One Careless Night is a story about a thylacine mother and her pup, and provides readers with insight into how something unique and wonderful can be lost to the world, through careless decisions.
The essence of the story is hope for a different approach in the future. With haunting imagery, it reveals the tragedy of short-sighted thoughtless actions and the potential for a shared future for all living creatures.
These unique creatures became the subject of extermination policies in Australia in the 1800s and early 1900s. Sadly, the last known thylacine died in Hobart Zoo in 1936, after being left out in the cold, one careless night.
This story portrays the last thylacine and her pup, living and surviving in the wild forests of Australia, until a new predator emerges and the trap is laid. Booth's depiction of the mother, alone and captured, brought tears to my eyes as the enormous impact of careless policies becomes definitively apparent. This book belongs in every school as it will spark discussion and engender empathy. The careful discussions of a guiding teacher, parent or other caring adult will help children to negotiate the emotions they may feel reading this powerful story.
Title: One Careless Night
Author/Illustrator: Christina Booth
Publisher: Black Dog Books, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 June 2019
Format: Hardback
ISBN: 9781925381856
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book