Wombat & Bandicoot Best of Friends
Wombat & Bandicoot Best of Friends cover
Wombat & Bandicoot Best of Friends
by Kerry ArgentIllustrated by Kerry Argent
- Age Range: 5-8 years
- Length: 32 pages
- Format: Hardcover and Paperback
- Size: 8.6 x 11.2 inches
- First Published: 1988
Review
Wombat & Bandicoot Best of Friends is a collection of three very short stories, "Friends," "At the Beach," and "Hiding." Written and Illustrated by Kerry Argent, the stories are told largely with pictures as there are few words, only about 100 in total. Fortunately the artwork easily carries the narrative and provides much of the book's charming atmosphere.
The stories are simple yet endearing tales of friendship between an unlikely pair, Wombat and Bandicoot. The text is uncomplicated, direct, and effective.
The artwork has a unique, friendly style, a sort of warm and fuzzy look that's easy on the eyes. There's also a good deal of detail in the pictures that isn't at first noticed and takes a few viewings to fully appreciate. The drawings are very expressive, and most are action-packed. A couple of these pictures--like the one of Wombat nose to nose with a shark--would make good posters or prints.
Wombat and Bandicoot are unique characters who have gone on to star in other books. Both characters are quite stylized, yet they do resemble their namesakes at least in appearance.
Wombat & Bandicoot Best of Friends is an appealingly simple tale of friends and friendship. The only question is, why is Wombat the only one who wears pants?
Highly Recommended
Four out of five stars
by Peter Marinacci
Feb. 3, 2006
