A little joey looks forward to leaving his
mother’s pouch. With his first move into the outer world, he wobbles and falls.
He’s ignorant of the dangers that threaten defenceless animals in the tropical rainforest.
Two large dogs off the leash throw his mother over. The terrified joey hides in
the shrub as mother races away in fear.
Little joey is named Paddy O’Melon by the Irish
family O’Melon who find him. They live in the dip of the valley, and care for
injured and orphaned animals.
As Paddy grows,
he is allowed outside where other rescued animals play. Erin the echidna,
Kieron the king parrot, and Maggie the musky rat kangaroo become his mates. But
who does Paddy belong to? Who are his family? Paddy sets out to find someone
who knows who he is.
This gorgeous story about the wildlife of the
rainforests was the creation of highly regarded naturalist, Julia Cooper. Julia
was born in the UK, but lived in Queensland, nurturing her passion for
preserving the Australian bush and wildlife, and rehabilitating wounded and
orphaned animals like Paddy and his friends.
Unfortunately, Julia passed away in 2011 from an auto-immune
disease, aged 33. This book is her legacy.
Full page colour illustrations will make children
aware of the animals that call the rainforest home; their protection, and the
dangers they face from predators and humans.
Daryl Dickson’s stunning images of these animals: a
giant white-tailed rat, the Herbert River ringtail possum, Lumholtz’s tree
kangaroo, the spectacled flying-fox, stripy cassowary chicks and the adult
cassowary, lead Paddy to the end of his search. Children will discover what
Paddy really is, and if he finally finds his mother.
There’s an interesting Author’s Note and a moving
dedication to Julia by her partner, Martin Cohen. Further research can be
sourced via their site at www.wettropics.gov.au/plants-animals
Title:
Paddy O’Melon: The Irish Kangaroo
Author:
Julia Cooper
Illustrator:
Daryl Dickson
Publisher:
EK Books, $14.99
Publication
Date: August 2017
Format:
Paperback
For
ages: 4+
Type:
Picture book
