Diary of a Wombat

The sweet and funny wombat sure made his way to the hearts of my grandkids. They seemed very pleased with the book and enjoyed the wombat adventures and competition with human neighbors to eat every carrot in their house and garden. Cute story and nice illustrations. We loved it.

We read dozens and dozens of childrens' books featuring local flora and fauna during our trip to New Zealand and Australia and this one was by far the most engaging and delightful. We didn't buy it in the first store where we saw it and then spent the ensuing several weeks quoting it at every available occasion. We even started demanding carrots for both good and bad behavior. One thing we loved is the link between the narration and the drawings -- they complement each other in clever and wonderful ways. On one page the wombat discovers a new scratching post and only in studying the drawing do you see that he has dislodged a can of paint. At the end of the book many of his targets (from clean laundry to a pair of boots) are visible in one truly great image. Another great thing is how well the book gets across how wombats really act without ever stating any boring facts. The humorous text and graphics simply show a wombat doing what wombats do -- it's a great purchase as a souvenir because it can introduce a child to this funny animal. Strongly recommended.

I first saw this book at an open house. It was part of the staging for the unit but once I saw the book, I stopped looking around the property and had to read it. I was all smiles from the first page. This book is great for both children and adults. The text and the illustrations are of equal quality (excellent) and make me laugh every time I read the book. It is obvious that the author has spent a lot of time with wombats and has observed their behavior with humor. The words and pictures capture the quirkiness and cuteness of wombats perfectly. Another thing I liked about this book was that the text is shown as if the wombat was scribbling in his diary (same look as how the title is written). I keep this book displayed on the shelf at all times in my room so whenever I look in that direction there is something to brighten my day. If you like animals, you will love this book.

I loved this book from an adult that has had the wonderful fortune to have cared,raised & released three of these unusual creatures of the Australian bush. Jacki French describes so accurately the most important things that Australian wombats loves to do-Sleep,eat and to check out whats new in their backyard including humans. The illustrations are wonderful and the destruction of all things foreign is so typical of this creature and their love of carrots, sweet potato and a bowl of oats are like chocolate is to us. I recommend this book to children and adults alike as it is entertaining and a great introduction to the world of the Australian wombat. If this small book makes you smile then follow it up with 'How to scratch a wombat' and read about Jacki's experiences, living amongst and raising these animals in the Australian bush.

Narrated from the witty perspective of a highly intelligent wombat, this delightful tale offers a humorous account of the wombat's comical encounters with humans and her relentless pursuit of sustenance. The book combines straightforward yet expressive illustrations with the wombat's sharp-witted observations, providing an entertaining glimpse into a world where animals train humans. As students read along, they will find themselves chuckling at the wombat's amusing escapades, all while engaging in valuable exercises of making connections, posing inquiries, and drawing inferences to unravel the intricacies of the wombat's everyday existence.

I have purchased this book half a dozen times as gifts for young children for their birthday. It’s perfect to add to gift bags. It’s a fun story and nice to include something Australian.

*****SPOILERS READ AT YOUR OWN PERIL***** One of the funniest stories about the life of a wombat, beginning with the easy life cycle of the wombat. Then the Wombat realizes that there are humans that are living near by, then proceeds to show the destructive nature of the wombat. But from the Wombat’s point of view it isn’t being destructive, it is merely requesting things and not understanding the difference between the human world and the wombat world. The wombat receives carrots from the humans, and since then have been terrorizing the humans to get the carrots. That was the first mistake they made, as they continue to give the wombat carrots, and when the wombat is tired of carrots, the humans then feed it oats. The wombat considers everything he or she is doing as just part of his life, and some of the things he is doing he considers as a help to the humans. I felt it was an innocent way to describe the different perspective that animals and humans have. What we consider as an animal being destructive, animals are merely looking for food. They do not understand the difference. It is also a lesson of not feeding wild animals. they become too comfortable with humans and messes with their natural life. At the end the wombat decided that humans are easy to train and make good pets and decided to live under the house of the humans. The art was cute. The story was hilarious. I could’t help but laugh at the story. I recommend it!

When I tell people about trips to Australia, it will somehow involve my favorite animal in the entire world, the wombat. It's a wild animal, despite it looking like it'd be a great pet. They're not malicious nor aware that what they do is "bad" and they're so darn cute so you can't be angry with them. The wombat's story takes place over a week, and starts out with the wombat sleeping, eating and scratching. Eventually, it discovers humans, and as every pet owner knows, humans are great sources of food for cute and cuddly things. Jackie French is a good author - making the wombat less like an annoyance but instead, a cute cuddly animal that can't help itself. The illustrations are top notch and give the wombat a personality of its own. It shows how destructive they can be - but it's not malicious. They see food, and go after it. You can't go wrong with this book. It's a great introduction to one of the world's most unique animals and makes for a good story for kids.

Fantastic

Okay, so I never had a wombat growing up (wrong side of the country), but plenty of magpies that behave just as persistently in demanding food and shelter. This is a wonderful tale of what it is like to grow up in relationship with those furry or feathered friends that choose to share our homes and avail themselves of our vegetable gardens. Heartwarming and charming. Love this, and I'm hording it for when I have grandchildren to read again and again.

The book has a lovely message about being different/autistic. It even have quotes in the back and a page for you to explain why you're a daisy what's good about you. And a word search

Es muy bonito. El vocabulario es sencillo. Una historia divertida. Preciosas ilustraciones. A los alumnos les ha encantado.

unendlich schön und niedlich wird hier die geschichte eines wombat und seinem ersten kontakt mit menschen erzählt. hat man eine zeit in australien verbracht, findet man herrlich viele paralleln zu wirklich erlebten und amüsiert sich köstlich. die illustrationen sind wunderschön gezeichnet, ebenso der text geschrieben und im buch dargestellt. absolut empfehlenswert!