Lucky and Spike
Illustrator: Norma MacDonald
Publisher: Magabala Books
Published: February 2019
Genre: Children's
Readers of Norma MacDonald’s earlier picture book Spinifex Mouse will love this latest adventure. Lucky and Spike are on a search for food in the desert. Once out of the burrow, danger is everywhere for these spinifex-hopping mice. They dart around the feet of people dancing to the hum of a didgeridoo, and narrowly escape a feral cat and an owl. Lucky and Spike find seeds and shrub roots as they race each other home. MacDonald’s illustrations are soft and appealing and show readers the Pilbara landscape from a nocturnal animal’s viewpoint. The creatures’ eyes are especially interesting. There’s a note from the author at the back of the book about the impact of feral cats on Australian native species. MacDonald tells a good tale, and Lucky and Spike is perfect for sparking conversations about habitats, introduced species, and food chains.