“So many joeys, puggles and pups. Let’s look after our precious bush bubs.”
Australian native animals range in size, characteristics and habitat, but when we talk about their babies, with their special names, they become particularly endearing. What’s sweeter than a numbat joey with a pointy nose or an echidna puggle who sleeps all day?
Bush Bubs is the third, in the Bush series by Helen Milroy, the 2021 WA State Recipient of Australian of the Year and Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission.
Following the same format as the previous books, she uses simple sentences and a rhyming style that will appeal to little ones. With the text on the left page and illustrations on the right it’s perfect for holding up, to read aloud, so the young audience can see the images.
The vibrant, changing colours of each text page reflects the illustration page. There are also references to each baby’s characteristics through subtle images or changes in font. The artwork, consisting of borders in the indigenous style showing each bub’s home, surrounds the images of the baby, making them appear shy and protected.
This book is as enchanting and gentle as her previous books, They are a wonderful way to introduce young ones to how precious our native animals are. Beautifully produced, Bush Bubs is a collectable and suitable for early childhood libraries.
“So many joeys, puggles and pups. Let’s look after our precious bush bubs.”
