Emily and The Big Bad Bunyip by Jackie French
A Shaggy Gully Picture Book about the Joy of Giving
Oct 1, 2008
The partnership that created the popular and multi-award winning Diary of a Wombat (HarperCollins, 2002) has again joined forces to produce Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip (HarperCollins, 2008), a story about the joy of giving and the importance of community.
Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip
Emily is an emu with a big heart, a bucket-load of enthusiasm and an indomitable spirit. As she joins with the other animals in Shaggy Gully to sing carols, Emily realises that even the Big Bad Bunyip should be able to smile at Christmas.
Emily goes down to the billabong with the members of Dawn’s Chorus, the Shaggy Gully choral group, to invite the bunyip to share their Christmas spirit. Emily is determined to make the bunyip smile, but he is just as determined to stay mean and grumpy. The animals all work together to make the bunyip happy, but it isn’t until Emily blurts out a carol on her tuba that they really get his attention.
As readers journey through the pages of Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip they will find many new friends as well the stars of previous French/Whatley picture books Pete the Sheep, Josephine the Kangaroo and Mothball the wombat.
The Gift of Giving and The Shaggy Gully Community
Author Jackie French admits that the original concept of Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip got sidetracked along the way as the focus of the story “changed from celebrating Christmas to celebrating the extraordinary joy that can be found in giving the perfect gift. The joy of simply wanting to be kind.”
As the animals share with the bunyip those things that mean the most to them, they demonstrate one of the benefits of belonging to a community. French thinks that the animals of Shaggy Gully demonstrate one of the great benefits of belonging to a community as they undertake the ”ruthless sharing of joy and festivity with the bunyip. They are offering him not want he wants, but what he needs.”
With these two underlying themes, Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip becomes more than a Christmas picture book. It is a book for any time of the year and a wonderful way to demonstrate to children the importance of thinking of others.
French and Whatley
With several joint titles already published, Australian author Jackie French and author/illustrator Bruce Whatley have proven themselves to be an inspiring partnership. While French created the original concept for Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip, Whatley’s illustrations have amplified the humour and fun of the story as well as offering readers a visual delight with every page.
French describes Whatley as “more than an illustrator. He is a co-creator of the book. His illustrations and contributions are a significant part of what makes this book not just humorous and fun but also beautiful.” She believes that it is Whatley’s skill as an illustrator that “creates the gentle evocation of the community of Shaggy Gully”.
Whatley has published several books of his own including the popular Little White Dogs Can’t Jump (HarperCollins, 2001). His expressive characters and detailed illustrations are often a story in themselves.
Fun for Children and Adults
Children and parents will enjoy the delightfully humorous illustrations and fun story. The batman costume wearing possum and the many rearrangements of the Dawn Chorus are particular highlights. The enjoyment of the book is enhanced by the more substantial focus on kindness and sharing and the benefits of belonging to a caring community.
Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip is a book that will leave readers with a smile on their face and is sure to be a popular bedtime story request by young children.
Emily and the Big Bad Bunyip (ISBN: 978-0-7322-8692-7)
More reviews of books by this author:
The Camel Who Crossed Australia
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