Jimmy the Joey: The True Story of an Amazing Koala Rescue by Deborah Lee Rose and Susan Kelly (review)

Rescued from the side of the road, a six-month-old koala is taken via Koala Ambulance to Port Macquarie Koala Hospital. Here he is placed in the home of a trained volunteer who names him Jimmy and who cares for him until he is old enough to join the other, bigger koalas in the hospital's tree yard. As he grows, Jimmy learns to eat eucalyptus leaves, climb trees, and generally charm everyone he meets; when he is old enough, he is released back into the wild. The text glosses over a few crucial facts: the fate of Jimmy's mother in the roadside accident that begins his journey is never explained, nor is the reason that hospital volunteers cease to feed or hug Jimmy after he begins making grown-up koala sounds made explicit. The photos are clear and attractive, and they're generally well-positioned against the muted oranges, blues, greens, and tans of the backgrounds (inspired by the multicolored hues of eucalyptus bark). Unfortunately, readers will have to settle for descriptions rather than photos of newborn joeys and of some of the more comical moments mentioned in the text (Jimmy climbing to the top of people's heads or touching noses to greet them). Koala-loving kids will still find enjoyment in the rescue storyline, the crisp and simple text, and the numerous photos of adorable, fuzzy Jimmy. A map identifying wild koala habitats, notes about Jimmy and about koalas in general, a photographer's note, and lists of suggestions for further reading, places to see koalas, and ways to help koalas are included.