Book Review: Possum Magic

 

Written by: Mem Fox; Illustrated by: Julie Vivas
Published by: Voyager Books, 1983
ISBN: 978-0-15-200572-6

Plot Summary

Possum Magic talks about all the amazing things that Grandma Poss can make happen with her bush magic. But the best magic is making Hush invisible. Hush loves being invisible, and all the things it allows her to do until one day she wants to see herself again. Grandma Poss knows that the solution involves food but can't remember which kind. They end up going on a tour around Australia until they find the right combination to reverse the magic.

Critical Analysis

Possum Magic is a fun and fantastical tale that also intertwines Australian culture into the story. The book begins by talking about all the magic that Grandma Poss can do, which all centers around Australian creatures found in the bush where they live- wombats, kookaburras, dingoes, emus, koalas, and kangaroos. Her best magic is making her granddaughter, Hush invisible. We are told that although there are many benefits to this magic, the main reason Grandma Poss did it was to protect Hush from snakes. This relationship between the two main characters is something with which children will be able to identify.

Hush's dilemma is one that is also relevant to children- having something that you really want and then realizing that it's not as great as you thought it would be. Many young children (and adults!) have probably wished that they could be invisible at some point in time. Being able to hide when you're embarrassed or just to be sneaky is a common desire. But, being invisible without the ability to see yourself for a long period of time (or possibly forever), would cause one to lose their sense of self-identity.

Grandma Poss's love for Hush is apparent through all her actions in the book- making Hush invisible in the first place to protect her, agreeing without question to make her visible again, and then traveling far and wide to find the thing that will allow her to see herself again. Additionally, while there are many things that Grandma Poss can do- change the color and size of things, she only makes Hush invisible, demonstrating their special bond with magic that is just for her.

In addition to the Australian animals at the beginning of the book, Grandma Poss and Hush's search for the antidote takes them on a trip across Australia. They travel to every area and eat a number of traditional foods, looking for the one that will make Hush visible again. This gives a nice introduction to Australian culture. While not as deep a dive into "little c" culture as one might desire, this is appropriate for the audience that the book is targeting.

At the back of the book, a map and a glossary of Australian terms are included. The map shows the characters' path on their search and has illustrations of the foods they eat in each location. This gives young children a visible introduction to Australia and lets them see how far Grandma Poss and Hush travel to find what they are looking for. The glossary clearly explains each food they try and allows the reader to remain in the book, not having to turn to an Internet search to discover the taste and appearance of the different foods.

The illustrations really lend to the magical feel of the book. The stars on Grandma Poss's apron represent her magic and a trail of them can be seen on pages representing the spells she is doing. One of the best examples of this is on the page where she makes Hush invisible. You can see the trail of stars transforming Hush from her normal self into almost nothing as she slowly fades throughout the illustrations. The drawing of Grandma Poss and Hush at the pond where Hush tells Grandma Poss that she wants to see what she looks like again is an excellent way to visually demonstrate the fact that Hush is invisible. Children may have a hard time grasping the concept since a vague outline of Hush is shown to demonstrate her interactions with the other animals. On the page at the pond, Grandma Poss's reflection is clearly seen in the water as she brushes her teeth and even her reflection is more solid-looking than invisible Hush, who hangs on a branch nearby, but has no reflection to look at in the water.

Grandma Poss and Hush's possum qualities are on full display throughout the book. Their big eyes, pointy noses, and long curly tails are all highlighted in the bold drawings. In fact, the very first part of Hush that reappears after eating the Vegemite sandwich is her tail, representing the fact that it is the most distinctive feature of a possum. They are frequently shown balancing on limbs with their tails steadying them or hanging from branches by their tails.

Although it isn't directly referred to in the text, the illustrations make it clear that the possums are getting their Australian fare through discarded bits from humans. In the movie theater, Hush is seen taking Minties from the box being held by the boy next to her and a trail of them is on the floor. The Vegemite sandwich seems to have been dropped from one of the people sitting on the bench behind them and the use of forced perspective is powerful as the possums appear larger than the people due to their distance from the reader- representing that they are the main characters in the story.

The book ends with Grandma Poss and Hush eating Vegemite sandwiches, pavlova, and half a lamington each year on her birthday to make sure she stays visible forever. While the main purpose of this is to keep the spell from starting to work again, it also represents birthday traditions that families celebrate yearly. Children will be able to relate to this and can connect it to their own traditions.

Awards Won

1984- Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature

Review Excerpt

From Children's Literature, published 1990

"An international bestseller, Possum Magic casts two Australian bush possums in starring roles but also features wombats, dingoes, and emus, rendered endearing by Julie Vivas' soft-toned watercolors. In addition to introducing Australian animals, Fox takes her possums on an eating adventure in search of the Australian foods--vegemite sandwiches, pavlovas, and lamingtons--that will work a necessary magic. The book provides a warm, wonderful first exploration of Australia!" 

Connections

Bring in samples of the foods that Grandma Poss and Hush eat in the book and allow students to taste them.

Students can write about or discuss what things they would do if they were invisible like Hush, or other magic that they would do if they had Grandma Poss's abilities.  

Read other books by Mem Fox: Koala Lou, Ducks Away, or the companion books, Possum Magic Animals and Possum Magic Numbers.