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Look. Wonder. Try.™

Small steps lead to big adventures.

Nola Numbat™ is a curious little numbat from the town of Wondale. She looks. She wonders. And when she's ready — in her own time, her own way — she tries. Follow her adventures in a growing series of read-aloud story & coloring books for kids ages 4–7.

Explore the Books Meet Nola
Cover of Nola Numbat Tries Something New, showing Nola the numbat standing on a stone in a creek
Book One · Nola Numbat Tries Something New
  • A Story to Read
  • A World to Color
  • A Brighter, Braver You
Illustrated portrait of Nola Numbat wearing a yellow scarf, standing on a rock by a creek

Meet Nola

Small, striped, and endlessly curious.

Nola Numbat notices things other people rush past — a strange sound, a stepping stone, a first raindrop — and she gives herself permission to look and wonder before she tries. "Not yet" is allowed. So is "maybe." And when Nola is finally ready, she tries things her own way, one small step at a time.

A real (and rare) animal

Nola is inspired by a real animal — the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), a small striped marsupial native to Western Australia and now endangered in the wild. Every Nola Numbat™ book is a work of fiction, but the numbat behind the character is very real, and very worth protecting.

Welcome to Wondale

Wondale is a small, sunlit town of creeks, wattle trees, and winding paths — the kind of place where something new is always waiting to be noticed. It's where Nola does her looking, her wondering, and eventually, her trying.

The Nola Numbat™ Series

Interactive story & coloring books for ages 4–7 — one gentle read-aloud adventure, paired with pages of coloring, activities, and open-ended wonder.

Cover of Nola Numbat Tries Something New
Book One · Available Soon

Nola Numbat Tries Something New

An Interactive Story & Coloring Book · Ages 4–7

Nola has found something new: a shallow creek, and four stepping stones leading to the other side. She looks. She wonders. And then... she waits. Because "not yet" is allowed, too. Follow Nola one small step at a time as she decides — in her own time, her own way — to try something new.

  • A gentle read-aloud story about trying new things
  • Large, bold-outline coloring pages sized for growing hands
  • A real-numbat "feature notebook" spread with fun, true facts
  • A Look & Find scene and open-ended "draw what you wonder" pages
  • A closing note for grown-ups on "not yet"
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Cover of Nola Numbat Follows a Sound
Book Two · Coming Soon

Nola Numbat Follows a Sound

A Story & Coloring Book About Listening, Wonder, and Finding Your Own Way · Ages 4–7

Something is tapping in Wondale... and Nola wants to know what. She hears a strange tap-tap-tap on her morning walk and follows her ears to find out where it's coming from. Along the way she guesses, gets it wrong, notices new clues, and keeps wondering — until curiosity leads her right to the answer.

  • A gentle read-aloud story about listening and noticing
  • Large, bold-outline coloring pages sized for growing hands
  • A real-numbat "ears & listening" feature notebook spread
  • "What made that sound?" clue pages and open-ended drawing prompts
  • A closing note for grown-ups on wondering over rushing to answers
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Cover of Nola Numbat Waits and Watches
Book Three · Coming Soon

Nola Numbat Waits and Watches

A Story & Coloring Book About Patience, Curiosity, and Letting Things Unfold · Ages 4–7

A little caterpillar is on the move... and Nola wants to see where it goes. Nola watches its slow journey, guessing where it's headed and waiting when the answer doesn't come right away. Along the way she discovers that quiet, tiny things are happening everywhere — if you slow down long enough to notice.

  • A gentle read-aloud story about patience and noticing
  • Large, bold-outline coloring pages sized for growing hands
  • A real-numbat "Daytime Discoveries" notebook page
  • "What changed?" and "what can you spot?" activity pages
  • A closing note for grown-ups on waiting and watching together
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Try a free coloring page

Get a sneak peek of Nola's world with a free printable coloring page from Book One — the same creek, the same four stones, ready for your own colors.

Download the Free Page
Free printable coloring page of Nola Numbat standing on a stone in a creek

A Note for Grown-Ups

New experiences can feel exciting, uncertain — or both.

Nola's story makes room for a simple idea: sometimes children need time to look, wonder, ask questions, and decide when they're ready to try.

When Nola says "not yet," the story doesn't treat it as failure. She pauses, learns more, and eventually makes her own choice to try.

We hope Nola gives families an easy way to talk about those little moments when "not yet" might someday become "maybe."

A Few Ways to Keep Talking

  • Ask, "Has there ever been something you looked at and thought, not yet?" Let the answer stand without correcting it.
  • Notice out loud when your child tries something in small steps, the way Nola tested the stone before stepping on it.
  • Try "you noticed, you waited, and then you tried" instead of rushing to "you did it!" — it names the whole process, not just the outcome.

About the Author

Jessica Ancle is the creator of Nola Numbat, a curious little numbat who notices the world one small discovery at a time.

Inspired by the questions children ask and the courage it can take to approach something unfamiliar, Jessica created Nola's stories to celebrate curiosity, imagination, and trying things in your own way.

Nola Numbat Tries Something New is the first adventure in the Nola Numbat series.

Written and Created by Jessica Ancle

Frequently Asked Questions

What ages are the Nola Numbat™ books for?

They're designed for children ages 4–7, with a read-aloud story simple enough for younger listeners and coloring & activity pages that work well for growing hands.

Is Nola based on a real animal?

Yes — Nola is inspired by the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), a real, endangered marsupial native to Western Australia. Nola's adventures are fictional, but the animal she's based on is real.

Do I need to read the books in order?

Each book stands on its own, but they follow Nola through Wondale in sequence, so reading Book One first gives the fullest picture of her world.

Where can I buy the books?

Book One is currently under review to go live on Amazon, with Books Two and Three coming soon after. Join the list in the free coloring page section to be the first to know the moment each one goes live.

Is there a coloring page I can try for free?

Yes! Head to the free coloring page section to download a printable page from Book One, no purchase necessary.