Koala Lou

                                                                               Book Review:

 

Bibliography-

Fox, M. (1992). Koala lou. The Trumpet Club Publishers.

ISBN 044084651X

 

Plot Summary-

A story about a young koala that competes for her mother’s heart when a new sibling is on the way, When Koala Lou’s mother becomes so busy that she forgets to tell her firstborn how much she loves her, Koala Lou enters the Bush Olympics, intending to win an event and her mother’s love all at one time, only to discover that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that there is no second place when it comes to love.

 

 Critical Analysis:

The story takes place in the heart of the Australian wilderness and features the compelling main character, Koala Lou. She misses the days her mother would say, “Koala Lou, I DO love you!” Her feelings throughout the book reflect many children’s emotions when a new sibling comes along or a new job, or anything that might consume more of their parents’ attention. That makes this realistic storyline one that will resonate with young readers. A rich diversity of characters are portrayed in the book’s illustrations. The colors are bright, and the animals have very expressive eyes and facial features. The tenderness of the mother-daughter bond is also represented in the soft drawings. The illustrator uses smaller boxes as well as open space to draw pictures that depict the storyline. The book focuses on the mother-daughter relationship and teaches important lessons such as winning isn’t everything and love is always there and unconditional.

 

Review Excerpts-

"An honest and sweet story about the unconditional love of a parent" -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“There are so many things to love about Mem Fox, and this book is my favorite by far! It is a great story, well written and illustrated.”-- The Horn Book, starred review

 

Connections-

-Use this book with elementary age children to practice visualization. All readers visualize pictures in their heads. Read sections of the book and have the students draw what they are visualizing.

-A STEM challenge for students could be to plan and build a tree for Koala Lou using Dixie cups and notecards. Students can estimate how many cups they think they can add before it falls over.  

 

 

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