The Gumnut Land Adventures (Deluxe Edition) by May Gibbs

Title: The Gumnut Land Adventures (Deluxe Edition)

Author: May Gibbs

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Scholastic Australia

Published: 1^st April 2023 (original stories first published in 1941 and 1943)

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 208

Price: $29.99

Synopsis: This is the story of Scotty the Scottish Terrier. It tells how he went to Gumnut Land and what befell him there … Scotty wasn’t very happy in his home in the Big Bad City. It was very dull sitting about for hours and hours, always on the wrong side of the gate. Then on one fateful day, the gate was left open. This was Scotty’s chance! Out of the garden he ran and into magical world of Gumnut Land. Scotty’s adventures take him all around the Australian Bush, into the Valley of the Caves, the friendly hustle and bustle of Gumnut Town and beyond! Join Scotty on his journey and meet a fantastical cast of creatures: Mr and Mrs Bear, Bib and Bub, Old Bill, the terrific Tiggy Touchwood and Miffrend of Squeaking House.

Published for the first time in over 20 years, The Gumnut Land Adventures Deluxe Edition is a special collection of two classic May Gibbs tales, sure to delight with her iconic illustrations and Australian folk magic.

~*~

You’ve read about Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Little Obelia, Little Ragged Blossom, and the villainous Banksia Men – but did you know that there was more to the world of the gumnut babies? Republished for the first time in 20 years, revisit Gumnut Town and its inhabitants, including Mr and Mrs Bear, Bib and Bub, Old Bill, and Tiggy Touchwood, who has been cursed quite unfortunately, and Miffrend, a human who lives in Squeaking House near Gumnut Town. And let’s not forget Scotty, the Terrier who has run away from home after the gate is left open, and off he goes on grand and magical adventures, because Tiggy has a kind of magic, where she can cast spells on those around Gumnut Town and elsewhere.

There are two stories in this book – Scotty in Gumnut Land, which was originally published in 1941, and Mr and Mrs Bear and Friends, which was first published in 1943. Both follow Scotty and his adventures, and the new friends he meets. Never fear, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie do make an appearance – I don’t think you can have a May Gibbs story without a hint that they are present or at least somewhere nearby. And much like the original stories, the spirit and magic of the Australian bush us captured delightfully in one of the most well-known fantasy stories from Australia. These stories capture the danger and the wonder of the Australian bush, and the creatures who live there, and the people who live nearby – Miffrend and Master, two separate characters, who help each other and help Scotty and the other Gumnut Town creatures when they need it.

These two lovely stories complement the other Snugglepot and Cuddlepie adventures, adding onto them and bringing beloved characters back – even as peripheral characters, as these stories focus on Scotty, Tiggy, Miffrend and other side characters from the original stories. Nonetheless, they are still a big part of these stories – a reminder that gumnut babies still exist, Australian folk magic is alive and well, though we may not always see it. It is always there and will come when we need it the most. These stories capture the essence of a time and place as well, yet perhaps because they are fairy stories, they are timeless and can take place at any time – there is no fixed setting other than the bush. I think this is what I liked most about them – the magical aspect, which was always what has captured my imagination and what cemented Snugglepot and Cuddlepie and their friends in my mind and heart as the first Australian icons I read about in fiction.

I have always loved May Gibbs, but until I was sent this book by Scholastic, was unaware that these tales existed – they were never in my home, but we did have the Snugglepot and Cuddlepie stories that are so familiar to the Australian literary canon, and it was a delight to revisit these characters and meet new (to me) ones, and to see how the natural world interacted with a world that was quite unknown to them as the stories progressed. I loved that May Gibbs’ illustrations are still there, and that we still get to see the lovely world she created. These stories were written in and of a time and place, but still have something universal in them about family and friendship, and coming together as a community, which is something that I love about this book. I also loved that the illustrations brought everything to life, ensuring that the words leapt off the page. A story coming to life is what every reader wants, and for children, being able to see what their favourite characters look like is fun.

There is something very special about reading stories by Australian authors – they reflect our world back to us in so many ways and allow us to see different parts of Australia that we might not always see in our day-to-day lives. That is why I read, and why so many other people I know read. To experience something. A good book can take you on a journey, and this one whisked me away to a magical land of fairies in the Australian bush – and I hope Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are still having grand adventures out in the bush. I hope people enjoy reading this book