Clode’s lens is spot-on in the focus she places throughout the book on the inextricability of the koala with its habitat ... The writerly task of synthesising the breadth of this survey is complicated by [the] challenge... of resisting anthropomorphic presumptions while accepting that we humans are storytelling animals. The difficulty of getting this balance right can at times bury Clode’s prose style in dutiful information but at other times it has her singing through. Whatever the case, the humility of her approach encourages us to interrogate the koala information, or lore, even as we receive it, thus promoting the kind of active reading that must surely enhance the way we go on to experience the landscape around us.
Cuddly koalas may be ubiquitous in children’s literature, but there aren’t that many adult tales out there, a situation that author and animal behavior specialist Clode seeks to redress in this engaging, authoritative overview.
... a thorough and descriptive backstory of the koala ... With her scientific yet accessible writing style, Clode digs deep into koalas’ evolution ... Leaving no stone unturned, Koala makes great strides to advance our knowledge of this largely misunderstood animal.
