It’s Wombat’s birthday and he has written, ‘a list of wild and dangerous things to do between now and [his] next birthday’. His friend Fox is a reluctant participant in the hair-raising escapades that include scootering down Bandicoot’s Hill with Fox wrapped in pillows, leaping from a high diving tower and riding a rollercoaster after hours. This is the third title in the ‘Wombat & Fox’ series, wacky illustrated tales of three city-dwelling amigos--Wombat, Fox and Croc, and in this book, Devil. Also involved are a cast of recurring characters who--when not directly part of the action--can often be found depicted in the ink drawings of a cityscape reminiscent of St Kilda crossed with Barcelona. Wombat and his friends act like hyperactive children but have their own apartments and seem free of any regulation except from the uniform-wearing Hippo Sisters. Humour is both knockabout and clever which leads to wide reader appeal from preschoolers to mid-orupper primary. There are a myriad incidents and stories to follow in the illustrations from the front cover to the back and while the text is a challenge for beginner readers, a preliminary read-aloud session would help.

Kerry White is a bibliographer and a major contributor to The Source, an online resource

Tags: terry denton