Wombat Said Come in

A kindhearted wombat offers refuge to a parade of animal friends during an Australian bushfire in a delightful new picture book from New York Times best-selling creators Carmen Agra Deedy and Brian Lies.

Australian bushfires roar above Wombat’s home. He is fortunate that his burrow is deep below ground and he is safe. He snuggles under his crazy quilt and drinks his tea.

Then, one by one, five uniquely Australian animals - Wallaby, Kookaburra, Platypus, Koala, and Sugar Glider - seek refuge from the fires, and Wombat welcomes them all.

When you have the heart of a wombat, there’s always room for one more!

Fellowship, empathy, and adorable Australian animals star in this delightfully heartwarming and funny story about help in the time of trouble from author Carmen Agra Deedy (14 Cows for America, The Library Dragon, The Rooster Who Would Not Stay Quiet) and Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies (The Rough Patch, Bats at the Beach).

The book will delight children with Deedy’s engaging story and Lies masterfully rendered animals. It is an ideal read-aloud for adults seeking a story with humor and heart. Generosity and kindness provide powerful SEL themes. Older readers will get a glimpse of the unique environmental challenges presented by the country’s annual bushfire season.

Carmen Agra Deedy, a New York Times best-selling author (14 Cows for America) and nationally known storyteller. Her books have received numerous awards and honors, including a Pura Belpre Honor, Christopher, Jane Addams Honor, and an E.B.White Read-Aloud Honor. Carmen has presented at many prestigious venues, but children are her favorite audience. Born in Havana, Cuba, she came to the United States as a refugee. She lives in Georgia.

Brian Lies has illustrated over thirty books, including the 2019 Caldecott Honor-winning The Rough Patch, which also won a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and his New York Times bestselling bat series (Bats at the Beach, Bats at the Library, Bats at the Ballgame, and Bats in the Band). He now lives in a seaside town in Massachusetts with his wife and two cats. His hobbies are woodworking, cooking, and tending a big vegetable garden behind the house.