One Very Tired Wombat

A sleepy wombat may command the title of this counting story, but it’s the noisy Australian birds intruding on his slumber that steal the spotlight. Treml works in scratchboard, an ideal medium to showcase the animals’ finely detailed fur and feathers, as well as give them personality. The wombat doesn’t have trouble with the first few arrivals (“4 peaceful pigeons, looking for a nest;/ quietly coo-cooing—they’ll let the wombat rest”), but the appearance of five “playful penguins,” seven garahs (“as noisy as a train!”), nine kookaburras, and other birds gives way to a feather-induced sneeze that sends the birds tumbling. A spread of animal facts wraps up this playful tale. Ages 3–5. (June)