aussie animals – Page 2 – Aussie Reviews

A Feast for Wombat, by Sally Morgan & Tania Erzinger

Wombat stared in surprise at the other animals.
Am I special after all?

When Wombat emerges from his tunnel, his friends are really glad to see him, but as Wombat watches them celebrate he feels sad. Each of his friends is good at something: Goanna is the fastest climber, Magpie is the best singer and Dingo is the cleverest dancer. Wombat wants to go back and hide in his tunnel, but his friends run after him to remind him that he, too, is good at things, and best of all, that Wombat is their friend.

A Feast for Wombat is a gentle tale of friendship and self belief. While Wombat wants to be like his friends, he seems unaware that each of them is different, as is he. His friends’ reminder of his own strengths is reassuring, and will reassure young readers, too.

The acrylic illustrations bring the cast of Australian animals to life in gentle bush colours with lovely textured backgrounds, adding to the warm feel of the book.

A Feast for Wombat, by Sally Morgan & Tania Erzinger
Omnibus, 2014
ISBN 9781742990187

Available from good bookstores or online.

The Croc and the Platypus, by Jackie Hosking & Marjorie Crosby-Fairall

The croc and the platypus trundled off
In a rusty Holden ute.
They took some damper and tea in a hamper
And bundled it up in the boot.

When the croc and platypus head outback in their dinky-di Aussie ute, they – and readers – are guaranteed an adventure.
Using the rhythm of Edward Lear’s The Owl and The Pussycat, The Croc and the Platypus offers an Australian version which takes in many iconic Aussie images – including the ute, Uluru, lamingtons and, of course, the animals.

This is a lively, humorous take on the original, though it isn’t necessary for children to know the Lear version in order to enjoy the fun of this new. The mismatched couple, the ochre and aqua landscapes and the fun of the word choices all make for loads of fun. Debut author Jackie Hosking makes rhyme look easy, and illustrator Marjorie Crosby-Fairall’s acrylic and pencil illustrations are a perfect complement.

Delightful fun for Aussies of all ages.

The Croc and the Platypus, by Jackie Hosking & Marjorie Crosby-Fairall
Walker Books, 2014
ISBN 9781922077608

You can see an interview with the author and illustrator here

Available from good bookstores and online.

Possum’s Big Surprise by Colin Buchanan ill Nina Rycroft

Flossy the Possum was running alone,

Scurrying, flurrying, hurrying home.

On over rock, past eucalypt tree,

Flossy the Possum was quick as can be!

When all of a sudden …

Flossy the Possum was running alone,

Scurrying, flurrying, hurrying home.

On over rock, past eucalypt tree,

Flossy the Possum was quick as can be!

When all of a sudden …

Flossy the Possum is in a big hurry to get home and she’s a tad skittish. She spies a big wrinkly claw and skitters on. Then a tall pair of fluff-covered ears. Each encounter has her skittering and flittering on until she reaches the safety of her home. When she arrives though, the biggest surprise is waiting there for her. Possum’s Big Surprise is told in rhyme with ‘When all of a sudden … ‘ set on the right hand side of openings cueing the next stage in her adventure. Illustrations are soft watercolour and reveal the animals that Flossy is spooked by.

Colin Buchanan’s experience as a songwriter is evident in Possum’s Big Surprise. The language trips and flows effortlessly across the pages, escalating the tension until Flossy is safely home. Nina Rycroft’s gentle colours and soft outlines dance across each spread. Together they have created a beautiful picture book for the very young. It introduces the Australian landscape and some of our iconic animals, in a lyrical story about things that twitch in the day. Possum, usually a night dweller, is startled by some of the creatures she encounters, providing an explanation for her skittishness. Young children love a surprise, and Possum’s Big Surprise delivers this deliciously! Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

Possum’s Big Surprise, Colin Buchanan, ill Nina Rycroft Scholastic Australia 2014 ISBN: 9781742839271

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Karana by Uncle Joe Kirk, with Greer Casey and Sandi Harrold, ill Sandi Harrold

Karana made a beautiful nest

Then groomed his feathers to look his best.

When emu ladies came strolling by,

He started his dance to catch their eye.

One lovely lady with very long legs,

Sat on his nest and laid SIXTEEN EGGS

Karana made a beautiful nest

Then groomed his feathers to look his best.

When emu ladies came strolling by,

He started his dance to catch their eye.

One lovely lady with very long legs,

Sat on his nest and laid SIXTEEN EGGS

Karana the father emu makes a nest. He courts a female emu then sits on the eggs until they hatch. When they hatch he rears them, showing them the foods to eat, keeping them safe until they are big enough to survive on their own. When his chicks are independent, it’s time for Karana to make a new nest. Karanais told in simple rhyme with text in white set on coloured background with painted illustrations generally on single pages. Emu is inquisitive and engaging and his chicks delightful.

Karana tells the story of a father emu and his chicks. Text is simple and rhythmic with repetition, easy to listen to, easy to build on. Biographical information on the final page introduces Uncle Joe Kirk, a Wakka Wakka elder who is passionate about sharing traditional stories. The final page also offers information about the importance of the emu in Wakka Wakka culture. Karana is an engaging illustrated story for pre- and early-schoolers. It could also be used in a variety of ways with older children, connecting story with the land, and introducing science concepts. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.

Karana, Uncle Joe Kirk, with Greer Casey and Sandi Harrold, ill Sandi Harrold Scholastic Australia 2014 ISBN: 9781743623138

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

4 Woolly Wombat Readers, by Kerry Argent

One Woolly Wombat sunning by the sea
Two cuddly koalas sipping gumnut tea….

One Woolly Wombat - First Reader

Since 1982 Aussie children have been learning to count with One Woolly Wombat. Now they can learn to read with him, too, in this cute new series of readers from Scholastic, suitable for school or home use.

Aimed at beginning readers, these four small format books each feature the woolly wombat, with his friend Bandicoot, and other friends, also recurring. The first in the series is a special edition of the classic One Woolly Wombat, with other titles being At the Beach, Hide and Seek and Best of Friends.

With the beautiful illustrations of Kerry Argent, and high-interest stories, coupled with text which is accessible and a format suitable for little hands to easily hold and turn pages, these are a treat for beginner readers, and will withstand repeated readings.

One Woolly Wombat
At the Beach
Hide and Seek
Best of Friends
All by Kerry Argent
Omnibus Books, 2014

The Bush Book Club, by Margaret Wild & Ben Wood

Echidna loved reading snug in bed,
with platters of ants and buttered bread.
Kangaroo loved reading as she hopped along,
trying not fall in the billabong.

All the animals love reading, and are members of the Bush Book Club. Everyone, that is, except Bilby. Bilby has never found a book that interest him. he is too busy twiddling and fiddling, skipping and hopping. Until one day he finds himself alone with nothing but a room full of books.

The Bush Book Club is a lovely story about books – and the importance of finding the right one. The resolution makes clear the premise held by many teachers, librarians, authors and other book people that there is a right book for every reader, and that a child who doesn’t like books hasn’t been given the right book yet.

Bilby and his friends have been beautifully brought to life in the water colour and pencil illustrations by Ben Wood, and youngsters will also enjoy the settings, especially the tree-home of the Book Club.

Gorgeous.

The Bush Book Club, by Margaret Wild & Ben Wood
Omnibus Books, 2014
ISBN 9781742990149

Available from good bookstores and online.

What’s Dad Doing? by Susan Hall ill Cheryl Westenberg

Pat Possum and his friend Wesley Wombat are looking for Pat’s Dad.

‘Let’s go and find my Dad to see what he’s doing.

Pat Possum and his friend Wesley Wombat are looking for Pat’s Dad.

‘Let’s go and find my Dad to see what he’s doing.

So begins a search for Pat’s Dad. Each opening offers a potential Dad-find, and they do find him but he’s always busy. Lifting flaps on each opening reveal Dad making lunch, sweeping floors, feeding a younger sibling. Then when the jobs are done, Dad has time to play footy. Warm pencil/watercolour illustrations are set in white space. The illustrations have their own humour, revealing Dad’s particular way of doing the jobs. There are also insects to find and identify. Final openings feature images and photos and information about the ring-tail possum on which this story is based.

This new lift-the-flap title from NLA offers an introduction to one of our native animals. The story sets the native animals as young children in a suburban house, during the course of a typical day. The parents share the parenting and household tasks. Pat and his friend Wesley play independently quite happily but are also keen to play with Dad. The lift-the-flap story introduces the notion of fathers being involved in childrearing and the final openings offer factual information. This is a sturdy paperback, ideal for pre-schoolers.

What’s Dad Doing? Susan Hall Cheryl Westenberg NLA Publishing 2013 ISBN 97890642277916

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Enoch the Emu, by Gordon Winch & Doreen Gristwood

Enoch looked at the eggs
as Wilhelmina disappeared down the track.
“HUH!” he said. What a fuss about
a little bit of egg sitting!”

Enoch the Emu is good at kicking, eating, strutting and hanging out with his mates at the Emu Club, but he is not good at doing his bit around the nest. When his wife Wilhelmina gets sick of looking after the eggs she has laid, she decides to leave. Now Enoch must look after the eggs. At first he thinks it will be easy, but as the weeks drag by he realises just how hard it is. Still, when the eggs hatch he is as proud as can be – and can’t wait to show off his chicks to his mates at the club.

Enoch the Emu is a classic picture book, first published in 1984 and newly rereleased. A fun, fictional story, it is based on the fact that it is the male emu who sits on the eggs laid by the female and then raises the chicks. The illustrations are gently whimsical, with lots of little details for youngsters to spot and enjoy

A timeless treasure, it is wonderful to see Enoch the Emu back in print.

Enoch the Emu, by Gordon Winch & Doreen Gristwood
Scholastic Australia 2013
ISBN 9781742838717

Available from good bookstores and online.

We're Going on a Croc Hunt, by Laine Mitchell and Louis Shea

We’re going on a croc hunt.
We’re going to find a big one.
I’m not afraid.
We’re as brave as brave can be!

This fun read-aloud offering uses the rhythm and refrain of the popular ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, but gives it a distinctly Aussie feel. The animal characters search for the croc in Australian settings – a reedy waterhole, trickly desert sand, red rocks and so on – and each time youngsters will be keen to join in the refrain:

We can’t go over them.
We can’t go under them.
We’ll have to go through them.

The final line of the story gives a little twist which will leave readers giggling.

Illustrations, by Louis Shea, feature a range of uniquely Australian animals – the croc is joined by (or, at least pursued by) a Tassie devil, a koala, a cassowary and more. The only one that is perhaps not native is a very cute cattle dog. There are lots of other Aussie animals throughout including birds, lizards and marsupials and eagle eyed readers will love searching for the crocodile who is hidden on each spread.

Accompanying the book is a recording of the song performed by Jay Laga’aia and a group of chidlren, as well as an instrumental version of the track, suitable for classroom use.

Lots of fun.

We’re Going on a Croc Hunt, by Laine Mitchell and Louis Shea
Scholastic, 2012
ISBN 9781742832487

Available from good bookstores or online

Bushland Lullaby, by Sally Odgers and Lisa Stewart

Reviewed by Dale Harcombe

Publishers often say they don’t want rhyming picture books but when they are done well as this one is, they are a delight to read. Sally Odgers has been writing books for a long time and she knows exactly what she is doing and it shows.

The language of Bushland Lullaby is rich and lyrical. Children will be introduced to some words with which they may not be familiar and that’s a good thing. Some of the verse is so picturesque. I loved the description of the creek where eddies dance with winking sun and the hushing waters by the river’s smile, where little crocodile sleeps, not to be woken and down in the bush where gum trees thrive, Where the lazy breeze brings scents alive, you’ll find baby koala. Equally as effective a description is that of the baby wombat, Burrowed into an earthy mound, In the summer day when the sun bakes down. The text takes the reader through the day in the wild red desert where the sun’s alight or the sky flings stars in a winter’s night to the ancient calm where little dingo is safe from harm and into the night of sparkling skies.

The rhyme and rhythm works perfectly. It has a gentle lilting feel while each double spread introduces Australian animals and birds. Some like the koala and wombat are well known while others not so much and that’s good.

The illustrations in their muted colours blend perfectly with the text. I liked all the illustrations but particularly the baby platypus lying on its back, the crocodiles, the penguin page, the koalas curled in the fork of the tree, and the fruit bats .The second last page is simply a gem as is the last page, yet they are both very different.

This is a delightful picture book which will no doubt please children and their adult readers. It deserves a place in many homes and libraries.

Bushland Lullaby, by Sally Odgers and Lisa Stewart
Scholastic, 2012
ISBN 9781742831770

Available from good bookstores and online.