Diary of a Christmas Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
| Diary of a Christmas Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A delightful picture book which might be enjoyed more by the adult than the child. If you buy it, make certain that the child is happy to share it with you... | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: October 2012 |
| Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0007490712 | |
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There is one thing which makes Christmas special for Mothball the Wombat. Presents? No. Fun and games? No. It's carrots. Yes - carrots. Mothball eats, sleeps, scratches, occasionally nibbles a tasty stem of grass, scratches and sleeps some more. The highlight of her day is when she discovers that people leave carrots out for reindeer (for some, obscure reason...) and provided that she is willing to do battle with said reindeer she can munch away to her heart's content. It's when she discovers that a sleigh is a wonderful place for postprandial nap that she is taken on a very exciting journey.
Yup - I loved it. I howled with laughter. I passed it to my husband. He didn't howl (he's more refined you see...) but we had a pleasant fifteen minutes pointing out the bits which we both enjoyed. The humour is subtle - well as subtle a reindeer lying flat on its back can be - and the drawings delightful, with little in the way of the usual clothing to make Mothball look more human. I'm sure that a pair of earmuffs when it's really cold don't count. So - gentle, subtle humour and drawings which will delight, particularly if you have a love of animals.
The snag is that I'm not quite sure if young children will appreciate the humour or the subtlety. OK - they might spot the reindeer lying flat on its back, but the trampled Christmas ornaments, the turn of speed when the smell of carrots drifts past and look of mulish defiance on Mothball's face when she's guarding her carrots, might pass them by. Don't let this put you off buying the book for a child - just make certain that they're happy to share it with you!
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy of the book to the Bookbag. I've put it away somewhere very safe.
For more from French and Whatley we can recommend [[Queen Victoria's Knickers by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley|Queen Victoria's Knickers}}, which isn't quite as risqué as it sounds!
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You can read more book reviews or buy Diary of a Christmas Wombat by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley at Amazon.com.
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