Momo celebrating time to read: Mem Fox

Showing posts with label Mem Fox. Show all posts

Sunday, October 18, 2026

ABC Radio National top 100 Australian Books

ABC Radio National: Each year we focus on a different theme. In 2026, we're celebrating Australian writing in all its many forms. ... Our definition of Australian is deliberately broad. We want to celebrate books that reflect Australia and Australian life in all its richness. ... There are no genre restrictions.

As you would expect I am going to list the Children's Books that 'made' this list. I predicted NONE of my choices would be listed but in fact ONE of mine is there! Nineteen children's books are in the top 100 so that is something to celebrate even though a few of were written many decades ago. And I have listed a few others that were later published as young reader or abridged editions.

IBBY Australia Honour Book 2010; Shaun Tan IBBY Australia Hans Christian Andersen nominee; Shaun Tan winner of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (ALMA) 2011.

The Arrival is a title on the IBBY International Silent Books list (2013).

Read this article by Shaun Tan about The Arrival

100. Round the Twist by Paul Jennings

99. The 13-Storey Tree house by Andy Griffiths

98. The Arrival by Shaun Tan*

91. Where the Forest meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker*

83. Wombat Stew by Marcia K Vaughan illustrated by Pamela Lofts

70. Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French* illustrated by Bruce Whatley*

62. Are we there yet? by Alison Lester*

55. The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay (1918)

48. Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox* illustrated by Judy Horacek

47. Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Park (1980)

42. The Complete adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs (1918)

37. I can jump puddles by Alan Marshall (1955)

32. Animalia by Graeme Base

25. Seven Little Australian by Ethel Turner (1893)

19. Magic Beach by Alison Lester

17. Storm Boy by Colin Thiele (the best edition is the one illustrated by Robert Ingpen 1974)

13. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (1992)

11. Possum Magic by Mem Fox illustrated by Julie Vivas

6. Tomorrow when the War Began by John Marsden

* the labels on this post will take you to more books by these authors and illustrators.

Illustration by Robert Ingpen (IBBY Australia HCAA Nominee 1986)

Source: The Guardian

Other titles:

I also need to mention 59. The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku because there is a picture book edition and 60. The Man from Snowy River by AB Banjo Paterson which you can read in several picture books. There are abridged editions written for young readers of 21. My Place by Sally Morgan; 24. The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay, 12. Dark Emu was published for young readers as Young Dark Emu and 50. Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. I guess I should also have added 81. We of the Never Never by Jeanie Gunn published in 1907.

Illustrated by Freya Blackwood*

Cookbooks on the list:

22. The Birthday Cake Book (Australian Women's Weekly)

96. Recipe Tin Eats Dinner

56. The Cooks Companion Stephanie Alexander

I mentioned this book in my post about Countdown to Yesterday by Shirley Marr

You will also want to watch the Bluey Episode "Duck Cake" season 2 episode 43.

Round the Twist was a television series based on several previous short stories found in collections by Paul Jennings such as Unreal. My own favourite Paul Jenning stories are One Shot Toothpaste and Smart Ice cream.

Read more here

If you are curious here are my votes:

Tiger Daugher; Fox; Picasso and the Greatest Show on earth; Then and Now; The Foal in the wire; Scar Town; The way of Dog; and Across the Risen Sea. My tenth book is My Strange Shrinking Parents by Zeno Sworder.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

Koala Lou by Mem Fox illustrated by Pamela Lofts

"There was once a baby koala so soft and round that all her saw her loved her.

Her name was Koala Lou."

One hundred times a day her mother would say 'Koala Lou, I DO love you!'. But over time more babies arrive and Koala Lou's mother becomes very busy. She no longer stops to say 'I do love you' although of course she did. Koala Lou wants her mother to hug her again so she decides to enter the Bush Olympics. If she can win then her mother will surely say 'I do love you' once again.

"It was Koala Klaws who went first. Her climb was a record-breaking twenty-two metres in seventy seconds flat. The spectators whistled and cheered and wildly waved their holiday hats."

Now it is time for Koala Lou.

"But she wasn't fast enough. In spite of all her training and all her hoping, it was Koala Klaws who won the gum-tree climbing. Koala Lou came second. Koala Lou went off and hid. She heard the shouts of the Bush Olympics and cried her heart out."

I think you will be able to guess how this story ends - with those all important words - Koala Lou I DO love you. Yes - that is the illustration on the cover - it comes right at the end of the book.

This book is a perfect ambassador for Australia - on this page you can see our Flannel Flowers and Kangaroo Paws (flowers) and animals in the story include the platypus, emu and in the illustrations you will spy a quoll, bilby, numbat, possum, Tasmania devil, and a galah.

Bookseller blurb: There was once a baby koala, so soft and round that all who saw her loved her. Her name was Koala Lou. Koala Lou is the first born in a large family. She feels sad because her mother seems too busy to pay her any attention. Perhaps if she wins the tree-climbing at the Bush Olympics her mother might notice her again . . . Koala Lou starts her training right away!

Mem Fox talks about writing this book here. She says: A grueling two years and 49 drafts later, the final 585 words of Koala Lou were published ... You can see a full set of books by Mem Fox here.

There are quite a few videos of Koala Lou - if you need to 'read' the book this way try to find one with an Australian voice. The toy of Koala Lou is no longer available.

A few days ago, I listed some books you could share with your child or in your library about Australia perhaps for Australia Day (26th January) and one I mentioned was Koala Lou. This means I discovered I had not talked about this book which is such fun to read aloud.

In 2023 Koala Lou (1988) was 35 years old and a special anniversary edition was released:

And here is the US cover:

Pamela Lofts (1949-2012) is also famous for Wombat Stew, Hunwick's Egg and Sail Away: The Ballad of Skip and Nell.

Blurb: The dingo pair set out to sea - their hearts were beating fast. Their boat was but a redgum log with neither sail nor mast. Follow intrepid adventurers, Skip and Nell, as they travel round Australia

on their way to that boat race way out west.