'Grandma Poss loves making magic. She makes wombats blue and kookaburras pink. She makes dingoes smile and emus shrink. But one day, when danger arrives in the form of a snake, Grandma uses her most magical spell to make Hush invisible. Hush has many wonderful adventures. But being invisible isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…'
Source: Merrigong Theatre Company.
Teacher’s notes from publisher’s website.
Number 2 on the Better Reading's Top 50 Kids Books 2023
Possum Magic : Numbers
Julie Vivas
(illustrator),
Lindfield
:
Scholastic Australia
,
2012
8648489
2012
single work
picture book
children's
'Possum Magic has been reinvented for the first time as a counting book for very small children. On its first publication in 1983, Possum Magic was an instant success, and has been voted by booksellers as Australia's best-selling children's picture book. Children and parents will love this variation on a timeless favourite. ' (Publication summary)
'This article explores the findings from the first “diversity count” of Australian children’s picture books, conducted in 2019 in partnership with advocacy group Voices from the Intersection (VFTI). Specifically, this article explores the eighty-three percent of 2018 Australian children’s picture books that did not feature a marginalized protagonist: namely, those that featured human characters who could not be identified as marginalized in any way, animals, and inhuman protagonists. We propose that the Australian publishing industry, rather than suffering from a “diversity deficit,” instead overrepresents a narrow demographic of human experiences and non-human protagonists. We suggest that the oversaturation of the local children’s picture book market with such similar stories disadvantages all children, who are denied a rich and diverse reading experience, as well as the opportunity to see themselves and their peers depicted. This article provides greater insight into the current debates about diversity and inclusion in children’s media.'(Publication abstract)
'Identifying the difference between a native burrowing frog and an introduced cane toad is fundamental ecological knowledge. After bushfires ravaged Australia’s animal and plant communities and razed millions of hectares of land, such knowledge has never been more important.' (Introduction)
