StoryMakers with Carmen Agra Deedy WOMBAT SAID COME IN
Join Carmen Agra Deedy for a chat about her new picture book WOMBAT SAID COME IN which is set during an Australian bushfire. Carmen’s inspiration for the book came from the true story which emerged during the Australian bushfires of 2020 of many animals being saved from danger by taking refuge in extensive networks of cool, underground wombat burrows. Find out more about that, learn some amazing Australian animal facts, AND some super new vocabulary words — all on StoryMakers.
About the Book
A kindhearted wombat offers refuge to a parade of animal friends during an Australian bushfire in a delightful new picture book from New York Times best-selling creators Carmen Agra Deedy and Brian Lies.Australian bushfires roar above Wombat’s home. He is fortunate that his burrow is deep below ground and he is safe. He snuggles under his crazy quilt and drinks his tea. Soon his frightened friend Wallaby shows up at his door. “Oh Wombat! I c-c-can’t reach my home! M-m-may I stay with you awhile?” Wombat pauses only for a tick of the clock, and says, “Come in!” Then, one by one, five uniquely Australian animals – the Wallaby, a Kookaburra, a Platypus, a Koala, and a Sugar Glider – seek refuge from the fires, and Wombat welcomes them all. When you have the heart of a wombat, there’s always room for one more!Fellowship, empathy, and adorable Australian animals star in this delightfully heartwarming and funny story about help in the time of trouble from New York Times best-selling author Carmen Agra Deedy (14 Cows for America, The Library Dragon, The Rooster Who Would Not Stay Quiet) and Caldecott Honor-winning and New York Times best-selling illustrator Brian Lies (The Rough Patch, Bats at the Beach). The book will delight children with Deedy’s engaging story and Lies masterfully rendered animals. It is an ideal read-aloud for adults seeking a story with humor and heart. Generosity and kindness provide powerful SEL themes. Older readers will get a glimpse of the unique environmental challenges presented by the country’s annual bushfire season.
About Carmen Agra Deedy
Carmen Agra Deedy is the author of twelve books for children, including The Library Dragon, The Cheshire Cheese Cat, Martina the Beautiful Cockroach, and 14 Cows for America, a New York Times Bestseller. The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet! (Scholastic Press) was released in 2017 and Rita and Ralph’s Rotten Day was published in March 2020. She is host of the four-time Emmy-winning children’s program, Love That Book! Deedy is also an accomplished lecturer, having been a guest speaker for both the TED and TEDx Conferences, the Library of Congress, Columbia University, the National Book Festival, and the Kennedy Center, among other distinguished venues. A life-long supporter of the institution, she opened the 2016 Art of the Book Lecture Series for the Smithsonian Libraries.
“My Dad’s a King” aims to provide comfort, reassurance, and understanding to children affected by parental incarceration, reminding them that they are not alone in their experiences. It encourages them to cherish the love shared with their parents and find strength in the power of family, ultimately inspiring a sense of hope and optimism for the future.
did you make the book;
HI! Carmen Agra Deedy wrote the story for the book and Brian Lies drew all the pictures! I hope you like it as much as we do!
Best,
Julie & The KidLit TV Team