Bindi Irwin continues father’s legacy with first children’s book

By Melissa Arnold

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, conservationist Steve Irwin was a fixture on our televisions, and with good reason. His depth of knowledge, passion for wildlife, and iconic Aussie accent (“Crikey!”) made him easy to love. His tragic death during a 2006 documentary filming led to international mourning, and it’s hard to think of anyone else who has made such a longstanding difference for animals or the planet.

Irwin’s love for the natural world was in his DNA: his father was a reptile expert and his mother a wildlife rehabilitator. Today, both of his children are carrying on the family mission: daughter Bindi and son Robert Irwin are still living and working at the Australia Zoo founded by their grandparents in 1970, doing television appearances and using their individual talents to promote wildlife conservation.

Now 26, Bindi Irwin recently published a picture book for kids, You Are A Wildlife Warrior!: Saving Animals and the Planet, co-authored with Smita Prasadam-Halls [Random House Children’s Books]. Inspired by her childhood and her own young daughter, 4-year-old Grace, Bindi gives readers a peek inside life at the zoo with skillful rhymes. 

Using simple language, Bindi explains that the world is full of animals that need our support and respect, and that there are things everyone can do to help the cause. Scientists learn about animals; zookeepers and veterinarians care for them; and all of us can work together to protect the environment and the world we share.

The book’s real magic is in the illustrations by Ramona Kaulitzki. Each page features several different kinds of animals with brilliant accuracy and adorable expressions. Bindi and Grace walk through the zoo together, checking in on the parrots, giraffes, rhinos, zebras, koalas, kangaroos and many others on their rounds. The lush nature scenes and all the little details will easily transport the imagination to Australia. Adult readers can help kids learn more about the animals with interesting facts found in the margins — even this writer picked up some new trivia.

Bindi includes two letters to readers in the front and back of the book. The first focuses on her desire to include children in conservation efforts, especially after seeing the wonder and joy Grace feels around animals. 

The ending letter is for a general audience and reflects on her childhood with her dad, including several sweet pictures from her early years. She also shares more about the various animal welfare projects her family has launched around the world.

All told, You Are A Wildlife Warrior! is a fantastic introduction to the Irwin family for a new generation. Ideally, they’ll see the pictures of Bindi and Grace helping animals and feel inspired to help out in their own way. As Bindi writes in the closing letter, it doesn’t take much to get started:

“You don’t have to be a conservationist to have compassion for the living beings we share the earth with. The littlest of things can make a big difference for our planet: Invest in a reusable water bottle, recycle, plant a tree, start an insect or bird garden in your backyard, turn off the tap when you brush your teeth, volunteer at a wildlife organization in your area, take part in a beach or park cleanup day, never purchase products made from wild animals,” Bindi writes. “Believe in your strength to make a huge impact, and never underestimate the power of a kind gesture. That kindness can change the world.

You Are A Wildlife Warrior! by Bindi Irwin is available at Barnes and Noble and on Amazon. For more about the Irwin family, visit www.wildlifewarrors.org.au.