A CBCA SHORTLISTED BOOK FOR 2020
A story about sharing and making friends
Meek the possum and her sisters three are happy living in the sprawling paperbark tree – until the day Squabbles the bat moves in.
Meek lives with her three sisters, a gaggle of birds, lizards and other creatures next to a tumbledown terrace house. Everyone shares the space, and life is pretty sweet until the day a rude and messy fruit bat named Squabbles moves in – and demands everyone else move OUT. Will Meek be able to get rid of Squabbles, or is there a way for everyone to get along?
Alexa Moses’s lively rhyming text is entertaining to read aloud and Anil Tortop’s illustrations are full of terrific detail and great characterisation. BAT VS POSS is a fun story about learning to share that kids aged 3 to 5 will want to read over and over.
Buy Bat vs Poss
Praise for Bat vs Poss:
‘Written in rhyme and charmingly illustrated by Anil Tortop in a palette that reflects the nocturnal life of the story’s characters, this is a story that may be familiar to readers who have had their lives disrupted by a bully who hasn’t learned how to behave well yet… A great forerunner for talking about respect and responsibility…’ – Barbara Braxton, The Bottom Shelf
‘In this story about second chances, making friends and learning to share, author Alexa Moses uses many tricks to entertain readers of the preschool set and older. There’s hyperbole, references to poo and belching (always a winner!), and a light-hearted rhythm and rhyme that begs to be read aloud. Combined with Anil Tortop’s very cute illustrations bringing all the characters to life, Bat vs Poss is a book that will please children while at the same time encouraging a love of language, books and reading.’ – Julie Murphy, Reading Time
‘Bat vs Poss caught my heart in the very first scene, beautifully illustrated with an Australian native tree; the home of a possum family and other creatures, surrounded by terrace houses, wheelie bins and city lights in the background. Everything about it felt familiar to me, as it would for many people who have lived in urban Australia… My kids and I enjoyed the clever rhyming and upbeat text while exploring important topics such as teamwork, problem solving and standing up for yourself. The stunning illustrations work in unity with the text and perfectly set the homely Australian environment.’ – Amie Sabadin, Kids’ Book Review