One Careless Night
Age 4+
Picture Books Picture Storybooks
The hauntingly beautiful story of our last thylacine.
Where the mist swallows mountains
and winds whisper through ancient trees
a mother and her pup run wild and free.
They hunt, but they are also hunted.
Carted away.
Sold for bounty.
And then, one careless night …
The last thylacine is gone.
One Careless Night tells the story of Tasmania's last Thylacine, that died in captivity after the zookeeper neglected to put the animals in their shelters for the night. The Thylacine and many other animals died that night of exposure.
Creators
Christina Booth is an award-winning author and illustrator working from her bush studio in Tasmania, Australia.
Trained as an art teacher, Christina started her literary career illustrating for great Australian authors such as Max Fatchen, Colin Thiele, Christobel Mattingley and Jackie French.
Passionate about the art of storytelling through both pictures and words, Christina loves bringing her art skills and imagination to life on the page. She believes that we learn more and celebrate much through stories and encourages a love of reading, listening and looking. She loves that she gets to tell stories and colour in for a living and loves to share her passion of reading, the environment and stories through her work with children and adults alike.
Many of Christina’s previous books are award-winning, including the Environment Award, CBCA Honour Book and CBCA Noteables. Spirit (written by Cherri Ryan) is her first picture book with Black Dog Books.
Reviews
This is a powerful and beautiful evocation of the last free months of a mother and baby thylacine in the Tasmanian forest…superb in text and illustrations and highly recommended for readers of any age
Magpies
I was lucky enough to read this book before its release. I made the mistake, however, of reading it between panels at a writers conference. Halfway through the book, I was sobbing, mascara drizzling down my face – not a great look at a fancy event. But I was still so grateful for the privilege of being exposed to this wonder of a story.This is an important book, a beautiful book, and a book that I hope will make all of us look to our forests; our mountains, and wonder. And hope. And vow to fight.
Just Kids Lit
The text is poetic but also spare. The illustrations are dramatic contrasting darkness and light to haunting effect. Together they tell the story of the last thylacine in a way that is both heartbreaking and achingly beautiful…Highly recommended for children aged 4 +.
CBCA: Reading Time
This is a must-have addition to support any curriculum study that has sustainability and the plight of our planet’s creatures as its focus.
The Bottom Shelf
Highly recommended. The author’s note at the end followed by the government advice about the bounty round off an emotionally stunning book, forcing readers to think more carefully at how easily things are lost forever.
ReadPlus
brought tears to my eyes… This book belongs in every school as it will spark discussion and engender empathy. The careful discussions of a guiding teacher, parent or other caring adult will help children to negotiate the emotions they may feel reading this powerful story.
Kids' Book Review
