Under The Microscope

BEAK OF THE MOON & DARK OF THE MOON, by Philip Temple; Penguin 1993; $24.95 each

I've read novels based on communities of rabbits, badgers, ants, cats, and dogs, so it's a nice change to find a distinctly New Zealand focus in these books. Temple paints a convincing picture of life in the high country from a kea's point of view, though I was a tad confused at the conjunction of sheep and moas in Beak of the Moon. Dark of the Moon, written 13 years later and set 100 years on, brings us up-to-date with the modern kea. Temple's knowledge of natural history shines through and makes this handsome set of matched volumes an interesting read even if you don't pick up all the allegorical details.

Vicki Hyde, NZSM

Vicki Hyde is the editor of New Zealand Science Monthly.