WOMBAT WALKABOUT

A glossary of Australian words used in this story about six wombats who outwit “a dingo with the hungry eye” while on their walkabout through the bush launches readers into this gentle trickster tale. The rhyming text never feels forced, as one by one the dingo traps the first four wombats when they become distracted by various bush attractions—“a golden wattle blooming,” “a bridge by a billabong” and so on. When the final two wombats discover their brethren are missing and then see the sly dingo approaching with a bulging sack, they concoct a plan to defeat him and free the others. Successful, the six reunited wombats conclude their walkabout with a spot of tea at home. Beginning with the wraparound jacket art showing the wombats marching toward the book’s opening, Blackall’s uncluttered, downright adorable watercolors differentiate the wombats with such distinctive items as a party hat, a red ribbon and polka-dotted shorts. These items are highlighted on the glossary page, orienting readers not only to the verbal, but the visual world of this satisfying story. (Picture book. 3-5)