Wombat Goes Walkabout

by Michael Morpurgo Narrated by Jot Davies

Overview

Wombat loves digging deep holes and thinking deep thoughts, but nobody thinks much of that until danger threatens the bush and he comes up with a great big idea...

One day Wombat digs the deepest hole he's ever dug and crawls into the cool darkness to think. But when he climbs out again, he can't see his mother anywhere. He is all alone.
As he wanders through the great outback looking for her, Wombat meets all kinds of wonderful creatures - Kookaburra, Wallaby, Possum, Emu, Boy and Koala, but none of them think very much of him.

But when a fire sweeps through the bush, it is Wombat's skills which save the day, and everyone races off to find his mum and bring her back to him.

This bestselling book by the Sunday Times bestselling author, Michael Morpurgo, takes children on an adventure through the heart of Australia, introducing them to the unique animals of Oceania. The story, filled with action and survival themes, teaches kids about the virtues of courage and the importance of family.

For fans of Katherine Rundell (Rooftoppers), Philip Pullman (The Secret Commonwealth), Michelle Magorian (Goodnight Mister Tom), Dick King-Smith (Martin's Mice), and Louis Sachar (Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger).

Editorial Reviews

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-A picture book that misses the mark. A young wombat searching for his mother in the Australian outback meets a variety of indigenous animals, including a kookaburra, a wallaby, an emu, and a koala. Each creature shows off its unusual abilities, making Wombat feel inadequate since all he can do is dig. However, it is this very skill that rescues all of the animals when fire threatens their habitat. In a happy ending, Wombat and his mother are reunited. The text is repetitive; the dialogue is pretty much the same between Wombat and every animal he encounters. This simplicity works in picture books for very young children, e.g., Bill Martin's Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Holt, 1995) and Deborah Guarino's Is Your Mama a Llama (Scholastic, 1989), but this book seems to be aiming for a more sophisticated audience, given its length. The sameness of the text becomes boring and rigid. Birmingham's illustrations are painterly and very moody, and beautiful enough to be framed. However, their sophistication seems overly ambitious for the text.-Barbara Buckley, Rockville Centre Public Library, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Peggy A. Sharp

The soft, luminous paintings effectively portray the Australian bush. Using repetition, the text describes the unique abilities of these indigenous animals while reminding readers that everyone has something to contribute.
— Bookbag

Kirkus Reviews

Beautiful book design and illustrations drenched in the red-gold light of Australia enhance the warm-hearted story of Wombat. One day Wombat digs a hole and sits in it, thinking—so long that when he comes out, he can't find his mother. He meets Kookaburra, Wallaby, Emu, and even Boy in his search. Each asks him who he is and what he does, and he responds, "I'm Wombat. I dig a lot and I think a lot." No one is very impressed with this: the boy brags that he can jump, run, even hunt; Possum can hang upside down; Emu can run around in circles. But none of them has seen Wombat's mother, so he climbs as high as he can, looking for her. He doesn't find her, but he does see fire coming, and warns the others. They all hide in the hole Wombat dug deep and dark, and are safe until the fire passes, and then all help Wombat find his mother. The deep rhythms and call and response of this story fit a comfortable pattern: Birmingham (The Windhover, 1997) burnishes that with wonderfully detailed full-page images facing the text pages. Energetic grisaille sketches of whatever animal Wombat is talking to usually surround the text. He's an incredibly cute little fellow himself. Besides its undeniable kid appeal, the wombat is the mascot of at least two online library discussion groups—they are going to love it. (Picture book. 4-8)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170385812
Publisher:	HarperCollins UK
Publication date:	12/09/2010
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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