In the bush I see by Kiara Honeychurch

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Magabala Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925360912.
(Ages: 0-3) Themes: Australian animals, Board book. This is another title in the Young Art board book series by young Indigenous Australian artists. Previous publications include At the zoo I see and In the city I see. Here, high-school student Honeychurch's illustrations warmly and honestly depict Australian bush animals. Each page contains a simple white background featuring a realistic drawing of an animal, each with a pop of neon colour for visual interest and to suggest the light thrown across them at different times of the day. The text names the creature and describes their movement or behaviour: a nosey hen, a screeching cockatoo, a swarm of wasps, a waddling echidna, etc. The illustrations give a sense of the movement described within the text, both within the drawing of the individual creatures and the way they flow from page to page. This is an ideal book to share with the very young as it introduces new vocabulary (names of creatures, adjectives) and the short text is perfect for limited attention spans. It is also a very impressive debut for a promising young artist.
Nicole Nelson

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