One keen koala by Margaret Wild

cover image

Ill. by Bruce Whatley. Scholastic Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781743629291
(Age: 1+) Highly recommended. Counting. Going to school. This wonderful picture book will serve many purposes, two of which are obvious on first read. It is a stunning counting book, counting to twelve but it is also an introduction for the young reader to going to school.
Margaret Wild's beautiful text is a joy to read aloud; the alliteration rhyme and rhythm make it a tale that bounces along and one which young children will love to repeat and learn by heart. Each number has a double page spread with the rhyme on one side, illustrated, and a complementary large drawing by Bruce Whatley on the other. I particularly loved the picture of
Five bashful banicoots
meeting Mrs Roo.

The young reader will enjoy finding the shy bandicoots hiding under books in behind Mrs Roo's skirts, and can also count the books to see how many there are in the picture. The expressions on the faces of all the animals is a joy to behold and will make any reader feel happy just looking at them. It could also be useful to use when talking to a young child about going to school or pre-school.
This is a lovely book, humorous, happy, beautifully narrated and illustrated by leading author Wild and illustrator Whatley.
Pat Pledger

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