From School Library Journal
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 Scottα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
"Welcome is at the heart of Carmen Agra Deedy’s story. . . . rendered in charming detail by Brian Lies.."—The New York Times
★ "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. . . . A superb read-aloud balancing messages about the environment and generosity with humor and heart."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
"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."—School Library Journal
"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."—The Horn Book
"Entertaining and richly colored acrylics and colored-pencil illustrations—including a bonus cutaway displaying Wombat’s snug three-level underground abode. . . ."—Booklist
"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. . . . 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.."—Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Carmen Agra Deedy, a New York Times best-selling author (14 Cows for America) and nationally known storyteller. Her books have received numerous awards and honors, including a Pura Belpre Honor, Christopher, Jane Addams Honor, and an E.B.White Read-Aloud Honor. Carmen has presented at many prestigious venues, but children are her favorite audience. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the United States as a refugee. She lives in Georgia.
Brian Lies has illustrated over thirty books, including the 2019 Caldecott Honor-winning The Rough Patch, which also won a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and his New York Times bestselling bat series (Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, and Bats in the Band). He now lives in a seaside town in Massachusetts with his wife and two cats. His hobbies are woodworking, cooking, and tending a big vegetable garden behind the house.
