Watching insects and looking for other tiny interesting things genuinely is one of my favourite hobbies.
By Tony Orman
Designed for kids and adults
The Observologist is a highly illustrated, fun-filled guide for young budding naturalists. It’s designed to encourage youngsters to get out in the outdoors instead of being slaves to the mobile phone, internet and television. But the book goes well beyond just inspiring youngsters into the outdoors and observing nature. Adults in general, could do with a dose too.
It’s odds on adults can learn quite a few things about the natural world even in their own backyard by teaming up with youngsters. Did you know toadstools and mushrooms are one and the same? Or that many insects have compound eyes that can see backwards and forwards at the same time?
That earthworms can feel pleasure and pain? It’s not just for kids, as adults’ curiosity can be stimulated to accompany their youngster and explore the natural world too.
Investigate and observe
This book encourages kids to go investigating and observing Nature’s creatures, so it is tailor-made for parent and child to do so together in sort of scientific research projects.
Giselle Clarkson has set her text and illustrations out in comic book style making it immediately appealing to young minds. Yet it will introduce readers, of all ages, to the world about them. The author’s text is written with humour, encouraging the fun element to surface from the young reader.
This book is an antidote to boredom that may invade young minds, and is an invitation to put aside digital gadgetry and to go out and observe the natural world with curiosity to the fore.
The book has a sensitive touch, such as imparting advice on carefully handling earthworms or how to help an exhausted honey bee or bumble bee.
An observologist from an early age
The author herself a confessed observologist with “an insatiable curiosity for tiny creatures” was encouraged by her parents to go “gently poking around under rocks and logs”.
“Watching insects and looking for other tiny interesting things genuinely is one of my favourite hobbies,’ she says
“I hope my book gets children started or encourages them further, on a lifelong interest in the natural sciences. When you’re an observologist, you can always marvel at the cleverness of a spider’s work or be delighted by the patterns in a moth’s wing and a bit of everyday joy and wonder is something we can all use.”
“I think being a conservationist starts when you feel a personal connection to a plant or an animal or a place, and observing the quiet magnificence of a spider, a moth or dragonfly is a wonderful way to building that relationship with nature.”
The book should be introduced to every youngster and perhaps could be a standard primary school textbook.
Highly recommended for every family, kids and even the duo of parent and child to go observing and learning together.
The Observologist, written and illustrated by Giselle Clarkson is published by Gecko Press, recommended retail price $39.99.