Where to, Little Wombat by Charles Fuge

While mum cleans out the burrow, Little Wombat thinks about a different sort of home. He is sick of living in a burrow and Mum sends hm off to find somewhere new. He tries to climb up the tree and join Koala, but does not have the claws to climb and ends up back on the ground. He tries to join Frog on his lily pad but ends up in the pond. He sees Mole and Mole invites him in but wombats are much bigger than moles.

He looks at the turtle and the ants under a rock, but each time the place is simply not suitable for him. Finally the ants tell him of a nice comfortable nest nearby. He goes to try it out, snuggling down with some very large eggs already there. Children will laugh uproariously as the owner of the nest comes home to see Little Wombat off.

Little Wombat scurries back home to his nice clean burrow and mum tells him to invite all of his friends around for a sleepover.

A lovely story of being satisfied with what you have, of the grass on the other side of the fence not always being greener, of envy and wanting what someone else has, will delight all readers as they recognise the forces that make us all sometimes dissatisfied with our lot. Little Wombat is sure there is another home somewhere better than the one he has. In going on his trip, he realises that his home is the  best, it is suited for his needs, while other homes require different characteristics which he does not have. Readers will love seeing how each home suits the occupant, and call out when Little Wombat tries out another home, only to find that he does not fit in some way. Readers will easily spot the way a home fits certain animals, building up their knowledge of Australian animals and their habitats. Watercolour illustrations ensure children recognise the environment each animal lives in, while the human characteristics blend well with the attributes that each animal presents.

First published in 2006, this adds to the array of books which present an issue to be discussed in class or at home.

Themes: Envy, Compassion, Australian animals.

Fran Knight