Tra la! It’s May!
The lovely month of May!
And also it just happens to be
P P B Friday!
Tra la! It’s May!
And guess what else? Today,
A comment on this post might win
You the giveaway!
Okay.
Maybe that’s not EXACTLY the way Frederick Loewe and Alan Lerner wrote it for Camelot, but STILL! It IS May! And it’s so pretty outside! And am I the only one who gets that song in my head every year at this time? 😊
We do have a wonderful giveaway today! Author Laura Roettiger is offering a 30 Ask Me Anything Zoom to one lucky winner! Just leave a comment on today’s post by Thursday May 9th at 3PM Eastern to be included in the random drawing! And Laura didn’t ask for this, but I’m adding in that if anyone is feeling extra nice and wants to share this fabulous book around on social media, that would be such a helpful boost!
But now, please join me in taking a look at this excellent and VERY cute book!
Title: An Accidental Hero: A Mostly True Wombat Story
Written By: Laura Roettiger
Illustrated By: Debbie Palen
Publisher: Eifrig Publishing, February 12, 2024,
Suitable For Ages: 3-10
Themes/Topics: Kindness, Friendship, Ecology/Climate Change/Fire, Heroes
text copyright Laura Roettiger 2024, illustration copyright Debbie Palen 2023, Eifrig Publishing
Opening:
“G’day, Australia!
In our top story, bushfires continue to
destroy our region. Many area residents
have lost their homes. Those attempting
to flee have nowhere to go.
That’s right, Koala.
Experts report the problem
began months ago.
Spring usually brings soaking
rains restoring our habitat to
prepare for summer heat.”
Brief Synopsis: [from the publisher] “When Wombat sees the bushfires raging out of control, she learns that helping those in need of sanctuary in a time of crises provides unexpected rewards. This STEM picture book, written as a newscast, was inspired by true events during the fires that spread through New South Wales in 2019/2020.”
text copyright Laura Roettiger 2024, illustration copyright Debbie Palen 2023, Eifrig Publishing
Links To Resources: We are lucky enough to have some background on the book and some activity ideas direct from the author, Laura Roettiger! Take it away, Laura!
Inspiration for writing the book: Just before a worldwide pandemic consumed our collective attention with a shutdown and unimaginable daily news reports, one of the biggest international news stories was the devastating bushfires in New South Wales, Australia. Day after day, the news felt overwhelming and since I worked with children I was looking for ways to explain the scary images I knew they were seeing. The inspiration for AN ACCIDENTAL HERO: A MOSTLY TRUE WOMBAT STORY came from a news story that showed rescuers discovered other animal species sheltering in wombat burrows. I knew this was a story that would make an engaging picture book.
My goal was to write informational fiction keeping the story as close to the truth as possible which also helped me come up with the subtitle, A Mostly True Wombat Story. By creating the news team of three other recognizable Australian animals Koala, Emu, and Kangaroo, I kept the accuracy of what animals were found in the burrow while adding another layer of learning about Australia to the book. Once I settled on the structure of a newscast, the writing went quickly. I did as much research as I could to make sure the animals found in the burrow were the animals I included in my manuscript.
My background in education always informs my writing; so adding as many layers and cross curricular opportunities to a manuscript as I can is my default. By writing it in dialogue, the book works well for Reader’s Theater. The book introduces the concept of a newscast which can be used as a model for a writing lesson or performance activity in a classroom. There are four pages of back matter about Australian animals, fire safety, and my personal connection to the story. This all ties in with different science and social studies standards.
My author visits with the book so far have included discussions about what it means to be a hero. In my teacher guide which is available upon request, I have three letter writing activities based on Kangaroo asking, “Then what did you do?” Wombat’s response, “What could I do? What would you do hearing cries for help?” To me this is the essential question of the story.
The endorsement on the back cover was a big win for me and it has been gratifying seeing people connect with the book in different ways in the few months since it was released.
Activity: Susanna, given the wonderful chocolate treats you often feature on your blog, something that was well received but sadly not photographed at my bookstore launch: brownies that were cut into cubes and labeled “Wombat Poop” because an interesting fact about wombats is that they have cube shaped poop. For more information, read the back matter. I also had a veggie tray, because all of the animals in the book are vegetarian, and an assortment of bunny peeps.
Groups or pairs of students can compare the different animals in the book. List all the animals that are nocturnal, marsupial, mammals, only found in Australia and the surrounding islands, and vegetarian.
Another idea is to make koala paper plate craft project this is a youtube link.
Thank you, Laura!
And I am adding this because it is fun 😊 How To Draw A Wombat
text copyright Laura Roettiger 2024, illustration copyright Debbie Palen 2023, Eifrig Publishing
Why I Like This Book: I love nonfiction that reads like a story, and if it has animals in it, even better! This story has an engaging TV interview format, where Koala and Emu are in studio reporting on the difficulties being caused by drought, which brings on bushfires, before they go live to Kangaroo at Wombat’s burrow for a special report. How creative is that for a story format? Wombat is a modest hero, but a hero she is, because she invited many other animals into her burrow to stay safe from the fires, saving their lives. This sounds like the kind of story someone would make up, but it actually happened! It’s a good message for all of us – if animals can take care of each other this way, humans ought to be able to do the same. The story also raises awareness of how important it is to take care of our planet – a healthier earth would not be subject to drought and wild fires in this measure. But all of this is packaged into an appealing story, depicted in warm, friendly art that makes you want to linger over the pictures and look at all the cute animals and details. Back matter is included about all the animals mentioned in the story, the author’s purpose in writing, facts about forest fires, and tips to prevent them. This is an excellent choice for any young reader!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Don’t forget that your comment on this post by Thursday May 9 at 3PM Eastern puts you in the running to win the random drawing for a chance to talk with Laura on a 30 minute Zoom Ask Me Anything!
May the 4th be with you! And Happy Cinco De Mayo!😊
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Love, love, love this book! The cover begs to be hugged! And the story is absolutely lovely – heart + humor = a book kids will want to hear again and again. Congratulations, Laura…and Debbie…well done!! Thanks for featuring it, Susanna!
Thank you, Vivian! You’ve been such a wonderful champion for An Accidental Hero and for me personally. It was great to see you (virtually) last night and I’m so happy to know we will see each other in person later in the year!
I love the format – I can hear the characters so vividly! Congratulations all!
Thank you for reading and your kind words! I’m happy the format is resonating with readers.
The fact that other species used the wombat burrows during the fires is amazing. I love that you include a writing exercise asking students “What would you do hearing cries for help?” This allows them to not only think of ways to be a good citizen, but also develop empathy for others. I can’t wait to taste a wombat poop brownie!😜 Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading! I’m glad you appreciated the classroom tie-in allowing students to think about how they might respond when faced with the opportunity to help. The teacher in me wanted to make sure that the book offered easy classroom ideas for a wide variety of ages and abilities and of course developing empathy is always a goal and needs to be modeled over time. And yes, brownies taste great no matter how they’re sliced. hahahaha
This is an excellent way to present your story. This is a perfect introduction to news casts, as so many young families do not include television/radio broadcast news in their lives. The story not only endeared the mc to readers: it snuck-in information as well.
JCH
Thank you for reading. I’m glad the format of a newscast resonates with you and I think it served the story by creating the urgency at the beginning but also allowing the sweetness and ‘feel good’ aspects of what happens when Kangaroo meets Wombat and the other animals. I’ve found that children really feel the emotional arc and the educational piece is strong as well.
Congrats, Laura. I love the concept of this story. Great idea. 🤩
Thank you, Gayle! It’s good to hear from you.
I shared on Bluesky to give you more exposure for Wombat’s story.😉
I’ve seen this book and thought it looked cute. But reading this review and insights from Laura makes me want to find, read, and share it. Looks fabulous and such a terrific message!
Thank you for your kind words Patricia. If you request that your library purchase it, that would be wonderful. I’ve been hearing from a few people in the past week that requests are going through which really made me happy.
Well this book checks every box for me!! I love informational, humorous fiction with heart and the illustrations are so incredibly fabulous. It’s perfect!
Thank you for such a lovely comment! I hope you’re able to pick up a copy of An Accidental Hero or request it from your library.
Susanna, I want to thank you for featuring me, Wombat, and AN ACCIDENTAL HERO: A MOSTLY TRUE WOMBAT STORY on Perfect Picture Book Friday! I’m truly honored and grateful for your help shining a light on our little book. It’s a book that I think will be loved by those who discover it, at least that’s what I’ve discovered so far. 🙂
It is truly my pleasure, Laura! I am always delighted to find and share a terrific book, and if it’s written by a friend, so much the better 😊
Thanks so much, Susanna. 🤗 I’m happy we are connected and one of these trips to NY, I’m hopeful we will meet in person.
I love AN ACCIDENTAL HERO: A MOSTLY TRUE WOMBAT STORY! I have never seen a picture book done in this format — it is super clever, engaging, interesting, and powerful! The characters are adorable — but bring to light a very important topic. It will teach kids about action, resourcefulness, and empathy/kindness! Bravo to Laura and Debbie for creating such a special book!
Laura, thank you so much for your kind words about An Accidental Hero! You know I’m a big fan of The Imposter and I got to see an ARC of your next yesterday and it’s divine! Chefs kiss 💋 Congratulations!
This is such a great book! I love the interview/TV format and important subject matter. Congratulations, Laura and Debbie!
Thank you, Kim and thanks for sharing on Twitter!
Love this book, Susanna! Wombat is so sweet! And the message so well incorporated into the story, it’s not didactic. Yay, Laura and Debbie!
Thank you for reading, Jilanne! Not didactic is truly a huge compliment 😊 because so many times I find myself trying to teach something when I’m writing but don’t want the end result to feel like the book’s purpose is a lesson.
Wow! I have to repeat what so many of the comments above have expressed!
The Interview format was a wonderful idea. It delivers the message of the story perfectly! Congratulations Laura and Debbie! 💕
Thank you, Susan. I’m so happy to hear that the newscast format has been so well received!
This is the best of the abundance of “wombat in fire” books that have come out Well cone!
Robin, I appreciate your kind words for our book. Thank you so much.
Laura, you’ve said you love marketing, and that shines through so vividly here with your comments with all the many ways teachers can use this story. I truly loved the structure of making this story as a newscast—just brilliant!
Thank you so much, Susan! It was great to see you on Saturday!
Love this story. Kids are aware of what is happening around it and it is nice to show them how important it is to get involved — a win, win. Great classroom book. Still can’t post.