Dropbear

3.8

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Author(s)

Philip Bunting

Publisher Name

Charlesbridge

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

September 09, 2025

ISBN13

978-1623547264

ISBN10 or ASIN

Up there! Gray hair! Grim stare! Beware . . . Dropbear!

A humorous and heartfelt picture book perfect for 2 to 5 year olds, this rhyming romp through the outback teaches preschoolers and their grown-ups that things aren't always as they seem, and that all creatures deserve the benefit of the doubt.

Hold your breath and count to three as woodland creatures share spooky stories about Dropbear, the rumored meanie who lives way up in an old gum tree. But when one little birdie decides to investigate the truth, it turns out that maybe Dropbear just wants . . . something special.

Perfect for repeat read-alouds, this playful rhyming story will have readers dropping in for more Dropbear.

Editor review

1 review

Be Careful After Your Snipe Hunt

December 03, 2025 (Updated: June 06, 2026)

Overall rating

3.8

Plot

3.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

What's a dropbear? Clearly, a shady character with pointy fangs that will eat you if you aren't careful! Looking a bit like a koala from the wrong side of the Outback, a dropbear is rumored to be mean, rude, and even smelly! When a little bird hears all of these rumors, she decides to investigate for herself. She waits under the dropbear's tree, expecting the worst... but is surprised that when the dropbear appears, he just wants a hug!

Good Points

This rhyming tale is a bit silly, but shows the ways that individuals might believe what is said and not always check it out. There's not must reason to doubt the information about the dropbear; after all, he lives in a creepy tree, and the pictures are all rather dark and ominous. There are so many stories about the interactions that other animals have with the dropbear. Luckily, the bird is brave enough to find out the real story.

At its heart, Dropbear carries an important lesson about not believing what one hears, but investigating situations and evaluating them critically. This lesson is probably a bit more easily understood in Australia, where the legends of "dropbears" are more prevalent, but this is also a good introduction to some Australian wildlife, and can be appreciated along with books about interesting Australia fauna like Bunting's Koala's Eat Gum Leaves, Morecroft and Bancroft's Malu Kangaroo, French and Watley's Diary of a Wombat, Milroy's Backyard Birds, and Wilkinson and Mutton's Clancy the Quoka.