Koala Lou

A. Citation Fox, Mem. 1988. Koala Lou. San Diego, CA: Gulliver/HBJ Publishers. ISBN 015-200502-1 B. Plot Summary Koala Lou's story begins as a baby koala. She was so adorable that all loved her. But how loves a baby more than it's mother. That is the love the Koala Lou desired the most. The love was reinforced by a chant the mother said, "Koala Lou, I DO love you!" As Koala Lou's family grow so does her longing for her mothers attention. To regain that attention she enters herself in the Bush Olympics hoping that her success will bring back the love of her mother. In the end the reader find out about the true love of a mother. C. Critical Analysis A beautifully illustrated (Pamela Lofts) book about the love between a child and their mother. The tale of Koala Lou from birth to adolescents is a familiar one. Koala Lou has the misguided notion that her mothers love is conditional based on simple achievements such as "climbing the gum tree" or "bravely waking down the path all by herself." After achieving these feats her mother would exclaim "Koala Lou, I DO love you!" As she grows up her family grows also. No longer the baby of the family, Koala Lou finds that the other children are taking away the attention from her loving mother. In order to regain favor, Koala Lou enters herself into the Bush Olympics and in an almost obsessive manner tries to train her way back to her mothers love. This was a little disturbing seeing how she felt she had to do so much to connect back to her mother. An adult reader knows that she never lost that connection, but to a younger reader the implication is there that love must be renewed. In the end there is the great connection between mother and child that the reader is looking for, but it isn't clear how the love was obtained. It is clear to those who have an understanding of the unconditional love of a mother, but for a child who does not fully understand, it could give a false misconception of love. But in that instance it is the responsibility of the adult reader to explain that love is not based on what the child does, but on just being themselves. D. Review Excerpts Publishers Weekly Fox's two new books join Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge as perfect examples of why the Australian writer has become one of today's top authors of children's books. Koala Lou is loved by everyone, but it is her mother who loves her most of all. She often tells her daughter, "Koala Lou, I DO love you." As the family grows and her mother gets busier, Koala Lou yearns to hear those words again. She sets out to win the Bush Olympics as a way to gain her mother's attention. Lofts's colored-pencil drawings portray the Australian flora and fauna beautifully, including a few of the more exotic species. The Horn Book When Koala Lou’s mother becomes so busy that she forgets to tell her firstborn how much she loves her, Koala Lou enters the Bush Olympics, intending to win an event and her mother’s love all at one time. “A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud.” Review Accessed from:http://www.amazon.com/Koala-Lou-Mem-Fox/dp/0152000763/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1141657-3677614?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181181712&sr=8-1 E. Connections Lucado, Max. Because I Love You. 0-089107-992-0 Mora, Pat. Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers. 158430-235-6 Caron, Ann. Don't Stop Loving Me, A Reassuring Guide for Mothers of Adolescent Daughters. 0-06097402-8