Wombat

Wombat by Christopher Cheng, illustrated by Liz Duthie (Walker Books) HB RRP $26.99 ISBN 9781760651374

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath 

Follow a wombat’s day as she goes from breaking her fast to dealing with inconsiderate neighbours, from luxuriating in the sun to evading violent threats, before retreating to the safety of the burrow, all with her joey on board. Get to know the individual wombat, but also discover a wide range of wombat-related information. 

The wombat protagonist may not have a name, but that doesn’t hinder the reader’s emotional connection, as we are plunged into her sensory world through the evocative text. We feel the frustrations, challenges, and satisfaction of her day-to-day life.

It’s always satisfying to see an index in a picture book, emphasizing the non-fiction content accompanying the story. The interesting facts about wombats are distinguished from the fictional narrative using a different font. The dual-text approach means the book is suitable to read to pre-schoolers while giving school-aged children a bit more to dig into. 

The illustrations are earth-toned and richly textured: it feels like you could reach out and sink your hand into the wombat’s fur. Despite the tiny eyes of the subject, great depth of character is achieved. 

This book is a lovely contribution to the growing collection of nature picture books giving readers both a narrative to connect with and facts to learn. Children 4 years and older will get a lot out of this book.

One Tree

One Tree by Christopher Cheng, illustrated by Bruce Whatley (Puffin Books) RRP $24.99 HB ISBN 9780143786733

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

It seems a long time since a book by Cheng has been published. Now comes his picture book which is set in China where Grandfather (probably Cheng’s) lives and works on a farm, a lifestyle he loves. Every week the old man walks with his family to the village market. But that was many years ago. Now, says the story, ‘Grandfather is old. He lives in my apartment’. Once the old man would tell stories to his family after dinner in their mountainside hut. Now ‘Grandfather is always silent’.

The narrator shops in a city market, sometimes taking Grandfather with him. But, unlike at his village market, no-one stops to talk. One day the child finds a plant growing between footpath cracks. He digs it up and plants it in a shallow bowl which he places on his balcony. The tree begins to grow and as it does Grandfather begins to talk – to the tree. Then he buys another tree for the child. And another. And more until the whole balcony is covered with trees.

The ‘forest’ on the balcony is the trigger for Grandfather to talk and for others to also start greening the city.

This story is not only uplifting but is about love and change and how important the natural environment is in our lives. Cheng tells it simply and effectively.

The coloured illustrations are a departure in technique for Whatley who is best known for his wombat books with Jackie French. In this book, each of his full-page illustrations are framed with a black border to enhance what looks like a linoprint with many intricate fine (and thicker) lines. This gives the appearance of much happening and one examines the multi-detailed illustrations which are filled with aspects of nature and of people.

This picture book should appeal to readers aged 7+ years and will surely used by teachers in promoting the idea of nature being important in our lives.

Australia’s Greatest Inventions and Innovations

Australia's Greatest Inventions and Innovations by Christopher Cheng and Linsay Knight in association with the Powerhouse Museum (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $24.95
ISBN 9781742755649
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

What a fascinating book. Not everyone is into reading fiction and this latest compendium of inventions that explains and celebrates Aussie creativity has three things going for it. It is sumptuous to look at, simple to read and seriously interesting to learn from.

Australia’s Greatest Inventions and Innovations is a handsome book, generous in size at almost A4 proportions, with each page clearly numbered and glossy to handle. Its layout is fresh with appealing print and visuals and enough white space so that you don’t feel weighed down by slabs of words.

Its catchy cover sparkles in colour and font and cries out to be opened. Sure, you can Google Aussie inventions (if you knew what Aussies had invented apart from Vegemite), but this book is tactile, fun and not intimidating even though it is filled with information.

Simple to read is another plus. With its conversational tone, it’s as if someone is spinning a yarn about each invention. There are nine themes reflecting innovations in science, industry and design. Each theme is colour-coded, such as green for communication, red for leisure and blue for health. Each invention begins with a problem conceived by the inventor, such as ‘How to convert chook poo into a useful fertiliser…’ We’ve all smelt the eye-watering odour around the neighbourhood and here we learn that chook farmer, Norman Jennings took years to work out how to turn the sludge into Dynamic Lifter that is now sold world wide. We get a short bio of the inventor and then find out the nitty-gritty of the process he had to go through. A keyword for each topic is helpful, as is the glossary at the back.

Seriously interesting is my last criteria. Over 45 inventions or innovations are explained that can be dipped in and out of. How would you find clues at a crime scene that are hidden to the naked eye like invisible fingerprints? Check out the Polilight on page 172.  What about Spray on Skin or the Supreme Mousetrap Machine? Heard of the Black Box Flight Recorder? Read their stories and more.

This book would suit anyone from upper primary through to teens and adults. It is a result of the collaboration of great minds with accomplished children’s author Christopher Cheng and author and editor Linsay Knight together with the storehouse of all things innovative, the Powerhouse Museum.

Just think. You might be a future inventor. That light bulb moment could happen when you least expect it. What a great idea. Let’s patent it!

Sounds Spooky

Sounds Spooky by Christopher Cheng and illustrated by Sarah Davis (Random House)

HB RRP $19.95

ISBN 978-1-8647-1879-9

Reviewed by Oliver Phommavanh

Sounds Spooky is a creepy picture book that will delight and scare kids at the same time. It revolves around a haunted house with a chirpy girly ghost who gets some unexpected visitors. It’s hard to say who’s scared more, her or the intruding kids!

Cheng delivers a wonderful prose that’s perfect for reading aloud, acting and performing. There’s a neat rhythm with the rhyme, action words and alliteration. It builds the tension as the ghost girl and kids edge closer to meeting each other.  

Davis is simply brilliant with her illustrations. She has created her pictures from the ground up. She’s made miniature models of the characters and settings. Its Claymation meets Paper Mache. The unique illustrations set the perfect tone for the book. There’s an awesome ‘behind the scenes’ video on the book’s website, (www.sounds-spooky.com).

Kids and adults alike will love this picture book. It’s perfect for Halloween and scary nights when you want a little fright. Highly recommended for ages 5 and up.