Lost Wonders: Vanished Creatures of Aotearoa

by Sarah Ell, Phoebe Morris (Illustrator)

The stories of these fascinating creatures - birds, insects, reptiles and plants - are told in an entertaining and accessible style, drawing on first-hand accounts and supported with useful illustrations. It draws on accounts of their demise, and of the social climate in New Zealand in which these extinctions occurred.
Illustrated with line drawings by Phoebe Morris, and written in a relatable style, this is perfect for 8-12 year olds, telling true stories about the species and the people involved in their extinction and/or recovery.
Featured species include those which are long gone - New Zealand's dinosaurs, penguins and pelicans, and the giant gecko; extinctions since the human habitation of New Zealand, including the moa, piopio, huia and laughing owl, and native fish the grayling; species which were lost and found - the takahe, taiko, Tecomanthe speciosa and the weevils of Canterbury; and those at risk of extinction and how it came to this - kakapo, kaki, Maui's dolphin, kauri and whitebait.

303 pages, Paperback

Published March 3, 2020

About the author

Sarah Ell is a journalist, writer and editor, and has published widely in the history, sailing and young adult fiction genres. As a journalist and subeditor, she has worked for the Auckland Star, Boating New Zealand and Trends. In 2003 When the War Came Home was shortlisted for the LIANZA Esther Glen Medal, and was a 2003 Storylines Notable Senior Fiction Book, while Talking to Adam was a 2006 Storylines Notable Young Adult Fiction Book, and Sirocco a 2013 Storylines Notable Non-fiction Book. She collaborated with Mark Inglis on his memoir High Tech Legs on Everest, which was nominated for the non-fiction category of the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, and was a 2009 Storylines Notable Non-fiction Book. Sarah lives in Auckland with her husband and two young children.

Reviews

[Penny]

This is a bit of a gem... a book documenting some of the lost wonders of Aotearoa.

Each chapter focuses in on one of the amazing creatures who have sadly been permanently lost to theses shores... and the world.

The aim of the book is not to point finger, but rather to educate so that we can prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future.

The book features sections on the lost (moa, kuia, grayling, Haast's eagle, to name a few), the lost and found (such as the Takahe), and the almost lost (like the Maui dolphin) and the chapters can be dipped in and out of, depending on your interest.

Definitely a book for any school library.

[Theresa A]

A really interesting read about the history of NZ and the tragic story of the many lost species of Aotearoa and why they disappeared. Definitely taught me a lot. Would recommend to anyone whether they're interested in birds and wildlife, history or just simply want to learn something about one of the most beautiful places on earth,

[Samantha Thornber]

3.7