At the Beach: A Woolly Wombat Story

At the Beach: A Woolly Wombat Story by Kerry Argent (Scholastic Inc)

PB RRP $6.99

ISBN 978-1-74299-050-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

The Woolly Wombat is back at the beach in his yellow hat. This time he is having fun with Bandicoot, exploring the sand and surf.

The colourful, soft illustrations enhance the humour in Wombat & Bandicoot's predicaments. The reactions on their faces are just delightful.

There are only 55 words in this 'first reader' and they are cleverly used. Concepts of opposites are explored through the hot day, cold water, and being over and under the waves - where Wombat encounters a 'big fish’ (a friendly looking shark).

The Woolly Wombat Stories are light and friendly. Pre-school aged children will find much amusement among these pages but so will slightly older children, early primary, as they learn to read. Simple words, straight forward concepts, lovely pictures and clever humour combined with a small slim book will attract beginner readers wanting to read independently, in the same way as Paul Jennings Rascal the Dragon books did.

Also with this first reader series is One Woolly Wombat, Best of Friends, and Hide and Seek.