I’d like to thank Jason Jacobs at the Los Angeles Zoo for answering all of my koala questions, no matter how strange they probably seemed to him at the time.
Thanks to David Stern, who has helped me with so many jokes over the years, like the “Baron Wasteland” one in this book.
I’d also like to give a very special thanks to my children, who are now getting old enough to influence the tales I tell. My son Dashiell’s fascination with sharks (particularly bull sharks) inspired many of the scenes in this book. And my daughter, Violet, who loves the zoo as much as I do, was always thrilled to join me on research trips to visit the koalas. (Of course, I was always equally thrilled to have her along as well.) I love you both more than words can say.