Tuesday 1 October 2019

"Koala is Not a Bear" by Kristin L. Gray and Rachel McAllister (Sterling Children's Books)

Koalas. The cutest, cuddliest little bears ever, right?

No.

Stop right there, because in "Koala is NOT a Bear" by Kristin L. Gray and Rachel McAllister, you'll discover the gross injustice that these cute little Kujis have had to endure almost forever.

It's Koala's first day at camp and she thinks she's found her place in the Bear Cabin.

Then know-it-all Kangaroo comes along and tells Koala in no uncertain terms that she is not a bear and doesn't belong there at all. 

Koala points out all the ways in which she is just like her new friend, Grizzly, but Kangaroo just isn't buying it. 

As Koala tries to find her place, readers learn animal facts that give clues about where Koala belongs.

We read this one through, and C absolutely couldn't get on with the fact that Kangaroo (who, let's face it, was a bit of an outspoken pushy bullying know-it-all throughout the story) ended up as best pals. There is a neat twist at the end though when another animal turns up, who is even tougher to classify than Koala.

It's durned cute stuff though, overall - and little ones will adore the characterisations and story. 

Sum this book up in a sentence: Fun, clever and witty, with a ton of animal appeal!

"Koala is Not a Bear" by Kristin L. Gray and Rachel McAllister is out now, published by Sterling Children's Books (kindly supplied for review)