The wild life: A line in the sand by Laura and Philip Bunting

The second in this charming series of books called, A line in the sand, will be welcomed by newly confident readers. With shorter chapters and a limited number of words, more can be found out about the Buntings’ aims here.

Stunning illustrations by Philip Bunting support this easily digested story showing how different opinions can cause rifts in relationships.

Wombat has woken, needing to have a pee, and he races out of his burrow, only to find that it is midday, the hottest part of the day and the hot soil burns the soles of his feet. Roo comes over to investigate and finds his paws are very hot too. Roo inadvertently hits Wombat with his tail and sends him flying over the scrub to a place where a coconut falls on his head. Roo comes blustering through the undergrowth to find his friend, and Wombat has a feeling of deja vu. He has been here before, and together the two friends find they are at a beach.

They are thrilled, here is water to swim in to get cool, but there is a problem. A quokka appears, adamant that this is his beach, and they do not belong here.

As with the first book, A berry long walk, this story takes readers into the tricky area of solving disputes. Roo and Wombat dearly want to go for a swim, but Quokka is convinced that this is his beach and wants them gone. They try to discuss this with Quokka, and eventually he draws a line in the sand demarcating where each animal is allowed to go. All the animals, except Quokka, have a lovely time together, having a barbecue, dressing up with seaweed and shells, surfing. It is when Quokka goes out surfing by himself that he gets into trouble and must call for help. As a result, the line is erased, and the animals all play together.

Wonderful illustrations by Philip Bunting show the dispute escalating as the three animals eye each other off. Their funny facial expressions will amuse readers as they read the story. The Australian environment is show in detail, and readers will enjoy seeing a range of animals they come across. Teacher's notes are available.

Themes: Wombats, Kangaroos, Environment, Solving disputes, Humour, Surfing.

Fran Knight