The Bat Book

At night, bats take to the sky. They might often go totally unnoticed, but they play an important role in maintaining the balance of nature and keeping the world healthy. So what do we know about bats? Did you know that there are over 1300 species of bat? Or that there are two main types of bat – microbats and megabats?

Did you know that the bones in a bat’s wing are more similar to the bones in a human arm and hand than to a bird’s? Or that, while most bats find shelter in caves, trees and buildings, the lesser bamboo bat lives inside the hollow stems of bamboo, and Hardwicke’s woolly bat roosts inside carnivorous pitcher plants, which shelter the bat in return for its poo, which helps the plant to grow?

This fabulous all-you-need-to-know book about bats – what they eat, where they live, how they help plants to grow, how they disperse seeds, pollinate farms and keep a variety of ecosystems healthy – is perfectly pitched for 7-9 year olds. It’s colourful and attractive, with a clear, simple font and an enthusiastic yet factual tone meaning that information can easily be accessed. There’s some lovely tips at the end too for making a bat-friendly garden, making seed balls and supporting bat charities.