Wombat Divine by Mem Fox

A.Bibliographic Data:
Fox, Mem. Illus. Kerry Argent. 1995. Wombat Divine. Hartcourt Brace & Company: San Diego, New York, and London. ISBN 0-15-201416-0.

B. Plot Summary:
Wombat Divine is a lovely story of a gentle bear named Wombat who is in love with Christmas, in particular the Nativity play. Wombat is finally old enough to be a part of the Nativity play in his town and he rushes to the auditions with hopes of landing the perfect part. Again and again Wombat tries out for different parts but they are not right for him. He is too heavy to be the Archangel Gabriel, too big to be Mary, too short to be a king, too sleepy to be Joseph, too clumsy to be the innkeeper, and too shortsighted to be one of the shepards. Until finally all of he parts have been filled, and Wombat is devastated. Then Bilby realizes that the part of Baby Jesus is vacant and exclaims that Wombat could play the part. Emu realizes that he had not filled the very important part of Baby Jesus and exclaims that a Nativity without Baby Jesus is not complete. Wombat finally found the perfect part and that Christmas Eve he played it so well that he even really fell asleep. On Christmas Day everyone congratulated Wombat on playing such a divine part.

C. Critical Analysis:
In a sense Wombat is really the baby in the story. He is just old enough to participate in the play, and he too young to realize that there are some parts that he is just not fit for. The illustrations depict the other animals trying their best to accommodate Wombat to the different characters. An example is when Wombat decides that he wants to be the Archangel Gabriel. There is an illustration that shows a large group of animals struggling with the rope, another trying to push Wombat up with his back, and another climbing to the top of the rope and tugging on it. Together Mem Fox and Kerry Argent collaborated magnificently to keep readers wondering which is Wombats perfect part. The text on each page is subtly simple enough to let the illustrations charmingly continue the story. This story is based on friendship which is cherished and celebrated along with a holiday that brings friends and family together.

D. Review:
From School Library Journal, "Youngsters will surely identify with Wombat's hope, sadness, and, finally, his triumph. The animals frolic against a mostly white background, peering out of Nativity costumes, and looking on as Wombat tries part after part. The last three scenes, which take place in a crowded theater, the stage, and outdoors, are filled with color and energy that underline the culmination of the story. These uniquely Australian creatures are easily identifiable, but Argent still succeeds in giving them their own personalities within the story. The clever text and lively illustrations make this holiday tale a delight to read and share." by Jane Marino.

E. Connections
Read along with a Nativity Story so that children understand the role that each character plays. (Ex. A child is born : the Christmas story / adapted from the New Testament by Elizabeth Winthrop ; illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak, ISBN 0823404722).
The animals that Fox uses in the story are from Australia so the students can be introduced to different animals from that country through a book. (Ex. Australian animals / Caroline Arnold, ISBN 0688167675).
A fun activity would be to divide the children into groups where each student plays a part, (it emphasize that each part is equally important), and have the students present the play to the class.