Possum Magic

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1983 picture book by Mem Fox

title: "Possum Magic" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["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", "marsupials-in-popular-culture", "short-stories-about-talking-animals"] description: "1983 picture book by Mem Fox" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum_Magic" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1983 picture book by Mem Fox ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox book"]

FieldValue
namePossum Magic
imagePossum Magic.jpg
captionFirst edition
authorMem Fox
illustratorJulie Vivas
cover_artistJulie Vivas
countryAustralia
languageEnglish
genreChildren's picture book
publisherOmnibus Books
pub_date1983
pages32 (unpaginated)
isbn978-01-5200-572-6
::

| name = Possum Magic | image = Possum Magic.jpg | caption = First edition | author = Mem Fox | title_orig = | translator = | illustrator = Julie Vivas | cover_artist = Julie Vivas | country = Australia | language = English | series = | subject = | genre = Children's picture book | publisher = Omnibus Books | pub_date = 1983 | english_pub_date = | media_type = | pages = 32 (unpaginated) | isbn = 978-01-5200-572-6 | oclc = | dewey = | congress = | preceded_by = | followed_by =

Possum Magic is a 1983 children's picture book by Australian author Mem Fox, and illustrated by Julie Vivas. It concerns a young female possum, named Hush, who becomes invisible 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. 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 called it "a wonderful story, a proper quest amid familiar surroundings,...". Booklist 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, School Library Journal, and Horn Book Guides

In 2014 it topped the Australian Booksellers Association 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 struck a series of $1 and $2 coins to commemorate the book.

In 2021, researchers from Edith Cowan University 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 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.

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

References

References

  1. "Fox, Mem (1946-)". Trove.
  2. Maria Savvidis. "Stories in the sun". State Library of NSW.
  3. Dianne Smith. (June 2000). "A Guide to the papers of Mem Fox". Lue Rees Archive.
  4. Beata Bowes. (25 January 2018). "10 Classic Australian Children's Books".
  5. Susan Nicholls. (29 May 1983). "The best in children's books illustrated". [[The Canberra Times]].
  6. "Possum Magic". American Library Association.
  7. Eliza Berlage. (2018). "Australia in Three Books". Melbourne University Publishing.
  8. Jeanette Larson. "Possum Magic". Media Source Inc..
  9. "Possum Magic". Media Source Inc..
  10. Deborah Bogle. (8 August 2014). "Australia's 50 favourite children's books — words of magic to brighten kids' lives". The Advertiser (Adelaide).
  11. Admin. (29 August 2017). "Nan Chauncy Award 2017". Children's Book Council of Australia.
  12. Dianne Smith. (June 2000). "A Guide to the papers of Mem Fox". Lue Rees Archive.
  13. (1 August 1984). "The month's best-sellers". [[The Canberra Times]].
  14. (3 December 1986). "Months' bestsellers". [[The Canberra Times]].
  15. (26 September 2016). "'The 65-Storey Treehouse' tops Australian children's bestsellers charts". Books+Publishing.
  16. (21 June 2018). "'Where is the Green Sheep?' tops bestsellers chart". Books+Publishing.
  17. (17 October 2019). "'Definitely Do Not Open This Book' tops Australian picture book bestsellers chart". Books+Publishing.
  18. "Discover the wonder of Possum Magic with limited edition collector coin series". [[Royal Australian Mint]].
  19. (2021). "The Exclusive White World of Preservice Teachers' Book Selection for the Classroom: Influences and Implications for Practice". The Australian Journal of Teacher Education.
  20. (29 May 2022). "Popular children books deemed not culturally diverse enough". [[Herald Sun]].
  21. Goodall, Hamish. (2 June 2022). "Australian researcher claims children's book are not diverse enough". [[Seven News.
  22. Richards, Kel. (1 June 2022). "Kel Richards: Beloved children's classics are being sacrificed at the altar of politically correct wokery". [[Sky News Australia]].
  23. "Possum Magic {{!}} Monkey Baa Theatre Company, Darling Quarter".
  24. (2019-04-15). "Possum Magic stage show to tour the country".
  25. Greenaway, Judith. "Review: Possum Magic, Sydney Opera House".
  26. "Archived copy".
  27. "YABBA Hall of Fame". Young Australians Best Book Awards Council.
  28. "Possum Magic". AustLit.
  29. Leanne Mason. (27 October 1991). "Schoolchildren judge two authors as the most cool". [[The Canberra Times]].
  30. (1991). "CCBC Choices". Cooperative Children's Book Center.
  31. "Complete List of KOALA Winners". KOALA.
  32. (2018). "IBBY Australia Honour Books List 1962-2018". IBBY Australia.
  33. Peter Fuller. (14 March 1984). "Short lists for children's books". The Canberra Times.
  34. (21 July 1984). "Children's awards: Theme of book 'transcends age'". The Canberra Times.
  35. Dianne Smith. (June 2000). "A Guide to the papers of Mem Fox". Lue Rees Archive.

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picture-books-by-mem-fox1983-children's-bookscool-award–winning-worksaustralian-children's-booksomnibus-books-bookschildren's-books-set-in-australiachildren's-books-about-animalsmarsupials-in-popular-cultureshort-stories-about-talking-animals