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Wurrtoo
The wombat who fell in love with the sky
by Tylissa Elisara
Illustrated by Dylan Finney
Published by Lothian Children's Books (Hachette Australia)
ISBN 9780734421982
Described as an Indigenous Blinky Bill meets Winnie the Pooh, this is a kind love story for ages 8 - 12, that begins with a hairy nosed possum in his burrow in Bushland Avenue, the one with the red door.
It is a lovely heartwarming, gentle and caring story which I was pleased see is published as a hardcover book. Hardcover books are easier to hold open when reading and they also exude that something special about them.
Getting into the story about Wurratoo the wombat, who lives a quiet and peaceful life in his burrow on Kangaroo Island. He has hopes and dreams like many of us and his are to travel to the mainland so he can marry the sky..
One day he inadvertently saves a koala from a bushfire whose name is Kuula and through his good deed he gains a companion that he did not realise he needed for his big adventure
Together with Kuala, Wurrtoo plucks up the courage to leave the safety of his burrow to go on an epic journey to get to the mainland. As part of this journey he must climb to the top of tallest tree in the Forest of Dreaming, but the possible problem is that they do this in the midst of the bushfire season, and danger and strange creatures are lurking behind every gum tree.
The story shows readers that it is important to face your fears as Wurrtoo and Kuula do together.They really want to achieve their dreams so most overcome their fears. By doing so they discover that together they are stronger and form an enduring friendship.The black and white illustrations compliment and help to highlight the different aspects of this story
This is a good story, thoughtful and has good examples for readers with use language to expand their vocabulary.
The Author
Wurrtoo is Tylissa Elisara's first novel. She is a children's social worker who lives and works in Brisbane with her husband and children. She descends from the Narungga, Kaurna and Adnyamathanha people of South Australia and was born and raised on Mamu Country in Innisfail, Queensland - a heritage, alongside her Irish ancestry, that she proudly regards as a long legacy of storytelling. Tylissa is studying a Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing at the University of Queensland.
The illustrator
Dylan Finney is an Australian-born graphic designer and artist. He is a proud descendant of the Yanula and Mara clans, and also has English and Irish heritage. He lives on Darkinjung land. His work explores identity and culture - inspired by people, places, animals, light and colour. Dylan lives on the NSW Central Coast.
This is independent review, I am not paid by the publishers, so.If you Liked this review - Buy me a coffee
