The Midnight Possum

The Midnight Possum by Sally Morgan, Illustrated by Jess Racklyett (Omnibus Books) HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 978-1-74299-104-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Possum always begins his adventures at midnight. He loves to travel through the trees and grasses to get to the flowering gum where he can eat its flowers for dinner. On this night, however, before he can begin to nibble, he hears a cry for help. Can Midnight Possum help rescue Mother Possum’s baby? What further adventures await him now?

The Midnight Possum is a lovely picture book about bravery and helping others. The story is told simply, through both text and illustration, with a sense of movement and adventure created by active words as well as font and page layouts.

The blues and purple of the Australian bush at night fill the pages and highlight the different colours inside the house when possum performs his daring rescue. The effect of the acrylic painting and digital collages gives the story a soft atmosphere and adds a textured element.  

Sally Morgan is an Australian Aboriginal author, dramatist and artist who is widely known and published. She brings Australian animals, landscapes and Aboriginal culture and myths to life in many of her children’s and picture books.