Koala Lou by Mem Fox

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fox, Mem. 1988. Koala Lou. Pamela Lofts,Ill. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0-15-200502-1

PLOT SUMMARY
A young Koala misses the special time she spent with her mother before she had several brothers and sisters. She trains for the Bush Olympics in hopes of attracting her Mother’s attention. She is dedicated to her training but doesn’t win first place. Koala Lou discovers that her Mother loves her regardless of the results of the competition.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The illustrations by Pamela Lofts are wonderful and creative. The colored pencil drawings are lively and show emotion. The book Koala Lou gives an introduction to young children of the animals of Australia. Koala Lou reflects the real concern that a child has with the addition of siblings to the family. It is a heartwarming story for ages three and up that is sure to become a favorite.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

From Publishers Weekly
Fox's two new books join Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge as perfect examples of why the Australian writer has become one of today's top authors of children's books. Koala Lou is loved by everyone, but it is her mother who loves her most of all. She often tells her daughter, "Koala Lou, I DO love you." As the family grows and her mother gets busier, Koala Lou yearns to hear those words again. She sets out to win the Bush Olympics as a way to gain her mother's attention. 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… Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
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. “A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud.”--The Horn Book

CONNECTIONS
*Mem Fox. 1999. Wombat Divine. ISBN-10: 0152020969
*Mem Fox. 2005. Hunwick’s Egg. ISBN-10: 0152163182

Share books on the animal’s of Australia
John Bonnett Wexo. 1997. Koalas and Other Australian Animals (Zoobooks Series)
Hannelore Sotzek. 1997. The Koala Is Not a Bear! ISBN-10: 0865057397

Sing “Kookaburra sits in the Old Gum Tree”