Wombat Dreaming

By Caz Goodwin &  Zoë Bennett

Reviewed by Sandy Driessens

“Each Sunday the animals woke with the sun and came to the creek for some yoga and fun.”

Lil, desperately wanted to join in the yoga class, but when you’re a roly-poly wombat with very short legs, some of the poses are very difficult, almost impossible. What can she offer to add to the fun?

Head of SCWBI, Victoria, Caz Goodwin has written a quiet book about a placid character … a wombat named Lil. Her rhyme and rhythm have a calming undulation and when Lil falls over, she doesn’t crash or bang, she topples and thuds … much softer sounds. Her classmates share poses and the more confident personalities of the emu and dingo are expressed through their conversational attitude and poses which make them slightly louder than Lil.

Sydney-based illustrator, Zoë Bennett has completed the personalities of the other animals with her interpretation of their poses. Her earthy watercolour and pencil art creates a peaceful Australian bushland filled with kind and loveable animals … even the snake is sweet and slender. All of the animals are immediately recognizable for what they are and have the same endearing features as Lil. The movement through the double page spreads also forms a sense of “yoga” calm.

The calm is only disturbed once when Lil yells out, “I’ve got it! I know what to try!” However, when it is revealed that her pose is, ‘Wombat Dreaming’ … the serenity returns.

This is a beautiful, gentle book which demonstrates diversity as the norm and kindness, as shown by the other animals, to Lil and each other, as natural.  Lil also exhibits determination to find a way, that is uniquely her own, to contribute to the group that has clearly accepted her. The illustrations will make little ones fall in love with Australian animals.  An endearing, comforting story.

Affirm Kids 2025

Caz Goodwin

Zoë Bennet