Reviewed by Kerry Gittins
Summer has finally arrived in Hibiscus Gardens, which means it's wedding time! Willa is super excited about her Aunty Jane's upcoming wedding but not so excited about her dress, which she tells her best old-age friend Frank, makes her look like a meringue. Still, it will be loads of fun and her dog, Woof, has the very special job of being the ring bearer.
But summer also means bushfire season, and Willa is worried by the smoke rising from the mountains behind the town. Dad tells her not to worry as they head to the beach with her best same-age friend Tae. The wind seems to be changing though, and by the time they are back home, the smoke is bigger and closer. It starts raining - not water - but fire sparks - and they all spring into action packing backpacks, food for Woof and checking to make sure neighbours are safe.
Suddenly there's
a loud rumbling and raindrops, not fire sparks, fall from the sky. Everyone
gathers in the middle of the road clapping and cheering and thankful they are
safe. But not everything in the town was saved. Brookside Barn where the
wedding was to take place, and where all the wedding dresses were being kept,
has burned down, so the wedding is called off. Willa is worried about the
koalas near the showground too. With the help of Tae and Frank, Willa hatches a
plan to save the koalas and orchestrate the biggest surprise wedding Hibiscus
Gardens has ever seen!
Jacqueline Harvey tackles some important
concepts for younger readers in this fourth installment of Willa and Woof
including bushfires, bullying and wildlife rescue, which she approaches in a
way that is meaningful but not confronting. The metaphor of the fire as a
dragon is a masterful use of language to impress upon the reader the danger of
the bushfire situation. The gravity of rescuing and looking after injured
wildlife is portrayed with tension and understanding, with the reader given the
opportunity to see the other side of a bully. Seriousness is balanced with
humour, and descriptions like 'Ginger Biscuit, the serial killer (cat)', '. . .
a giant carrot that looked like it had legs' and 'Her caterpillar eyebrows,
Bert and Hilda, . . .' will have readers laughing out loud. Another
highly entertaining adventure filled with heart, friendship, compassion and
fun, from one of Australia's best known authors.
Supporting teaching themes could include
bushfires, seasons, friendship, bullies, wildlife rescue, koalas,
intergenerational friendships and dogs.
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