel. Isobel Bennett’s life was fascinating, and here it is seen through the eyes of a young child. This means that the world is magical, that the sea is a place of wonder and magic, of danger and fear. It’s everything the child in this book wants to see, yet also everything they’re not sure about.

As well as celebrating the wonder of the ocean and wanting to become a marine biologist, it also shows familial connection. In this instance, the connection between an aunty and a niece, and the special relationship this can be. Aunty Isobel and her niece connect through a common love of the ocean. Aunty Isobel is an inspiration to her niece, just as I am sure Isobel Bennett has been to many women who have gone on to become marine biologists in their lives.

Whilst this book is fictional, it is based on a real person. Depending on what people have read or done, they may or may not know about Isobel Bennett. I don’t think I did, though I may have seen her name on many visits to the Australian Museum. She’s one of those exceptional Australian women who didn’t follow the expected trajectory for women.

Her role in zoology and as a researcher is interesting, and whilst a lot of this is not depicted in the book, her life would be an interesting one to read more about. Books like this can start an interest in something, and get readers wanting to know more about the person the book is about or based on. I loved the end pages about the real Isobel Bennett, and went to research more about her, and to see what other sources had about her.

I think this is a fun picture book, that reassures children that the sea isn’t always scary, and that they might find amazing things if they look beneath the waves. It opens up opportunities to talk about what is in the sea, being safe in the sea and enjoying the sea without getting hurt. It was a joy to read, and I’m loving seeing the breadth of amazing books coming out from NLA Publishing.

They really do put out some cool stuff, and books that we may not find elsewhere. This is what makes the books they do really special, as their books capture something distinctly Australian in each book.