First reader series by Kerry Argent

Omnibus Books, 2014.
One woolly wombat. ISBN 9781742990477.
Hide and seek. ISBN: 9781742990491
Best of friends. ISBN 9781742990484.
At the beach. ISBN 9781742990507.
(Age: 4-7) Highly recommended. Early reader. Australian animals. Counting.
A lovely set of four early readers showcases Wombat of One woolly wombat fame and is ideal for young children just beginning to read. What makes the series so outstanding is the quality of the illustrations which make the stories come alive. Full of humour, the entertaining stories will be a delight for any child learning to read. There is a short line of text to each page and the story lines are amusing and enjoyable and the settings are ones that would be familiar to children.
One woolly wombat is a counting book that goes to the number 14 and highlights Australian animals in funny situations. Argent uses of a variety of words that do not condescend to the young reader, who will have no trouble remembering them after the book has been read a couple of times. The illustrations add humour to the entertaining book.
At the beach is the story of Woolly Wombat and his loveable friends, including Bandicoot, Koala and Platypus. They have great fun swimming, although there is a big surprise in the water, and Wombat likes to make sand castles as well.
In Hide and Seek, Wombat has lots of fun hiding from his friends, but of course when the picnic food is brought out, he decides that sometimes hiding is not the best option.
The complexities of friendship are explored in Best of friends. Argent shows all the reality of being friends, like eating together and playing together, but also the fact that sometimes best friends fight but always make up.
Quality illustrations and superb story telling make this series ideal for young readers.
Pat Pledger