Horn Book (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

"Morning: slept. Afternoon: slept. Evening: Ate grass." A wombat's diary gets more interesting after she acquires human neighbors, who "provide" her with treats (carrots plundered from their garden), a worthy enemy (their welcome mat), and the perfect scratching post (their patio furniture). The play between the dry text and droll illustrations is effective, and it's further enhanced by the clean page design.

Kirkus Reviews

A wombat, American readers will learn, is an adorable round creature that looks something like a small, pointy-eared bear and likes to sleep. It also has enormous claws, a prodigious appetite, and an unshakable determination to get what it wants. This imperturbable specimen keeps a diary that keenly describes her daily excitements: "Monday. Morning: Slept. Afternoon: Slept. Evening: Ate grass. Scratched. Night: Ate grass. Slept." When new neighbors move in and prove to be an excellent source of carrots, the diary's list expands to reveal the lengths this wombat will go ("Chewed hole in door") to ensure a steady stream of the treat. Whatley's acrylic vignettes, arranged sequentially across the spreads, are set against a generous white background and provide the perfect counterpoint to French's deadpan narration. The tortured outline of a garbage can says it all when paired with, "Banged on large metal object till carrots appeared." The level of irony involved requires sophisticated readers, but they will laugh out loud at the wombat's antics—and breathe sighs of relief that she's not their neighbor. (Picture book. 5-7)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-Through simple sentences and hilarious yet realistic acrylic illustrations, readers are treated to a week of observations made by a young female wombat who becomes chummy with a human family. The diarist's obsessions with sleep and carrots allow a rest from heavier chuckles over a confrontation with a welcome mat: "Discovered flat, hairy creature invading my territory. Fought major battle with flat, hairy creature. Won battle. Neighbors should be pleased. Demanded a reward." French's text, in Kid's Stuff Plain font, also indirectly informs on habitat and wombats' nocturnal lifestyle. Whatley gives a sublime balance of the adorable charm of the creature, along with its drawbacks as an acquaintance. This title will team nicely with Margaret Spurling's Bilby Moon (Kane/Miller, 2001) for studies of Australian wildlife.-Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.