A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch! is the story of Joey, a little gray kangaroo who can't find his mum's pouch in a mob. But he comes up with a creative plan and all his Australian animal friends pitch in to help. Will he find the right pouch when danger strikes?
Illustrator Abira Das brings this story of friendship and all things Australian to life with her colorful artwork, brimmng with personalty. The story is dotted with Australian words. The back matter includes fun kangaroo facts, and glossaries of the Austrailian words, animals, and plants in the book.
Janet Halfmann is a multi-award-winning children’s author who strives to make her books come alive for young readers and listeners. She writes about animals and nature, family and community, and little-known people of achievement. Janet has written almost fifty fiction and nonfiction books for children.
Janet was formerly a daily newspaper reporter, children’s magazine editor, and a creator of coloring and activity books for Golden Books. She has four children, seven grandkids, and two great-grands. Janet enjoys gardening, exploring nature, visiting living-history museums, and spending time with family. She grew up on a farm in MI and now lives in WI. More at: http://www.janethalfmannauthor.com
We really enjoyed this book and I want to thank Janet Halfmann for the opportunity to read this book with my grandchildren and see what they thought about it. With relatives in Australia, the interest in Kangaroos was high. In this story, the young kangaroo, Joey, is learning to come quickly when Mum calls. His survival requires that he get back in his mother's pouch quickly for protection. It is not as easy as it sounds and it is a real problem. Because Kangaroos travel in large groups, mobs, it is not always easy to find the right pouch. This is presented in a humorous way with Joey trying to find the pouch on a male. After meeting up with several other animals, Joey has a pile of items such as a feather and quill. He ends up decorating his mother's pouch with these items so it is bright and colourful and will be easy for him to find in an emergency.
This story introduces readers to some of Australia's unique animals as well as some basic facts about their appearance, habitats and activities. The illustrations are wonderful. They are large, vibrant, and full of animation and fun. My grandchildren loved them and kept asking me not to turn the pages yet. There is even some Australian slang which we had fun with. I liked the creativity in the decorations but also the problem solving. This story had my granddaughter outside looking for feathers, twigs, leaves, string etc. so she could decorate a pouch. We used a paper bad and pretended it was a kangaroo pouch. The back pages include many kangaroo facts and Australian Vocabulary, which the older grandchild really enjoyed. He says he will go to Australia with his parents to see his cousins and be able to talk like an Australian. 😂 We definitely recommend this fun, entertaining and educational story. The author provided me with a copy of this book and I am pleased that she did. The rating and opinions shared are my own.
In _A Bobbly-Dazzler of a Pouch!_, little kangaroo Joey wants to explore the world, but what happens when he can’t find the right pouch to return to? Kids will enjoy Joey’s adventures and misadventures and cheer for the creative way he and other animals work together to create a solution so that Joey can always find the right pouch. Author Halfmann introduces other Australian wildlife and includes fun kangaroo facts, Aussie terms, and a glossary in this hopping-good picture book. Illustrator Abira Das shows the animals, their habitat, and their emotions as Joey tries, fails, and finally succeeds.
Packed with a cuteness, information about Australia, life-important messages and fun, this is definitely an entertaining read.
Joey, the kangaroo baby, has gotten separated from his mother and her pouch...and that right in the middle of a mob! Try as he may, he can't make it back to his mother and starts to feel more than a little desperate. Luckily, the other animals are there to help.
This is simply a cute, heartwarming tale, which will draw listeners/readers in. Little Joey is a super sweet kangaroo, and when he looses his mom in the crowd, it stabs the heart. Young listeners will be able to immediately empathize with his plight and maybe even remember a time where they couldn't find their own parent for a minute or two. It is a situation which rings true with the age group very well.
But this isn't only a story with a message. It's so much more. The author has packed a wonderful cast of Australian creatures together, each with their own personality and wit. Readers not only get to follow the tale as they help Joey, but also learns about animals in Australia. The facts weave smoothly right into the tale...one that includes not only the animals, too. Plants and Australian phrases/words are sprinkled in right along as well.
The illustrations round this one off. They are playful and bring across the characters and scenes with gentle feel while still holding details to make everything very recognizable. The characters are portrayed in a positive light, just right for the intended age group.
Joey, a young kangaroo, practices diving into his mum’s pouch. It’s easy when it’s just he and his mum, but when there are other kangaroos around, Joey has a problem. When Mum calls, Joey doesn’t always find the right pouch.
Joey is discouraged, but when he sees Willy Wagtail, he comes up with an idea. Joey asks if he can have some tail feathers to put on his mum’s pouch to make it easier to find. Willy Wagtail agrees, and suddenly Rainbow Lorikeet, Echidna, and the Emu Family want to add something to decorate the pouch. Joey and his mum work together to arrange the decorations, but as Joey climbs into the pouch to sleep, he wishes they had MORE decorations. Koala overhears Joey. Even though Mum would rather not have anything more added, Koala, Sugar Glider, Brush-Tailed Possum, and Wombat all add something special. Joey declares Mum’s pouch a “bobby-dazzler.”
The next morning while Joey is playing, he hears his mum frantically calling him. A dingo is on the prowl! Because of Mum’s bobby-dazzler pouch, Joey knows exactly where to find her. Abira Das‘ adorable illustrations accompany Janet Halfmann’s delightful story. A variety of Australian animals, plants, and words are introduced as are the themes of a loving mother-child relationship, friendship, and creativity. The back matter includes Fun Kangaroo Facts and a glossary of Australian terms which help make reading this book a truly enjoyable experience.
Ever wanted to visit Australia? Now you can travel in your imagination with the new picture book, A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch! by Janet Halfmann and illustrated by Abira Das.
Youngsters will enjoy the imaginative story of how a young joey solves the problem of finding his mother's pouch when danger strikes, with a little help from his friends.
Parents and educators will appreciate the new vocabulary words and facts about Australian animals and plants, as well as the solid back matter.
A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch! would be perfect to accompany a trip to Australia, to pull out when doing a geography lesson about Australia, or even to prepare for a trip to a local zoo that features Australian animals. Jump at a chance to read it.
Readers of all ages will enjoy this incredibly fun and adorable story about a young kangaroo who must learn how to quickly find and jump back into his mom’s pouch. This is a great romp through all things Australian from the different animals who try to help the young Joey to specific vocabulary from ‘down under,’ including the definition of bobby-dazzler. The facts at the back of the book will be a hit with all kids but particularly those who like to dive into the details.
This is jam-packed with the kind of fun and facts that have made Halfmann's prior books such a success. As with several of her earlier books for this target audience (Star of the Sea, Home in the Cave, Fur and Feathers, Little Skink's Tale) this one reveals accurate information within the context of a story about delightful animal characters. It includes excellent back matter to highlight fun facts about kangaroos, other Australian animals, and a simple explanation for special terms and expressions commonly used in Australia.
In this story, the young 'roo, Joey, is learning to come quickly when Mum calls. His survival requires a speedy dive into his mum's protective pouch. Sounds like fun, but it's not so easy, since kangaroos travel in groups (a mob). (Youtube video here.)
Finding his own mum quickly presented a challenge. During practice, Joey seeks safe haven in an occupied pouch, annoys a pouchless male, and is determined to solve his problem creatively. In the process he makes friends with various native animals, each contributing colorful feathers, prickly quills, and more. His busy day continues into night with nocturnal creatures joining in. Along the way, Joey decorates his mum's pouch with a colorful pattern that will be easy to spot in a crowd and assure future success. His encounters introduce readers to some of Australia's most unique and appealing creatures, providing simple facts about their habits and habitats. In this story of creativity and friendship for little readers, nature and science facts are presented in digestible bites, including fun word play and Australian slang. The colorful and crisp illustrations have a cartoon-like quality that portrays the animals naturally but allows them to talk and interact in human ways. The style also softens the food-chain-predator reference when mum notices a dingo on the prowl and Joey's solution allows him to reach safety. The text and images together will have little ones drawing pictures and searching out new details about the amazing natural world "down under".
I have long admired Janet Halmann’s books, often about nature and animals, and always filled with facts and fun. A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch is no exception. Joey goes off exploring and hears Mum calling, but with so many kangaroos about, he’s not always able to find her pouch. The Australian animals and birds help by contributing various objects which Mum uses to decorate her pouch. The illustrations add to the book's fun. I especially enjoyed learning about exotic Australian animals and Australian expressions, such as “bobby-dazzler.”
Award-winning children's author Janet Halfmann's latest book, A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch!, is a fun and whimsical way to entertain and educate your children about Australian animals and words, friendship, and problem-solving.
Joey, a gray kangaroo, needs to find his way back to his mother's pouch in the mob. Though he tries and tries, he can't seem to do it. Then a handful of animal friends pitch in to help him out.
By now, you know I am a fan of Halfmann's work. All her books entertain and educate in a way that is attractive to young readers. This short story is one that teaches children how to problem-solve and work together to obtain a goal. It is a story about friendship in the wild that touches the heart, even though it is a whimsical story.
The colorful artwork by Abira Das will keep readers turning the pages as much as the story. Lush green, vibrant red, and deep blue contrast so well against the white space and neutral colors of most of the animals.
The story is followed by fun kangaroo facts, Australian words, and a list of Australian animals and plants featured in the story.
So much fun, you and your children will want to read A Bobby-Dazzler of a Pouch! over and again.
Joey is a little gray Australian kangaroo learning how to dive into his mother’s pouch. He must learn this to quickly escape predators. While he and his mother are out and about, he gets a bit distracted in play. When his mother calls for him, he has trouble finding her pouch. With the help of some friends he comes up with a very clever way to identify his moms’ pouch.
This colorfully illustrated fun read for little listeners and beginner readers shares family and friendship. The back pages are host to fun facts and other cool information about the Australian gray kangaroo, fun Australian words and plants.