Product Description

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1302404 in Books
• Published on: 1986-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

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.

Customer Reviews

This book is too wonderful to be out of print!
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!

A book you want to sing
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.

This is a great kids book!
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