Life in a Hollow by David Gullan illustrated by Suzanne Houghton

"The rosellas were noisy and made quite a mess, but the hollow was perfectly made for a nest. Two rosellas came in to rest as a pair. After a while, another was there!"

This is a book that should be added to every Australian Primary school library. It is the perfect combination of an engaging narrative, life-like illustrations, and extra fact pages plus a glossary for curious readers. You might also like to explore and purchase other terrific books from the CSIRO.

"Tree hollows are home to an incredible variety of birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals of all shapes and sizes. Small, young hollows house hungry little insects, such as termites and beetles, that eat away at the wood making the hollow bigger."

As the hollow becomes bigger and bigger different animals make use of the space in a variety of ways. 

I love the scribbly gum that contains the hollow - scribbly gums are among my own favourite trees. And in this book children will meet some different animals - Longhorn Beetle; Three-toed Skink; Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat (at 7-9am they are so tiny); Crimson Rosella and Brushtail Possum.

From this link you can find the CSIRO teachers notes for Life in a Hollow. Here is the webpage for Suzanne Houghton. I previously talked about her wonderful Christmas Beetle book. 

The simple beauty of this book allows the reader to seamlessly follow the narrative, and then be directed to conduct more research if desired. Kids' Book Review

In this beautifully illustrated new book from CSIRO publishing, teacher/author David Gullan not only shares the story of one such hollow but makes the reader aware of their importance in nature’s life cycles, and how fire, land clearing and storms can have a devastating effect on the availability of such important habitats. The Bottom Shelf

The book doesn’t just tell a story; it also imparts important information about the significance of tree hollows in the ecosystem. It explains how these hollows are created, how different species adapt them to their needs, and why protecting the trees that provide this valuable shelter is crucial. Reading Time

Companion book: