Naked Bunyip Dancing by Steven Herrick (Genre: Poetry)

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Herrick, Steven. 2008. NAKED BUNYIP DANCING. Ill. by Beth Norling. Asheville, N.C.: Front Street. ISBN 1590784990

B. SUMMARY
Written by Australian poet Steven Herrick, this novel in free verse form describes the experiences, emotions, and adventures of Class 6C, set in a school in Australia. The children begin the year with some trepidation, which is not alleviated by the appearance of a rather eccentric looking teacher, Mr. Carey. Nicknamed “Carey the Hairy”, the students soon discover that Mr. Carey whilst rather odd-looking on the outside, is a caring and perceptive teacher. Over the course of the school term, the children gain a sense of self-identity and self-worth and discover their strengths and hidden talents as they prepare for a school concert.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Though the book is written in free verse, it is exceedingly well-written in that it captures not just the atmosphere of a classroom and school, but also the lives of the characters described within the book. Class 6C is taught by an eccentric and unconventional teacher, Mr. Carey who wears a t-shirt that says “McDonalds=McJunk”, is vegetarian, and loves listening to Bob Dylan’s music. As strange as he initially appears to the children, he soon grows on them, with his daily yoga sessions (to calm them down), and creative methods of teaching poetry.

The students are also credibly-drawn, which is quite a feat given the free verse structure. There’s Emily who is described as beautiful, intelligent, and totally in love with Jason, a fellow classmate. There’s Peter, a nice boy who is also prone to passing gas at the most inopportune moments, and Billy who fancies himself a punk.  There’s also Alex, who feels sad and depressed as his parents go through a difficult separation but who eventually discovers a hidden talent which restores his self-confidence and gives him a measure of happiness. Each of the students described are realistically drawn, and most upper elementary and middle school students will easily identify with these characters. The themes of self-esteem, adolescent angst, and self-identity are subtly conveyed throughout the novel.

Humor is a tool which is effectively used throughout the novel. For example, when Mr. Carey decides to take the class on an excursion to the Sewerage Works, here’s Anna’s reaction:
“What!
Where?
The Sewerage Works!
Well, I hope the sewerage works,
But we’re not going there,
Are we?
To see sewerage?
That stinks!”

The multiple points-of-view narration technique works well as readers get a real sense of what these characters think and feel, which would not work as well with a single point-of-view narration. Each character is given a ‘voice’ and the cartoon drawings by Beth Norling add a quirky and fun touch to the novel aligned with the ‘young’ and energetic vibe throughout the novel.

D. AWARDS/ REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Shortlisted, New South Wales Literary Award 2006
Notable Book 2006: Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards, Younger Readers Category
Winner 2006: Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Award for Language Development – Upper Primary Readers Category

E.CONNECTIONS
*This is a great read-aloud book which can be used to launch a discussion on how students feel about school and life.
*This can also be used as part of a Language Arts unit on composing free verse poetry. Students can be given the option of writing a free verse poem on any topic that interests them, or about school in particular.
*Here are some poetry books dealing with the theme of school:
Dakos, Kalli. 1995. IF YOU'RE NOT HERE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND: POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL. Ill. by Brian Karas. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689801165.
Dakos, Kalli. 1998. DON'T READ THIS BOOK WHATEVER YOU DO: MORE POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL. Ill. by Brian Karas. Aladdin. ISBN 0689821328.
Nesbitt, Kenn. 2005. WHEN THE TEACHER ISN'T LOOKING AND OTHER FUNNY SCHOOL POEMS. Meadowbrook. ISBN 0439835704.
Lansky, Bruce. 2004. IF KIDS RULED THE SCHOOL. Meadowbrook. ISBN 0689032730.
Shields, Carol Diggory. 1998. LUNCH MONEY AND OTHER POEMS ABOUT SCHOOL. Puffin. ISBN 014055890X.
*For older children, i.e. Grades 7 and up who would like to read more novels in verse form:
Kearney, Meg. 2007. THE SECRET OF ME: A NOVEL IN VERSE. Persea. ISBN 0892553367.
Herrera, Juan Felipe. 1999. CRASHBOOMLOVE: A NOVEL IN VERSE. University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0826321143.