From extensive collection, this Australian tale will teach readers the importance of teamwork. Why Koala Has a Stumpy Tail is an Australian folktale about two friends, Tree Kangaroo and Koala. Long ago they were very close, but their friendship soured after the events that transpired during a long drought in Australia. Tree Kangaroo was a hard worker and resourceful while Koala was lazy and selfish. Tree Kangaroo had the idea of digging a hole for water in a dry stream bed. Tree Kangaroo started to dig, but Koala kept making excuses about why he couldn't help dig the hole. Finally, Tree Kangaroo ends up digging the entire hole and when he finally finds water, Koala jumps in a drinks all of it. Emblazoned with anger at Koala's selfish acts, Tree Kangaroo grabs Koala by his long, furry tail and pulls so hard that it breaks off at the base. Now Koala is left with a short, stumpy tail. The Australian folktale is complete with an appendix of fun facts. August House Publishers offers an of Why Koala Has a Stumpy Tail as well as !
Author
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss are a husband-and-wife team, also known as “Beauty and the Beast Storytellers,” who have traveled the world since 1980 sharing their passion for the art of storytelling. They have co-authored several books and recordings that have won numerous awards including Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature (awarded by Bank Street College of Education), Parents’ Choice, National Parenting Publications Awards, and Storytelling World. Their Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom, used in the teaching of storytelling from elementary schools to college courses, won an Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award and was praised by award committee members as "an infectiously enthusiastic book on the methods and merits of teaching storytelling to children . . . imaginative, inspiring, easy to read, and tremendously engaging . . . a terrific book that will be a classic for years to come." Mitch and Martha’s story collections include world tales that they have retold in a conversational manner so that children can easily understand and retell them. Parents and teachers will find a wealth of information on how to get children excited about reading, telling world tales, and making up their own stories at Mitch and Martha’s Web site: http://www.beautyandthebeaststorytell...
