Tambow & Tambow's Wombatical Wanderings
Tambow cover
Tambow
by Charles Lamb- Age Range: 6-12 years
- Length: 65 pages
- Format: Paperback
- Size: 8.25 x 11.75 inches
- First Published: 2010
Tambow's Wombatical Wanderings
by Charles Lamb- Age Range: 6-12 years
- Length: 75 pages
- Format: Paperback
- Size: 8.25 x 11.75 inches
- First Published: 2010
Review
The Tambow books follow the adventures of Tambow, a young wombat, and his mother Wombi, as they escape from a travelling circus and try to find their way home. Although they don't really know where they come from, they do know their home is a long way off, a distant land across the sea.
Their journey through the English countryside provides enough excitement to keep most young readers interested, and it's easy to get caught up in their adventure.
Tambow is young and impulsive, and constantly getting into trouble, while Wombi is the voice of reason and does her best to keep Tambow in line. Together they're able to overcome the many obstacles they face along the way, both physical and in the form of animal and human antagonists.
There are some intense moments in the stories, such as the scene where Wombi gets caught in a leg trap and the rising flood waters threaten to drown her, or when a ruthless poacher closes in on Wombi as she's stuck in an open pit. A number of other encounters are similarly scary; probably fine for the intended audience, though they may be a little too intense for the very young.
But not all is dangerous. As Tambow and Wombi make their way through the forest, they also find many helpful souls, from rabbits to badgers to humans. A nice touch of humor also runs throughout the text, which helps the telling of the story.
By the end of the second book, Tambo's Wombatical Wanderings, although Tambow and Wombi have not yet made it home, they're well on their way. All in all the Tambow books are an enjoyable tale of wombats in search of their roots.
Review copies of the books were provided by the publisher.
Recommended
Three and a half out of five stars
by Peter Marinacci
July 19, 2011
