The very stinky fly hunt by Andrea Wild. Illus. by Karen Erasmus

After reading The Very Stinky Fly Hunt, you may rethink how you feel about those pesky annoying insects. This fabulous light-hearted story is a treasure trove of simple facts shared in an entertaining story full of poo and places to find it. The topic of bodily functions is always a great hook for young readers and is the perfect way to engage the audience with important new information.

This story is written about Dr Keith Bayliss a dipterist who studies Australia’s flies at CSIRO’s Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra. There are over 25,000 fly species in Australia but fewer than 7,000 of those have been named scientifically. This is Keith’s job. To find out everything he can about flies and in this particular book, Keith is researching the Clisa australis, a unique fly that eats poo. His journey to find this elusive fly takes him to many different environments both inside and out. He sets up special traps, chases flies with nets and visits pit toilets in national parks. At first he does not have any luck but eventually traps one in a rainforest.

Throughout this book there is an opportunity for children to learn new facts, follow Keith’s journey, think about the questions Keith is always asking himself and perhaps change their mind about the value and benefit of flies in our daily lives.  The appealing full page colour illustrations complement the well-spaced text and add visual interest to this highly engaging factual story.

In the final pages there is further information about Dr Keith Bayliss, Searching for the Clisa australis, a glossary, and the equipment needed by a dipterist.

Teacher notes: The Very Stinky Fly Hunt, Andrea Wild, Karen Erasmus, 9781486318780

Themes: Flies, Insects, Entomology, Questioning, Scientific Discovery, Biodiversity, Conservation, Humour.

Kathryn Beilby