Look and see by Shane Morgan

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Magabala Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922142221.
(Age: Preschool) Aboriginal themes. Animals. Shane Morgan, a descendant of the Yorta Yorta people of Victoria received an advanced diploma from the Goulburn Community College where he studied Koorie Art and Design. He has put his skills to good use in this simple rhyming tale which shows six Australian animals in their environment. Each double page has an opening sentence asking the younger reader to look a the animal being show: the lizard is up a tree looking down on the narrator, the kangaroo hops over him, the emu catches him, then the fish chases him out of the water, while the tortoise nips his toe. And in the end the dingo howls at the moon, to say goodnight.
Each cheeky animal does something to the boy, as the pages are turned.
The bold illustrations, with simple line drawings and blocks of colour are most expressive, showing the animal and its features and its environment. The book will serve young children well, introducing Australian animals to them, and encouraging them to predict what the rhyming word will be, finishing with the dingo saying goodnight.
Fran Knight

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