Possum
Magic is a classic children’s picture book written by Adelaide’s
own Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas. It is a story about two possums,
Grandma Poss and her grandchild Hush, who wanted to become invisible. Grandma
Poss used her possum magic to make Hush invisible, but couldn’t find a way to
reverse it. That was until they both went on a search throughout Australia to
find the right food that would make Hush visible again.
This book gives a great introduction of famous Australian
foods during Grandma Poss and Hush’s journey including Pavlova, Vegemite sandwiches
and finally lamingtons, amongst others. It’s through these foods that Hush
becomes visible again. It is also through these foods that children will be
able to draw connections between the story and their own lives, creating a
stronger link and understanding of the story. This book can also help students
create links with geography (as it mentions several Australian cities) as well
as several Australian animals, which are also mentioned. These are all reasons
why Possum Magic is a very useful teaching
tool.
The vivid and colourful illustrations add so much to this
story as well, making it an extremely appealing and fun book to read. Similarly,
the story takes on a rhyming pattern which can greatly assist the reader in
exercises that require reading aloud. Together with the Australian links listed
above this book is a very handy resource for teachers (and it must be, seeing
as it’s still as popular as ever almost 30 years after publication!)
This book is best suited for students from reception to Year
2.
Josh Rouse
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