The Wild Life: A Line in the Sand by Laura and Philip Bunting

Title: The Wild Life: A Line in the Sand

Author: Laura and Philip Bunting

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Scholastic Australia

Published: 1^st October 2022

Format: Paperback

Pages: 144

Price: $15.99

Synopsis: In the paw-sizzling heat of summer, Wombat and Roo need to cool their toasted toes. They find themselves on a beautiful beach with more than enough ocean for everyone. But there is one very little problem … Quokka thinks he owns the beach. And he is not in the mood for sharing.

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Poor Roo and Wombat are trying to keep cool in the midst of summer, but they’ve burnt their toes seeking shade and relief, and they stumble across a beach and an ocean – relief! But as soon as they arrive, they are confronted by Quokka and his guards, Galah, Numbat, and Yowzah, a crab. Quokka thinks the beach is his, and he doesn’t want to share any of it! Roo and Wombat are pushed into a corner – literally, but instead of moping, they make the best of it. Will Quokka finally learn what it means to share?

In the second lavishly illustrated longer picture book novel (it’s not quite a graphic novel because it has big blocks of text, but it is also much longer than an average picture book and is divided into chapters) in The Wild Life series follows more of Roo and Wombat’s adventures as they explore their world and discover more animals and make new friends and go on a range of adventures together throughout the Australian bush and their world of Gumshine Coast. Each novel – the first two – have built on this world and the characters as well so as a reader, I am loving seeing the way these fun and joyful characters develop, and I love the way Laura’s story and Philip’s illustrations come together, telling a vibrant story where the words and the pictures work so well together that everything is seamless and tells the story in a powerful way. The collaboration has given the story something truly special and means that each book will be unique but also fit in nicely thematically.

This is a new kind of book – a longer picture book written as though it is a novel, divided into parts or chapters, and is great for reluctant readers or as a way to bridge the leap from picture books to chapter books, as it incorporates elements of both. I think this is a really nice trend, because even confident readers sometimes need a book like this, and I love reading these books in between the longer and sometimes intense books that I read. For someone like me, it is an enjoyable palate cleanser, as well as a fun story that I can really get into, even if I manage to read it faster than some books. It is great for readers aged about six and older, can be read alone, as a class, or as a kid and their adult, because I think it will work in all those contexts and could open up discussions about wildlife and the environment. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in book three, and hope the series is one that will be well-received and loved by readers of all ages.