Wombat Stew by Marcia K Vaughan and illustrated by Pamela Lofts, paperback picture book, first published by Scholastic Australia in 1984, this edition published in 2009.

This classic Australian picture book was a favourite of mine as a child, and now it is a favourite of my own children.

When a very clever dingo catches a wombat and decides to make wombat stew, the other bush animals help him to make the crunchiest and chewiest stew imaginable. They suggest adding mud, flies, feathers and even gumnuts to the billy, but Dingo must taste it before he adds the final ingredient, that lovely fat wombat!

This is a wonderful book to share with preschoolers and primary school children. The story is well told, and funny, with realistic illustrations. My kids particularly like Dingo’s song about his wombat stew as he dances around the billy. They laugh when each new ingredient is added to the billy, and they love it when Dingo tries the stew. A valuable addition to every home library, Wombat Stew is a book that will be read and enjoyed many times!