Description

As the gate closes and the sun sinks over Karura Forest, a hidden world awakens. Karura at Night invites young readers into the secret lives of the forest's nocturnal creatures – from a snuffling bush pig and a spiky crested porcupine to a shy side-striped jackal and a fruit bat swooping from the Mau Mau Caves. Told in charming rhyming verse and brought to life through Tracy Thomas's own delicate watercolour illustrations, this delightful picture book sparks curiosity about the animals that call one of Nairobi's last urban forests home. Each creature in the story also features in an illustrated fact-file at the back of the book, offering budding naturalists extra detail on diet, behaviour and habitat. The book closes with a tribute to Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, whose Green Belt Movement helped protect Karura Forest for future generations – grounding the story's sense of wonder in a real legacy of conservation. Equal parts bedtime story and nature guide, Karura at Night is a gentle invitation to young (and old) readers everywhere to cherish and protect the wild, green spaces still thriving within their own cities.

Book details