The book’s theme was the rescue and protection of rare endangered species at what was the beginning of the now well-established kakapo recovery programme. In the same format, Moa was followed by Kakapo, Parrot of the Night (1988) which told the story of the world’s largest flightless parrot being rescued from predators on Stewart Island, where it had been rediscovered a few years earlier. The story could be read to children as young as three or four while older children could enjoy reading the book for themselves. The book was divided into a larger story section with Gaskin’s fine illustrations, followed by a smaller strictly factual section that could be used for educational purposes by parents or teachers. Their first collaboration was Moa, the Story of a Fabulous Bird (1985) which told the life story of one of New Zealand’s giant prehistoric birds within the larger theme of avian extinction. The concept was a creative non-fiction approach to stories about New Zealand birds within the context of a larger environmental theme. Following his books for adults about the outdoors and natural environment, Philip Temple pioneered a new kind of children’s picture book with his colleague, artist Chris Gaskin.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |