Dr Keith is a scientist with a very unusual obsession: flies. He loves them – studying their important roles in nature, from pollinating flowers to cleaning up waste.
He knows them all by name (and trust us, there are a lot of them). Keith is a dipterist – in other words, a full-on, fly-loving scientist!
Armed with long nets, he chases flies through the bush, sets clever traps, and studies them up close. But there’s one fly that has always eluded him: Clisa australis.
Once found in bat caves, feasting on … bat poo, this fly hasn’t been seen in ages. So where else could it be hiding? Where else can you find poo? Why, in pit toilets at national parks, of course! And so begins Keith’s wild hunt for his sneaky little target.
As Dr Keith peers under toilet lids, we might just start seeing flies in a whole new light. But could this tiny fly be hiding somewhere completely unexpected?
Told in story form, this non-fiction gem celebrates the passion and persistence of scientists while encouraging readers to explore their own curiosity.
The book also includes more detailed information in the back about Dr Keith and his continued hunt search for answers to his endless list of questions about flies.
With fun, light-hearted illustrations, we can’t help but enjoy ourselves as we tag along with Keith on a his adventure, discovering the amazing world of this tiny insect on his epic fly hunt.
Reviewed by Jane Stephens
Age Guide 5+
Teachers’ Resources – The Very Stinky Fly Hunt
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR
Andrea Wild is a science communicator with CSIRO’s National Research Collections Australia, and the author of AmAZed! CSIRO’s A to Z of Biodiversity and Wild Collections: Specimens, Stories and Science from CSIRO. She has two sons, one who loves nature and one who loves experiments.
Karen Erasmus has been illustrating material for children for many years. She lives on the south coast of Australia with her three dogs, five chickens, grown-up children and husband. Karen loves the diversity and quirkiness of Australian wildlife. She is also the illustrator of Wombat Poos Are Square.
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