Aussie Rules! (Diary of a Wombat - Jackie French)

Member Name: tange

Product:	Diary of a Wombat - Jackie French
Date:	08/11/06 (171 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: An endearing picture book.

Disadvantages: None at all!

I love children’s books and am fortunate in the fact that I work in a library and spend some of my work time in the Children’s Department. I am also good friends with one of the Children’s Librarians and we look out for interesting books to show one another. A while ago she was sorting through one of the new book boxes and came across a book she said she just HAD to show me. A short while and a few giggles later and I was really pleased to have been introduced to The Diary of a Wombat.

Diary of a Wombat is written by Jackie French; the Australian born author of books such as the evocative Hitler’s Daughter. She has worked with the illustrator of Wombat on a few other picture books, my favourites being Pete the Sheep-sheep and Too Many Pears! The illustrator in question is the wonderful Bruce Whatley; born in the UK he moved to Australia when he was a child. As well as the books he has worked on with Jackie French he has also worked on solo projects and has illustrated books with other authors. I particularly like Noises at Night and All Things Bright and Beautiful.

~~~THE PLOT.

There isn’t a story as such because the book is written in the form of a diary. The text contains a week’s diary entries written from the point of view of a wombat. As the days pass we learn about the little creature’s personality and a little of what life is like when a wombat comes into contact with a family of humans. Without giving too much away an example of the text is as follows:

“Morning - Slept; Afternoon - Slept; Evening - Ate Grass & Scratched; Night - Ate Grass”.


~~~WHAT I THOUGHT

From the first page I found myself smiling and that is a really good sign in a children’s book. The words and layout are simple and very easy to follow making it an excellent book to read aloud. There are no long words to explain either. It is an uncomplicated book that is really brought to life by some well drawn, beautifully cute illustrations. The simplicity, humour and enjoyment factor make this picture book a pleasure to read and certainly is one guaranteed to bring a smile to the reader’s face.

I also think that this book has a wider appeal than the term “picture book” suggests. Very small children will love the bright pictures and they will also enjoy having the book read to them. As the child gets older the pictures will still captivate, as will the humour in the text and the fact that there is a lot to look at. Adults too will like the illustrations and will laugh along with the diary entries. The little wombat has a real attitude and there is also educational value because the reader actually DOES learn about the things a wombat does on a day to day basis. There are holes that need to be dug (always in a place that is VERY inconvenient for the humans) and LOTS of eating, sleeping and a fair amount of scratching to be done!

We also learn about what happens when a wombat happens to “adopt” a human’s house has her habitat. This is where the real humour and charm of the book is based! Things that we are familiar with are given new life from the viewpoint of a wombat; how would you see a Welcome doormat, a line of wet washing or dustbins if you were a wombat? The way she tries to train the humans and communicate her needs and wants to them is great too. It takes days of digging up carrots and trashing things before the humans “get the message” that the wombat is hungry and would like some oats instead, for example. I also love the way she thinks she is helping them by teaching them all these things ~ removing all the wet flapping objects from the washing line is a BIG favour and the humans are sure to be pleased!

The book is well laid out and at only around 350 words it isn’t over long either. There is enough text to make it worth reading but it doesn’t go on too much, so the jokes and style don’t get boring. The artwork is cleverly executed; there is a lot to see, but not to the point of making the pages look cluttered. The illustrations also work well at explaining the narrative ~ just in case you were in any doubt as to what the words were saying the pictures leave you no doubt! There is also a brief and simple explanatory passage explaining what a wombat is to even save you from having to find that out to explain to your child. “I'm a wombat. I live in Australia. As you can see from my picture, I look a little like a bear, but smaller. “

I have no problem in recommending Diary of a Wombat. All the children who see it in the library seem to love it and most of the parents say how well they enjoyed reading it to their little ones. It is a good story for children whether as a bedtime story or as one for them to read themselves. A lovely little book and one that I’m sure will stay popular for a good while to come!



~~~PRODUCT DETAILS
• Paperback
• Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren'sBooks (Jan 2006)
• ISBN: 0007212070

Currently listed on Amazon at £4.79, a saving of £1.20 on the RRP of £5.99. It is also available in hardback.

Summary: A lovely picture book written from the point of view of a wombat.