by Tania McCartney, illustrations by Kieron Pratt
Ford Street Publishing. Australian, Picture. Paperback, RRP $22.95
Guest Reviewer - Vicki Stanton (http://www.buzzwordsmagazine.com/)
The intrepid Riley is off in his red bi-plane for his fourth adventure. This time he flies to my hometown of Melbourne and encounters a grumpy wombat. Riley wants to discover the reason for her grumpiness and help her but first needs to find her again.

The format follows the previous Riley books with black-and-white photographs, some of which were contributed by McCartney, overlaid by Pratt’s bright and cheeky illustrations. Numerous gadgets are at Riley’s disposal, something that kids will love (and wish for).
I loved the inclusion of Riley’s friends from his previous adventures. They hang from the plane’s wings and operate contraptions in a bid to find the wombat. An underlying thread of friendship and concern is evident.
Riley and the Grumpy Wombat is a great introduction to Melbourne for those that don’t know her and for those of us that do it might just make you yearn for a visit. It did me!
The fifth Riley adventure, Riley and the Jumpy Kangaroo: A journey around Canberra is due out in 2012. You can also read a review of the third Riley adventure Riley and the curious koala at Buzz Words Books.
http://www.taniamccartney.com/
http://www.poppybooks.com.au/aboutillustrator.html
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