The flying emu by Sally Morgan

Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 9781921720642
Sally Morgan explains that this collection of short stories which focus on animals or features from the physical world are not traditional tales but originate from her mother's imagination. These stories were created to entertain Sally's family and various members contributed to the progression and outcome of some as they were shared verbally.
The stories contain homely wisdom concerning aspects of life such as meaningful friendships, loyalty, gossip, bullying, trickery, deceit and greed. The animal characters in the stories assume human traits and roles as they perform the mini dramas which often have a twist, usually with humour. Cautionary tales appear frequently, yet they are benign and amusing. These stories will appeal to children because they are appropriately brief and not overly complex. Interestingly, the subject matter and the language structure is appropriate to a fairly broad age range. I can imagine that children from five to about twelve would enjoy the stories and could identify and discuss themes and symbols at various levels. Sally's illustrative artwork accompanies each story in colour.
Rob Welsh