1. Bibliography
Fox, Mem, and Julie Vivas. 1983. Possum Magic. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-200572-2
2. Plot Summary
Hush and Grandma are two possums living in the Australian bush. To the amazement of all the other animals living there—kangaroos, kookaburras, and dingos included—Grandma Poss can do magic. She can even turn Hush invisible, keeping her safe from snakes and allowing her to have fun doing all sorts of silly shenanigans. Unfortunately, Grandma Poss forgets the magic to undo Hush’s spell. When she finally remembers it, Grandma Poss realizes that the two will have to take a culinary tour around Australia to make the poor little possum visible again. The back page of the book includes definitions of Australian (culinary) terms and a map of the Aussie cities that the possums visit on their journey.
3. Critical Analysis
As someone who lived in Australia for two years, the “spell-breaking” foods introduced by Grandma Poss put a smile on my face. Many of them are Aussie classics—Anzac biscuits, Vegemite sandwiches, pavlova, lamingtons—and after I’d finished reading, I immediately felt the urge to bake my own lamingtons pronto. Mem Fox’s food tour has done what all good books do: it inspires action! I also appreciated the glossary of Australian terms found the in the back of the book, helping readers like me who aren’t quite sure what “mornay” is. According to the glossary, it’s “a supper dish of fish in white sauce, topped with bread crumbs and browned in the oven.” (Are you salivating yet?) In short, what a fun idea to write a book celebrating Australian animals, Australian cities, and Australian food all in one go!
I do wish that the illustrations put a little more emphasis on the fun foods the possums are eating. The pavlova is hardly recognizable sitting on an umbrella in the distance, similar to the only slightly visible packet of Anzac bickies in the cinema. But while the food illustrations feel a little underdone, I love that Julie Vivas’s illustrations highlight the unique Australian wildlife—possums, wombats, echidna, emu—you name it, she’s drawn it into the story, much to the delight of young readers.
I also wish the storyline were a little stronger. It seems almost as though Mem Fox threw together a jumble of three different storylines—one about Grandma Poss’s magic, one about Hush’s invisibility, and one about the Australian food tour—making the story less cohesive. Still, Mem Fox knows how to write a fun, if slightly forgettable, yarn, and Julie Vivas knows how to draw irresistible bush animals. All in all, Possum Magic is a book worth reading.
4. Rewards and Review Excerpts
International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List, 1986, Winner, Illustration
Kids Own Australian Literature Awards (KOALA), 1987, Winner, Primary
From Bookbird: “Another treat from Mem Fox that is sure to be treasured. The whimsical illustrations are a wonderful complement.”
From Children’s Literature: “The book provides a warm, wonderful first exploration of Australia!”
5. Connections
Ask children to brainstorm what Hush would eat if she came to your local city. Have the children present their answers to the group. Then have a food party complete with some of the Australian treats mentioned in Possum Magic and some of your own local food “magic.”
Create a display of Possum Magic and other children’s books set in Australia, such as the following selections:
- Morrison, Yvonne. The Emu That Laid the Golden Egg. ISBN 9781921894008
- Lai, Remy. Pie in the Sky. ISBN 9781250314093
- Hameister, Jade. Polar Explorer. ISBN 9781250317681
- Marshall, James Vance. Stories from the Billabong. ISBN 9781845077044
- Coote, Maree. Robyn Boid: Architect. ISBN 9780992491741
- Fox, Mem. I’m an Immigrant Too!. ISBN 9781534436022