The Art of Taxidermy

A lyrical verse novel exploring love and grief and the strange and wonderful art of taxidermy.

Lottie collects dead creatures and lovingly cares for them, hoping to preserve them, to save them from disintegration. Her father understands - Lottie has a scientific mind, he thinks. Her aunt wants it to stop, and she goes to cruel lengths to make sure it does.

And her mother? Lottie's mother died long ago. And Lottie is searching for a way to be close to her.

The Art of Taxidermy is a heartbreaking verse novel exploring love and death, grief and beauty, and the ways we try to make sense of it all.

'This book is beautifully written...while the novel is about grief, it is also about the importance of remembering and keeping the memory of loved ones alive.' Magpies Magazine


'Kernot's writing is imbued with life and grace and moments of infectious joy.' SA Weekend


'Kernot has created an intriguing tale of mystery and the imagination with a haunting ambience that the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe would recognise and admire...this is a delightful story about grief transformed and the urge to resurrect and to re-create.' Saturday Paper


'Kernot draws a comparison between the Australian bush and death: both are beautiful and desolate at once.' Readings