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A- a reader’s field trip to Australia

April 1, 2015 Claire Annette Noland 21 Comments

What’s not to like about Australia? Some of the coolest animals in the world live there, the beaches are beautiful, and many of the best children’s books are set in the land down under. In fact, my favorite children’s book is from Australia:Wilfred cover

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
By Mem Fox (author) and Julie Vivas (illustrator)
Picture book for all ages

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a little boy who lives next to an old folks home inhabited by wonderful seniors. His favorite friend there is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper who also has four names. When Wilfrid learns that Miss Nancy has lost her memory, he sets out to help her find it.

This is a book with heart and I find myself a bit teary every time I turn the last page. Miss Nancy looks like my grandmother Nancy. I used to read it to her every time we were together. Sigh. This book portrays older people with love and admiration and shows how special relationships can be between generations. Every family should own this book. Seriously!

There are so many wonderful books set in Australia but I’ll share just one more:Possum

Possum Magic
By Mem Fox (author) and Julie Vivas (illustrator)
Picture book for ages 4-8

A little possum named Hush lives in the Australian Bush with magical Grandma Poss. Grandma made Hush invisible which was fun until it wasn’t. Hush wants to be seen again but, oops- Grandma forgot how to make that happen. When Grandma remembers the solution has something to do with food, she and Hush set off through Australia and sample foods. Finally, they find just the right ones and Hush, bit by bit, becomes visible.
Here’s one of the food items that helps Hush be visible:Aus vegimite

I love maps in books and here’s a great one drawn by Julie Vivas:

australian map

So, not only does this book share another story of love between generations but it includes awesome Australian animals, fabulous foods, and a visual and epicurean tour of Australia.

Mem Fox has a wonderful website where she shares the stories behind her stories and gives great advise to writers as well as those who love children. It is definitely as great place to visit.

And, here’s a picture of me and my hubby on our own field trip to Australia:Aus Beach

 

This post is part of the A to Z April Blog Challenge.

It is also part of my own Read Your World Challenge. Is there a place that starts with A that you’d like to visit?

Filed Under: Books, Field Trips, Food, Multicultural Children's Books, Places Tagged With: a to z april challenge, Australian children's books, Australian Food in children's books, Field trip to Australia, Possum Magic by Mem Fox, Read your world, read your world book challenge, Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox

Previous Post: « My Own a-z blog challenge
Next Post: C is for Cuba »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. evelyneholingue says

    April 1, 2015 at 7:10 pm

    Good challenge, Claire, that fits well your passion for kids’ literature and travels. Looking forward to seeing more this month. Cheers!

    Reply
  2. S. L. Hennessy says

    April 1, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    My cousin is about the move to Australia. I’ll have to give her this link!

    Good luck with the 2015 A to Z Challenge!
    A to Z Co-Host S. L. Hennessy
    http://pensuasion.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 1, 2015 at 11:01 pm

      Thanks for visiting and for Co-Hosting the A-Z challenge. I hope you’ll get a chance to visit your cousin in Australia.

      Reply
  3. AJ Lauer (@ayjaylauer) says

    April 1, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    Your description of Wilfred Gordon… totally made me tear up. It sounds absolutely lovely! My mom works in a nursing home so I will have to tell her about it. I’m sure her seniors would appreciate the book!
    Happy A day 🙂
    ~AJ Lauer
    an A-Z Cohost
    @ayjaylauer on Twitter

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 1, 2015 at 10:59 pm

      Hi AJ, Thanks for your nice comment. Yes, get a copy from the library for your mom. It is hard to find books that acknowledge and celebrate older folks. Thanks for being a Cohost for the a-z challenge!

      Reply
  4. Julia Phillips Smith says

    April 1, 2015 at 9:14 pm

    I love your handwriting program for your comments! Very cool. Really enjoyed your post for ‘A’. I have a few online friends who live in Australia, so I’s love to get down there, as well as one high school friend who moved there. I’d also love to visit Tasmania. Happy A to Z-ing!

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 1, 2015 at 10:56 pm

      Hi Julia, I would also love to go to Tasmania. My daughter went to school in Australia and managed to get to Tasmania and loved it. Thanks for joining me on this a-z journey.

      Reply
  5. anna (herding cats & burning soup) says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:22 am

    Oh what an awesome field trip that would be! I’ve never been to Australia but would love to one day. I love finding books that are set there 🙂

    Reply
  6. Yvonne V says

    April 2, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Love your theme! I would like to visit Alaska at some point.

    Yvonne

    Reply
  7. Brenda says

    April 2, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    Thanks for the interesting write-up on Australia as well as relationships between generations. It is so important. My daughter and her Gramies are best friends. Her Gramies is on her deathbed as I write. It is going to be really tough on my daughter, but she has had some wonderful ‘last’ moments with her these past couple of days.

    Reply
  8. G Angela says

    April 2, 2015 at 5:16 pm

    Interesting post ! felt so nice to comment, with the handwriting here..

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 4, 2015 at 1:58 am

      Thanks! I think the handwriting is fun, too.

      Reply
  9. Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor says

    April 2, 2015 at 6:07 pm

    What sweet book recommendations! The books I read when I was a child always stuck with me. I imagine these books stick with the children who read them too. I can’t say that I’m a big fan of vegemite or marmite, but now that I know it has magical powers, my view of them might have changed.

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 4, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      Do you ever read books set in the places where you travel?

      Reply
  10. Cynthia says

    April 4, 2015 at 6:25 am

    I visited Australia many years ago and enjoyed my trip very much.

    It just so happens I’m reading an adult fiction book set in Australia right now.

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 4, 2015 at 7:28 pm

      Hi Cynthia,
      What are you reading. I love books set in Australia.

      Reply
  11. Gail says

    April 7, 2015 at 6:13 pm

    Win! win! win! I love Mem Fox, my honey and I are planning a trip to Australia soon, and I’m a librarian so LOVE books! The artwork looks wonderful as well. I’m definitely checking these out. Gail

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      April 9, 2015 at 8:50 pm

      Gail – Thanks for stopping by. Have a great trip to Australia. Look into the QT hotel in Sydney. Lots of fun, great location and reasonably priced.
      I love all Mem Fox books!

      Reply
  12. melissa says

    July 28, 2017 at 12:01 am

    Hello,
    Thanks for sharing. Are you able to tell me where you found the Possum Magic ‘map’ of Australia by Julie Vivas?
    Thanks Melissa

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      August 16, 2017 at 6:08 pm

      Hi Melissa,
      The map is on the last page of the book.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Z is for Zambia says:
    April 30, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    […] for all the A to Z Blog challengers, too. Here at A Field Trip Life we’ve read the world from Australia to today’s destination, […]

    Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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