Lost Wonders

Lost Wonders by Sarah Ell presents a detailed account of Aotearoa’s lost wonders, including:

moa • piopio • huia • laughing owl • grayling • meriki • Hutton's rail • Haast's eagle • Chatham Island bellbird • bush wren • adzebill • Chatham Islands fernbird • Eyles' harrier • greater short-tailed bat • Hawkins' rail • kawekaweau • koreke • Lyall's wren • moho • South Island snipe • whekau

These are just some of the lost wonders of Aotearoa. Here are their stories.

Illustrated with line drawings by Phoebe Morris, this book tells true stories about our lost and threatened species and the people involved in their extinction and/or recovery. The tales of these fascinating creatures - birds, insects, reptiles, and plants - are delivered in an entertaining and accessible style, drawing on research and first-hand accounts and delving into the social climate in New Zealand at the time when the extinctions occurred. Perfect for confident readers aged 8-12.

Featured species include those that are long gone, such as New Zealand's dinosaurs; those that disappeared following the human habitation of New Zealand, including the moa, piopio, huia, laughing owl and native fish the grayling; those that were lost and found, such as the takahe, taiko, the flowering vine Tecomanthe speciosa and the weevils of Canterbury; and those at risk of extinction: among them the kakapo, Maui dolphin, kauri and whitebait.