Tag Archives: Bruce Whatley

Christmas Wombat

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Leaving cookies (chocolate chip!) and milk for Santa, plus carrots for his reindeer, is an old and happy tradition. Little did we know who else might be hitching a ride on the sleigh…

Suffice it to say that wombats still love carrots (and we still love wombats). So, this year, we will include some extra carrots on the plate.

Author: Jackie French
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley

How to Scratch a Wombat

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Currently, we are completely infatuated with wombats.  Diary of a Wombat was our gateway story; now we cannot get enough of those charming, stubborn marsupials.  This nonfiction follow-up to Diary has lots of information (quite straightforward and unblushing information–if you are uncomfortable reading about bums and scat, this will not be the book for you), lists (e.g., “How to Find a Wombat in the Bush”), a glossary of Australian terms (e.g., “bush” means “a wilderness area”), quizzes (e.g., “Are You a Wombat?”), real-life stories (the author has actively lived among wombats for more than 30 years), and charming illustrations.  In case it isn’t already clear, this book is very educational and very, very funny.

Author:  Jackie French
Illustrator: Bruce Whatley

Diary of a Wombat

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This funny story is entirely narrated by a deadpan wombat (an Australian marsupial that look like a brown bear cub that somehow got mixed up with a koala and groundhog).  Initially, her days are unvaried; she spends her time sleeping, eating grass, and scratching. But when some new neighbors move in, her life (and theirs!) starts to change. After some consideration (and a lot of carrots) she decides “that humans are easily trained and make quite good pets.”  (One suspects the humans have reached a rather different conclusion about wombats.)

This story, with its brevity and constant sleeping, is perfect for bedtime.

Author:  Jackie French
Illustrator:  Bruce Whatley