Penelope the Mountain Pygmy Possum, by Gordon Winch & Stephen Pym

Penelope looked down the mountain, but Percy was nowhere to be seen.
‘Where’s that Percy?’ she thought. ‘He should be coming back by now.’

Penelope the pygmy possum wakes from her winter hibernation, looking forward to the return of her mate, Percy, who has spent the winter with the other males away from the cold of the mountains. But there is a problem. Over the winter roadworkers have built a new road, and now it is blocking the path of the male possums. Luckily, Rick the Ranger has a solution, and soon the males are using a new tunnel under the road to get home. Penelope and Percy are reunited.

Penelope the Mountain Pygmy Possum is a cute picture story book which fictionalises the real events surrounding the building of a ‘tunnel of love’ for male pygmy possums to safely leave and return from the Snowy Mountains during the colder months, while the female possums remain on the mountains and hibernate. The story gives young readers the chance to learn about the pygmy possum and the threats to its existence. Illustrations show realistic landscapes, roadworks and wildlife, though the possums are partly anthropomorphised for narrative purposes.

Educational and entertaining.

Penelope the Mountain Pygmy Possum , by Gordon Winch & Stephen Pym
New Frontier, 2016
ISBN 9781925059595

Midnight Possum by Sally Morgan ill Jess Racklyeft

Possum loved the deep dark.

But when Moon rose

high in the sky,

he loved midnight

even more.

At midnight,

Possum went travelling.

Possum loved the deep dark.

But when Moon rose

high in the sky,

he loved midnight

even more.

At midnight,

Possum went travelling.

Possum loves the night, particularly after midnight when he can explore his territory. He encounters other Australian animals then settles in for dinner before hearing a call for help from another possum. Leaving his dinner, he responds to the call to discover that a mother needs help to find one of her babies, who has fallen and is now lost. When they locate the lost baby, there’s rescuing needed and Possum is up to the task. The rescue becomes complicated, and Possum must be brave if he is to safely return baby to waiting mother and sibling. Only then can Possum finally eat his dinner. Illustrations are patchwork-like digital collage with a strong nod to Eric Carle’s art. They include a wide variety of Australian animals. Endpapers feature gum leaves and the gum blossom of Possum’s dinner.

The Midnight Possum explains all those noises in the night experienced by those who share their neighbourhood with possums! In this outing, a male possum is needed to rescue a baby when a mother cannot leave her other baby to effect the rescue herself. Readers may speculate and/or investigate the differing parental roles of possums and other night-dwellers. Illustrations introduce other night animals and also a range of native flora. They also note those non-native animals that can pose a threat to possums when habitats overlap. Recommended for pre- and early schoolers.

The Midnight Possum, Sally Morgan Jess Racklyeft

Omnibus Books 2016 ISBN: 9781742991047

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com

Hush Little Possum: An Australian Lullaby, by P. Crumble and Wendy Binks

Hush, Little PossumHush, little possum, don’t you cry,
Mama will keep you safe and dry.

As the sky rumbles, rain falls and the wind bangs sheds and sways trees, Mama Possum hastens to reassure and protect her baby, singing her a lullaby to let her know she will keep her safe and warm.

To the tune of ‘Hush, Little Baby’ Hush, Little Possum gives an Australian twist to the old favourite, brought to life in adorable illustrations by Wendy Binks. The big-eyed possums traverse stormy farm scenes, with appearances by other animals – both wild and farm animals –  giving lots for youngsters to spot and enjoy.

The hard cover picture book is accompanied by a recording of the song, sung by Deborah Mailman, as well as an instrumental version for singing along.

A cute offering for preschoolers.

Hush, Little Possum, by P. Crumble & Wendy Binks
Scholastic, 2015
ISBN 9781743626436

Available from good bookstores and online.

Little Barry Bilby Had Fly Upon His Nose, by Colin Buchanan & Roland Harvey

Little Barry Bilby had a fly upon his nose…
Little Peter Possum had a mozzie on his ear…
Little Colly Cocky had a beetle on his beak…
And the bizzy buzzy bush bugs won’t go away!

This humorous picture book is filled with favourite Aussie animals – bilby, echidna, wombat, dingo and more – all afflicted by annoying bush bugs, from flies and mozzies to cicadas and even a bogong moth. The best solution is to tumble down the gully and jump in the creek. The repetitive text encourages children to join in, and can be either read or sung, with an accompanying CD coming in handy for the latter.

The illustrations are in gentle bush pastel tones with lovable animals and insects, with zany touches such as the slightly cross-eyed look of Barry Bilby.

Suitable for children from birth through to primary school age, Little Barry Bilby Had a Fly Upon His Nose is lots of fun.

Little Barry Bilby Had a Fly Upon His Nose, by Colin Buchanan and Roland Harvey
Scholastic Australia, 2015
ISBN 9781743621899

Available from good bookstores and online.

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

The Little Book of Possum Magic

This little board book offers a taste of the beautiful illustrations from Possum Magic and is a delightful offering for babies. This is not a condensed version of the original picture book, but uses some of the illustrations, coupled with single word text on each page – possum, kangaroo, emu and so on, with the final page showing Hush and Grandma Poss curled together, with the text Good night!

Possum Magic has found a place in the homes and hearts of many, many Australian children for more than twenty years, and the brilliant illustrations by Julie Vivas are perfect for little readers. Coupled with the sturdy board book format, this makes an ideal gift offering for a new baby.

The Little Book of Possum Magic
Omnibus Books, 2006

Jump Baby by Penny Matthews

Three possums – Mumma, Big Sister and Baby – are eating their breakfast high in a tree in a moonlit garden. Mumma and Big Sister move around confidently, but Baby is scared. The tree is very high and he wants to stay close to his Mumma. When Mumma and Big Sister jump to the peach tree, Baby is left behind. Mumma and Big Sister plead with him to jump, but he can’t. He is left by himself in the walnut tree. How will he get to his Mumma? And how will he learn to jump?

Jump Baby is a sweet new picture book from Ominibus Books. Author Penny Matthews tells a charming tale of learning and taking risks. The illustrations of Dominique Falla, with the deep purples and greens of the night garden contrasting with the browns of the animals, are a perfect complement to the gentle text.

This is a lovely sharing book for preschoolers and their parents, and also suitable for early childhood classrooms.

Penny Matthews has previously written another picture book, A Year on Our Farm and three titles in the Omnibus Solos Series. Dominique Falla is a graphic designer and also illustrated the award-winning picture book Woodlore.

Jump, Baby, by Penny Matthews, Illustrated by Dominique Falla
Omnibus Books, an Imprint of Scholastic, 2002.

The Magic Hat, by Mem Fox

One fine day, from out of town, and without any warning at all, there appeared a magic hat.

As the magic hat moves through the town, spinning through the air from person to person, its magic causes chaos – and hilarity. Young readers will join in the guessing, with the hat changing each person it lands on into something surprising. Where and how will this magic end?

The Magic Hat is the latest magical offering from renowned Australian children’s author, Mem Fox. Beautifully illustrated by Tricia Tusa, the book continues the fine tradition of outstanding offerings from Ms Fox.

As with earlier books, the charm of this book is in its rhythm and its simplicity. Children will love the repeated refrain which will help them guess what is going to happen next as the magic hat weaves its way through the town.

Mem Fox is one of Australia’s best known and most celebrated children’s authors, with 25 best selling titles to her credit. Her very first picture book, Possum Magic, first published in 1983, remains the best selling ever picture book in Australia, with over 1.5 million copies sold in Australia. Other popular titles include Boo to a Goose, Koala Lou, and Wilfred Gordon Mcdonald Partridge. Outside Australia Mem has also achieved great popularity, having reached Oprah’s list of twenty all-time best children’s books, with her title Time for Bed. For adults, Fox has written Reading Magic, recommended reading for parents and teachers, and Mem’s the Word, her autobiography.

The Magic Hat is wondeful bedtime reading for 3 to 6 year olds.

The Magic Hat, by Mem Fox
Scholastic Australia, 2002. rrp AUD $24.95 (hardback)

Possum Pictures

Australia’s unique animals are a favourite subject for children’s writers. Two enduring classics have possums as their central characters.

In Possum Magic, by Mem Fox, we meet Grandma Poss, who is no ordinary possum – she makes bush magic. Blue wombats, smiling dings amd shrinking emus are all in her repertoire. But her best piece of magic makes young Hush invisible. This is all very well until one day Hush decides she would like to see what she looks like.

Grandma Poss and Hush embark on an adventure to find the right magic to make Hush visible again. Along the way they sample all the best of Australian foods – but will they find the answer to Hush’s problem?

Possum Magic was Fox’s first published work, making its debut in 1983, but is still delighting both youngsters and their parents. The tale is perfectly accomplished by gorgeous illustrations by the talented Julie Vivas.

In Possum in the House by Kiersten Jensen, no one is happy when a possum gets in – in the pantry he spills the cornflakes, in the laundry he rips the shirts, and in the lounge he scratches the records. Will Mum and Dad ever catch him?

This gorgeous story is sure to be a favourite with both children and parents because of its flowing, up-beat rhythm and cute ending. The detailed illustrations by Tony Oliver make a perfect complement to the text.

Both of these books will make excellent additions to your child’s book collection.

Possum Magic, by Mem Fox
Omnibus Books, 1983.

Possum in the house by Kiersten Jensen
Childerset Books, 1986.