Tasman Zoo: The Bug House

'Tasman Zoo: The Bug House' is a delightful heartwarming story about a ten-year-old animal enthusiast.

It is an enjoyable read which just happens to include an interesting range of New Zealand native bugs. I love that while the book feels aimed at a female audience, the topic is not a classically female subject. Many young children will relate well to the main character, who wants to do the right thing but maybe does something a little bit not-so-good to get there.

The local feel links well to tamariki in Aotearoa who would be able to go out into their backyards or native bush and find some of the bugs from the book there. This may lead the reader on a journey of discovery into something they wouldn’t have thought about before and links clearly with the New Zealand Curriculum.

It is well written, using interesting but not complicated language, and presents the reader with many opportunities to use basic inference skills by often showing and not telling the reader the information. The story flows quickly and has a good narrative climax and solution.