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Introducing New Zealand Birds and Introducing New Zealand Trees, Alina Arkins and Len Doel
Reed
Reviewed by Lindsay Wright (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

If you're in the market for fauna/flora field guides, forget these two books. But if you do need a nifty little book to tell you about either the trees, or birds, of these islands, read on.

Introducing New Zealand Birds begins with chapters on flightlessness and evolution and the birds of our past like the giant New Zealand eagle, the planet's largest. Then there are colourfully illustrated chapters about our seabirds, bush birds and town/countryside birds. Lastly there are grim reminders of the species that are endangered or rare here. Arkins and Doel are partners in life and work; she writes, he takes pictures.

Introducing New Zealand Trees also has the most comprehensive insight into New Zealand's trees that you'll find in any 64 pages anywhere. I'll get a lot of fun out of the chapter on aging trees by counting the rings.

Either book would be ideal for a teenager, or recent immigrant, who is intrigued by the country's trees and birds and would like to know a bit more about them.