Plato, an eco-warrior, and part-time plumber fixes watery problems like leaking taps, but he also fixes grumpy people with jokes or a smile spray. His tool kit is legendary.

Despite ferals along the creek bank, Plato is on call to help Zanzibar and his family who are renovating their old creekside house.

Lively and colourful illustrations are interspersed throughout the story.

Aimed at those interested in imaginative problem solving, this book will appeal to boys and girls, keen on animals, nature or wildlife. And it also asks watery questions about climate issues, such as drought.

We also offer a Teachers' Guide and Classroom Performance Script as free downloads (see Links below).

Reviews

I liked the title Plato the Platypus. The smile spray was really cool and the Feral Cat was good.

– Kyle Donohue (aged 8) Park Orchards Primary (Victoria)

Plato the Platypus Plumber is a great book. I like how the part-time platypus is named Plato (after the Greek thinker) The smile spray was a good idea because it actually worked. I need some of it at my house sometimes. When Dad blocked the toilet it was funny.

– Liam Grade 3/4 A (aged 10), Park Orchards Primary (Victoria)

From a St Kilda, Victoria, primary school...

It was the best book in the world. The illustrations were the best because they had lots of colour. I loved the mudslide. (Mae)

I like the pictures, they are spectacular. I loved the part when the bath over flowed and I thought the smile spray was brilliant. (Zoe)

I liked the illustrations because they are funny. (William)

When Plato and Zanzibar went in the mudslide it was COOL. (Alex)

The embarrassing moment was funny because Zanzibar took a picture. (Roksana)

I liked the bit when Plato remembers before the drought and when he danced under the sprinkler. (Isobel)

I liked it when Plato was remembering what he used to do before the drought. I liked it because it felt calm. I loved the part with the embarrassing moment, it's really funny. (Lola)

I liked it when the toilet got blocked, it was awesome and cool and I could imagine it. (Lachlan)

Plato was funny. The illustrations were fantastic. The water proof phone was awesome. (Will)

I liked when the bath overflowed. It was funny because the mum got mad and Plato the Platypus sprayed the happy spray. (Isaac)

The pictures were great. I liked the use of colors and I just thought it was funny. (Hamish)

I loved the tool kit with the smile spray. (Julien)

And from their teacher…

With each reading the children enjoyed a different aspect of this marvellous picture story book. At first they were gobsmacked by the brilliantly bright and bold illustrations. They loved the color and the detail presented on every page. The kids could relate to the images of the bath overflowing, the toilet getting blocked and the abundance of pipes surrounding the house. There was enthusiastic discussion about the drought and the many water saving devices that their families have put in place. Not many children had experienced playing under sprinklers, certainly none had been down a COOL mudslide like Plato and Zanzibar !

This fabulous picture story book appealed to the young readers who find toilet humour hilarious. The kids laughed and laughed at Dad's embarrassing moment on the toilet and even funnier was the idea that Zan would take a photo of his Dad and put it in the local newspaper !

The children were fascinated by the contents of Plato's tool kit. The smile spray captured their imaginations and they were especially pleased that it had worked on Zanzibar's Mum when she had been grumpy. The idea that Plato, a platypus could be a plumber was believable because he had a friend in need in Zanzibar. The children loved that the two were such good friends and were always there for each other.

A really funny book with quirky characters and happenings wonderfully illustrated in bright, bold and brilliant colour. The great pleasure of reading this book to children is simply in hearing them laugh so loudly !

– Helen Mortley, Grade 1 Primary Teacher

I love the quirkiness of this book. Plato is a special kind of plumber, one who fixes not only leaking pipes, but also grumpy people. His tool kit backs this up, with spanner and hard hat alongside some smile spray and a jar of happy. Plato's human friend, Zanzibar, lives in a house that is constantly being renovated. So Zan and his family need BOTH of Plato's skill sets.

Plato the Platypus Plumber (Part-time) is multilayered - a delightful fantasy about a friendly platypus, interwoven with opportunities for kids to learn about taking care of the environment. Some toilet humour is inevitable in a book about plumbing - kids will love it, and teachers and parents will appreciate that it is handled gracefully by Edwards.

Water has secrets … and memories flood downstream with the creek.

Children are fascinated by water, by both its power and mystery, and its practical uses. Plato the Platypus Plumber taps (ahem) into that fascination. There are so many interesting features in the book, the kind you pick up after repeated readings. Apart from the beautiful quote above that ties the book together, children will love delving into Plato's life as an eco-warrior and extreme monotreme, and finding out about such platy-problems as feral cats and plastic bags. It's a strong environmental message, but never preachy.

Petropoulos' crayon drawings are vibrant, adding to the book's humour and charm. My favourite page is the one where Plato sidesteps some feral cats and distracts them with a joke. Each page is full of life and colour, with cartoonish details to make us grin. Petropoulos actually developed the font from his own daughter's handwriting, giving the book the look of a hand-written journal.

Plato The Platypus Plumber is just calling out to be shared with kids. Schools will love it, as it supports studies on water, Australian animals, and jobs that people do. I think boys will be especially attracted to the plumbing details and Plato's encounter with sludge, 'the yucky stuff'. It's also a perfect book for following up with creative ideas for water play. Yet another bonus is that the publisher's website has a Teacher's Guide and a Classroom Play Script available as free downloads. Don't you love it when publishers add value to books that way?

– Book Chook