Carol Diggory Shields

"Six woolly wombats, walking one by one, / Passed a golden wattle blooming in the sun. / The last little wombat, whose name was Clive, / Stopped to smell the flowers... then there were FIVE." And so it goes as six wombats go walkabout in this Australian-themed rhyming counting book, finding their numbers thinned by a hungry dingo. Eventually the last two wombats realize what is going on, and manage to cleverly turn the tables on their canine adversary...

Winsome words - the rollicking rhythm show more makes the text here just roll off the tongue - are paired with adorable artwork in Wombat Walkabout, making this picture-book a wonderful story-hour selection for younger children. Part counting book, part poetry selection, part story of prey turning the tables on their predator, it is an entertaining book with plenty of humor, both textual and visual. As always, Sophie Blackall's artwork is immensely appealing, capturing the chubby charm of its phascolomian cast perfectly. As someone who loved Jackie French's Diary of a Wombat, I was probably always going to enjoy Shields and Blackall's work here, but I was surprised by just how adorable I found it! Recommended to fellow wombat lovers, as well as to anyone looking for fun counting books and/or humorous rhyming texts. show less

A whimsical book with poetry all about school. Every subject you can imagine from catching the bus on time to the pledge of allegiance to lunch money to friends and the playground. Shields does a great job capturing all different times of the school day in fun poetry.

This title is absolutely freaking adorable; it's really a perfect storytime title. The book is large format with big illustrations spanning both pages. The text is a minimalist counting rhyme about six wombats outsmarting a wily dingo.

The book introduces some new vocabulary as well as some basic information about the wildlife in Australia. The wombats, with their unique outfits, cute half-moon eyes, and rolypoly bodies will win over toddlers jaded by bear/rabbit/turtle/etc. tales.

This is an extremely clever counting book with many wonderful aspects. The book allows readers to count down from six, as the wombats disappear one by one. But each page also allows readers to search for a hidden character. Initially, we are searching for the dingo dog, and he gets more and more difficult to spot as the story moves along. Later, when the last two wombats reverse the natural order and begin hunting the dingo dog, we can try to spot the wombats hiding in the pictures. show more Meanwhile, the wonderfully flowing text gives us a lesson in rhyming at the same time as a lesson in Australian flora, fauna, and dialect. In fact, this simple book has many lessons to teach all rolled into one fast-paced story, filled with illustrations of charming characters. A truly admirable and lovable tale, which would make a fabulous read aloud to children of any age or a good read-to-self option. show less