''Possum Magic'' is a 1983
children's picture book by Australian author
Mem Fox
Merrion Frances "Mem" Fox AM (; born 5 March 1946) is an Australian writer of children's books and an educationalist specialising in literacy. Fox has been semi-retired since 1996, but she still writes and gives seminars. She lives in Adelaide ...
, and illustrated by Julie Vivas. It concerns a young female
possum
Possum may refer to:
Animals
* Didelphimorphia, or (o)possums, an order of marsupials native to the Americas
** Didelphis, a genus of marsupials within Didelphimorphia
*** Common opossum, native to Central and South America
*** Virginia opossum ...
, named Hush, who becomes
invisible
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be ''invisible'' (literally, "not visible"). The phenomenon is studied by physics and perceptual psychology.
Since objects can be seen by light fr ...
and has a number of adventures. In 2001, a film was made by the American company
Weston Woods and narrated by the author.
Plot
The two main characters are Grandma Poss and Hush. Hush has been made invisible by Grandma to protect her from Australian bush dangers. The story details the duo's adventures as they tour Australia searching for the secret to Hush's visibility. It is a rhythmical story of Australia's varied landscapes and the animals in them.
Development history
Fox wrote her first draft for ''Possum Magic'' in 1978, during a course in children's literature at
Flinders University
Flinders University, established as The Flinders University of South Australia is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across a number of locations in South Australia and ...
. Over five years, nine publishers rejected the draft. When it was accepted by
Omnibus Books in Adelaide they asked Fox to reduce the book, then titled ''Hush the Invisible Mouse'', by two-thirds (the original text ran four and a half pages without illustrations) and to change the mice to Australian animals to place emphasis on her Australian theme.
Reception
''Possum Magic'' is considered a classic in Australian children's literature.
Reviews of ''Possum Magic'' have generally been positive. ''
The Canberra Times
''The Canberra Times'' is a daily newspaper in Canberra, Australia, which is published by Australian Community Media. It was founded in 1926, and has changed ownership and format several times.
History
''The Canberra Times'' was launched in 1 ...
'' called it "a wonderful story, a proper quest amid familiar surroundings,...". ''
Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...
'' wrote: "This agreeable tale from down under is peppered with ''Australia-isms'', but there is a zest to the story that transcends the language barrier". ''Possum Magic'' has also been reviewed by ''
Meanjin
''Meanjin'' (), formerly ''Meanjin Papers'' and ''Meanjin Quarterly'', is one of Australia's longest-running literary magazines. Established in 1940 in Brisbane, it moved to Melbourne in 1945 and as of 2008 is an editorially independent impri ...
'', ''
School Library Journal
''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...
'', and ''
Horn Book Guides''
In 2014 it topped the
Australian Booksellers Association
The Australian Booksellers Association (also known as BookPeople) promotes the interests of booksellers in Australia. The association has its origins in state associations formed early in the 20th century, which later amalgamated into a federal ass ...
list of 50 Favourite Kids’ Books.
It is Australia's best selling children's book with almost 5 million sales (as at 2017),
and has continually appeared on best seller lists.
In 2017, the
Royal Australian Mint
The Royal Australian Mint is the national mint of Australia, and the primary production facility for the country’s circulating coins. The mint is a Commonwealth Government entity operating within the portfolio of the Treasury, and is situat ...
struck a series of
$1 and
$2 coins to commemorate the book.
In 2021, researchers from
Edith Cowan University
Edith Cowan University (ECU) is a public research university in Western Australia. It is named in honour of the first woman to be elected to an Parliaments of the Australian states and territories, Australian parliament, Edith Cowan, and is, , t ...
were critical of teachers over-relying on titles such as ''Possum Magic'' in the classroom because classic stories were not culturally diverse.
Despite finding ''Possum Magic'' included one illustration of a
person of colour
The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...
, the researchers expressed concern about books that featured animal characters, stating that stories about animals decreased the likelihood of children from minority backgrounds seeing characters representative of themselves.
[ The researchers recommended teachers use more contemporary texts which better represent a culturally diverse society, in addition to existing classic titles such as ''Possum Magic''.][ The research was criticised by several media commentators.
]
Adaptations
A stage show adaptation was developed by Monkey Baa Theatre Company and toured Australia in 2019. The adaptation was given a positive review by Judith Greenaway for ArtsHub Australia, who called it "detailed and beautiful and respectful of the original work".
In 2023, The Australian Ballet School adapted the book into an original ballet, with music by Claire Cowan, and choreography by Loughlan Prior.
Awards
* 2009 BILBY Award
The BILBY Awards are organised annually by the Queensland Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia. The name of the award, BILBY, is an acronym of 'Books I Love Best Yearly'.
These awards are children's choice awards. Each year Queens ...
shortlist[
* 2004 Young Australians Best Book Awards (YABBA) Hall of Fame member
* 1994 Canberra's Own Outstanding List (COOL) Picture Book Award winner]IBBY Australia
The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) is a non-profit organisation to bring books and children together. In 1966, IBBY Australia was established and Ena Noël OAM became its first president and remained in this role for over 20 ...
Honour Diploma for illustration
* 1984 Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book shortlisted, and highly commended
* 1984 Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature winner
References
External links
Author's official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Possum Magic
Picture books by Mem Fox
1983 children's books
COOL Award–winning works
Australian children's books
Omnibus Books books
Children's books set in Australia
Children's books about animals
Fictional opossums
Anthropomorphic opossums
Short stories about talking animals