Emu

Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne
Walker Books Australia
ISBN: 9781922179708          RRP: $27.95

This most recent Australian addition to the captivating Nature Storybooks series is another that discusses how the male hatches and rears the chicks, a popular topic of late (see Karana in older posts). As is characteristic of this series the combination of parallel texts provides entertainment and information, as they tell of emu behaviour in this early phase of their lives. The illustrations are outstanding, done by computer but having a multi-media effect of watercolours, acrylics, inks and prints. They dramatically portray the harshness of the environment and the difficulty of raising several chicks under hazardous conditions.