Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Ted Prior, Simon & Schuster, $16.99.
For the 35th title in the Grug series, Prior uses the devastating 2019 bushfires as inspiration for another book.
Why now? For the last 16 years Ted has lived on a rural property at Killabakh, northern NSW, mostly native forest country. At the time of the devastating bushfires a large fire also swept through Killabakh.
His house and studio were saved, but most of the property was burnt. “When I started cleaning up afterwards, I thought Grug would have survived a bushfire because he lives underground.” These thoughts inspired this new book.
Being a sensitive topic, this is a great way to strike up a conversation especially with children about bushfires. Other topics of discussion could include watching the re-growth of the forest, finding new homes for those who have lost them, rebuilding and preparing for the fire season.
The great appeal is that Grug is a simple childlike character with an optimistic communication of anticipation, adapting well in the face of adversity. It’s also important to accentuate sharing resources and caring for each other.
The book also offers a beautiful bit of Australiana with vivid images of animals sharing Grug’s home, sheltering underground together, while the fire passes overhead.
Another message is to stay safe this summer.
A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this book will be donated to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital.
