Tasmanian Devil: On Location [Hardcover]

Kathy Darling (Author), Tara Darling (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: On Location

"This book explains everything you always wanted to know about the Tasmanian devil...life cycle, behavior patterns, eating habits, and range, and the outlook for it's long-term survival. Superb full-color photographs on nearly every page portray these creatures engaging in a variety of activities....This addressed topics children want to know about. An excellent book."--Booklist.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-- A book about one of the least darling of all the Earth's creatures. Indeed, this fine book with expressive, revealing photographs is not for any budding zoologists who turn green-at-the-gills at the first sight of blood. The pictures here are unflinchingly accurate, matching the animal's basic characteristics described in the noteworthy text: voracious eating habits, angry temperament, cannibalistic tendencies, and savage sibling rivalries. Subsequent chapters offer clear, witty explanations of the devil's birth, development, fighting ability, eating preferences, nocturnal nature, excellent senses, and protected status. A small but useful fast-fact and index section is included. Although this strong book will either attract or repel its readers, it is doubtful that a more thorough look at the Tasmanian devil can be found for children. Besides, any animal that can consume a whole cow in 2 days or enough rat poison to kill 40 people without getting sick deserves a second look. Those libraries with Lynn Stone's Tasmanian Devils (Rourke, 1990) have a good introduction but not the whole story. All should consider this 40-page eye-opener. --Amy Nunley, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, OH
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

In Her Own Words...

"Kathy and Tara Darling collaborate on children’s books that focus on rare and endangered wildlife. To their knowledge, they are the world’s only mother/daughter wildlife writer/photographer team.

"Although they are mother and daughter, they work as equal partners. Tara explains, “We complement each other. I see in photographic images and Mother sees in word pictures. These two different views grow together as we work on a project, until the words and photos blend into one single statement.”

"The Darlings studied the manatees of Crystal River, Florida, over a period of two years as they prepared Manatee: On Location, the first book in the prize-winning On Location series. The arctic wilderness of Round Island, Alaska, the site of their second book for Lothrop, Walrus: On Location, tested togetherness as they sat in a tiny wet tent and waited out violent storms. There were scary moments in Belize when Kathy was attacked by a vampire bat and in Australia when Tara had the seat of her pants ripped out by a sea lion bull. But, they write, “we think making young people aware of the danger the animals are in more than outweighs any danger we might face. We care, and we hope through our words and pictures that we will get young people to care too. Maybe some will even care enough to choose this career for themselves.”

"Together, the Darlings have done twenty books about animals as exotic as Tasmanian devils and as familiar as dogs. Kathy Darling has written scores of books. Her subjects have ranged from the animals she writes about in her books with Tara to the experiments in chemistry and physics she writes about with Vicki Cobb in Wanna Bet?, Bet You Can!, and Bet You Can’t!. Her interest in science began as a child, and in college she majored in biology. In addition to being a writer, Mrs. Darling has been a children’s book editor, a publicist, and a syndicated newspaper columnist.

"Tara Darling studied marine biology at Boston University and worked with penguins and otters at the New England Aquarium. After several years of doing TV research in a New York office, she realized that capturing the lives of endangered animals on film was work that was infinitely more rewarding to her. A member of the Professional Photographers of America, her credits include a CD-ROM about dogs, as well as numerous magazine covers."

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1St Edition edition (September 23, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068809726X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688097264
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,277 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, Bright, Informative, March 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tasmanian Devil: On Location (Hardcover)

Children will be pleased to learn that the real Taz is muchmore grouchy and disgusting than his cartoon counterpart. Wonderfulphotographs. END