The Best Wombat Books Everyone Will Love

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Wombat Books for Kids

📝 This post, Wombat Books, was originally published in 2012 and has been updated with new information and resources.

When we lived in Australia, I became completely smitten with wombats. They’re cute, chunky, a little lazy—and honestly, they reminded me quite a bit of my pugs. 🙂

Before living in Australia, I had never even heard of a wombat, let alone known some of these fascinating wombat facts:

🤎 Wombats have cube-shaped poop!
🤎 Despite how they look, wombats can run surprisingly fast.
🤎 A wombat’s pouch faces backwards, which helps keep dirt out while digging.
🤎 Wombat burrows can provide shelter for other animals, including during bushfires.

It wasn’t long before wombat books started finding their way onto our bookshelves. One of my favorite discoveries was One Very Tired Wombat by Renée Treml, which I found in our local independent bookstore. From there, our collection grew!

Whether you’re learning about Australian animals, celebrating Wombat Day on October 22, or simply looking for some wonderful new read-alouds, these are some of my favorite wombat books for kids.

One Very Tired Wombat by Renée Treml

This book was really the inspiration for this post! I found it in our local independent bookstore while we were living in Australia and immediately loved it. As one very tired wombat tries to sleep, more and more Australian birds arrive and disturb his rest. The rhyming text, counting, and wonderful vocabulary make this a fun read-aloud for the classroom.

Wombat Big, Puggle Small by Renée Treml

A little wombat and an echidna puggle explore opposites and word pairs as they play together. With gentle rhymes and Australian animals throughout, this sweet board book is especially nice for younger readers—and a fun way to introduce opposites.

Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields

This was one of our first introductions to Australian animals and words. Six wombats head out on a walkabout while a hungry dingo follows close behind. Along with being a fun counting-backwards story, it introduces children to Australian animals and words such as billabong, gum nuts, and bloke.

Diary of a Wombat Series by Jackie French

If you haven’t met Mothball yet, you’re in for a treat! Jackie French’s Diary of a Wombat books follow Mothball and her wonderfully funny view of everyday life. Eating, sleeping, scratching, and occasionally causing a bit of trouble are all part of being a wombat.

Diary of a Wombat

This one still makes me think of my pugs! Mothball’s days are filled with sleeping, eating, scratching, and more sleeping—until some new human neighbors arrive. Before long, she has made herself right at home in their lives, with some very funny results.

Diary of a Baby Wombat

Mothball’s baby may be even more mischievous than his mum! He eats, sleeps, gets bored, and manages to create plenty of havoc along the way.

Christmas Wombat

Mothball brings her familiar eating, sleeping, and scratching to Christmas in this funny holiday addition to the series.

Wombat Goes to School

When Mothball discovers a new hole, it unexpectedly leads her to a local school. The children learn a few things about wombats while Mothball makes some discoveries of her own—including that a sports shed can be a pretty good place for a nap!

Happy Birthday Wombat

It’s Mothball’s birthday, which means it’s time to celebrate—wombat style! This story follows the special day from Mothball’s wonderfully funny perspective.

Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy

When Australian bushfires threaten Wombat’s home, he is safe underground in his burrow. One by one, other Australian animals arrive looking for shelter, and Wombat welcomes each of them inside. This sweet story about kindness, empathy, and helping others also introduces children to several Australian animals.

Wild Wombat by Udo Weigelt

When the zoo announces that a wild wombat is coming all the way from Australia, rumors quickly spread about the mysterious new arrival. By the time Wombat gets there, the other animals are terrified! This funny story offers a great opportunity to talk about rumors, assumptions, and why we shouldn’t believe everything we hear

Witch & Wombat by Ashley Belote

Wilma is a young witch who can’t wait to get her very first cat—but when the pet store is out of kittens, she comes home with a wombat instead! She soon discovers that a wombat is nothing like a cat, no matter how hard she tries to disguise him. This silly story is a fun addition to a collection of wombat books and is sure to get some laughs.

Sebastian Lives in a Hat by Thelma Catterwell

Sebastian Lives in a Hat is a different kind of wombat story. After a baby wombat loses his mother, he is rescued and cared for until he can eventually return to the wild. While he’s being cared for, Sebastian stays warm and cozy in a woollen hat.

This is a nice choice for talking with children about wildlife rescue and caring for Australian animals.

📝NOTE: I bought this book in Sydney, but cannot find it in the States.

Wombat Stew by Marcia K. Vaughan

Dingo is planning to make wombat stew, but Wombat’s friends have other ideas! They convince Dingo to add all sorts of rather unappetizing ingredients to his stew in an attempt to save their friend.

The repetitive language makes this especially fun to read aloud, and it’s another great way to introduce children to a variety of Australian animals.

Celebrate Wombat Day with a Wombat Cake!

When we lived in Australia, we couldn’t let Wombat Day pass without a little celebration! Back in 2012, I made this wombat cake for my boys. It’s definitely homemade—and that’s part of its charm. 🙂

If you’re celebrating Wombat Day on October 22, add a wombat-shaped cake or another wombat-themed treat to your celebration. Pair it with a few of the books above and you’ve got yourself a pretty fun Wombat Day!

Using Wombat Books in the Classroom

These wombat books for kids can easily become part of a larger study of Australia or Australian animals. Depending on the book you choose, you can also make connections to counting, vocabulary, rhyming, animal habitats, friendship, or wildlife rescue.

And, of course, they’re perfect for Wombat Day on October 22!

FREE Wombat Word Search

Celebrating Wombat Day or learning about Australian animals? Grab this FREE wombat word search for a simple activity to go along with your wombat books. It’s perfect for morning work, fast finishers, or just for fun!

💚 Grab the FREE Wombat Word Search

Whether you’re planning an Australian animal unit or just looking for a new read-aloud, I hope you’ll find a wombat—or two—to add to your classroom bookshelf. 💚