Koala

K-Gr 3—The book follows a young koala as he searches for a new home away from his mother. Though only a toddler, he is now too big for his mother's pouch. "When he tries…, his mother swats him away…Climb, little Koala. It's time to find your own way." On the next page, readers learn that a pregnant koala will ignore her joey, who must learn to fend for himself. The toddler inadvertently has a fight with another male, weathers a storm, and has a close call with a snake before finally finding a tree of his own. "Stay, little Koala. This will be a good home." The story is told in a large, easy-to-read text, and factual commentary appears at the bottom of many pages in a smaller font. A final note offers additional information about the animal's day, appearance, and habits. The watercolor illustrations are dramatic, colorful, and attractive. One picture shows him reaching for his mother "in his waking panic…But she is not there." Another shows him climbing a tree with loose bark and suddenly tumbling down. When he encounters a large snake among the twigs, "Koala startles and launches himself across the clearing, reaching with his front paws, jumping with his hind legs." Youngsters will enjoy learning about the marsupial's physical characteristics, child-rearing, mating, and enemies, as well as where they live and what they eat, all within a moving tale filled with adventure.