Koala Lou

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fox, Mem. 1988. Koala Lou. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. San Diego: Voyager Books. ISBN 0152000763

PLOT SUMMARY

In this picture book, Australian author Mem Fox tells the story of a young koala, Koala Lou, who is on a quest to affirm her mother’s love.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Although the main character of this story is a koala, children will be able to relate to her.  The emotions that Koala Lou feels after the addition of siblings will be familiar to children who have younger brothers or sisters.  Koala Lou is young and her age and experiences will be similar to those of the target audience of this book.

The plot of this story is simple, yet meaningful.  Koala Lou seeks attention from her mother who has been concentrating her efforts on Koala Lou’s younger siblings.  Koala Lou has always been told that she was loved, but since the addition of new family members, her mother has not been as forthcoming with praise.  Koala Lou enters the Bush Olympics and hopes that by winning, her mother’s attention will once again be focused on her.  Koala Lou’s performance at the Bush Olympics does not go as she had hoped, but the ending of the story clearly resolves Koala Lou’s feelings.

The setting of this story is the Australian bush.  Throughout the story, Fox identifies other animals from the bush. While the themes of the story obviously include the love between a mother and child and the conflict that arises when siblings enter a family, the theme is subtle and not overwhelming to young readers.  The story is a fun one and definitely an enjoyable read.

Throughout the story, Fox repeats the phrase, “Koala Lou, I DO love you!”  The rhythm of this phrase makes this story a good one to read aloud.  The text flows naturally.  Some pages have only one line of text while others have large paragraphs.  Despite this variance, the text flows naturally and the divisions increase the effectiveness of the story.

Illustrator Pamela Lofts used colored pencils to create the illustrations in Koala Lou.  The illustrations are colorful and vibrant.  Lofts is able to create a lot of texture in the pictures, most noticeably in the various animals’ fur.  Lofts has also used her illustrations to add humor to the story.  For example, Koala Lou wears sneakers while training for the Bush Olympics and many of the spectators are wearing hats.  These comical additions allow for the story to be fun and lighthearted.

The cultural markers in this story are more easily identified in the illustrations than in the text.  Throughout the book, the animals and plants illustrated subtly demonstrate the wildlife that might be found in an Australian bush.  The story about a love between mother and child will be relatable to readers of all cultures.  I enjoyed reading this story to my two-year old daughter.  On the first page, when Fox introduces us to Koala Lou, my daughter was quick to pronounce the koala “Cute!”  We both adored this story.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Horn Book: “A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud.”

Kirkus Reviews: “Another winning import from one of Australia’s favorite authors.”

CONNECTIONS

Readers who enjoyed Koala Lou might also enjoy the following stories by Mem Fox:

Mem Fox. Possum Magic. ISBN 0152632247

Mem Fox. Time for Bed. ISBN 0152010661