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| Koala Lou | 
| Author: Mem Fox
Creator: Pamela Lofts
Publisher: Voyager Books
Category: Book
List Price: $7.00
Buy New: $2.49
You Save: $4.51 (64%)
New (32) Collectible (1) from $2.49
Avg. Customer Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 14443
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 32
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 8.8 x 0.1
ISBN: 0152000763
EAN: 9780152000769
ASIN: 0152000763
Publication Date: February 28, 1994
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New and Factory Sealed Item Fast Shipping
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 22 | | NEXT » |
 Several lessons to be learned -- for parent and child! October 15, 2008
I first discovered this book through one of my children's book authors courses. I was attracted by the beautiful illustrations which are colorful, expressive and capture all sorts of wildlife from the Australian bush (one of Mem Fox's intentions). Koala Lou's facial expressions truly tell the whole story, and the mother koala's face radiates love and pride. Then, upon reading the book, I truly realized the book's value.
Koala Lou received a lot of attention and affection from everyone, but it is her mother who loves her most. She would always say, "Koala Lou, I DO love you!" But then siblings were born, and Koala Lou didn't receive as much attention. To get her mother to notice her and to win back that affection, Koala Lou decides to enter the Bush Olympics. After much training, she comes in 2nd place and is devastated. When Koala Lou returns home at the end of the day sadly dragging her 2nd place medal behind her, her mother hugs her and assures her that she still loves her and always will no matter what.
The lessons children and parents can take away from this story include: winning isn't everything, and 2nd place is not the most horrible thing in the world; a parent may be busy with other siblings, but that doesn't mean a child goes unloved or unrecognized; children do not need to do spectacular things to win the love of their parents -- that love is always there and it is unconditional; and finally, as a parent, I need to let my child know how much I love her every day, all day.
Very cute Book May 11, 2008
My kids always loved this, so I bought it for my niece's little girl. She loves it too.
Wonderful book November 30, 2007
This is a wonderful story! My mom brought it back from Australia for my daughter and ever since it has been one of her favorites and a bed-time staple! It tells the story of Koala Lou who enters a Bush Olympics competition to win her mother's affection. She trains really hard, but she doesn't win. In the end, her mother lets her know that she loves her, win or lose, just because she exists, exactly how I love my daughter. I would recommend this to anyone.
Great Story for an Only Child to Read (or Have Read to Them) In the Latter Stages of Mother's Second Pregnancy or Adoption October 30, 2007
Koala Lou is another great Australian wildlife character picture book. First published back in 1988 in Australia this classic has more than stood the test of time. Since then generation after generation of grandparents, parents and friends of the parents of an only child have purchased this educational tale given to a child before the first sibling arrives to explain to them the fact that the new arrival will no doubt get most of the attention they used to get but that doesn't mean that they are loved any less. Possum Magic (Voyager Books) is probably the most famous of Mem Fox's work in Australia but the great universal message of Koala Lou has probably made it more famous around the world. I know many people here in Australia who have sent this to their friends overseas having a second kid as it combines great pictures of Australian animals to teach them about the wildlife here as well as the living the future vicariously through Lou lesson.
The basic plot of Koala Lou is that when Koala Lou is born everybody (all the other Australian animals) adore her as she is soft and round. Her mother tells her over and again every day Koala Lou I Do Love You. As the years pass she gets older the natural fussing over her by other animals decreases, during this time her mother has just given birth to at least five other joeys (baby koalas) so naturally the majority of her attention is spent on Lou's younger siblings. Lou misses the attention and wants her mother to love her again pinning for her to tell her she loves her like she used to. Lou comes up with a plan to enter the Bush Olympics as her mother will no doubt love her again when she is a sporting champion. Of course not everything goes according to plan and the affection from her mother has never demised as Lou believes. The ending is granted, very predictable but you wouldn't get the message you are looking for if it wasn't.
This is a good book not only for the child but to have those friends and relatives who are no doubt going to fuss over a new baby read as well, just to remind them to not ignore existing children when their are new arrivals.
Other great Australian wildlife fiction picture book classics for kids by Mem Fox you should check out are Possum Magic and Hunwick's Egg. By other authors Sebastian Lives in a Hat by Thelma Catterwell or Wombat Stew by Marcia Vaughan and the entire Steve Parish story book collection by Rebecca Johnson such as The Cranky Crocodile are also great reads. Olga the Brolga and Edward the Emu although not the best stories have some greatest illustrations of Australian wildlife you will ever see.
Beautiful February 19, 2007
As others have noted here before, this book is delightful! It's a great read for a child whose family is growing and may feel uncertain about where she fits into her mother's life and love. I bought this book years ago simply because I love the illustrations by Pamela Lofts, but when my sister found out she was pregnant with her second child I knew it would be a great story to share with her first son. Lofts' color pencil artwork is reason enough to buy this book--pair that with the work of master storyteller Mem Fox and you can't lose.
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Wildlife, nature and the Environment
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