by Kirsty
Murray (National Library of Australia)
National Library of Australia, Children's Non-fiction Hardcover rrp $29.99
Reviewed by
Anastasia Gonis
It always gives
me great joy to open a book from the National Library of Australia. The
outstanding, well-considered production of each book is geared to give maximum
satisfaction in every area. The paper used is of the highest quality as is the
book design, and each book is very moderately priced in comparison the work
that’s been put into it.
Topsy-turvy World is about
‘how Australian animals puzzled the early explorers’, as the title affirms.
There are fifteen birds and animals referred to throughout the book: the Kangaroo,
Platypus, Echidna, Thylacine, Tasmanian Devil, Pig-footed Bandicoot, Koala,
Wombat, Grey-headed Flying Fox, Emu, Black Swan, Laughing Kookaburra, Superb
Lyrebird, Frilled Lizard, and the Sea Dragon.
The set-up of the
pages begins with a full page illustration of the animal. On the opposite page
there is a short historical narrative which refers to the first encounter with
the subject, who saw or drew it, accompanied by boxes of information. Various illustrations follow. There is note
of the misunderstandings by the early explorers about the animals they saw for
the first time. At times these are quite unusual but interesting observances.
The last page on
the subject is the same throughout. There is a listing of ‘what the Europeans
needed to learn’ about each animal. A strip down the right side of the page is
kept for ‘Fast Facts’. These give the common name of the animal/bird, the
scientific name, some historical names they are known as, how the gender is
referred as, some Indigenous names, the weight and size, the size relative to a
2-metre-tall man, habits and habitat, its diet, reproduction information, and
its lifespan in the wild. There is also a map of Australia
The information
also includes how these animals carry their young, the many uses the explorers
made of the animals apart from being eaten, and the repercussions that
excessive hunting had on the species.
The whole book is
comprised of 95 pages. This includes a list of the names of the early explorers
who observed or discovered the wildlife, and a brief description of their role;
a Glossary with definitions of words as they are used in the book, and a List
of Illustrations/plates/engravings that detail the name of the illustrator,
date and place, Latin name, reference for the plate, and page number. It has a
durable jacket identical to the cover of the book depicting all the wildlife
included in the book.
