Lucky is a very cute spinifex hopping mouse and Spike is his brother. Every night they come out of their burrow to look for food. Going off to a nearby camp where the women are grinding seeds for flour is a good idea. Those spinifex seeds that get scattered around would provide a tasty dinner.

But there are two big green eyes watching them. The local feral cat is hungry too. Thank goodness there’s a camp dog with a strong aversion to cats. But feral cats aren’t the only danger to Lucky and Spike. There’s a barking owl that’s on the hunt too. But he’ll have to be careful as our hungry feral cat loves a meal of tasty owl!

Norma MacDonald tells us that when she lived in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia she ‘was very sad to see so many feral cats hunting the spinifex hopping mice’. She warns that ‘feral cats have caused the disappearance of small animals across Australia’. Norma MacDonald paintings in this book are full of wonderfully soft bush colours except, of course, when the green-eyed monster appears.It’s a lovely story with just a hint of danger the youngies will enjoy. A history lesson in the making.

Reviewed by Merle Morcom
Age Guide 4+