Book Review: “The Living Tree – a New Zealand Habitat” by Dave Gunson, published by Bateman books. Price $24.99. Reviewed by Tony Orman.
I’ve often advocated get the youngsters outdoors – it’s the best classroom ever. Get them into fishing and hunting, under good guidance of course, but at the same time nurture an interest in the natural environment such as trees and the life that abounds around the tree.
This book will be a big stimulus to achieving getting youngsters hooked on the natural world.
It’s yet another book for youngsters by the very talented award winning artist and writer Dave Gunson. I say “yet another” for Dave Gunson has written an incredible 200 plus books that usually focus on New Zealand’s wildlife. His latest is not just educational but especially revealing of the place of trees in the ecosystem ands the wildlife that depends on them.
Aimed by the publishers at 8 to 12year olds, I’d suggest it’ such good value that not only youngsters but even adults will learn things they never knew, about trees.
The tree is a living ecosystem in itself and depending on the species, host and/or food source to a variety of wildlife from birds to insects to lizards and even others like fungi and parasitic plants.
The book gives brief but informative thumbnail verbal sketches, plus delightful illustrations, of birds like the fantail, kereru (wood pigeon), blackbird, grey warbler, tomtit, kōkako, guru (morepork) and others. Similarly with invertebrates such as ladybirds, aphids, praying mantis, wetas and others, a surprising number I had never heard of e.g. shore skink, forest gecko, flower spider and two-spined spider, elephant weevil and others.
This book is a winner and will nurture in youngsters – tomorrow’s citizens – an appreciation of trees and their vital value.
