Katherine Rundell

In the mood to continue learning about our natural world, I recently picked up The Golden Mole - And Other Vanishing Treasure by Katherine Rundell. Reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook read by Lenny Henry, each of the short chapters are dedicated to a particular endangered animal. There were a total of 22 animals featured in the book, including: the wombat, giraffe, lemur, narwhal, seahorse, pangolin and the golden mole of the title. A variety of creatures were chosen, including those that live in water, on the land or in the air; the large; the small; those that bring good luck as well as those that inspire fear.

I was proud of myself for reading the chapter about the spider given my fear of arachnids and just Googling the word now to check my spelling gave me a bloody heart attack! I also enjoyed hearing one of my favourite animal facts: the horn of the narwhal was once misrepresented to collectors as belonging to a unicorn.

I enjoyed being reminded that crows have great memories and are highly intelligent, they remember human faces and are capable of rewarding and punishing behaviour in kind. In an example, the author explains that university students wearing masks captured crows and kept them briefly in captivity before releasing them. When the students walked past them again without their masks they were ignored, but if they were wearing the masks they were mobbed by the crows still carrying a grudge. The information was passed down to the next generation, and students wearing the same masks long after all of the original crows had died were also attacked.

On the plus side, the reverse is also true and crows can reward human behaviour. A girl in Seattle by the name of Gabi Mann became famous when the crows she'd fed for years began to bring her gifts in return. When her mother dropped the lens cap from her camera in a field nearby, one of the crows picked it up, washed it in their bird bath back at home and left it out for her to find. Astonishing!

Some of the creatures featured in The Golden Mole may be familiar but you might be surprised to learn about others facing endangerment and extinction.

The Golden Mole by Katherine Rundell is recommended for animal lovers and readers who enjoy short, punchy chapters about wildlife and the endangered species all around us.… (more)

A delightful, fast-paced fantasy adventure in a world where all the creatures of imagination still exist. This is middle grade and up and does have a fair bit of violence and death throughout, so be prepared for the unexpectedly intense feels. In truth, this is everything you wanted to read as a kid: wondrous, occasionally whimsical, deliciously descriptive, and firmly situated in classic children's fantasy tropes, with just enough complexity and literary allusion for the open-minded adult to enjoy as well. I'm basically an overgrown 12 year old instead of a proper grown-up, so I loved it!… (more)