A little bit of Possum Magic

When I was a kid, my twin sister and I shared a room and my favourite part of any week was when my mum or dad would squeeze into a tiny purple plastic chair (that my dad eventually sat on and broke) and in between my sister and I, would read us both a bedtime story. My parents have always worked full time, so looking back on the moments they took out of their long strenuous days to indulge us two admittedly obnoxious little girls in a story was very special, as it is for any child growing up.

I think bedtime stories are so important because when we're kids, we already live in a perpetual land of fantasy, where we aren't burdened by life's perils because there's almost always someone to shield you from them. As children we don't know what the real world beholds. The only world we really know is that which is created by our parents or small circle of adults that shape us for better or worse.

The real world is frightening to a child and just as frightening to most adults. Maybe it's just another reason why being a teenager is so difficult, because we have to grapple with life's great disillusionment that we won't be able to rely on those core people to protect us from the dangers of real life. Which is why we tend to cling to childhood stories, as more and more adults find calm in watching Disney movies and anime. Stories that remind us of a simpler time when the princess could be rescued by a knight in shining armour, and animals could speak and have a consciousness.

I didn't intend for a piece on bedtime stories to become so melancholic or philosophical, but I think that's why nostalgia tends to elicit such a happy-sad, oxymoronic feeling in us. We smile at and celebrate our younger, more ignorant selves whilst also mourning the loss of our youth and innocence.

However, choosing not to be too bitter about ageing into maturity, I've been reflecting on the many bedtime stories that shaped my childhood and let my pre-adolescent imagination flourish. One children's book in particular has always stayed in my mind, a picture book called Possum Magic (1983) by Mem Fox, a staple book of any Australian's childhood.

It tells the tale of Grandma Poss, an Australian possum who uses her bush magic to turn little Hush - her grandchild - invisible to protect them from the dangers of the bush. However, Hush soon longs to see their own reflection again, and so along with Grandma Poss they embark on an adventure across Australia, trying different Australian delicacies in search of a cure for Hush's invisibility.

This is a book my parents read to my sister and I countless times and is very dear to my heart. Partly because the illustrations of Australian possums are completely adorable but also because like many of my childhood bedtime stories, I have since completely over-analysed all of its little metaphors. I think a great thing about this book in particular is that it really understands the fears and anxieties intrinsic to children, which is probably why the text has stayed with me for so long. A great moment in the book is when after thoroughly enjoying the spoils of being invisible, Hush is thrown into a state of dejection when he looks into a pool of water and can no longer see his own reflection. It’s such a poignant be careful watch you wish for moment, and I think it really captures the despondency children can experience when they are made to feel that they aren’t being seen.

Further, I ruminate on this picture book so much because it is one that is so iconic and essential to Australia. Particular living in Australia today where if you are not aware, there is such a heavy saturation of American and even British content in our film and television industry. Hence Australian stories often have a difficult time finding light, and I have often felt starved of narratives that actually represent the place I live in. As such, having a book growing up where the story surrounded the many facets of Australian culture in retrospect was really important to me, and perhaps is one of the reasons I am so passionate about uplifting Australian stories as an adult.