australian animals – Page 4

Good Morning Possum by Coral Vass ill Sona Babajanyan

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.

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

www.clairesaxby.com

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.

10 Bush Babies, By Susan Hall & Naomi Zouwer (ill)

10 bush babies
went out one day,
into the sun to jump and play.
Mrs Roo rang ding-ding-ding-ding…
…but only 9 bush babies ran in.

Mrs Roo is trying to round her young students up after playtime, but one by one they all disappear. Finally, when none remain, she tries again, and all ten return. Giving an Australian twist to the well-known rhyme ‘Five Little Ducks’, this board book will delight young Aussies, as well as making a cute gift for overseas friends or relatives.

The illustrations are inspired by the work of naturalist John Gould, and each new spread features an almost identical illustration, apart from the gradual disappearance of each animal baby, helping youngsters to guess which animal has gone.There is also a hint as to where the baby has gone and, at the end of the book, a double page spread explains where each animal went.

Very sweet.

10 Bush Babies

Ten Bush Babies , by Susan Hall, illustrated by Naomi Zouwer
NLA Publishing, 2013
ISBN 9780642277695

Available from good bookstores or online .

Guinea Pig Town, by Lorraine Marwood

It was our brother’s idea
to build a town,
a small town
for many guinea pigs
which kept multiplying –
cream ginger and black
wisps of colour and rabbity-mousey
features, all ours.

So begins the title poem of this beautiful collection of animal poems from one of Australia’s leading children’s poets. Stretching over four pages this poem, the longest in the collection, tells the tale of siblings building a ‘town’ for their guinea pigs, but it is more than just a story – it is a celebration of childhood, of pets, and of the magic way in which poetry can bring such events to life.

Other poems are much shorter – just a few lines of perfect poetic observation, as in Storm:
The wind so strong
a dragonfly cartwheels
along the ground

But whatever the length, the quality of the poems is consistent. Each new poem is a delight waiting to be discovered, and, like the subject matter, to be wondered at. From cute and cuddly kittens to scary spiders and thrilling frill-necks, there is an animal on every page for young readers to enjoy, whether they read cover to cover, or dip in and out.

New children’s poetry collections are few and far between in Australia, which is regrettable, but fortunately Marwood, (with the support of publisher Walker Books) continues to produce quality collections of Aussie children to savour.

Guinea Pig Town and Other Animal Poems, by Lorraine Marwood
Walker Books, 2013
ISBN 9781922077424

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.

Bushland Lullaby, by Sally Odgers & Lisa Stewart

Asleep in a gently snoozing ball
Little possum’s soft and small.
In a twisty tunnel and cosy bed
Little wombat rests his head.

From possums and wombats to crocodiles and bats, the baby animals of the Australian bush settle down to sleep, until finally the young readers is reminded that when s/he settles down to sleep in bed, you’re not the only sleepy head.

Bushland Lullaby is a gentle bedtime read suitable for children from birth. In lyrical rhyme the text is like a soft song. It is perfectly complemented by the pastel watercolours and mixed media of the illustrations, with dusky pinks and blues prominent.

A lovely touch is the use of not only the predictable Australian animals – possums, wombats and echidnas – but also some probably less expected in a cuddly book – crocodiles, bats, even lizards. Another nice touch is that each illustration shows the baby animal either cuddled by a parent or with one close by, a reminder to young readers that they are watched over even while asleep.

This would make a treasured gift for a newborn.

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

Available from good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Baby Tawnies, by Judy Paulson

As darkness falls, two tawny frogmouths fly into the forest to find food.
Far above the ground, four large eyes appear.
Lyla and Reggie are alone.

When their parents go out each night to hunt for food, Lyla and Reggie are alone. But instead of being afraid, or even waiting patiently, they use the time to discover what they can do for themselves – and eventually surprise their parents by learning to fly.

Baby Tawnies is a sweet picture book story about independence and courage, with a uniquely Australian take on the topic. The characters are tawny frogmouths, nocturnal Australian birds often mistaken for owls. Back of book notes provide further information about this unique bird. But it is the story which kids will enjoy. The baby tawnies are cared for by their parents, but it is when they are alone that they must find courage and support each other. It is lovely that it is the girl sibling, Lyla, who takes the lead and encourages her brother, in a subtle toast to girl power.

Also lovely is the artwork, with the characters rendered in felt with dark digital backgrounds refelcting the colours of the night. This unusual artwork is both endearing and clever.

A sweet book sure to be treasured.

Baby Tawnies, by Judy Paulson
Random House, 2012
ISBN 9781742755762

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.

Shy the Platypus, by Leslie Rees

First published in 1944, the tale has been published in many editions since and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It has now been brought back to life in a delightful hard cover illustrated edition by the National Library of Australia.

The first thing Shy remembered was living in a round, dark, leafy nest with her mother and brother, Spur. Here the two tiny platypuses had been hatched out of their eggs. Here their mother had been hatched out of their eggs. Here their mother had fed them. here, in the dark, under the heavy ground, they now played with each other…

Shy the Platypus is a classic tale of the life cycle of the platypus, told through the fictionalised story of one specific platypus, named Shy. First published in 1944, the tale has been published in many editions since and sold hundreds of thousands of copies. It has now been brought back to life in a delightful hard cover illustrated edition by the National Library of Australia.

Author Leslie Rees wrote very Australian books for children at a time when there were few such offerings, with his series of books on Australian animals introducing readers in Australia and overseas to our unique wildlife. Special in this new edition is the use of illustrations and photographs from the library’s collection, along with an introduction by one of Leslie Rees’ daughters. Dymphna Rees Peterson.

In hardcover format with black and white and colour illustrations in a variety of styles, the book also includes photographs, samples of Rees’ drafts and proofs, and back of book information about the platypus, making it both a collector’s item and a suitable offering for children. Lovely.

Shy the Platypus, by Leslie Rees
National Library of Australia Press, 2012
ISBN 978064227741

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond.

Bilby Secrets, by Edel Wignell & Mark Jackson

Traces the life of a young bilby from its birth in a burrow beneath the ground, to being fully grown and living alone, ready to mate. Using the picture book format, the text focuses on one specific bilby, but recounts this is a typical bilby’s life rather than a fictional story. Each page also includes facts about bilbies, printed in italics.

In the moonlight, Mother Bilby canters – tail aloft like a banner – across the spinifex and enters a steeply sloping, spiral tunnel. She flings the dirt back, hind feet together, closing the entrance to her burrow.
It’s time for the birth of her baby.

Bilby Secrets traces the life of a young bilby from its birth in a burrow beneath the ground, to being fully grown and living alone, ready to mate. Using the picture book format, the text focuses on one specific bilby, but recounts this is a typical bilby’s life rather than a fictional story. Each page also includes facts about bilbies, printed in italics.

Mark Jackson’s mixed media illustrations bring not just the cute bilby, but also other desert residents – from predators such as the fox, to insects and spiders, little details which can be found on most spreads. the colours are the colours of the West Australian Pilbara region – orange and red dirts, blue and dusky skies (the bilby is nocturnal) and, of course, the greys of the bilbies.

This hardcover offering is part of Walker’s wonderful new <>Nature Storybook series, set to be a wonderful educational tool but equally suitable for home reading.

Bilby Secrets, by Edel Wignell & Mark Jackson
Walker Books, 2011
ISBN 9781921529320

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.