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. 

Little Koala Lost

Little Koala Lost by Blaze Kwaymullina, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft (Omnibus Books) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN 978-1-74299-128-3

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

A simple and sweet story, Little Koala Lost, is a counting book set in the Australian bush. As little koala tries to find his way home he calls out to other groups of animals:

‘Can I live with you?’

he asks three tricky turtles.

‘You wouldn’t be safe.’ they said.

‘You have no shell to hide in.’

This is a lovely book to read aloud. The counting, the repetition and the alliteration all help to create a wonderful rhythm, just right for preschool aged children. The Australian animals within the story all have their own special skill which helps them to survive and koala discovers each one as he tries to find out where he fits in.

The illustrations glow brightly in the colours of the Australian landscape and are created using a combination of acrylic paint and digital collage. They are uncluttered, and give space for the animal of the page to be counted, sitting comfortably in their own habitat.

Created by an indigenous author, this is an engaging story celebrating the Australian bush in a gentle and uncomplicated way. It is well suited as a bedtime story as well as a counting book and will provide great talking points about Australian animals, where they live and how they move about. It is a happy story about helping others to find their place.