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Charlie, Bob and Me (Harry) Meet Puggles follows a koala, a wombat, and their Australian animal friends as they help a lost baby echidna search for his mother and discover that family can be found in unexpected places. What inspired you to make belonging and found family central themes in Puggles’ story?
Books can be amazing teaching tools, and some young people struggle with belonging, fitting in, and acceptance; you don’t have to be biologically connected to be family.
Why did you choose to represent Puggles’ disability through his malformed feet and difficulty digging?
With our ever-changing environment, I have found that our wildlife is also subject to malformations and disabilities. I felt that using malformed feet in an echidna, was an interesting way to teach young people that even though we are different, we can still be successful and live a full life while overcoming challenges. This is very important as echidnas rely on their back feet to establish new dens.
How did you balance teaching children about Australian wildlife with keeping the story adventurous and entertaining?
I have always liked to use many opportunities as teaching moments. By telling the story from the animals’ perspective, I feel that the story was able to stay adventurous and entertaining without coming across as too educational.
Which character was the most enjoyable to write, and did any of their personalities change during the writing process?
I always like to write about Harry. He is a gruff but very lovable character who keeps the group together. He is the one who always comes up with the big ideas. He is always so brave and stoic. It was good to write him up in a different light when he admitted to his fear of the dark and small spaces.
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Join Charlie, Bob and Harry, on an exciting adventure to help Puggles, a young echidna separated from his family after the Big Wet. Puggles, with his unique challenges and positive attitude, embarks on a journey to find his missing family with the help of his newfound friends. As they search high and low along the riverbank and surrounding bushland, encountering friendly faces and overcoming obstacles, Puggles learns the true meaning of friendship and family.
A delightful story that celebrates diversity, resilience and the bonds that unite us all in the Australian bushland.
Charlie, Bob and Me (Harry) Meet Puggles
Charlie, Bob and Me (Harry) Meet Puggles is a warm children’s animal adventure story set among the native wildlife of eastern Australia. Harry the koala and Bob the wombat discover a frightened baby echidna named Puggles, who has become separated from his mother during heavy rain. With help from their platypus, turtle, galah and wombat friends, they set out to search the riverbank, bushland and nearby campsite for his family.
The book’s strongest theme is belonging. Puggles’ malformed feet and difficulty digging are treated as part of who he is, while the other animals focus on his abilities, including his excellent sense of smell. Their patience and practical kindness give this Australian wildlife children’s book a thoughtful message about disability, friendship and found family. The story also introduces young readers to several Australian animals and their habits without turning the adventure into a lesson.
There’s plenty of gentle humor in the characters’ conversations, especially Bob’s grumpy comments and Puggles’ enthusiasm. The search carries some genuine sadness as Puggles repeatedly hopes to find his mother, but the reassuring friendships keep the tone suitable for younger readers. The ending, in which the animals welcome Puggles into their family and build him a roomy new den, feels earned because their care has developed through shared effort.
The full-page illustrations add color and personality to this children’s picture book. Bright skies, leafy bush settings and busy river scenes create a cheerful Australian landscape, while the animals’ large eyes and expressive faces make their emotions easy to follow. Details such as butterflies, frogs, native plants, the crowded campsite and Puggles’ distinctive feet give children plenty to notice during a read-aloud. Altogether, it’s an affectionate animal friendship adventure with a compassionate heart and a memorable cast.
Pages: 40 | ASIN:1787884007
