Wombat Divine
Wombat Divine
by Mem FoxIllustrated by Kerry Argent
- Age Range: 4-8 years
- Length: 32 pages
- Format: Hardcover and Paperback
- Size: 8.25 x 11 inches
- First Published: 1995
Review
Wombat Divine is the story of a wombat named Wombat and his desire to be in the Christmas nativity play being produced by a group of native Australian animals. Wombat auditions for every role in the play but is ill-suited for all of them, though he's always encouraged to keep trying. And he does, until there is only one part left unfilled.
Wombat Divine is very well written and an easy read. It's a simple, satisfying story with a linear, straight forward plot. Through the words and artwork, we experience Wombat's joy and disappointment as he tries out for, and ultimately loses, each and every part in the play. Just as it looks as if Wombat will be unable to be in the play, he lands the most important role of all.
In addition to Wombat, the play features most of the more well-known Australian animals, including kangaroos, koalas, an emu, a bilby, a numbat, a platypus, and an echidna.
The water color illustrations by Kerry Argent are lively and imaginative and impart a good deal of charm and energy to the story. The artwork has a distinctive style and a lot of personality. It's bright and friendly and expressive. The images are large and visually interesting, with many double-page spreads. And there's plenty of detail in the pictures to keep young and old interested.
Although Wombat Divine is a Christmas story, it could be enjoyed any time of the year as it's a tale more about determination than anything else. Very enjoyable, and it would make an excellent addition to anyone's wombat book or children's book collection.
Highly Recommended
Four and a half out of five stars
PDM
Jan. 23, 2006
