Wombat Stew [Hardcover]

Marcia K. Vaughan (Author), Pamela Lofts (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

A dingo intent on making wombat stew receives cooking suggestions from the other animals, unaware that they are protecting their fellow creature.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3 A delightful romp of a story with a unique cast of characters from the Australian outback. It's a combination of the clever humor found in ``The Tales of Uncle Remus'' and the elements of the cumulative folk tale Stone Soup. Wily, wild Dingo dog catches a poor, woebegone Wombat and decides to make Wombat stew. But the other animals try to save Wombat by insisting that the stew will not be complete without blops of mud (says Platypus), feathers (says Emu), flies (suggests lizard), ``slugs and bugs and creepy crawlies'' (says Echidna), and gumnuts (says Koala). Much to the animals' delight, the concoction tastes so terrible that Dingo howls and runs away, never again to sing about ``yummy, chewy, Wombat stew.'' While reminiscent in many ways of Bill Peet's humorous illustrations, these full-page color drawings have a more finished look to them, are less cartoon-like, and more slyly humorous. The gleeful Dingo song lends itself to happy repetitions in storytelling and class groups even if the children are not initially familiar with all of these Australian animals. The text is simple and completely in accord with the rollicking, funny illustrations. What Vaughan has cooked up here is a modern Australian folk tale spiced with colorful characters, and seasoned with sly good humor. Louise M. Zuckerman, formerly at San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Silver Burdett Pr (April 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0382092112
• ISBN-13: 978-0382092114
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #706,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is too wonderful to be out of print!, June 24, 2000

By 

Ann M. Huebner (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wombat Stew (Hardcover)

This book is splendid. It makes you sing--literally (the tune is in the back of the book). A wombat is caught by a dingo and about to be made into wombat stew. Various Australian animals (emu, echidna, koala, etc.) come forth to suggest "improvements" on the stew. After each suggestion the dingo sings the very catchy "Wombat Stew" song. The illustrations are marvelous, and the ending is a hoot. If you love "Koala Lou" and "Possum Magic" by Mem Fox, you will certainly love this book. And because it is less esoteric and easier to understand than either of those books, it will appeal to toddlers as well as schoolchildren. It breaks my heart that it's currently out of print. Bring it back!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 21st Anniversay of an Australian Wildlife Picture Book Classic, October 20, 2007

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: WOMBAT STEW ( 21st Anniversary Ed.) (Paperback)

For some bizarre reason Amazon lists re-released editions of books as separate products so people believe them to be sold out when they aren't necessarily so. At the time of this review they did have the 21st anniversary (2005) edition in stock but if they too are now sold out just do a general search for this title, there will be a number of different editions (with their own collection reviews) where you may find an available copy. Rest assured anyway if all are sold out that Australian publishers like to celebrate anniversaries and constantly re-release children's picture books, so no doubt there will be a 25th edition released in 2009 and probably a 30th in 2014 as well. Since Amazon is a bit slow on their product updates you may need to search Amazon (or even Australian merchant websites) for these books in the years ahead.

Originally published in Australia in 1984 this book has more than stood the test of time bringing joy to children throughout time. A basic but good storyline combined with great illustrations means this is going to be a constant request by children to be read to them again and again and again. This book is an excellent book to teach children about the different types of creatures in Australia. Although the book doesn't give information on them the drawings are so well done you can expand from the storyline to point out the platypus' duck like bill, echidna's spines and other fairly unique adaptations particular Australian animals have.

Just in case you're wondering the basic plot of wombat stew is a dingo catches a wombat and boasts to everyone (all types of Australian animals) that he is going to shortly be enjoying gooey, brewy, yummy, chewy, wombat stew. These other animals are friends with the wombat and have a cunning plan to save their friend by giving suggestions of other ingredients to add to the stew. For those parents who now how to play or whose kids are learning a musical instrument the final page has the music score to the Dingo's song so the notes can be followed and played by instruments of some kids and sung along by others.

The constant lack of availability and selling out of Wombat Stew is a good lesson to keep good children's books even when your kids have moved on to older reading level books. In the future if you have more kids, friends have kids, you have grandkids etc they will all be very grateful when you come to visit with this classic. For those who don't yet have a copy rest assured though, there will always be anniversary editions of great Australian classics such as this.

Other great Australian wildlife fiction classics for kids by other authors you should check out are Possum Magic, Olga the Brolga and Edward the Emu.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book you want to sing, April 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Wombat Stew (Hardcover)

This was one of our favorite books to read to our children when they were young. After more than ten years we still think of it and our family still chants "ooey - gooey, yummy - chewy, wombat stew". Though the title seems gruesome it is delightfully funny and fun. The beautiful illustrations make the dingo so endearing that you almost feel sorry for him being tricked out of having his wombat stew. Now if only I can find copies to pass on this treat to friends that currently have young children.