A story about the need to look after each other, which may feel too old for its target audience.
Feature image credit: Magabala Books
Helen Milroy is a descendent of the Palyku people of the Pilbara Region in Western Australia. Along with her role as a child and adolescent psychiatrist, she is a strong advocate for the mental health and wellbeing of children.
Mysterious Mole and Old Croc is the sixth book in the Tales of the Bush Mob series. It is the story of Molly the Mole who is allergic to dust. This is problematic for Molly, who spends most of her life underground. She also does not know how to swim. Meanwhile, Old Croc is afraid of the dark. He needs sun to warm up his old bones, but the water gets too cold at night. Their lives collide one day when there is flooding. Old Croc saves Molly Mole from drowning, and they form a friendship.
Mysterious Mole and Old Croc is essentially a picture book, in size and use of illustrations, but is written in chapters with more text than the usual picture book. For this reason, it is more difficult to know where to place this it in age group and category. The story seems too old for a younger child due to the amount of words and the complexity of the story. In a classroom setting, reading one chapter at time and discussing what has happened before moving on would help with their understanding.
The illustrations use earthy colours, and may not appeal to the younger child who likes their illustrations to jump off the page. These are much more subtle. At the beginning of the story, Milroy introduces us to the animals we will meet in the book, with illustrations. Children could talk about whether they have seen any of these animals or where you would find them. The list could also be used to classify them into their groups: marsupials, birds, reptiles, insects etc. There could also be discussion/learning around our seasons and the impact the weather has on our wildlife.
As with all First Nation stories, there are lessons to be learned. This one teaches us not to misjudge others, or listen to rumours or stories, and that we need to look after everyone.
Teacher notes are available on the Magabala Books website.
Reviewed by Sue Mauger
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Magabala Books
Released: September 2024
RRP: $19.99
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