Wombat

by Christopher Cheng

Learn all about the Australian "bulldozer of the bush" in an introduction to the wombat.Wombats may look soft and cuddly, but they are determined and tough, with sharp teeth that never stop growing, limbs that they use to shovel dirt like bulldozers, and bony bottoms they use to defend their burrows. They can live for years without drinking water, getting all of their moisture from the plants they eat--and they deposit their cube-shaped poop on rocks or stumps as a warning to other wombats. Follow one of these powerful marsupials through a day.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Australia, Nature, Childrens, Science

Paperback

About the author

Christopher Cheng established the Zoomobile and taught at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, and now is a full-time author of children’s books. He lives in Australia.

Reviews

[Ericafh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story detailing a day in the life of a wombat. I particularly liked the use of typography to differentiate between the fictional story and the non-fiction accompanying facts. Made me want to try something similar myself one day :) Also I loved the art. I'm always a sucker for interesting and good art. Will I count this towards one of my three nonfic books I want to read this year? Maybe.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life and habits of a wombat feature in this literary nonfiction story. Cheng uses a mix of story narrative to describe the daily antics of a wombat - digging, feeding, sleeping and avoiding dangers inlarge font. Each double page spread also includes, a differential spaced, but still large font, factual information to support and underpin the narrative. the superb artwork by Liz Duthie is a joy - accurate representations of wombats and their habit are presented in detailed pencil (you can nearly count the hairs on the wombats face). Different layouts - from full page to cameo snapshots - add interest and help young readers immerse themselves in the wombat's daily life.
another worthy inclusion in the Nature Storybooks series. My only quibble was the unexplained inclusion of a baby wombat mid book - where a baby is shown peering out of a pouch and the factual text is about pregnancy. mating is not covered and does not cover the birth and then relocation to the pouch. This is covered in the factual information provided at the end of the book but leaves a gap in the story line.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, having never come into contact with a Wombat, who I understand can be pretty pesky critters, I fell in love with the adorableness of this waddley, fluffy, small eared, short legged ball of fuzz. The illustrations are fantastic. Realistic and well-studied. The text let me down a bit (see below) but I appreciated having a storyline AND some fun facts all on the same spread. This book is simple to read and full of information and a great addition to the Australian animal section of your collection. If your library is anything like mine, Australian animals could use some love.

The text was a bit clunky. In the first few pages the sentences were clipped with shorter words. I thought perhaps the author (or publisher) was trying to make this an early reader. Later, the text evened out.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A day in the life of a Wombat! From the early morning she has a busy day, looking for food, digging under a fence, working on her burrow, napping when the sun is high, chasing away another wombat who has wandered into her territory, even escaping a Dingo!

So beautifully illustrated by Liz Duthie! Although the story follows a fictional wombat, the italicized scientific information was fascinating. Christopher Cheng's narrative makes this literary non-fiction perfect for the animal section of your library, and the cover - There's a Wombat! Kids won't be able to resist picking it up. (The book, not the Wombat)

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a walk with a wombat and learn what daily life is like for these Australian marsupials.

There are two levels to the text in this. There's bold text that tells the story of what the wombat is doing, and explores typical behavior for a wombat. Then there's italicized text that goes into more of the science of wombats with extra details for the curious. The illustrations are fabulous, and the facts about wombats are great. A good pick for animal lovers, curious kids, and units on Australian wildlife.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of what a wombat facts and what it does with beautiful illustrations. I didn't know much about this Australian marsupial before reading this and now I just think there adorable. Fun fact is their bottoms are rock hard and can even crack a predator's head!

[Dimity Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and informative. Great artwork to support an interesting narrative.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an engaging, informative narrative paired with fetching, detailed illustrations, readers are introduced to the life and habits of this fascinating, tough Australian marsupial. Weak on end matter.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.