Wombat by Christopher Cheng and Liz Duthie

Wombats are close to my heart. These rotund little creatures are fascinating and are important to my home state, as the Hairy Nosed Wombat is the SA animal emblem. I was predisposed to enjoy this book and it did not disappoint.

This picture book give lots of insight to the life and habits of the Common Wombat. I knew about the wombat's strong digging skills, their square shaped poo and nocturnal habits but I didn't realise that they have teeth that continue to grow forever or about the generosity of wombats in sharing their burrows for resting. They are territorial creatures and use their bony bottoms as an excellent defence barrier against predators, such as dingoes.

Christopher Cheng has created 2 text types which feature on each page. There is a narrative explaining the wombat's activities and informational text (in a different font to highlight the difference) for straight facts about wombats.

The appealing close up illustration of a wombat looking out from its burrow is a strong feature of the front cover and makes the book's topic very clear. The illustrations by Liz Duthie are a highlight of the book and spread from edge to edge on each page.

There is extra material about wombats at the end of the book and an index to help select different key words or topics.

This book can be read for information or just enjoyment. Teacher's notes are available.

I recommend this book for primary school aged students and all devotees of wombats.

Themes: Wombats.

Jane Moore