Product Description

Did you know that koalas have two thumbs? Or that wombats sleep with their feet in the air? Big, colorful photos and simple text explore these charming creatures and their habitats. Simple maps show where each animal lives its remarkable life.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very Cute Book
Even though this is more of a kid's book as an adult I throughly enjoyed it.Wombats are one of my favorite animals and living outside of Australia its difficult to find out anything about them.This book gives some very basic information on them and has some very cute photos as well. ... Read more

Product Description
Wombat Smith is the adopted member of a loving human family -- but he only just recently realized his wasn't quite like them. Wondering if he really belongs with the Smiths, Wombat sets out to learn more about what he is -- a marsupial. A trip to the library inspires him to travel to the wilds of Tasmania, where Wombat is sure to find other marsupials just like him, and maybe a new home. But frightening encounters with unfriendly farmers and Tasmanian devils make the countryside a dangerous place for a lone traveler. Will Wombat ever find out where he belongs? This new series features a curious, cuddly hero, who happens to be a marsupial. In his first adventure he travels to Australia and Tasmania, where he encounters interesting animals, exotic plants, and strange foods, which will delight young explorers. Children will identify with Wombat's sense of curiosity, his desire to belong, and the fact that sometimes he feels "different" from others. A vibrant, manga-inspired cover and black and white interior illustrations rich with texture and shading, capture the cute, comedic nature of Wombat Smith, and complement the smart, entertaining text. ... Read more

Product Description
A magic realm is set on a collision course with wackiness when a witch and her wombat sidekick guide an assortment of tourists from the mortal world through an enchanted forest they think is merely a high-tech amusement park. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Delightful and very funny indeed

I don't know what it is about the very word "wombat" which gets some people well on the way to cracking up with laughter. Fortunately, if you are not one of them, the fact that one of the characters in this story is turned into a wombat in the second chapter and stays that way for most of the rest of the book is far from being the only joke.

The magical world is running out of psychic energy because humans in the "outer worlds" have stopped believing in witches, monsters, and other supernatural beings. So the troll, Bentwood, who acts as the Producer for "Grimmworld" comes up with an idea - to harness the imagination of dungeons and dragons fanatics from our world by bringing them to the "Inner Worlds" for a quest in the belief that they are taking part in a computer-generated adventure game.

Hali, the "Witch" half of the title, and her familiar Bernie, who is the "Wombat" half, have to shepherd a group of three human kids and an obnoxious critic through the world of magic, not realising that the hazards they are passing through are very real and that they could actually get killed. At first, since most of the ogres and monsters attacking the party have been hired by the management and are under strict instructions to lose the fights the party gets into, the danger should not be too great. But then they run into union monsters who are on strike against the management, and suddenly things start to get rather too exciting ...

The ending is a little downbeat; I wonder if Cushman was setting things up for a sequel which was never written. However, in general this is by turns amusing and exciting, and always entertaining.

Lighthearted fantasy
This book has a little bit of everything - and all of it well done! Fantasy, role playing, magic, romance, fairy tale, dry humor, and mythical creatures are all in this one. The good (Hali), the bad (snotty elflord), and the ugly (Bentwood) combine to keep you entertained throughout the book. I recommend this book highly. My only complaint is that there is no sequel. I would definitely like to see more like this.

Rating: A/A- ; humorous light fantasy.
Business has been slow for Hali, and she's stuck in an irritatingly tidy
A-frame with a blue plastic roof.When her boss Bentwood comes up
with a scheme to lure fantasy gamers to the Inner World as tourists,
she agrees to help in exchange for a properly spooky witch's hut...

As witches go, she lacked a certain fearsome something...
Preteens, to her mortification, pegged her instantly as a pushover...
Hali liked to think that her mouse-brown hair snaked about her face,
but in reality it hung in limp tendrils that only came to life in wet
weather, when they suddenly sat up and curled wildly...

At the other extreme, Hali's most beguiling expression, adopted at
social occasions attended by attractive males, tended to send her targets
running for their lives.

The gamers are told that they'll have a chance to play a VR game of
*unprecedented* realism.They're duly ported over from the Outer
Worlds, and the fun begins.The first group includes two college boys,
one high-school girl, and a singularly obnoxious game-critic - in
terminal exasperation, Hali turns this last into a giant dung-beetle.He
finds he rather likes his new role...

"Trust me, he's a happy insect, " Hali said... "The antidote's the
usual... "

"True love's kiss?", Bernie asked, amused. "That one's not going to
find true love outside a mirror."

There are few surprises in this first novel, but the cheerful tone and
amusing skits keep the pages turning.Ms. Cushman is perhaps better-
known for her monthlycolumn in Locus, where she reviews books
much like the one she has written (though most of those are not so
well done).She is a reliable reviewer and an entertaining writer.I
hope she got sufficient encouragement from "W&W" to write another.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

[review written 1998]

great lighthearted fantasy
this was such a great book that i can only hope there are sequels.a dash of realism in the fantasy world leaves witch hali needing money for a new house. the idea of her running counseling sessions for a group of teenagersunder the cover of 'virtual reality' to disguise the magic was lots of funand leaves us open for a sequel.. which i hope comes someday.

Rating: A/A-humorous light fantasy.
Business has been slow for Hali, and she's stuck in an irritatingly tidy A-frame with a blue plastic roof.When her boss Bentwood comes up with a scheme to lure fantasy gamers to the Inner World as tourists, she agrees tohelp in exchange for a properly spooky witch's hut... There are fewsurprises in this first novel, but the cheerful tone and amusing skits keepthe pages turning. ... Read more

Product Description
Will Cuppy is one of the greatest humorists this country has produced and is still (despite eleven printings of his imperishable The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody) too little known. Here is one of his three classic "How-To's," considering notable birds and animals whose habits (and often existence) seem to have disturbed Cuppy ("Birds Who Can't Even Fly," "Optional Insects," "Octopuses and Those Things"), as well as more mundane creatures like the frog, the gnat, and the moa, who have no visible vices but whose virtues are truly awful. Spanning the breadth of the animal kingdom, Cuppy neatly classes his observations for easy reference: Problem Mammals, Pleasures of Pond Life, Birds Who Can't Sing and Know It.

Included with 50 shorter pieces are longer meditations like 'The Poet and the Nautilus," "Swan-upping, Indeed!" and "How to Swat a Fly," which codifies the essentials of this simple activity in ten hilarious principles. All this, plus over 100 delightful Nofziger drawings!

But the seat of honor is, of course, occupied by the Wombat, the nocturnal star of three essays. Whether asleep in Rossetti's silver epergne or tunneling under the lawn, the wombat never fails to fascinate Cuppy, clearly supplying his alter ego for the animal kingdom. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The fact that you are reading a review of this book is hilarious.
I found this in a used-book store a long time ago and bought it simply because of the title alone.Consider doing the same.It currently resides in my bathroom and is probably the finest bathroom reading material...ever.Totally bizarre, often funny, mostly pointless, and almost perfect.Dig it.

Cuppy-Strength Funny
This is Cuppy's third animal book. It is mostly about mammals, including problem mammals, but also gets into amphibians, birds, insects, swans, Greek poets, and practically everything else. It is rich in empirical science, such as, "A decapitated salamander cannot make quick decisions," and philosophical insights, such as, "Intelligence is the capacity to know what we are doing and instinct is just instinct. The results are about the same." And even aesthetics, "The wart hog is often called the ugliest of all animals, but the rhinoceros is uglier because he is larger and there is more of him to be ugly." One does not need to be a wombat fancier to enjoy this book, which is Cuppy-strength funny. Lavishly and delightfully illustrated by Ed Nofziger.

Cuppy gets it right
Mr. Cuppy was a terrific oberserver of humanity. Despite his rather unique living conditions and his curmudgeon like existence, his "take" on "us humans" is spot on.
My only regret is that he didn't pen more books and essays for us to enjoy again and again.
If you enjoy his work, pick up Max Schulman as well. He is another great humorist from the "golden age".
Too bad we don't see more of these types.
We can keep them alive!
Share these tomes with all your friends and enemies!

Attention Terry Pratchett fans: you MUST read Will Cuppy!!!
I put Terry Pratchett's name in the title, as well as here in the first paragraph, so that those looking for certain keywords will come across this. I read Will Cuppy before I ever discovered Discworld (in fact, I read Will Cuppy's stuff before most of Discworld was ever written!) but though Cuppy's stuff is over half a century old, and non-fiction, it is nonetheless a natural fit for the sense of humor that appreciates Terry Pratchett.

Will Cuppy was the master of the irrelevant footnote, the tangential digression, and the stern admonition to the reader. What makes it even funnier is that every word is true, or at least as much of the truth as was known in the 1930's and thereabouts. His specialty is zoology, which is what most of this book contains, but he also is very funny about history.

Now, you don't have to read the Discworld novels to appreciate Cuppy, and so if you have no idea what I'm talking about, then never fear. You probably do need a bit of education, however; high school biology and Western history should be floating around in bits in the back of your brain. At the time he wrote these -essays?- Cuppy was writing mainly for The New Yorker magazine, and he assumed that his audience was somewhat elite, college-educated and highly literate. (However, he's not nearly as elitist, or as dead-white-male-centric, as, say, Hans Zinsser, whose "Rats, Lice and History" is also funny, but has some issues of racism and what some feel is anti-Semitism; Zinsser assumed his audience was educated at the sort of university where everyone was white, male, and required to study Greek and Latin and probably also knew French. Although Zinsser would also be a fun read for many, these issues make it a lot harder to recommend than Cuppy. However, if you've read this far in the review, and you want more words to read, more, more, more!, then you could consider "RL&H" as well.)

Anyway, there's a double message in this review: if you enjoy Terry Pratchett, then you really need to read Will Cuppy to find where Pratchett got his style from, and if you enjoy Will Cuppy but have never tried Terry Pratchett because you don't read science fiction or fantasy, then give Pratchett a try anyway, because he writes like Will Cuppy. And if none of that made any sense, but you like animals, zoology, and/or Gerald Durrell, then Cuppy may also be your cup of tea. Especially if you like wombats.

Wombats, Mollusks, and Greek Literature All In Moderation
Will Cuppy has written a very strange, very funny little volume that covers a lot of territory. Ostensibly, it is mainly devoted to an overview of animal characteristics, and includes a great deal of odd and relatively unknown facts on a myriad of animals (my undergraduate degree is in Biology, and I learned many peculiar things from this book).

The amazing thing about the book for me is the literate weaving of a coherent book which includes not only an explanation of the head-foot and lifestyles of lower mollusks, but a tracing of literary references of mollusks through history, from the ancient Greeks to Wordsworth (really). That kind of surreal juxtaposition runs throughout the book, and is perfectly delightful. The net result is a book that it genuinely educational, and simultaneously hilarious.

Cuppy has a wonderful way with words, indeed he has a rich vocabulary and elegant writing style that is mostly forgotten in contemporary writers. I wish this book was compulsory reading in all high schools (take your pick in English or Biology class) to expose students to the concept that a book, even with a sometimes strange or mundane subject, can be utterly fascinating when told well.

My only minor critique of the book is the relative abundance of footnotes, which is sometimes a bit distracting. If you want a good laugh, or you just love animals this book is a good choice. It turns out that wombats are pretty interesting, believe it or not! ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of stories taken from Possum and Wattle, providing a different experience for a younger audience. Each page depicts an Australian word taken from the original book. The colours, animals and words make this a perfect book for toddlers. ... Read more

Product Description
A non-fiction book that explores details about wombats - from their zoological history to habitation and habitats. The author also shares some personal stories from her experiences living with these wonderful creatures. This book is suitable for ages 7-12. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Mr. Fuge thank - You

My four year old daughter Cydney would like to say "Thank You, Mr. Fuge.I really like your Wombat books. And I can curl up into a little ball."

After only hearing your name once she remembered your name.Must mean she remembers how good your books are!

The illustrations are adorable!She looks into each page for something new she had not seen before.

Keep up the great work, our kids are worth it.

Callie from Michigan,USA ... Read more

Product Description
* Over 100 illustrations, including 28 color plates
* Drawings by Peter Schouten
* New information on the two hairy-nosed species of wombats

One of Australia’s most engaging marsupials, the wombat is also one of the most disparaged and least understood. Often depicted as slow, muddle-headed and clumsy, it can, in fact, outpace a human or a dog over a short distance. Wombats are quick to learn and superbly adapted to their burrowing way of life.

This book gives a full account of the wombat’s way of life and examines the many hazards that wombats face. Dealing mainly with the Bare-nosed Wombat, Vombatus ursinus, it includes the latest information on the Southern and Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats, Lasiorhinus latifrons and Lasiorhiunus krefftii, among the world’s most endangered animals. The book also gives practical advice on rearing orphan wombats. ... Read more

Product Description
An Australian Golden Book ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Harry the Hairy Nosed Wombat-(1970s version,NOT 80s retread!)
I was given this book as a child and it stands as one of my most treasured childhood memories.The tale of a wombat dealing with the loss of his home to land developers was funny and touching,and the lavish oil painting look of the illustrations was beautiful and captivating,with an earthiness of tone that really caught the colour & light of the Australian bush.However- somebody noticed(years after its original release) that there's one small but important detail the author got terribly wrong-the wombat depicted is a common wombat,not the hairy-nosed type!(Oops!)Odd mistake,as the habits and habitat of the hairy-nosed are accurately chronicled.So the book was withdrawn,and a new version with competent,but far inferior illustrations was released.I looked through the new version and the new illustrations,correct wombat that they depict or not,have none of the charm of the original.The drawings are flatter,with a more cartoony style at odds with the natural world it is celebrating.In this modern age of photoshop,why the original paintings of the first version couldn't have been altered with a sweep of the clone tool to depict the correct wombat(landsakes,I've seen both animals,and they aren't THAT different)is beyond me.
So,if you're hellbent on the right wombat-get the new version.I suppose for use as an educational tool,the second book is more useful.But the original little guy in his muddy,red earth landscape,will always be 'Harry' to me. ... Read more

Product Description

Best-selling mystery novelist Claire McNab (The Carol Ashton Mysteries, The Denise Cleever Mysteries) launches her newest series with a bang. Running a pub in the tiny Australian outback town of Wollegudgerie doesn't offer much fun or future to knockabout Aussie dyke Kylie Kendall. So when the father she never knew dies and leaves her 51 percent of his Los Angeles-based private detective agency, it's bright lights, big city for America-bound Kylie. Not so happy about her arrival is her father's former (and Kylie's new) business partner, the beautiful, enigmatic Arianna Creeling, who wants to buy out Kylie and gives her a decidedly chilly reception in sunny Southern California. But the two women soon have other matters besides their bickering to attend to. Dr. Deer, psychiatrist to the stars whose "slap, slap, get on with it" approach has made him a celebrity, hires them to investigate the theft of records and subsequent suicide of a successful but almost universally reviled film director. Concerned for his reputation, Dr. Deer would much prefer that the death of his former client be revealed to be a murder. As the sparks between Arianna and Kylie fly, the City of Angels has turned out to be much more difficult and dangerous than Kylie had imagined.

Transplanted Australian Claire McNab has written 18 best-selling mystery novels, 14 featuring the highly popular Detective-Inspector Carol Ashton and four featuring undercover agent Denise Cleever. She has served as the president of Sisters in Crime and is a member of both the Mystery Writers of America and the Science Fiction Writers of America. She lives in Los Angeles.

Customer Reviews (6)

The Wombat Strategy
"The Womabat Strategy" is the first Kylie Kendall mystery by Claire McNab. I had never read any of Ms. McNab's other novels, so this novel was a treat for me. Kylie Kendall from Australia has inherited from her father 51% of his detective agency in Los Angeles, California. Her partner, Ariana Creeling wants to buy Kylie out, but Kylie intends to stay in LA and become a private eye. Kylie is gay and is very attracted to Ariana but is not sure of Ariana's orientation. The agency gets a major case when Dr. Dave Deer, a shrink to the stars, hires them to investigate the theft of patient records of 2 Hollywood personalities. After the thefts one of the patients, producer Jarrod Perkins, is found dead of an apparent suicide, but Kylie feels that he has been murdered. Kylie helps crack the case, but her life may be in danger when she is confronted by the killer. This mystery is very original and there are many comic moments as Kylie adapts to America. This fine mystery novel is highly recommended.

Fabulous, Flippant and Fast Paced
What a Hoot!

I loved the Los Angeles locales.The Humor made this novel work.

A fun story, absolutely perfect to bring to the beach. 28 year old Kylie is a unique character.

If you liked this book you will want to look for the other books in the series -

Kookaburra Gambit
Dingo Dilemma
The Quokka Question

Great read.
This is a very enjoyable book.The main character, Kylie, is charming, cute and funny and being that she just moved to the U.S. from Australia, she has a lot to learn about how things work, which leads to moments of hilarity.I especially enjoyed Julia Roberts, the cat.She is Kylie's companion in the book and is just as much of a character as everyone else.The people that surround Kylie are entertaining in their own way and well developed.The love story just begins to develop near the end of the novel and I can only imagine it's going to steam up in the rest of the series.I am anxiously awaiting to read the rest of them and absolutely recommend this one.I immediately liked the main character, I laughed a lot and I like Claire McNab's writing style.

Best ever, now she got it
Claire finally got it in this one. As one of her frequent readers I really enjoyed the latest of her novels. Here she combined action with character and love interest. The love interest should be still more developed since it came too late in this novel (last page), but at least Claire McNab has touched that topic in her latest novel and did not leave it out like in all the Carol Ashton or Denise Cleever novels. Way to go Claire, that looks like a good mix. Continue!

Fun & Exciting!
I enjoyed this book a lot.I thought it was fun and exciting. ... Read more

Product Description
Wombat loves digging deep holes and thinking deep thoughts, but nobody thinks much of that until danger threatens the bush and the small wombat comes up with a great big idea!One day Wombat digs the deepest hole he's ever dug and crawls into the cool darkness to think. But when he climbs out again, he can't see his mother anywhere. He is all alone. As he wanders through the great outback looking for her, Wombat meets all kinds of wonderful creatures -- Kookaburra, Wallaby, Possum, Emu, Boy and Koala. None of them think very much of him, though. But when a fire sweeps through the bush, it is Wombat's skills which save the day, and afterwards everyone races off to find his mum and bring her back to him.AGE 4-8 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

My niece adores this book!
Mostly, it must be admitted, because the boy in it looks a lot like her bestest friend ever.

This is a simply written (if slightly long) book about a wombat whose only skill, it seems, is to dig and think. Everybody he encounters laughs at how little he can do, showing off *their* skills.

But when a fire comes and he digs and digs and digs a hole, he invites them all to share his hole, because he's been thinking and he *thinks* that they can't outrun the fire with their abilities, but he can hide them from it. (And he's right.)

The book is beautifully illustrated, and neatly written as well.

This edition does have "Mom" at the end instead of "Mum". I think most of us, if this is a concern, can simply read the Other Word instead when reading to our kids, right?

One problem I do have with this book is that it's oversized, and too large to fit on my bookshelves.

Urgh! Ruined by an Americanisation!
This book is beautifully illustrated, however it is RUINED by the fact that the wombat at the end calls his Mum "Mom" (it would get 5 stars otherwise, the Wombat is my favourite "native"). If you're going to write a book on an Australian native mammal, at least give it a sense of authenticity and an Australian "accent". I picked it up at a local bookshop and almost flung it out of my hands when I saw that.

Australian Outback Illuminated
This is a sweet and simple story of a young Wombat searching for his mother.I read this book to my 5 and 7 year old girls.They enjoyed learning about the different Australian animals Wombat meets on his journey.The beautiful illustrations of Australian animals and the outbackseem illuminated by a dusk glow of the sun - they make this book atreasure.They were intriguing to my girls.They made the world of theAustralian outback seem lifelike and exciting.What a fun way for childrento learn a little more about another part of the world. ... Read more

Product Description
After spending seven months in his mothers pouch, a baby wombat is finally ready to face the world. He cautiously takes his first steps. His mother uses her strong claws to dig up grasses and roots for him to eat. Follow this mammal as he grows and prepares to dig a tunnel for his own home. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This well written and researched book will entice even the most reluctant reader!Can a wombat dig a 100 foot tunnel?
If you just happened to be walking in the Australian Outback you could be walking over the wombat's home and never realize it.The wombat is well equipped to burrow with "strong front paws" and her "powerful hind feet."Her burrow, which is typically about twelve feet (3.7 meters long),not only protects her from her natural predators, but also keeps her cool during the day.At the end of her tunnel is "cozy room lined with bark" where she sleeps away her days. Wombats are nocturnal and will emerge from her burrow to forage for food for many hours.The wombat is a marsupial (nonplacental mammal) who marks their territories with their scent.When it is time to mate, the male will find the female by tracking her scent.

After mating "the female chases the male away" and in approximately a month she will cuddle up in her bark lined room and have her baby.This newborn "is the size of a small bean," is deaf, blind and cannot fend for herself.She makes her way into her mother's pouch where she will nurse and spend the next seven months.This little one will then emerge from the pouch and quickly learns to walk.In this wonderful book you will learn about the wombat's physical characteristics, their habitat, what they eat, their scientific classification, their predators, how long the baby stays with its mother, their territorial instincts and more!

This is a very well written and researched book that even the most reluctant reader will stick his or her nose in and won't come out for a long time.In the front of the book there is a page with the basic facts about the common wombat.On the next page it is as if one stepped into the pages of a storybook instead of a textbook.This makes meeting the wombat or any other animal in this series a very pleasant and fun experience.There are numerous informative captions scattered throughout the book.For example, when you see the wombat foraging in the night, you can read the statement "Wombats, bats, and possums are nocturnal animals.They are active mainly at night."The stunning cut paper illustrations are simply amazing.In the back of the book is a map detailing where the wombat lives, a section of "Wombat Fun Facts," a glossary, an index and additional recommended book and web site resources (FactHound Book).Can the wombat dig a tunnel 100 feet long?If you don't know the answer, you just might want to read this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Bandicoot and his friends set up a surprise birthday party for Wombat. Movable flaps conceal the portions of the illustrations in which the party preparations are made. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A weird look at the world of science fiction conventions
This book rings true from the fans putting together a fanzine at the last minute to the various antics around the World Science Fiction Convention.Throw in some aliens to make it interesting and you get hilarity.Very off-the-wall, but science fiction fans will love it! ... Read more

Product Description
Describes the physical characteristics, behavior, habitat, and life cycle of common and hairy-nosed wombats. ... Read more

Product Description
Full of delicious 'gooey, brewy, yummy, chewy' recipies children will delight in cooking for their friends and families. ... Read more