Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson

ALBERT is a lonely platypus and, armed with an empty drink bottle, he is on a quest to find a better world.

ALBERT is a lonely platypus and, armed with an empty drink bottle, he is on a quest to find a better world.

It may sound like the simple plot for a picture book but Howard L. Anderson's debut novel for adults is an absorbing tale of adventure through a natural world that has gone horribly wrong.

The story begins with Albert dying of thirst as he wanders about the scorching Aussie bush. He has barely enough provisions to survive four days in the desert but is pushed on by a thirst for freedom.

The ambitious platypus escaped from a zoo in Adelaide in the hope of finding "old Australia", a Dreamtime home where animals roam free without danger.

But it's not that easy and it is only with the help of Jack, a mysterious wombat, that Albert's true journey begins.

Other native animals haven't seen anything like him before and his mysterious talent at two-up and ability to poison predators quickly earn him infamy.

The novel is like an old Western but with native Australian animals. The dingoes are the Indians, beer is the drink of choice and shoot-outs with a kangaroo are just around the corner.

Albert of Adelaide is a fantastic character who, as the novel progresses, you completely forget is a platypus barely 60cm long.

Each creature has a past and unique and startling human qualities.

This truly is an amazing book with a beautiful insight into our native land and the world in which we live.

Albert Of Adelaide
Howard L. Anderson
Hachette, $26.99