Early one morning,
Near Ironbark Creek,
Blossum the Possum
Had nothing to eat.
So high in a tree
And all on her own,
She picked a red plum
And took it back home.
Blossum is hungry and fetches a plum to eat. But her friends are all hungry too and one by one they ask and she lets them nibble and munch on the plum. Dingo comes by too but Blossum isn’t fooled – she knows he’s not really after the plum. By the time Dingo is gone, all Blossum’s friends are feasting on the plum. And in no time there is none left for still-hungry Blossum. Fortunately Grandma comes to visit, bringing a basket of treats. Illustrations are full colour digital and show a softer side of the Australian bush.
Good Morning, Possum is a gentle tale of sharing for the very young. It provides the opportunity to explore the notion of sharing and to introduce some of Australia’s bush creatures. Most live in harmony, but there is a reminder that even while sharing, animals need to be wary of predators. There’s also the opportunity to talk about what animals eat. Animal characters are partly anthropomorphised and the rhyming text is full of the eating noises of the different animals. A rhyming text with strong rhythm and repetition, ‘Good Morning Possum’ will encourage young children to predict and contribute to the reading. Recommended for pre-schoolers.
Good Morning, Possum, Coral Vass ill Sona Babajanyan Koala Books 2013 ISBN: 9781742760506
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller