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Following in the Riley series of travel adventure books, Riley and the Curious Koala takes Riley the little aviator on a journey around the beautiful landmarks of Sydney, in search of a strange, elusive and very thirsty creature. With striking black and white photos of Sydney's beaches and glorious harbour, even in torrential rain, this whirlwind trip showcases Sydney at its best. Part adventure, part picture book and travel guide, Riley and the Curious Koala is illustrated once again by the illustrious Kieron Pratt. It is the third book in the popular Riley travelogue series for little ones.
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The Strand Arcade was built between 1880 and 1900, and was created in the late Victorian style, with an overhanging gallery and tinted roof glass. It is the only Sydney arcade remaining in its original form. Named after a famous London Street, the arcade was partially destroyed by fire in 1976 and was restored a year later. What does Victorian mean? Manly Beach in the northern suburbs of Sydney was named by Captain Arthur Phillip after the manly behaviour of the aboriginal (Guringai) people living there at time of white settlement. During the 1800s and early 1900s, Manly was one of Australia's most popular seaside holiday resorts. Its said to be the place where the ban on daylight swimming was first challenged. Why do you think people werent allowed to swim during daylight hours? What did people wear when they went swimming back then? (Neck-to-knee costumes.) Bondi Beach is one of the worlds most famous beaches. Its name comes from an aboriginal dialect meaning water breaking over rocks. The land around Bondi was once privately owned but due to its popularity, the beach was made public in 1882. Between 1935 and 1961, beach inspectors would measure swimming costumes to make sure they werent too skimpy. The worlds first lifesaving reel was used at Bondi in 1906. Which famous sportspeople train almost daily at Bondi Beach? (Surf lifesavers.) Luna Park opened in 1935 and was based on the famous Coney Island version in New York (1903). In 1969, the site and rides were sold to a group who wanted to replace it with a multi-storey trade centre. Thankfully, their application was unsuccessful, though the Park was closed and re-opened several times through the 80s and 90s. In February 2010, Luna Park was listed on the State Heritage Register. What kind of rides might you find at Luna Park? Situated right on the northern shores of Sydney Harbour, Taronga Zoo was opened in 1916 and is one of the worlds largest and most beautiful zoos. Spreading over 21 hectares, its home to over 2,600 animals. In the mid 1980s, a gondola lift was installed to transport visitors from the waterfront to the upper part of the zoo. In July 2009, the first ever elephant calf was born at Taronga Zoo. Considering its wonderful position on the harbour, what do you think Taronga might mean? (It is an Aboriginal dialect word meaning beautiful view.) Koala Facts Discuss the following koala facts and what they might mean. Koalas are not bears, they are marsupials Koalas have two thumbs which help them climb and grip their food They are nocturnal animals The fur of the koala differs according to where it lives. In southern parts of the country, their fur is longer and shaggier, to keep them warm Koalas communicate with each other by making snoring noises and then a burping sound known as a bellow Koalas usually have only one baby per year; older females may have two Like wombats, koalas have a pouch that opens to the rear Koala babies are known by several names including joeys and cubs When born, they are only 2 cm long, have no fur and their eyes and ears are sealed shut A cub stays in the pouch for five months then rides on its mothers back until the age of one Koalas are fully grown by their third or fourth year An average koala eats just over a kilo of leaves per day
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There are about 600 varieties of eucalyptus tree and koalas only eat about 120 of these Koalas don't normally drink as they get all the moisture they need from gum leaves If too many koalas live in one forest, they get hungry and sick The biggest problem facing koalas is the loss of eucalyptus trees, which serve as both their home and food Koalas are protected by law, but their homes and food aren't Dogs and cars kill many koalas each year Only between 43,000 and 80,000 koalas remain in Australia today
A percentage of direct sales of Riley and the Curious Koala go to the Australian Koala Foundation. If you would like to sponsor a koala, head to www.savethekoala.com
What problems and conflict does Riley encounter? Does he find the koala straight away? What drives the momentum of this story? What pushes it along and makes you want to turn the pages? What do the photos in this book offer the reader? Why do you think the photos are black and white? When is the climax of this story? What happens? How does the story resolve? What is your favourite part of the story and why? What did you learn from this story?