Wurrtoo is a hairy nosed wombat. He lives on Kangaroo Island. Wurrrtoo is in love with the sky. He wants to marry her. To do so he will have to travel across the island, then the water to the mainland where he will have to climb the tallest tree in the Forest of Dreaming to reach her.

Wurrtoo likes to mostly stay alone in his burrow as he’s not very brave and it’s much safer there. He dreams of marrying the sky and spends most of his days inside extending his burrow, making it bigger and bigger.

One day he rescues a koala from a bushfire. Her name is Kuula. She is brave, fun and adventurous. Kuula laughed at him when he told her he intends to marry the sky but wants to help him, so with her encouragement, Wurrtoo decides to leave his burrow and travel with her to find his great love and finally marry her.

Wurrtoo has the feeling of an Australian children’s classic. The storyline and the style of writing is reminiscent of one of my childhood favourites, Blinky Bill. It has a sense of simpleness and innocence that only tales of animals can do. There are dangers to be faced on the trip, but along the way there are gentle lessons about facing our fears and the value of friendships.

Wurrtoo entwines Indigenous dreamtime tales and environmental issues along with an adventurous storyline. Good for reading aloud to younger kids. This is simply a lovely book.

Reviewed by Emily Ross

Age Guide 7+

Teachers’ Resource

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tylissa Elisara is a children’s social worker who lives and works in Meanjin (Brisbane) with her husband and children.

She descends from the Narungga, Kaurna and Adnyamathanha people of South Australia and was born and raised on Mamu Country in Innisfail, Queensland – a heritage, alongside her Irish ancestry, that she proudly regards as a long legacy of storytelling.

Tylissa is studying a Master of Writing, Editing and Publishing at the University of Queensland. Wurrtoo is her first novel.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Dylan Finney is an Australian-born Artist and Graphic Designer currently living on Darkinjung Land. Whilst his Dad was born in England, he is a proud descendant of the Marra, Ngalakgan and Yanyuwa clans in Arnhem Land on his Mother’s side. When not exploring the local bushland he can be found in the studio drawing or painting.

His art seeks to capture the feeling of a moment. People are typically the vehicle through which he explores identity and culture, often playing with form and perspective. Whilst he does occasionally paint with acrylic, working digitally lends his portraits, genre pieces, and murals a vibrancy that depicts the intensity of the subjective experience.

He is currently available for commissioned work and will gladly answer any questions you may have about his work or his process.

Visit Dylan Finney’s website