24 Hours in the Kiwi Bush

Not many of us are likely to spend an entire day and night sat out in the bush watching the wildlife, but this book allows us to see the continuous activity that takes place in that environment. Both native and introduced species are featured, from tiny moths and snails to large birds.

Before you even begin reading the text, you will be captivated by the amazing photography! Darryl’s 40 years of photographic experience shines through in every image. I never knew a cicada’s wings are so beautiful and intricate.

The book is divided into six sections, with each section being a four-hour time slot (24 hours in total). An action-packed descriptive passage begins each section, which introduces the reader to the wildlife that feature on the following factual pages, with each of their names initially appearing in bold text. Each factual page consists of a paragraph or so about each creature, along with its photo and a fun fact about it. There's just enough text to keep the reader engaged, yet maybe left yearning to find out more from other detailed books. This is the sort of book that can be devoured cover to cover, or can be dipped into; depending on the interest of the reader.

Although aimed at children 7 years and above, I imagine many adults will learn something too. Do you know which caterpillar lives for about 5 years under the bark of a tree, yet only has a lifespan of a few days once it has turned into a moth?

At the back of the book there is a glossary so an unknown word can be looked up in there. However, I found it interesting that camouflage was described as "the ability of an animal to change colour or appearance..." as I think of some animals being naturally camouflaged without actually changing, such as the stick insect on page 10.

This book also has an excellent companion: 24 Hours on the Kiwi Seashore.

Title: 24 Hours in the Kiwi Bush

Author: GillianTorckler

Illustrator: Darryl Torckler

Publisher: David Bateman Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-98-853837-2

RRP: $19.99

Format: paperback

Publication: November 2020

Ages: 7+

Advisory warnings: It contains the word ‘poop’. Some readers may prefer a more scientific term

Reviewer: Nadine Molloy, Assistant Librarian, Remarkables Primary School, Queenstown

How are you recommending this book? Highly recommended

Opening sentence: We usually visit the New Zealand Bush in daylight hours.

You can buy this book here