Ten silly wombats getting on a bu.
Ten silly wombats getting on a bus.
And if one silly wombat should make a big fuss,
There’d be nine silly wombats getting on a bus.
10 Silly Wombats is a counting book based on ’10 Green Bottles’. It is full of the same sing-song rhythm as the original. The wombats begin by boarding a bus – well almost all of them – and continue through fun-filled activities, losing one of their number at each turn. One in a car race, one at hide’n’seek, all activities unusual in wombats but recognisable to children. The final spread reassures readers that there is life after a Silly Wombat adventure with all wombats safely tucked up in bed for a final story before sleep. Illustrations are full page and provide many other mini-stories for readers. Numbers are spelled out in the text, but the number symbol is hidden in the illustrations.
This series of sturdy paperbacks for young children are sure to do well. They offer rhythm, rhyme, repetition, number recognition and counting practice all wrapped up in a bit of nonsense. And there’s the silliness. Life is serious enough. There’s room for some nonsense and humour. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.
10 Silly Wombats, Ed Allen ill Andrea Edmonds Scholastic Australia 2013 ISBN: 9781742836386
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author