Possum Magic
Possum Magic is a 1983 children's book by the Australian author Mem Fox . With over 3 million copies sold, it is the most successful children's and picture book of all time in Australia.
Emergence
The author Fox began studying children's literature at Flinders University in Adelaide in the 1970s. As part of a term paper, she wrote the four and a half page story Hush the Invisible Mouse . Her teacher Felix Hughes suggested that Fox aim for a publication and have it illustrated by the student Julie Vivas . The book was initially rejected by 9 publishers. The publisher Omnibus Books finally asked Fox to replace the mouse with a typical Australian animal and to create an abbreviated and more lyrical text version. Together with the new illustrations by Vivas, Possum Magic was created, which was first published in 1983. To date, with over 3 million copies sold, it is the most successful children's book in Australia and according to a survey by the Australian government, Possum Magic is the book most frequently kept in libraries.
content
The main characters of the book are the two possums Hush and Grandma Poss . Grandma Poss has bush magic powers to make Hush invisible. One day when Hush wants to know what she looks like, the two set off through Australia to find a means by which Hush can become visible again. They meet different Australian animals such as wombat , dingo , emu or koala and try a wide variety of typical dishes, e.g. B. Anzac Cookies and Vegemite .
Further meaning
Based on the story, Garry Ginivan developed a musical of the same name in 1990 , which has since been performed regularly in Australia. Another musical version was played three times by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Meet Mem Fox ( Memento of the original from June 28, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Blackwater City Council
- ↑ Long-running magic is a real winner, possum . The Sydney Morning Herald, November 4, 2008
- ^ Possum Magic: The musical live on stage
