The Plight Of The Penguin
Lloyd Spencer Davis

Longacre Press 2001

112p    pbk $39.95

ISBN: 1-877135-56-9

This attractive, full colour book is all about the wonderful world of penguins and shows just how tough these creatures are. Told in a slightly conversational style which makes the book an enjoyable read you find out lots of interesting things. To begin with (if you didn’t already know) penguins are birds and are only found in the southern hemisphere. The book is divided into different sections: history, aquatic makeover, sex, the fruits of love and lost souls.

I really liked the penguin photo album which shows the sixteen different types of penguins. The part on penguin sex is fun to read and informative; from monogomy to soliciting, this book reveals all. The photographs are of an excellent quality and are very clear – they don’t just show cute photos of penguins but also the uglier side – penguins affected by biotoxins and oil spills.

The final chapter talks about the future of these flightless birds and looks at human predation, disease (eg avian malaria), the impact of over fishing, oil spills, global warming and the effect on krill. Ultimately their fate rests with us.

This book is well written and a great read for anyone interested in penguins and wildlife. Suitable for readers 11 and over.

Stephen, Canberra, ACT