Purinina

Christina Booth

CSIRO Publishing, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781486317264

“At the bottom of the world, on the edge of an island, through a deep valley lined with pine trees that point to the sky, deep in the darkest corner of a warm , dry cave…” So begins the story and the life of one of Australia’s most iconic creatures – Purinina, the Tasmanian Devil.

Nurtured by her mother as she grows from being a jelly-bean sized baby attached to a nipple in her mother’ pouch, to being a mother herself, young readers can follow this new, revamped version of the 2007 classic that captivated so many.  Life is not easy for Purinina ( the official indigenous name for the species) particularly as her mother dies before she and her brothers are independent, and there are strange things to learn as she grows up such as the nature of the “tree that walks, with a light for an eye” who lifts her dead mother and carries her away.

As iconic and integral to the story of Tasmania as the Tasmanian Tiger, the misnamed Devil sits in an elite group of creatures unique to this continent, sadly on the IUCN Redlist  of endangered species because as well as the usual threats of loss of habitat and other human impacts, it is plagued by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) and so this beautifully told story with its informative back matter is an important addition to the small but growing collection that raises awareness of this species and its vulnerability. Teamed with titles like Tasmanian Devil by Claire Saxby from the Nature Storybooks series, and Devils in Danger, a novel by Samantha Wheeler, it could form the basis of any investigation into some of our not-so-prominent fauna as well as demonstrating how humans are now actively seeking to undo the harm that has been inflicted on our wildlife over time, which, in itself, can offer students hope that the planet is not doomed as they are consistently told.  Teachers’ notes are available to assist a deeper study.

When this was first released in 2007, it became a CBCA Notable and given the increase in awareness and activity in environmental preservation,  it has the potential to do so again.