Reviewed by Wendy Lipke
This beautiful hard covered children’s picture book contains the true story of a little baby platypus who was rescued and cared for until he was ready to return to his home in the wild at Christmas Creek.
He was rehabilitated at Healesville Sanctuary which opened stage 1 of the Australian Platypus Conservation Centre in 2025.
The book is decorated in Christmas colours, and the front cover shows a little platypus resting his head and arms on a rock. His big round eyes stare right at whoever is looking at the cover. The eyes on all the faces in this book draw the reader’s attention.
The story of what happened to this baby platypus is told through text and realistic illustrations on shiny white paper. The pictures are the work of migrant Anil Tortop who arrived from Türkiye in 2011 and her work is primarily produced digitally. The author Sophie Cunningham has produced several books for both adults and children. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2019 for her contributions to literature.
The story tells how this baby platypus became lost after following first a long-necked turtle then a frog and found himself on a dry dusty road in the hot sun. Fortunately for him he was found by a couple of cyclists who then drove him over 100km to the sanctuary.
After nearly a year he was ready to return to his home. But where was his home? He was finally taken to Christmas Creek up in the mountains which was thought to be a good place for a platypus. The story finishes with the statement ‘Merry Christmas little platypus’.
This is a delightful story with a happy ending which also has much to teach about the platypus and sanctuaries which look after lost creatures.
The Platypus of Christmas Creek
(2026)
Author: Sophie Cunningham
Illustrator: Anil Tortop
Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 978-1-7611-8249-5
$19.99; 28pp