Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Wombat's sense of hospitality is hard-pressed as other animal residents of the burning Australian bush seek refuge in his cool, safe, underground home.From the start, the text seems made for a read-aloud: "Wombat was not worried. No, not a tittle. Fire had passed over his burrow before." A delightful, full-bleed double-page spread depicts a cutaway of Wombat in his orange-toned burrow, while outside and above, readers see a pale sky and a drift of smoke. The mannerly marsupial-his patterned quilt wrapped over his collared, khaki shirt-settles in to have tea and wait out the fire. Immediately, he hears the first of many interruptions at his door. Wallaby is begging for shelter, and Wombat invites him in with a welcoming verse that becomes his standard reply each time another refugee arrives ("Wombat said, ‘Come in!' / Wombat said, ‘Come in!' / From smoke and din / and howling wind / come in, my friend, come in!"). The charming, easily learned mantra changes only when the crisis ends. Each succeeding guest is more demanding, from Kookaburra, Platypus, and Koala to tiny Sugar Glider. The dry wit of the text is matched by art that is both detailed in illustrating each animal and hilarious in showing poor Wombat's trials. One of many funny touches is the fact that only Wombat wears clothing. Beneath the fun, however, lies the grim reality of climate change, tempered by lessons in zoology and, especially, practical altruism. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A superb read-aloud balancing messages about the environment and generosity with humor and heart. (Picture book. 4-8)

ALA Booklist (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Deedy's cautionary tale, which featuring six native Australian animals, reveals the possible risks of being too welcoming and thoughtful. A wildfire is burning near Wombat's burrow, so he decides to hunker down until the danger has passed. Just as the marsupial is about to enjoy some tea and cookies under his crazy quilt, Wallaby arrives, pleading for a safe spot away from the blaze. Wombat graciously invites his friend in, only for Wallaby to grab the quilt and lie on the couch where Wombat was planning to sit and read. "No worries," Wombat thinks, until Kookaburra appears and immediately commandeers Wombat's comfy chair. Children will get a kick out of poor Wombat's attempts to ride out the wildfire calmly only to be interrupted time and again by his friends. Lies' entertaining and richly colored acrylics and colored-pencil illustrations cluding a bonus cutaway displaying Wombat's snug three-level underground abode ature a variety of perspectives while showing Wombat's potential peace and quiet as it's severely impacted by unexpected (and rather messy) houseguests.

Horn Book (Tue Dec 03 00:00:00 CST 2024)

As fire spreads above his burrow, a wombat opens his underground home to a series of Australian animals, including a wallaby, kookaburra, and platypus. Each visitor makes itself comfortable immediately and, with Wombat's care and attention, gets what it needs. "Kookaburra commandeered Wombat's favorite chair"; "Platypus padded away in Wombat's favorite slippers." Wombat's life is transformed for several days, and his once-peaceful home is especially disrupted by the antics of Sugar Glider. When the danger has passed and most of the animals head back to their dwellings, Wombat generously invites Sugar Glider, who has no home to go back to, to stay. Deedy's (Rita & Ralph's Rotten Day, rev. 5/20) effective use of repetition in structure and language ("Wombat said, 'Come in!' / Wombat said, 'Come in! / From smoke and wind and howling din'") reads like an Australian cousin to Brett's The Mitten. Lies's (Bats at the Beach et al; The Rough Patch) richly colored illustrations, featuring expressive anthropomorphized animals, display both the comfort and chaos of Wombat's home. He changes perspective from page to page so viewers are sometimes up close, sometimes peering down from above; the shifts successfully create the sense of disarray in Wombat's space. Educators will find multiple curricular connections for this tale of hospitality, climate, and displacement, but young readers will likely be most attracted to the humor in text and art and the personalities of the animal neighbors.

Kirkus Reviews

Wombat's sense of hospitality is hard-pressed as other animal residents of the burning Australian bush seek refuge in his cool, safe, underground home.From the start, the text seems made for a read-aloud: "Wombat was not worried. No, not a tittle. Fire had passed over his burrow before." A delightful, full-bleed double-page spread depicts a cutaway of Wombat in his orange-toned burrow, while outside and above, readers see a pale sky and a drift of smoke. The mannerly marsupial-his patterned quilt wrapped over his collared, khaki shirt-settles in to have tea and wait out the fire. Immediately, he hears the first of many interruptions at his door. Wallaby is begging for shelter, and Wombat invites him in with a welcoming verse that becomes his standard reply each time another refugee arrives ("Wombat said, ‘Come in!' / Wombat said, ‘Come in!' / From smoke and din / and howling wind / come in, my friend, come in!"). The charming, easily learned mantra changes only when the crisis ends. Each succeeding guest is more demanding, from Kookaburra, Platypus, and Koala to tiny Sugar Glider. The dry wit of the text is matched by art that is both detailed in illustrating each animal and hilarious in showing poor Wombat's trials. One of many funny touches is the fact that only Wombat wears clothing. Beneath the fun, however, lies the grim reality of climate change, tempered by lessons in zoology and, especially, practical altruism. (This book was reviewed digitally.)A superb read-aloud balancing messages about the environment and generosity with humor and heart. (Picture book. 4-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Fire is raging outside his burrow, but Wombat “was not worried.” Acrylic and colored pencil renderings by Lies (the Little Bat series) of Wombat’s multilevel burrow, which include an elaborate cutaway, instantly establish it a place of safety and comfort. Wombat generously offers this home to five frightened animals who appear at his door in turn, each greeted by Agra Deedy’s (Rita and Ralph’s Rotten Day) refrain: “Wombat said, ‘Come in!’/ Wombat said, ‘Come in!/ From smoke and din/ and howling wind,/ come in, my friend, come in!’ ” Wallaby immediately commandeers Wombat’s beloved quilt, Kookaburra snags the host’s favorite chair, and the house is in short order a mess. The danger finally passes, and stretched-to-the-limit Wombat (the only clothes-wearing animal), announces that his guests must “Skedaddle! Shoo! Go home!” But when pocket-size Sugar Glider reveals having nowhere to go—a moment of pause in the otherwise rollicking telling—Wombat changes the critter’s status to full-time roommate. With unspoken but unmistakable reference to the ravages of climate change, the creators underscore the idea that hospitality is not always about politesse—it can be a matter of life and death. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group. Illustrator’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Oct.)

School Library Journal (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2022)

PreS-Gr 3— Wombat is not worried that a fire is in the air. He is about to settle into his comfy chair with his slippers and a cup of tea when one by one his animal friends—a platypus, koala, kookaburra, wallaby, and sugar glider—frantically enter and unsettle his peaceful abode. He bids them welcome with the repeated phrase, "Come in! Come in! From smoke and din and howling wind, come in, my friend, come in!" The friends are all welcome, but when at last the air clears, Wombat is less than gentle in his urgency to send his house guests on their way. The illustrations capture the characters in their various states of distress, and Deedy's language welcomes all readers and listeners into a story that celebrates friendship and tolerance. Children will enjoy the wombat quiz that precedes the story, and they will root for each adorable creature as they find a way into Wombat's home, some more peacefully than others. Much different in tone from the less-anthropomorphized Australian wildfire story, Wombat Underground , this title focuses on the universal need for comfort and tolerance in the face of adverse situations. VERDICT Welcoming those in distress, be they friends or strangers, is a message that benefits all students. This title does just that with charming and humorous detail in both words and pictures.— John Scott