(3) PS A koala and a kangaroo spend a day supervising their nine rambunctious Australian animal children, including a wallaby, quoll, wombat, and echidna (identified at book's end). The vibrant text is entirely written in onomatopoeia and short exclamations (at breakfast: "Crunch crunch, Gobble gobble, Lick lick, More!"). Similarly active illustrations showcase the animals' energy; Kangaroo and Koala sure have their hands--er, paws--full!

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 These lively poems are often irreverent, usually silly, and sometimes thoughtful, whether they are describing a big messy honey sandwich, a first grader's solo interpretation of Riverdance, or make-believe games. Using a variety of styles, including rhymes, shape poems, and free verse, the poems, accompanied by simple energetic line drawings, capture the spirit of childhood.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(3) 4-6 Thirteen-year-old Ned and his mother leave Australia to visit a friend in Massachusetts. While there, Ned--with the help of Internet friends in Australia, France, and Jamaica--investigates a poacher trafficking in the sale of wild animals. The novel explodes with eccentric characters and fast-paced action; illustrations, newspaper clippings, and e-mail transcriptions give the book an equally energetic quality.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 4-6 The Australian author of Don't Pat the Wombat! tells another memorable camp story as a close-knit group of friends and neighbors decide to "go bush" for the Christmas holidays. The multiple dramas that then start to unfold are as intrusive to the narrative as they are to the happy vacationers, but the sheer fun of their adventure, conveyed by young Henni in her journal-style narrative, spills joyfully over to the reader.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by William Clarke. This antic tour of an Australian sixth grade is fully guided and liberally illustrated by narrator and budding writer Mark. He and his friends have taken in newcomer Jonah, who's fearless in facing down bullies and the teacher terror. At the school's summer camp, they learn about wombats, wattle-and-daub building, and the degrees to which one sturdy kid and one troubled teacher can drive each other crazy. The book has a contagious humor that translates well.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2000