Customer Reviews

Wombat Stew

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

When I was in first grade back in 1991, there were two books that I'd constantly check out from the school's library. One of them was Lancelot the Ocelot, and the other was Wombat Stew. We'd just learned a little about all the different animals that live in Australia, and I was hooked on kangaroos and wombats. I managed to find this one while going through all the books in the picture book section and couldn't wait to take it home. Man, I probably read this thing 10 times on the first day- it had terrific artwork and a catchy little song too! But time went on, and I forgot about Wombat Stew until a few years ago when I tried to get a copy, but was puzzled by how much it was going for at the time. The book's been out of print for a while, even though it got an anniversary edition not too long ago, but I finally managed to get a copy for a good deal, and I'm happy to say that it still holds up 20 years later.

The story is short and to the point- a hungry dingo has just caught a big, fat wombat and is about to cook him up in a stew. One by one, a bunch of animals convince the dingo that the stew isn't good yet, and continue to add things to it like feathers, bugs and gumnuts. The dingo thinks that everything sounds great, singing a little song in-between adding ingredients. Dingo is just about to add the wombat into the pot, but the other animals tell him that he should try the stew without the wombat first to make sure it's good enough. As soon as he does, he gags, making a crazy face, and runs away screaming that he's been poisoned! The wombat makes it out alive, and all is well in the cosmos.

I absolutely love the illustrations in this book. It looks like everything was done in colored pencil, and I'm hoping to check out Pamela Lofts' other work soon. The characters are all full of life and have some memorable facial expressions without being goofy. The dingo's face after tasting the stew is something I'll always remember. There's no violence in the book or objectionable content either. As I said, this was a book I read when I was 6, so kids that age should be able to enjoy it by themselves without any problems. There's just one tiny nitpick I have with the book's presentation, and that's how the text is done. It's in big, plain Times New Roman font and it's just placed into different spots on the pages, instead of being at the top or bottom. It's not a big deal but looking at it now is a little weird.

All in all, I'm glad that this book is still enjoyable, and my 4 year old daughter really likes it too. Getting to see all the different kinds of animals that aren't at the zoo, from emus to echidnas, is always cool. Give Wombat Stew a shot if you haven't yet.

I like the book and I think it's a good book for children. It has a happy ending and it's funny! I am only 5, and I like singing the song in the book

I love this silly book! It's Eewie Gooey Yummie Chewy! I just wish I could have a copy of my own....:(

You don't have to put on a goofy Australian accent to read this story in which a platypus and his animal friends outwit Dingo and save a hapless wombat from the bubbling billycan... but your kids will laugh even harder if you do!

We read this first when my son was 18 months old; ten years later, it still finds its way out of the bookshelf once in a while. How can such a classic be out of print?

This is a wonderful, fun book for young children that was popular in the 1980's, but which hasn't lost its charm! The humorous illustrations are well done and clearly show how the various animals try to save their wombat friend from the dingo's stew! Children love the catchy rhyme, and learn to say it on each page! My own children and my nephews and niece who are in their 30's fondly remember this story and can still recite the rhyme! This one is hard to find but is a real winner!

Wombat Stew is in print, just click on the separate product page link Wombat Stew for the 21st Anniversary (2005) edition. For some bizarre reason Amazon lists these re-released books as separate products but they are one and the same. At the time of this review they did have stock but if they too are now sold out rest assured 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.

My 9 year old and I love Wombat Stew! I am "reading mom" to several classes at my son's elementary school and without exception, the classes with whom I have shared this book also adore it. It's simple enough for the younger set, but so much fun that the older kids aren't embarrassed to get caught up in the rollicking, rhyming enchantment. The illustrations are simply fabulous and the cast of delightful, eccentric Aussie animals can't be beat. Even though we live in Florida, my son has been fascinated with all things Australian since he was a toddler-at 4 he loved announcing to everyone who would listen that echidnas and platypuses were monotremes and then giggled with delight when the response was "mono whats?". We have been fortunate enough to also find a very rare copy of the Wombat Stew Cookbook, which should definately be added to your library should you ever come across it. We haven't actually made any of the recipes yet, but if you don't have any trouble with converting ingredients from metric they sound like fun! Our sincere thanks to authors like Marcia Vaughan and Mem Fox as well as illustrators like Pamela Lofts for the lovely journeys of imagination they have provided for those of us who can't make the trip to Australia in person.