Jackie Kerin - Lyrebird! A true story

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Published by Museum Victoria, 2012
E-book editions published 2013
text Jackie Kerin, 2012
illustrations Peter Gouldthorpe, 2012
designer: Elizabeth Dias, studioether
Museum Victoria
GPO Box 666, Melbourne VIC 3001 Australia
Telephone: + 61 3 8341 7777
museumvictoria.com.au

Dr J. Patrick Greene
chief executive officer

Dr Robin Hirst
director, collections, research & exhibitions

National Library of Australia

Cataloguing-in-Publications entry

author: Kerin, Jackie

title: Lyrebird! A true story

jackie kerin: illustrator, Peter Gouldthorpe

isbn: 978-1-921833-07-6 (e-pub)

978-1-921833-33-5 (e-pdf)

target audience : For primary school age

subjects: Lyrebirds Juvenile fiction

other authors/contributors:

Gouldthorpe, Peter, 1954

Museum Victoria.

dewey number : A823.4

jackie kerin is a familiar face in schools and
at festivals where she shares her love of spoken
language and tales well told. Jackies first book
for children, Phar Lap the Wonder Horse , was
listed as a notable book in the Childrens Book
Council of Australia awards. When not writing
or telling stories, Jackie likes to ride her bike and
grow plants in the local wetlands for the birds
and animals that live there.

peter gouldthorpe has been illustrating
books for over thirty years. Many of his books
have been shortlisted for the Childrens Book
Council of Australia awards. He won the picture
book category with Gary Crew for First Light .
When not painting or walking his dog Otto
he can generally be found pottering around
in his garden.

Edith grew flowers for a living. As she whistled, weeded and dug,
her wild friends scratched for worms or swooped to snatch up beetles.

Some were shy and kept to the shade. Others liked to sunbake.
But late one summer afternoon, a stranger appeared.

Heavens to Betsy!
A curious young bird blocked her way.
Edith stood as still as a statue. Youre

no ordinary chook, she murmured.

The bird examined her from head to toe

with his black button eyes. Edith examined
the bird. A lyrebird. And bold as brass. Arent
you supposed to be a shy bird?

He began to scratch for grubs beside the path.
Edith was puzzled. Whatever happened to

your tail?

She took out her notebook and pencil.

By the time shed finished her sketch, hed vanished.

Lyrebird! (a young male

a plain-tail!)

That evening Edith searched for lyrebird in her
favourite book. She copied out a map and these words:

Edith practised saying the scientific name: Men-u-ra nov-ay-hollan-dee-ay.
Shed never seen a Menura before and didnt expect to see one again.
But she was mistaken.

Superb Lyrebird
range

Menura novaehollandiae

Menura mighty tail;

novaehollandiae of New Holland

Superb Lyrebird
The lyrebird is the worlds best mimic.
It can mimic the songs of other birds
and mechanical noises perfectly.
It is Australias largest songbird.

Next day she had the feeling someone was watching her.

Galloping goannas! Its you again!

He fluttered into the bracken and melted away.

Blast! Edith had startled him.

But the next day he returned.

And the next. And the next.

There are two species of lyrebird:

1. Alberts Lyrebird , Menura alberti

2. Superb Lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae

My young visitor is a Superb Lyrebird, about five or six
years old, because his tail feathers are not yet fully formed.

To welcome her new friend, she made up a song especially for him.

You really are a cheeky bird.
Your name to me sounds quite absurd.
To say Menura takes some skill
And all the rest is harder still!
You like to tease with silly games.
I think that I shall call you... James!

The bird seemed to enjoy Ediths

singing and chatter, but if they met on
the path, he always refused to budge.

James has long black leathery toes

and sharp claws.

His legs are powerful. He loves to spring

up into the low branches of the wattle

tree and look down at me as he preens.

The smell of wood smoke hung in the air. Way up in the crowns of the
mountain ash, tiny gum blossoms opened.

Edith loved to see the toadstools pushing up beside the path.
James was a dreadful gardener. He scratched out an entire row

of seedlings.

Shoo! Skedaddle! You cheeky rascal!
James scuttled back to the forest.
That night Edith worried she had frightened him away forever.

Her cross words went round and round in her head to a melancholy tune.

Scram, skedaddle, nickywoop shoo!
I never meant those words for you.

But next morning there he was, scratching away as usual. He might

cost her a few flowers, but his company was worth every penny.

James and I have a friend each.
The yellow robin follows me and the
pilotbird catches the insects James
misses. James wont take food
from me. He likes it wriggling
and fresh, and eats non-stop!

The mountain was cold and wet. Thick mist settled in the
gully. Mountain ash loomed like great grey ghosts.

But winter was the best season for lyrebirds.
Every morning James appeared at the same time, and

every morning Edith greeted him the same way. Hello Boy.

James followed Edith about as she hummed to herself,

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