This beautifully illustrated story book gives an insight into the life and habits of one of the UK’s 18 bat species — the Brown long-eared bat. It begins with a foreword by Chris Packham, who explains in simple terms the importance of bats and the threats that they face. He also mentions a very important point—that it is ’effectiveness’, rather than ‘cuteness’, which is the reason for size of these bats’ massive ears.
The story follows Bobby from his birth in the attic of the old farmhouse on midsummer’s day, to his first tenta-tive (and not entirely successful) attempts at flight, to his adventures hunting outside with his mum.
Within the story, young readers are introduced to facts about bats, for example: bats sleep upside down, baby bats are called pups, they live in communal groups in a maternity roost, they forage for insects outside. These facts, and more, are then explained in a section at the back of the book: “A few Brown long-eared bat facts—courtesy of the Bat Conservation Trust”.
All in all, this is an engaging and informative story book about a little-known and often misunderstood type of mammal.
Juliette Green
Bobby the Brown long-eared bat (2016). A.S. Mills, Paperback, pp28. ISBN 978-0-9954777-0-4. Available from the Bat Conser-vation Trust, bats.org.uk