Marc Bekoff
"Koala is a winner in many different arenas. Their story, like that of so many other animals, warns us that we are unrelentingly and irreversibly destroying our magnificent planet and the only way forward to save koalas, other animals including humans, and all of our homes, is to strive for peaceful coexistence grounded in compassion, respect, and kindness. Easily readable, with a welcomed personal touch, I highly recommend this book."
Australian Book Review - Peter Menkhorst
"An impassioned and informed plea for the conservation of Australia’s flora, fauna, and wild places. This is natural history and science writing at its best."
David George Haskell
"A vividly written and thoroughly researched celebration of the lives of koalas. Filled with fascinating and often surprising information, the book is also an invitation to honor and protect these extraordinary animals."
Peter Wohlleben
"The tree-dwelling koala is one of Australia’s most iconic species, yet it is threatened by habitat loss. Danielle Clode, a natural storyteller, has written an insightful book that deepens our understanding of this fascinating animal and highlights the urgency of its survival."
Bookpage
"Leaving no stone unturned, Koala makes great strides to advance our knowledge of this largely misunderstood animal."
Sy Montgomery
"This is the book I've been waiting for—for 40 years."
Ashley Hay
"Clode's travels with koalas range far in time and space, introducing readers to so much about these creatures beyond the shorthands they've become … Clode is a perfect guide for this journey — passionate and knowledgeable, curious and careful — and her map of all the ways these marsupials' stories intersect with ours is yet another vital dotpoint in the vast and interconnected tale of climate change."
Library Journal
08/01/2022
Award-winning Australian biologist Clode frequently spotted koalas in her backyard but began studying them in earnest when they were threatened by wildfire. Here she charts the evolutionary biology and ecology of the beloved but endangered koala, the only survivor of a once-diverse family of uniquely Australian marsupials.
Kirkus Reviews
2022-10-12
Koalas are an icon of Australian wildlife, but there is much more to them than meets the eye.
Even in a country filled with peculiar creatures, the koala stands out as one of the oddest. Cute and (largely) inoffensive, they attract attention from locals and tourists alike, but there is still a great deal of mystery about their lives. Australian biologist Clode, who has long been fascinated by koalas, sets out to fill some of the gaps, combining her own observations with the work of experts and researchers. Perhaps the strangest thing about the animals is that their diet consists almost exclusively of eucalyptus leaves, which are poisonous to most animals. However, notes the author, they have strong teeth that thoroughly grind the leaves as well as a remarkably complex liver. Clode sees koalas as a wonder of evolution in their suitability to the arboreal life. They seem to be designed for sitting in trees, with toughened skin on their rumps, and their hands—not paws, insists Clode—have an extra thumb, useful for climbing and gripping. There is, however, a downside to specialization. Even small changes to their environment can be devastating. For decades, it looked as if koalas might become extinct due to land clearing and bushfires, but laws to protect their habitats and innovative relocation programs have seen their numbers increase to sustainable levels. Some have even migrated into suburban parks. In a few areas, writes Clode, the problem is overpopulation, with so many of them that the food sources are depleted. In other areas, the numbers remain low, and the reasons are unclear. Diseases, particularly a dangerous strain of chlamydia, are a constant threat. Nevertheless, they seem to be a remarkably resilient species. In this charming and intelligent narrative, we get the sense that people will be happily interacting with koalas for a long time to come.
A vivid journey into a fascinating corner of the natural world.
