Hop Up! Wriggle Over!

March 1, 2017
A family composed of animals indigenous to Australia spends the day together.This lighthearted romp of a book begins at daybreak. "Wakey wakey / Hungry" reads the text as the unruly quoll, wallaby, echidna, possum, antechinus, wombat, bilby, quokka, and numbat urge their parents--a koala and a kangaroo--to get out of bed and feed them. Honey's loose, confidently rendered watercolors in harmonious muted tones bring the liveliness and mayhem of this large diverse family to life, while her spare, often onomatopoeic text gives it added sparkle. In fact, the pairing of words and images is so effective that readers (in particular, those reading aloud) may give a sigh of relief as the koala and kangaroo finally put their little ones to bed and quiet reigns. Many of the animals depicted may be unfamiliar to North American readers, and Honey includes, at the story's end, an identification and pronunciation guide--which may also serve to stimulate readers' curiosity about these unusual animals. Using anthropomorphized, diverse animals to create a story about a playful, happy family underscores to readers the idea that family members needn't look alike, and, in fact, diversity can be a lot of fun. A happy, lively story that celebrates the idea of family diversity even as it introduces readers to some of Australia's fauna. (Picture book. 3-7)

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July 1, 2017

PreS-In this vivacious Australian import, a rambunctious family of assorted baby marsupials (e.g., quoll, wallaby, echidna, wombat, numbat) start their day by waking their kangaroo dad and koala mom and demanding breakfast. Having eaten, they go to the playground, enjoy a picnic, and return home for a messy and noisy supper, followed by a bath and bedtime. Honey's playful watercolor artwork overflow with the energy of the mischievous youngsters (all nine babies appear on each spread), mixed with an undercurrent of tenderness as the grown-up animals care for the wee ones. Short, mostly onomatopoetic exclamations accompany the double-page illustrations for extra zing, though the vignettes of this unique family are so expressive, they could have been wordless. An illustrated pronunciation guide for all of the animal names is included in the back. VERDICT Though not the best pick for storytimes owing to its minimal text, this is a delightful choice for a one-on-one introduction to the variety of Australia's wildlife (even if it is a highly fictionalized one).-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

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