Taronga Presents: Poo at the Zoo is the first book in a hilarious adventure series that follows Sophia and Ollie as they experience a day in their DREAM JOB and get up-close and personal with all your favourite zoo animals, big and small.
We caught up with KRISTIN DARELL to find our more about the book.
Taronga Presents: Poo at the Zoo is the first book in your series – what sparked the idea for your story?
I was lucky to be able to spend time with a fabulous Koala called Mateo and his keeper Suzie at Taronga in Sydney. While we were talking, Suzie picked up a piece of Koala poo. My first reaction was ‘EWWW’, but then she told me about all the amazing things keepers learn from the poos a Koala does. I was so surprised, and I knew immediately it was what Sophia and Ollie would get to learn about in the first book. But of course, I also included lots of other gross and awesome poo facts too!
Sophia and Ollie are Zookeepers for a day – what does this involve?
Being trainee Zookeepers, Sophia and Ollie get to do lots of things the volunteers and keepers get to do every day when they’re looking after animals. They clean up poo, sweep and rake, prepare and put out food and even help make things to give enrichment to animals (to keep their minds and bodies active) – including using maggots!
What are some of your favourite animals at Taronga Zoo?
I love visiting Esmeralda the Aldabra giant tortoise when I go to the Zoo. It’s more than 100 years old. I wish I could talk to it and ask about what it has seen and experienced. There is also something magical about the Free-flight Bird Show and seeing all the gorgeous Australian birds. But maybe my favourite thing is stopping by to say hello to the Little Penguins. They’re just so cute!
What do you love about the Zoo and what role do they play in conservation?
I love how hard everyone at the Zoo works to care for animals, especially the ones that have come in hurt or injured. When you see the Zoo keepers it is so clear how much they love the animals and the work they are doing.
Writing these books also helped me learn about the Zoo’s conservation work. I found out Taronga has 10 ‘Legacy Species’. Five of them are Australian animals – including the Koala, the Greater Bilby and the Regent Honeyeater. The other five are in Sumatra, but sadly close to being extinct. These include the Sumatran Rhinoceros and Sumatran Tiger. Did you know there are as few as 400 Sumatran Tigers left? All around Taronga Zoo in Sydney and at Western Plains Zoo there is information about animals and all the ways we can look after them to ensure they are around for many years to come.
What’s something interesting your learned about Taronga Zoo for this book?
I was amazed to find out Taronga’s two Wildlife Hospitals treat more than 1500 sick, injured or orphaned native animals every year. Add to that, the staff also look after the health of more than 5000 animals that live across both the Zoos. They also work with wildlife teams helping endangered animals all over the world. How amazing is that!
What was your favourite part of writing this book?
My favourite part of writing this book, and the entire series, was getting to live out a childhood dream of working at a Zoo and caring for animals – I just did it through Sophia and Ollie’s eyes. I was constantly amazed by how much I didn’t know about animals, and the unexpected and super cool things I was discovering. There were too many to fit in, which is why I created Ollie’s Fun Fact File, so we could share a few more cool facts at the end of each book too.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Kristin Darell has been a passionate storyteller since she was a child. Whether it was making up adventures with her twin sister, or writing about the world around her, she was rarely found without a pen and paper in hand. As an adult, she made this passion her life. She worked as a broadcast news and sports journalist for major Australian news organisations for more than twenty years.
After the birth of her two children, Kristin re-focussed her attention on writing for children. As an author, she has contributed to children’s writing anthologies and is the acclaimed author of the Football Fever series with Football Australia and the Taronga Zoo presents series.
Kristin is a strong advocate for children’s literature, working as the Program Manager for the Australian Children’s Laureate Foundation. She lives on Sydney’s northern beaches with her husband, two children, two dogs, pet snake and three-legged pygmy bearded dragon.
Follow Kristin Darell on Instagram
Laura Wood is originally from a small town in the north of Italy. She studied illustration in Melbourne, where she started her illustration career. She works in both commercial art and books for children. After a few years of travelling around the world, she now lives in Milan, Italy.
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