I. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fox, Mem. 1988. KOALA LOU. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. San Diego: Gulliver Books. ISBN 0152005021
II. SUMMARY
Koala Lou is loved by everyone in the bush, but her mother loves her most of all. Each day her mother would tell Koala Lou how much she loves her. Koala Lou heard her mother tell her that a hundred times a day, but as years passed, other children were added to the family. Her mother became too busy to tell her that she loved her. Koala Lou is determined to hear those words again, so she decides to compete in the gum tree-climbing event in the Bush Olympics. Koala Lou reasons that when she wins, her mother will once again proclaim, “Koala Lou, I DO love you!”
III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Mem Fox’s KOALA LOU is a sweet tale of the love between a mother and her child. The characters may be animals, but the sentiment and heart-felt message are clearly human. Fox’s animals throughout the story are one of the most obvious cultural markers of the Australian setting for this story. The koala, emu, and platypus are all indigenous animals in Australia. Children and adults associate koala bears with Australia, and this story’s lead character is a lovable cuddly character. Another example of the story’s Australia setting is the description of the Bush Olympics. The bush is a distinct word that adds to the story’s authenticity. Within the Olympics, the animals will climb a gum tree, which is a native plant and is one of the most commonly found trees throughout Australia.
Lofts’s illustrations add to the story in many ways. First, because she herself grew up in Australia, she has first hand experience of the sights and scenery Fox describes in the text. The illustrations are soft, pastel colors, depicting the Koala and other animals as cuddly creatures. The animals’ expressions are particularly well done and draw the reader into the story. Their bright eyes are expressive and life-like.
As a whole, KOALA LOU is a universal story of a mother’s unending, unconditional love for her child. This sentimental message has been retold in many other stories, but Fox’s use of animals from Australia provides a unique view of the wildlife and vegetation in that country. This picture book is authentic and a good representation of an animal story from another part of the world.
IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS
“A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud.”--The Horn Book
“Lofts's colored-pencil drawings portray the Australian flora and fauna beautifully, including a few of the more exotic species…Koala Lou celebrates the eternal love of a mother for her child without the sentimentality of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever…” --Publisher’s Weekly
V. CONNECTIONS
**Create a story time around the theme “Australia: The Land Down Under.” Other books to include: WOMBAT STEW by Marcia Vaughan, PLATYPUS AND THE LUCKY DAY by Chris Riddle, WHERE THE FOREST MEETS THE SEA by Jeannie Baker
**Make Koala Bear paper plate masks, re-read the story while children act it out.
Fox, Mem. 1988. KOALA LOU. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. San Diego: Gulliver Books. ISBN 0152005021
II. SUMMARY
Koala Lou is loved by everyone in the bush, but her mother loves her most of all. Each day her mother would tell Koala Lou how much she loves her. Koala Lou heard her mother tell her that a hundred times a day, but as years passed, other children were added to the family. Her mother became too busy to tell her that she loved her. Koala Lou is determined to hear those words again, so she decides to compete in the gum tree-climbing event in the Bush Olympics. Koala Lou reasons that when she wins, her mother will once again proclaim, “Koala Lou, I DO love you!”
III. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Mem Fox’s KOALA LOU is a sweet tale of the love between a mother and her child. The characters may be animals, but the sentiment and heart-felt message are clearly human. Fox’s animals throughout the story are one of the most obvious cultural markers of the Australian setting for this story. The koala, emu, and platypus are all indigenous animals in Australia. Children and adults associate koala bears with Australia, and this story’s lead character is a lovable cuddly character. Another example of the story’s Australia setting is the description of the Bush Olympics. The bush is a distinct word that adds to the story’s authenticity. Within the Olympics, the animals will climb a gum tree, which is a native plant and is one of the most commonly found trees throughout Australia.
Lofts’s illustrations add to the story in many ways. First, because she herself grew up in Australia, she has first hand experience of the sights and scenery Fox describes in the text. The illustrations are soft, pastel colors, depicting the Koala and other animals as cuddly creatures. The animals’ expressions are particularly well done and draw the reader into the story. Their bright eyes are expressive and life-like.
As a whole, KOALA LOU is a universal story of a mother’s unending, unconditional love for her child. This sentimental message has been retold in many other stories, but Fox’s use of animals from Australia provides a unique view of the wildlife and vegetation in that country. This picture book is authentic and a good representation of an animal story from another part of the world.
IV. REVIEW EXCERPTS
“A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud.”--The Horn Book
“Lofts's colored-pencil drawings portray the Australian flora and fauna beautifully, including a few of the more exotic species…Koala Lou celebrates the eternal love of a mother for her child without the sentimentality of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever…” --Publisher’s Weekly
V. CONNECTIONS
**Create a story time around the theme “Australia: The Land Down Under.” Other books to include: WOMBAT STEW by Marcia Vaughan, PLATYPUS AND THE LUCKY DAY by Chris Riddle, WHERE THE FOREST MEETS THE SEA by Jeannie Baker
**Make Koala Bear paper plate masks, re-read the story while children act it out.
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