A First Book of Bush Sounds
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley January 10, 2022
Author Fred van Gessel.
Distributor: New Holland Publishers.
ISBN: 9781925546781
Publisher: New Holland Publishers.
Release Date: October 2021
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Beginning with the Koala, a well-known Australian marsupial and therefor a terrific bush creature to begin A First Book of Bush Sounds, Fred van Gessel sets out information about the Koala, its habitat, diet, looks, apart from cute, its lifestyle and most importantly the sound it makes, heard by pushing a button on the page.
Brushtail Possums, Dingoes, Red Foxes, while not indigenous are recorded, House Geckos, yes, they do make a particular sound, and the rather unusually named Brush Thick-knee, a bird of tropical areas that is a ground bird and loves shoreline habitat, to name a d few of the creatures who share their sounds with you. Each animal or bird has just enough information to be informative and entice an interested reader to investigate further.
Each one of the selected bush creatures has been identified well in language suitable for young readers who want to understand a little more about the native wildlife that surrounds them. The pictures that illustrate the specific animal or bird are accurate, their scientific name is listed under their ‘common’ names with the sounds recorded, often very surprising.
Koalas growl, Geckos, chuck-chuck-chuck, field crickets chirrup their ‘songs’, something heard often during the long hot summer days. The Southern Boobook Owl can sound like a frog with its distinctive boo-book sound; perhaps that where is common name came from, or a mo-poke call repeated many times. It also has a third call, that of a frog, while the youngsters can sound like a trilling of a cricket. I wonder why?
Well-presented and filled with just enough detail to interest the beginning naturalist or reader with an interest in scientific things, A First Book of Bush Sounds is fabulous way of introducing a number of the bush creatures to a wide range of ages and reading abilities.