1. Animals
2. Behaviour
3. Courage
4. Dogs
5. Endpapers
6. Food
7. Greed
8. Kindness
9. Night
10. Sharing
11. Stealing
12. Stories in rhyme
13. Visual literacy

On a windy moonlit night, a small scruffy dog named Skippy Gillespie sneaks out on a journey to retrieve his bone from its secret hiding spot at the garbage dump. Little does he know that a much larger dog, Boofa Boy Jones, is snooping right behind him. As soon as Skippy unearths his bone, Boofa Boy Jones swoops in and takes it, kicking off a rambunctious chase across the town. Will Skippy be able to get his bone back from Boofa Boy Jones and enjoy the midnight chew he’d been eager for?

‘The Midnight Chew’ is delightful to read, filled with rhyme, onomatopoeia and rich with descriptive language. The words playfully dance across the pages, leading the reader down Skippy Gillespie’s hole has he digs, and across pages as he chases Boofa Boy Jones through the town. The playful, rhythmical language combined with the excitement of the chase makes this book the perfect read-aloud for younger children.

Author Sally Morgan belongs to the Palku and Nyamal peoples of the Pilbara and only became aware of her Aboriginal heritage at the age of 15. Her family was a part of the Stolen Generation and when she was young was led to believe that she was of Indian heritage. The inspiration for ‘The Midnight Chew’ came from Sally’s own dog, who once stole a whole cooked chicken from the table while Sally was busy preparing dinner.

CBCA Award-winning Illustrator Karen Blair creates her illustrations from her home studio in Fremantle, Western Australia. Her drawings perfectly encapsulate the scrappiness and charm of both Skippy Gillespie and Boofa Boy Jones. In an interview, Karen acknowledged the challenge of illustrating a story set at midnight and purposefully embedded light sources into the illustrations, such as a full moon, streetlights, and a torch, to illuminate the different locations around the town.

1. Fremantle Press. Teaching Notes: ‘The Midnight Chew’ https://fremantlepress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TN_The-Midnight-Chew.pdf
2. Fremantle Press. Teaching Activity: ‘The Midnight Chew’ https://fremantlepress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ActivitySheet_TheMidnightChew_ONLINE.pdf
3. Fremantle Press. Storytime: ‘The Midnight Chew’ read by illustrator Karen Blair (Youtube video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9a6Ye-28O0
4. Fremantle Press, 2026. Meet Karen Blair (Youtube video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s28cCcQ7X1Q
5. Australian National University. Indigenous Australia Biography: Sally Morgan https://ia.anu.edu.au/biography/morgan-sally-17816
6. Karen Blair’s Website https://www.karenblair.com.au/
7. Good Reading, October 2025. Sally Morgan chats about The Midnight Chew https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/article/sally-morgan-chats-about-the-midnight-chew/
8. Better Reading, 20 October, 2025. Review: 3 Reasons Why You Should Read The Midnight Chew by Sally Morgan, Illustrated by Karen Blair https://www.betterreading.com.au/review/3-reasons-why-you-should-read-the-midnight-chew-by-sally-morgan-illustrated-by-karen-blair/