Tiny Possum and the Migrating Moths
By: Julie Murphy Illustrated by: Ben Clifford
A beautiful story of the life of the critically endangered mountain pygmy-possum.
High in the Australian Alps, Possum needs to find enough food and shelter to survive the harsh alpine winter. She will spend months hibernating under a blanket of snow. Will she last through the year to successfully raise a new family? + Full description
The mountain pygmy-possum is small in size but huge in appeal! Once thought to be extinct, there are now around 2500 of these tiny survivors in the wild. They need snow and bogong moths to survive, and also the support of great conservation work.
Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 6 to 9.
- Short descriptionNews
Read more on our blog: Author Julie Murphy talks about what inspires her, the craft of writing, and her tips for aspiring children's book writers: Writing About Nature: Meet Julie Murphy
Illustrator Ben Clifford shares the origin of and inspiration for his art, as well as his approach to illustration and how he keeps his creative cups full: Science Illustrated: Q&A with Ben Clifford
Watch the video trailer:
Reviews
"Tiny Possum and the Migrating Moths is literally a work of art. A flood of information is available simply from the book and its additions at the end. Julie Murphy has ensured a clear and comprehensive overview of this little known animal. Highly educational and extremely interesting, children will delight in learning about, and viewing the habits of this precious being."
Kids' Book Review, 5 November 2021
"Wonderfully educational and highly engaging, children will thoroughly enjoy delving into the life of this adorable tiny possum and learning about its incredible life and yearly battle to survive."
A Word About Books, 25 November 2021
"This is a beautifully told tale of the life and life cycle of these amazing Aussie survivors. You can’t help but fall in love with the main character and her fighting spirit."
Reading With a Chance of Tacos, 28 November 2021
"The story of the mountain pygmy possum and its relationship with the migration of the bogong moth is told in this beautifully illustrated book, bringing to life the tiny creature’s dependence on them for food."
Barbara Braxton, The Bottom Shelf, 16 November 2021
"Tiny Possum and the Migrating Moths is an important ecological tale of predator-prey relationships, migration, seasonality and the crucial role we as a community play in the survival of endangered species."
Dr Sam Lloyd, Ecological Society of Australia, 26 June 2022
"Beautifully tells the natural story of this tiny possum and presents us with the scientific facts. It’s a wonder of a book."
Kevin Brophy, CBCA Reading Time, 28 January 2022
"This beautiful book provides an engaging stimulus with so many different possibilities for inquiry-based learning around food webs, natural cycles, and conservation."
Kristy Tidey, Teaching Science 68(1), March 2022
"Ben Clifford's realistic images of the endangered mountain pygmy-possum and bogong moth are eye-catchingly beautiful. His images are matched by Murphy's lyrical prose."
Dr Stephanie Owen Reeder, Canberra Times, 18 March 2022
Details
Hardback | November 2021 | $ 24.99ISBN: 9781486314621 | 32 pages | 250 x 250 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour illustrations
ePDF | November 2021
ISBN: 9781486314638
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers
ePUB | November 2021
ISBN: 9781486315871
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers
Features
- Reveals the relationship between the mountain pygmy-possum and the bogong moth, which is an essential food source.
- Inspires young readers to tackle the challenges of biodiversity loss, habitat loss and climate change.
- Written by a former zoologist and zookeeper, and author of almost 20 books published in Australia and internationally.
- Includes links to further learning and an online citizen-science activity.
- Links in to Zoos Victoria campaigns to turn off lights to help bogong moths return to alpine region.
Authors
Julie Murphy writes fiction and non-fiction children’s books about animals and nature, and has been published in Australia and internationally. Julie is a former zoologist and zookeeper who aims to encourage a love of books and the natural world in her readers.
Ben Clifford was born and raised in Hobart, Tasmania, in a leafy suburb near the bush. After studying graphic design, his first book illustrations were published in 2017. When Ben is not enjoying the outdoors, he can be found writing, painting or exhibiting large-scale paintings.
For Teachers
We have created these Teacher Notes as a free PDF download to support the use of this book in the classroom.
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