Snugglepot and Cuddlepie

A most wonderful adventure for all children and adults, especially of Australian heritage.

My mom was from Austraila, and I grew up in California. Grandma sent us this book from Austrailia when we were little, and I loved it so much. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are two gum-nut brothers who go on a quest through the Austrailian bush to see "humans". Along the way, they have many adventures. All the gum-nut people look like naked pudgy little two-year olds. The boys are either naked, or they have a gum leaf (eucalyptus leaf) for clothes (which really doesn't cover anything). They also all have caps made out of the end of a gum blossom. The girls are naked, but they have a little flower ring around their tummy, which covers as much as a swim ring. (The girls' hats are a gum bloosom with the flower on it, so it looks like they all have fuzzy blond hair.) Don't worry, no one has any "private parts", no more than Winnie the Pooh, but there are lots of cute backsides. You just want to squeeze and hug all the little gum-nut people. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie meet lots of Austrailian animals like kookaburras, joeys, lizards, ants, and caterpillers, and the wicked Banksea men (which my mom told me were seed pods off of the banksea bush). I get the impression that the author/illustrator had a real love for the outback, because the pictures have the detail of a botinist. The pictures are beautiful ink drawings, with some watercolor color plates. The book not have easy words for a little child to read to itself, it is more for snuggling up with mom or dad to read to you. I am going to get some for my grandkids.

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is honestly the best children's book i have ever read. I first took it out at the library when i was about 9 years old, and immediately i fell in love with the little Gumnut babies, and little Obelia was my favourite. She, however, lived under the sea, which made her even more mysterious. The book has a few villains, like the Banksia men and Mr. Snake, but other than that, the Gumnuts always managed to outsmart them!Set in Australia, this book holds a multitude of charms, laughs and fascination. My love for Snugglepot and Cuddlepie will never die, even though i enter my adult years. May Gibbs, the author, does a fantastic job of illustrating and writing this gorgeous book. I recommend it to children 9 - 11 years, or anyone with an interest in nature, and wildlife mixed with fantasy.

An Australian children's classic, written and illustrated in the 1930s by May Gibbs, this is the story of two "gumnut babies", tiny childlike people that live in the Australian bush. We follow their adventures meeting new friends and learning the ways of the bush and its animals, including a foray into the ocean and fish society and occasional encounters with the Bad Banksia Men! This is a beautifully written story with gorgeous illustrations that also subtly teaches the importance of caring for animals and the environment. Bear in mind that being written in the 1930s, there may be occasional moments that could be at odds with modern sensibilities (I don't recall anything blatantly offensive, however), but I don't believe these should be reasons to not read the book, but rather they could be a learning point about how things have changed, etc. I remember being entranced by the adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie as a child, and the book is most suitable for the 5-10 age group, probably with an adult helping the younger ones.