Last Bat of the Night

Last Bat of the Night (CSIRO Publishing) David Gullan and Samantha Metcalfe PB RRP $26.99 ISBN 9781486318728

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Last Bat of the Night is a delightful introduction to native Australian megabats on their nightly adventures to feed, drink and pollinate. As the stars come out, a colony of bats passes overhead on a nocturnal adventure. Who will be the one to spot the last bat?

David Gullan is an educator, writer and a lover of nature. He creates stories that introduce young learners to Australian wildlife. He hopes his books encourage children to look up, look down and then take another look around our natural world. He is also the author of the picture book Life in a Hollow.

Samantha Metcalfe is a natural history illustrator whose inspiration comes from the Australian bush. She works primarily in colour pencil, creating realistic and detailed illustrations to capture Australian native flora and fauna. Samantha's previous books include Alight and The Voyage of Whale and Calf. She was shortlisted for the 2019 Children’s Book Council of Australia Award for New Illustrator.

David Gullan has written an engaging rhyming narrative that introduces young learners to Australian megabats. The metre feels natural, not forced, and the text reads aloud smoothly. Cleverly, Gullan has included a game where someone hopes to be the one to spot the last bat of the night. This allows the book to go beyond the pages and be taken into the real world when exploring in nature. The language chosen is simple, playful and keeps the story flowing. Each page has a few sentences that have verbs that bring the Australian bats' habits and movements to life. Bats sprawl and screech among stars overhead, the children entranced as they head home to bed. Dialogue is used at just the right moments.

The text and visuals are balanced and complementary. When each different bat is featured, the name of the bat appears at the bottom or top of the spread. This allows the learner to learn the bat’s name without taking away from the storyline. Threats to bats like powerlines are gently addressed. The descriptive language gives a fullness to the bat’s natural world. The end matter includes information about bats along with the instructions how to play ‘Last Bat’. A handy glossary is included. 

Samantha Metcalfe’s detailed and realistic illustrations of nocturnal settings capture the fleeting moments when day turns to night. The pages move from warm, dusky lit skies of purple, orange and green to the dark pinks, purples and blues. White space is used to great effect with silhouettes of bats against the sky showcasing the shape of the bats as they glide over parks and trees. The illustrations really do have a magical feel and a sense of wonder. The endpapers are an extension of the story with the first spread featuring bats flying across a purple sky and the end spread showing the very last bat flying across a starry sky.

Last Bat of the Night is written for children 5-9 years and appeals to anyone who loves our natural world. Children, parents and teachers will find it an easy-to-read book that can be revisited often. The book beautifully mirrors the bats world and creates wonder and curiosity.