Noni the Pony rescues a joey by Alison Lester

Allen and Unwin, 2018. ISBN 9781760293123
(Ages: 2-5) Recommended. Australian animals, Homes, Rhyming Stories. Alison Lester doesn't produce anything but top quality children's books and this is no exception. The follow up to Noni the Pony and Noni the Pony goes to the Beach is fun, playful and simple. The rhyme is effortless and reads perfectly aloud. The story is the oft-repeated one in children's books of a lost animal looking for his family (the most famous of which is Have You Seen My Mother?) but here the lost animal is being helped by Noni and her friends, rather than wandering alone. So, Noni, Coco and Dave are out walking when they meet someone 'small with a very long tail'. It's a baby wallaby named Joe and he wants to go home. Showing care and kindness, the friends go searching and ask a cast of Australian animals as they pass. The animals' dialogue and the illustrations give some facts about their behaviours and habitats (sleepy koala, high in the tree with baby on the back, father emu guarding his young chicks in the grass, etc.). Eventually they find Joe's wallaby family and a celebration ensues as they all 'hop and bop by the light of the moon'.
This is classic Alison Lester: a happy ending, beautiful illustrations and a lovely message about how we should treat everyone around us with kindness and respect. It is also about recognising and celebrating what makes us unique. This will be loved by Noni the Pony fans, Alison Lester fans and those who appreciate gentle stories that remind us of the important things in life: friendship and kindness.
Nicole Nelson