Avian Conservation Australia Children’s Book Four Pack – Reviews!

These four books about four different species of Australian birds were written for children, but they contain interesting information and beautiful artwork that adults reading aloud to their children will also enjoy.

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These charming children’s books aren’t actually sold together as a single conservation four-pack for kids, but I think of them that way because they all deal with a variety of conservation issues affecting many of the many endangered native birds. from Australia, follow the same format. , and are aimed at children between 5 and 9 years old. Despite being aimed at young children, each book ends with an informative three-page summary of the birds aimed at adults, including species distribution maps and a one-page glossary of some of the more challenging words used in the book.

In general, the text of each book is entertaining, interesting and informative, and adults will very much enjoy reading them aloud to their children, without getting tired of this activity. Although the birds are uniquely Australian, the conservation problems they face are not: I was particularly interested in how these four books introduce children to new ideas and solving large-scale conservation problems. In the service of accuracy, all books were verified by scientists who work with birds.

The artwork in each book is simply spectacular: adorable, beautifully colored, and absorbing in its many details. I was especially impressed by the imaginative and charming way in which the songs of various species of birds were artistically represented.

These four books are so lavishly illustrated and so wonderfully informative that you almost wish you had a few children to read them aloud.

I’m including a short review of each book along with some individual notes on each one so you can decide which one your child would like best, although I suggest buying them all!

Swifty: the super fast parrot (CSIRO Publications2022: Amazon US / Amazon UK) by Stephanie Owen Reeder and illustrated by Astred Hicks.

This is the story of the first year in the life of an individual speedy parrot, Swifty. These critically endangered small parrots nest on the island of Tasmania and nearby smaller islands, where they face predation of their nests by invasive sugar gliders and tree felling by humans. After flying, Swifty accompanies her parents on their journey through the wild and stormy Bass Strait that lies between Tasmania and the Australian mainland, where she later faces other dangers in a human environment. After wintering on dry land, Swifty returns to nest in cavities of increasingly scarce old-growth forests.

In the footsteps of the plains wanderer: a beautiful Australian bird (CSIRO Publications2022: Amazon US / Amazon UK) by Rohan Cleave and illustrated by Julian Teh.

This book shares information about collaborative conservation work between scientists, poultry farmers, and farmers to save the critically endangered plains bum. These birds are sometimes known as the “Goldilocks bird” for their demanding habitat requirements: they don’t like it too sparse or too dense. This primarily ground-dwelling bird eats insects and seeds, and nests in clumps of grass, where it encounters a variety of terrestrial predators (mainly introduced foxes). The Plains Wanderer is ancient and evolutionarily unique, representing the only living member of its family. I was especially impressed by the beautiful artwork, particularly the view of these birds from above (back cover).

The Forgotten Song: Saving the Regent Honeyeater (CSIRO Publications2022: Amazon US / Amazon UK) by Coral Vass and illustrated by Jess Racklyeft.

A thought-provoking story about a young honey regent who forgets his mating song and how he relearns it. This is an ancient song passed down through countless generations, but now the Regent honeycreeper population has fallen to critical levels, meaning the young Regent has no species-appropriate singing tutor, leaving him trying to imitate. the songs of other birds. Unsuccessfully.

The central question is will Regent learn his mating call before it’s too late? Or will the old song of him be forgotten forever?

The timeline of human habitat destruction in the book summary is an educational touch.

Raid (CSIRO Publications2022: Amazon US / Amazon UK) by Nicole Godwin and illustrated by Susannah Crispe.

This is the funniest book of the four, in my opinion. It follows the logic of a pair of magpies repeatedly plunging from the trees onto the heads of walkers, cyclists and joggers who get too close to their nest. In addition to presenting the situation from the birds’ point of view, it’s a fun visual collection of human ingenuity as they seek to protect their heads from magpie attacks. This book was ‘inspired by Gary the magpie, who is an all-powerful nest protector’. In particular, I loved the painting of a magpie investigating the bicycle helmet at the end of the book (although… the magpie chicks are sooooo adorable!)

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