ZOO NEWS

At just 9 years of age, Robert Irwin is the spitting image of his dad. But whereas Steve gained notoriety as The Crocodile Hunter, Robert's moniker of choice is The Dinosaur Hunter, and his new book series, the first of which features Australia's unique dinosaur heritage, tells you why.

Robert absolutely LOVES dinosaurs. He's crazy about them, he's knowledgeable about them and he's travelled the world looking for them - well, their fossilised remains, that is! He's also amassed an extensive collection of fossils and associated paraphernalia, and keeps these items close to his fossicker's tool kit. As well as visiting digs around the world, Robert can count as a friend and mentor one of Australia's most eminent palaeontologists, the former young Australian of the Year, Dr Scott Hocknull, of the Queensland Museum. Not only that, his ninth birthday present was a life-size model of a gigantic Sarcosuchus imperator. Wooo-hoo!

Now, kids aged 6-9 can share his enthusiasm via this exciting new book collection that combines fast-paced adventure, facts and stunning illustrations. Each book contains a handy field guide, a unique illustration, proudly drawn by Robert himself, and plenty of his characteristic humour.

The first four books are available right now, with another four titles scheduled for release in 2013, and can be ordered for international delivery from the Australia Zoo Online Shop.

Book 1: The Discovery
The adventure begins where else but Queensland. Robert and his friend Riley are off to Winton to go on a dinosaur dig as a special treat for Robert's ninth birthday. When Robert discovers a dinosaur claw, he stumbles upon a way to travel back in time 95 million
years. Landing smack-bang in the middle of a dinosaur stampede, Robert's first thought is to avoid being trampled. But that's the least of his problems. How will he survive and find his way back home?

Book 2: Ambush at Cisco Swamp
The Irwins are at Cisco Swamp in Texas for the annual population survey of American alligators. Robert knows that the ancient deinosuchus roamed around these parts, and when his dinosaur
fossil transports him back in time, he gets to see firsthand the prehistoric predator take on an albertosaurus!

Book 3: Armoured Defence
Robert and Riley are on a two-day camping trip in the Canadian Badlands of Alberta with Riley's Uncle. The Badlands are famous for being one oft he world's richest deposits of fossils and Robert is super-excited. When Riley and Robert are pulled back in time 70 million years they find an euoplocephalus trapped in some vines. With a hungry gorgosaurus hot on their tails, will the boys - and the tank-like euoplocephalus - survive?

Book 4: The Dinosaur Feather
Robert and Riley are at Australia Zoo looking for Stomp, one of the zoo's cassowaries. When Robert mentions that some dinosaurs were also feathered, Riley doesn't believe him until they're transported back in time to prehistoric Asia, where feathered dinosaurs roam the land. Spotting an oviraptor, the boys can't help but sneak over and investigate. Soon they've found an abandoned dinosaur egg, but will they be able to return it to it's owner before it hatches?

Hungry for more?

• Check out Robert's "Author Q&A", and more, at the Random House Dinosaur Hunter website
• You can follow Robert's Real Life Adventures, exclusive webisodes, by joining the Australia Zoo Club, where you'll also be able to read monthly blogs from Robert and Bindi, enter competitions and access heaps of other exclusive member only content.
• You can also head on over to the Australia Zoo Online Shop, where there's STACKS of other books available!