Possum Magic
Book by Mem FoxWikipedia
29
MENTIONS
5
EPISODES
5
PODCASTS
Search complete. 29 mentions across 5 episodes found for "Possum Magic".
Sep 19, 2026
Julian MorrowHOST
you It's time now for The Year That Made Me, and we are continuing our series of Australian authors to coincide with Radio National's Top 100 Australian Books Countdown.
Julian MorrowHOST
And our guest today penned the book that came in at number 76 in last year's Radio National Poll of the Top 100 Books of the 21st Century and also wrote what's often been described as the best-selling picture book ever in Australia.
Julian MorrowHOST
Those titles are...
Julian MorrowHOST
Where is the Green Sheep and Possum Magic? And they are, of course, written by none other than Mem Fox.
7 MINS LATER
Mem FoxGUEST
And the drama school that I went to was a train ride into town.
Mem FoxGUEST
So you could get cheap tickets to see just magnificent actors, just magnificent.
Mem FoxGUEST
And three years of very strict, like a ballet school almost, very, very strict drama school taught me pretty much everything everything I needed to know about writing picture book texts.
Julian MorrowHOST
And Mem, you moved back to Australia in 1970.
Julian MorrowHOST
In the 60s.
Julian MorrowHOST
So, you know, London in the 60s is the classic swinging 60s.
Julian MorrowHOST
How swinging was the 60s for Mem Fox, daughter of a missionary, recently grown up in Africa? Yeah.
Mem FoxGUEST
It was a swift transition.
17 MINS LATER
Julian MorrowHOST
And we always finish the year that made me with a piece of music.
Julian MorrowHOST
Mem Fox, what have you chosen for us and why?
Mem FoxGUEST
I have chosen The Sheep May Safely Graze by Bach because obviously we had no television and my sisters and I would go to sleep listening to the music that our parents were listening to, classical music.
Mem FoxGUEST
And if they played The Sheep May Safely Graze, you couldn't stay awake.
Trent DaltonGUEST
First book I ever read...
Trent DaltonGUEST
It was a book called Possum Magic.
Trent DaltonGUEST
And because you are nothing but one big walking slice of magic, these are possum magic earrings.
speaker_3UNKNOWN
Great.
Trent DaltonGUEST
And they're for you.
speaker_3UNKNOWN
You and Me in the Land of Lost Things.
speaker_3UNKNOWN
Possum Magic.
speaker_3UNKNOWN
Kiss by the Moon by Alison Lester.
speaker_3UNKNOWN
Magic Beach, but also Sean Tan's The Lost Thing.
Maggie DentGUEST
I'm Maggie Dent, Australian author, educator and podcaster,
Hilary HarperHOST
and my favourite Australian children's book is Possum Magic by Mem Fox.
Maggie DentGUEST
It's a beautiful story where we weave some magic into childhood, where, you know, Grandma Poss has weaved some magic and made this beautiful, cute little possum disappear.
Maggie DentGUEST
And then the cute little possum wants to come back and the magic isn't quite working.
Maggie DentGUEST
So, I mean, I'm going deep, I know, but there is just so many layers to it that I believe makes it the standout.
Maggie DentGUEST
I'm Maggie Dent, and that's my favourite Australian children's picture book.
Hilary HarperHOST
parenting educator, mum and nana extraordinaire, Maggie Dent with the classic Possum Magic written by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas.
Hilary HarperHOST
You can cast your vote in Radio National's top 100 Australian books.