Anyone who loves the Bush Capital will love this book. We are so lucky to have an incomparable bounty of natural wonders to delight us, but also to have talented communicators and interpreters like author Ian Fraser and artist Peter Marsack to open our eyes and to fill our ears with the hidden treasures found in our own backyards...one of the many pleasures of reading this book is that the author points out things I had half-noticed or half-forgotten: the rush of the wind over a white-throated needletail's wings or the glistening drops of glue on threads of a garden spider's web.
- McComas Taylor, Canberra Times, 26 March 2011, p.24
"Fraser has written 120 entries about the area's fauna and flora, arranged according to month and season, and lists specific locations where they can be experienced. Thus, to catch a glimpse of a red-bellied black snake, go in Summer (December is particularly good) and head for the Lower Molonglo River Corridor. For something a little less dangerous, you can see a diamond firetail in the scribbly gums of the Canberra Nature Park on Tuggeranong Hill, preferably in May. Apart from being a useful guide, the book is greatly enhanced by a particularly fine collection of fauna and flora painting by Peter Marsack."
- Bruce Elder, The Saturday Age, 16 April 2011
"Ian Fraser's writing is not of the dry, scientific style; it is evocative in describing his acute observations and understanding of nature...lots of fascinating information about a wide range of natural history subjects, described with beautiful word pictures. In this case the words are enhanced by magnificent artwork. In summary, this is a delightful, enlightening, easy-to-read book from which all readers will get a greater appreciation of the wonders of the natural world."
- Don Saunders, The Bird Observer, May 2011
"The text is of a confiding and personal nature and Fraser's passion for the outdoors comes through in his conversational style of passing on information. This is supported by Marsack's illustrations. He has the ability to draw the reader's attention to the critical parts of the subject which distinguish it without slipping into a field guide format."
- Robert Digan, Canberra and District Historical Society Newsletter no 435, pp.6-7
"I think this is the best natural history writing I have read for a long long time. Ian combines science, beauty and wonderment at the natural world seamlessly."
- Chris Bunn, Field Naturalists' Association of Canberra Inc., May 2011, P.4
"I'd recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the natural history of the Canberra region."
- Martyn Robinson, Explore 33(2), Winter, June-August 2011, p.7
"Ian writes as well as he speaks, and you can 'hear' the words from the book, as if he was talking on the radio. Very informative, and captivating in style..."
- Tom Butt, Fronds 67, April 2011
"I think this is the best natural history writing I have read for a long long time. Ian combines science, beauty and wonderment at the natural world seamlessly. What I like is that the writing is active, the reader is not being lectured but at the same time you are gaining information and are being given food for thought. The paintings by Peter Marsack also make the book come alive."
- Chris Bunn, Field Natter, May 2011
