Possum magic

Mem Fox, 1946-

Book - 1987

Two Australian possums go in search of the magic that will make the invisible one of them visible.

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Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
Nashville : Abingdon Press 1987, c1983.
Language
English
Main Author
Mem Fox, 1946- (-)
Physical Description
unpaged ill
ISBN
9781442010987
9780152005726
9780687317325
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Ages 5-7. This agreeable tale from down under is peppered with ``Australia-isms,'' but there is a zest to the story that transcends the language barrier (a brief glossary is provided at the conclusion). The stars of the story are two opossums, Hush and her grandmother. To keep Hush safe, Grandma Poss turns Hush invisible, which is fine until the day Hush decides she'd like to see herself. Unfortunately, Grandma Poss doesn't quite remember how to reverse the spell; she is only sure that it has something to do with ``people food.'' Eating Anzac biscuits in Adelaide and pumpkin scones in Brisbane doesn't work, but a vegemite sandwich causes Hush's tail to appear while pavlova (meringue with fruits and whipped cream) and lamington (sponge cake) bring the rest of her body forth. A fully materialized Hush dances with Grandma, and every year on her birthday she makes a meal of the three foods that keep her visible. The art captures the experience of being invisible as an ``unseen,'' outlined Hush slides down a kangaroo's back and is almost squashed by a koala. Vivas' eminently likable pictures, featuring soft watercolors that spill across the pages, are striking standouts against the expanses of the white backgrounds. Fun for individual readers or as a supplement to units on Australia. An appended map traces Hush's journeys around her continent. IC. Opossums Fiction / Animals Fiction / Australia Fiction [OCLC] 87-1246

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 2 Grandma Poss uses bush magic to make Hush invisible, but when Hush wants to see herself again, Grandma can't remember which particular Australian food is needed to reverse the spell. Traveling around the continent in search of an antidote, Grandma and Hush sample Anzac biscuits, mornay, vegemite, and pavlova until the right delicacy is found. Although the characters, locales, and vocabulary are thoroughly Australian, Possum Magic has universal appeal. Fox chooses her words carefully, making readers believe that certain foods just might be magical. Vivas uses a variety of techniques, including splatter painting and washes to create full- and double-page watercolor illustrations which complement the text and will entrance readers. A perfect choice for storytimes, but also useful for curriculum enrichment, thanks to a simplified map and glossary. Jeanette Larson, Mesquite Public Library, Tex. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

by Abingdon. Mem Fox and Julie Vivas provide a delightful story about the trials of an invisible possum as they take readers on a romp all over Australia. They fuse text and illustrations together so masterfully that it seems like a sleight of hand. Presto change-o: one enchanting book. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.