Ill. by Johan Potema. Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143791706
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Themes: Monsters, Humour. A story in verse
full of fun and anticipation will enthral younger children as they
scan the sumptuous illustrations with glee. From the first verse
telling the audience about the monster in his bedroom to the last
when the monster is revealed, children will be involved with the
journey around the rooms in the house looking for the monster, and
wondering whether it really exists. From bedroom to hallway,
kitchen, bathroom, dining room, study and living room, the four
lined verse cry out for prediction and joining in, for learning the
lines and calling them out, for telling the reader what to watch out
for, as the authors play with the reader, gathering pace until the
final reveal. Fun from start to finish, this beautifully illustrated
book will never rest long on the shelf.
The highly detailed illustrations by Potma, a Dutch painter and
illustrator, living in Berlin, will ensure children's eyes are
always drawn to the different monsters illustrated and what
surrounds them on each very different double page. I love the
endpapers with the range of faces each very different, enjoining the
readers to try out their own spooky faces to scare each other with.
And I love the rooms, particularly the kitchen with its mass of
detail to take in.
Readers will ask questions about what they are scared of, drawing a
lesson from the book, that fears are often groundless, and facing
them will show how shallow they really are. The last double page
shows the readers the clues they may have seen as the book
progressed, leading to the answer about what the monster really is.
And the clever illustrative hand with the pencil will make the
readers laugh even more when realising the double joke being played
on them.
Fran Knight
Athena the story of a Goddess by Imogen and Isobel Greenberg
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408892497
(Age: 8+) Greek myths, Athena, Gods and goddesses, Women. Athena the
story of a Goddess, is a collaboration between the Greenberg
sisters, with Imogen retelling the story and Isabel providing the
arresting images. The tale of the goddess Athena is retold in comic
style, part Graphic Novel, part text, while the pages are filled
with illustrations full of the fire of her life reflecting the
images presented on Greek antiquities. Some pages are presented in
full comic mode, with illustrations bound by frames, and
conversation given in bubbles in the air, while others are presented
in larger amounts of text with some illustrations, but all is easily
read, the text and drawings conveying to all readers the tenor of
her life.
From the story of her birth when she appeared out of Zeus's skull!,
Athena soon made her headstrong self known. She was a strong, wise
woman who showed distinct favour to humans, frowned upon by the
other gods watching from Mount Olympus.
In this publication, we see her outwit Poseidon to have a city named
after her (Athens), destroy the life of one more talented than her
(Arachne) changing her into a spider, challenge her sisters to charm
a shepherd by the name of Paris, and watch over Odysseus on his
return home from the Trojan Wars. The lives of gods and goddesses
intersect with humans in these stories, the gods and goddesses
having power of life and death over humans, and sometimes playing
with them like toys.
Athena's strength in dealing with others who cross her path is
captivating, and the retelling is accessible to all young readers,
who will enjoy the black outlined illustrations.
A double page at the start gives quick biographies of the main
protagonists in the tale of Athena, and the endpapers show the
illustrations seen on Greek vases, used as a reference for Isabel's
illustrations.
Fran Knight
White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock
Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406378177
(Age: 14+) Recommended. This book is brilliant, gripping and horrifying - all at
once! Right from the start we are gripped by the anxiety of the
narrator, and this does not let up at all. We are positioned to
wonder whom we can trust? Told episodically, this narrative has
chapters named for the thoughts and action that occur. Plunging us
into the lives of some members of one family, who are clearly very
clever people, albeit distracted and secretive, Pollock takes us on
a journey of fear, confusion, and a sense that terrible and
catastrophic events may happen at any time and they do.
Shocking, puzzling, and heartachingly sad, this story of a family
who are brilliant people, a family that does not seem like one,
however. This family of very, very intelligent people who can
explore, explain and expose what is happening to them and the world
around them, but fear the consequences, appear to be in trouble.
Two adolescents, a boy and a girl, we realize very quickly, possess
outstanding abilities to rationalize, explore, explain and
comprehend the situation in which they find themselves, a situation
that portends absolute disaster, that challenges them to trust
no-one, not their mother nor their sibling. His extraordinary
intellect enables seventeen-year old Peter Blankman to grasp the
threat that he faces, and the threat is his life. As the novel
focuses mostly on the way in which his use of mathematical logic and
computer-like reasoning enables him to slowly piece together the
events that have occurred both in the past and in the present, which
is the narrative structure of interwoven chapters, except for the
opening chapter, named ENCRYPT, with these letters encrypted to read
YICMXKQ. Already we are alerted to the model of thought that imbues
this novel with cleverness, fear, betrayal, murder and a seeming
lack of love and loyalty within one family.
Ultimately, this is a story of the failure of a family to be what
families should be, that is, to protect, nurture and guide the
children to live good lives, not selfish lives, but lives that
enable them to be honourable, to help others, to be part of a social
web that protects and nurtures children. The children in this story
are sacrificed for the state, or at least that appears to be so.
The narrative delivers a hard and fear-filled world for one fearful
child, albeit a brilliant one, whose actions reflect his isolation
when things go amiss and his family are not there. He and his twin
sister appear to have been abandoned, the adults in their lives
missing, and they themselves endangered. After a series of murders,
this family is catapaulted into terror. Using their brilliant minds
to decode the events and the messages they perceive, the twins work
to decode the events so that they can survive.
This powerful new novel will disturb, intrigue, fascinate and
unsettle the reader. Tom Pollock's work on the perils of espionage,
and the threat of death for anyone who reveals what is happening, is
situated in the centre of a modern world where fear of exposure and
death looms for those who work in government, and correspondingly
threatens the lives of their children.
Elizabeth Bondar
Everything I've never said by Samantha Wheeler
UQP, 2018. ISBN 9780702260278
(Age: 10-15) Highly recommended. This is a powerful book that gives
a voice to a protagonist who cannot speak. Ava has Rett Syndrome,
therefore she can't talk or use her body in any way to communicate.
At times she cannot control her loud outbursts and her older sister
is ashamed of her and does not want her friends to be in contact
with Ava. Their parents do their best but can only guess at Ava's
needs and preferences.
The already struggling family is barely coping when they reach a
crisis point. The father has a heart attack and finds himself
seriously debilitated and shares many of Ava's physical problems.
What makes this book so powerful is that the reader can hear Ava. We
are inside her mind and share her frustrations about communicating
to the outside world.
There is hope for a change in her life when she has a new carer
Kieran, who feels there must be an answer to Ava's communication
needs. Her new friend Aimee shows Ava a possible future world where
she can experience new activities and skills.
I have read other novels by Samantha Wheeler, Mister
Cassowary and Turtle
trackers both of which have a strong environmental
message but this book is more personal as Samantha's youngest
daughter has Rett Syndrome.
The books cover shows Ava's face as she floats in the pool. It is a
time when her body is suspended by the water and she is physically
freer than at any other time in her life. It is a wonderful image
that captures the person, not the disability.
I found this novel a compelling read and an insight into a world that
is difficult to understand as an outsider. I would highly recommend
this book to 10 to 15 year olds.
A book
trailer is available on YouTube.
Jane Moore
Bonnie and Ben rhyme again by Mem Fox
Ill. by Judy Horacek. Scholastic, 2018. ISBN 9781742996240
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Nursery rhymes. Rhyme. Bonnie
and Ben go for a walk with their friend, Skinny Doug. As they walk
they see various things: a hill, a sheep, a plum tree, rose bushes
and a spider. Each sighting elicits the same response, 'there was no
hesitation, the two of them said', and Skinny Doug and the children
launch into the nursery rhyme which suits the situation.
Sighting the tree is followed by Jack and Jill, while seeing a
sheep, means the text launches into 'Baa baa black sheep', and the
roses are followed by 'Ring a ring of roses' and so on for three
more well known rhymes. Each nursery rhyme cries out for children to
join in, as they will with exuberance, calling out the well known
lines and joining in with the person reading the story. Coming back
home, stars overhead create the situation for the nursery rhyme
'Twinkle twinkle little star' to be heard and enjoyed by the group.
What a wonderful way to introduce children to nursery rhymes, or to
reiterate those known to children, and to encourage them to join in,
say the rhymes out loud, laugh and predict.
Horacek's illustrations are just wonderful, using colour and figures
so known and loved in Where is the green sheep? Readers will
love the illustrations that reveal each nursery rhyme, and smile at
the addition of each of the characters of the rhymes to the trio,
Doug, Bonnie and Ben going for their walk.
Readers will love recognising each nursery rhyme character added to
the entourage, and join in with the repeated lines as well as the
nursery rhyme. The endpapers add another level of interest with a
simple map of their walk, asking students to recognise each of the
six places where a nursery rhyme is said encouraging them again to
say the nursery rhyme out loud. Children and adults alike will have
a lot of fun with this sparkling new book from Fox and Horacek, and
I can imagine Mem Fox reading it with panache.
Fran Knight
Under the Southern Cross by Frane Lessac
WalkerBooks, 2018. ISBN 9781925381016
(age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Australia. Southern Cross. Astronomy.
Award-winning Lessac's latest picture book for older readers takes
us on a journey around Australia, following the activities people
are involved with when the Southern Cross can be seen in the night
sky. Beginning with the penguins coming home to their nests on
Philip Island, south of Melbourne, and ending with the Dawn Service
at the War Memorial in Canberra, every double page is an intriguing
account of what happens at each place at night.
In Melbourne we see a football game under lights, and information
dotted around the page tells the readers about football, the grand
final which attracts 100,000 fans and the inaugural women's AFL
played in 2017. In Adelaide, The Heights Observatory is shown with
information about the Milky Way and the wannabe astronomers who
visit. Near Hobart the Southern Aurora can sometimes be seen and
information about this event is given. Broome, Alice Springs,
Brisbane and Perth are represented with night time events and
included are things like the 'deckie' in Darwin, New Year's Eve on
Sydney Harbour, crocodile watching on the Daintree, the story of the
Min Min light.
Each double page has a bold illustration of the event and
information can be found supplementing the image. Children will be
intrigued with the facts given and ask further questions while
poring over the illustrations, seeking out the Southern Cross in the
night sky on each page, while seeing where Banjo the dog is hidden.
A double page at the end gives more information about the Southern
Cross, what flags it appears on and how to find true south using the
pointers of the cross. This book will encourage many children to go
outside and look at the night sky.
Fran Knight
The adventures of Catvinkle by Elliot Perlman
Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143786368
(Age: 8-11) Catvinkle is a self-confident white cat who lives in
Amsterdam with her beloved owner, Mr Sabatini. Her pampered life is
wonderful but when a stray Dalmatian dog, Ula, is brought back to
their home her life changes forever.
At first Catvinkle wants nothing to do with Ula but gradually her
opinion changes and they develop a strong friendship. Their
adventures involve a card playing llama, other dogs (one who is very
frightening), cats and the 'National Kitten Baby-Shoe Dancing
Competition'. It all sounds outlandish but the story works well and
all the escapades are entertaining and fun.
There are comical scenes where Perlman has fun with words and silly
actions. I loved the scene where Ula is pretending to be a famous
cat entertainer in a Dalmatian dog costume.
A cat named after the famous physicist Schrodinger comments, 'I've
always thought that a cat we can't see can be both a live cat and
not a live cat. And 'not a live cat' could mean a live dog.'
There are lots of messages in the story about understanding and
accepting others. Elliot uses the obvious mistrust between cats and
dogs as well as highlighting the bullying by Grayston the dog who
uses fear towards all the other animals. Catvinkle herself, is
learning not to be so self-centred and tries to be more thoughtful.
Ula challenges Catvinkle's need to be friends with the mean cats, to
be brave by standing up to bullies and to choose the friends she
wants, even if they are dogs.
Elliot Perlman is a well-known author, twice short-listed for the
Miles Franklin award but this is his first book for children.
This is a fun story written for 8 to 11 year olds.
Jane Moore
Good Rosie by Kate DiCamillo
Ill. by Harry Bliss. Walker Books, 2018. ISBN 9781406383577
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Dogs. Responsibility. Family.
Companionship. Divided into nine chapters, this comic styled story
tells of Rosie the dog who lives with George. Each morning, George
cooks himself two eggs and gives Rosie her food in her silver bowl.
But once finished Rosie can see another dog at the bottom of the
bowl, and realises that she is lonely. In chapter two George and
Rosie go for their usual walk in the woods, watching the shapes made
by the clouds. When George points out a dog-like shape, Rosie
becomes excited and George has an idea. The next chapter sees George
take Rosie to a dog park. Here Rosie is somewhat overwhelmed with
the number of dogs and one in particular who comes up to her is much
larger and has a toy in its mouth which it shakes with gusto. In
chapter four a smaller dog drops by, but this dog is a livewire and
jumps rapidly from one spot to another, so putting Rosie off. The
next chapter sees the larger dog shaking the smaller one in its
mouth and in chapter six, Rosie tackles the larger dog, warning it
to drop the little dog, which it does in chapter seven, and the last
two chapters see the problem resolved and the three meet regularly
at the dog park for companionship and play. Even George gets to make
new friends.
A seemingly simple tale of friendship, the story has the trio not
liking each other at first, but when an incident occurs from a
misunderstanding, Rosie stands up for the little dog, resolving the
issue and so making friends. It resonates with the problems of young
children making friends, of being understanding, of resolving issues
with other children and coming to a mutual understanding. The
positive flow of the story will appeal to younger readers who will
see it as a dog story but with overtones of their own attempts to
make friends.
The illustrations are simply adorable and highly appealing to any
reader who picks up the book, while the expressions on the dogs'
faces are wonderful.
Fran Knight
War is over by David Almond
Ill. by David Litchfield. Hodder, 2018. ISBN 9781444946574
(Age: 8+) Highly recommended. Themes: War, Peace, Conscientious
objectors. As one would expect from an author of the calibre of
David Almond, War is over is a lyrical and confronting story set in
1918. On the back cover it states 'This beautifully illustrated,
moving story commemorates the hundred-year anniversary of the end of
the First World War.' Although the reader might expect a story
glorifying war, Almond has instead melded together many complex
issues about the nature of war, with the dream of peace being the
over-riding theme.
'I am just a child,' says John. 'How can I be at war?' John's mother
works in a munitions factory putting shrapnel into shells; his
father is fighting in the trenches in France and his teacher, a most
unpleasant character, insists that the children too are fighting a
war. But there is a man, Dorothy's Uncle Gordon, who has been forced
to live in the woods and who doesn't believe in the war and insists
that the children in Germany are just like the children where John
lives. John has a strange moment when he glimpses a German boy, Jan,
from Dusseldorf and begins to realise that the German children are
not his enemy.
Beautifully illustrated in black and white and tones of grey, the
munitions factory rears out against a stark background, shells stand
in dangerous rows and then are exploded sending soldiers skywards
with the blast. The white feather from Uncle Gordon stands out,
white against a black page, and in the final pages the reader is
given a sense of hope with a light grey background as seeds of peace
are scattered by John across the German earth.
Although at first glance this short (117 pages) illustrated book may
appear to be for a young audience, the complexity of the themes and
message make it a book that a teacher or caregiver may need to read
with children. It will certainly engender much conversation about
the nature of war, nationalism and hate.
Pat Pledger
The distance between me and the cherry tree by Paola Peretti
Hot Key Books, 2018. ISBN 9781471407550
(Age: 10+) Highly recommended. Themes: Macular Degeneration,
Blindness, Family, Friendship. This poignant tale has Mafalda
charting her loss of sight as her eyes deteriorate. She begins with
her beloved cherry tree, counting the steps as she comes to school,
noting how close she needs to be before she can really see it. She
loves this tree and often climbs into its comforting branches. One
day her glasses fall and she cannot see her way down, but the new
caretaker, Estelle, retrieves her glasses and helps her come back
down. After that Estelle waits for her every day.
Juvenile Macular Degeneration leads to blindness as the macular
develops spots which impairs vision. Initially told she may have
some time before the black spots cover most of her sight, she is
told that it is imminent. She resolves to go and live in the tree
where she feels close to her late Grandmother and Cosimo, a
character from one of her father's favourite novels, to whom she
speaks, using him as a sounding board for her ideas.
But she is beset by problems. Her parents want to move closer to the
school, into an apartment with no stairs, but in doing she will lose
the one thing that Mafalda loves, the view from her window to her
Grandmother's old house across the way.
And Fillipi, a boy in her school wants to be friends, but she cannot
work him out. Mafalda pens a list of things she deems important, and
along the way learns to cross out the ones she finds less so, making
sure that her list is up to date. When she has had enough she
retreats to her tree, determined to live there with her cat, safe in
the arms of her gran and Cosimo, but Estelle's voice helps her
realise what is important, helping her out of the tree and to her
new life.
A most unusual book about losing your sight Mafalda is an engaging
character, full of grit and determination, learning that family and
friends are the best things to have around
you.
Fran Knight
The Raven's Children by Yulia Yakovleva
Puffin, 2018. ISBN 9780241330777
(Age: 11-15+) Recommended. Stalin's Russia is a dark and foreboding
place, where the walls literally have ears and eyes. The imagery is
all about the secret police and the threat of the 'Ravens' taking
the 'enemy' away is always present. People are watching, no one can
be trusted.
Shura lives blissfully unaware in this world with his parents, older
sister Tanya and baby brother Bobka until both his father, mother
and brother are taken away.
Shura decides to find his missing family with his sister and
confront the 'Raven'.
This book combines both historical events and fantasy to tell
Shura's story. It is a harsh and uncaring world seven-year-old Shura
tries to survive and the adults are only there to punish and
incarcerate him.
This is a dark story based on the family experiences of the author.
At times there seems to be no kindness or love in the world and the
reader despairs for Shura and his family. The use of fantasy softens
the story and birds are a constant imagery, often talking to Shura.
At times I found this a difficult book to read and needed breaks
from Shura's world. I feel children will understand that Shura is on
a quest and that he experiences a dark and unfriendly world but they
will not have a historical perspective of this time. The real world
is mixed with fantasy giving the story a dreamlike quality. The
ending offers hope for the future but does not answer all the
questions the book poses.
I recommend this book to 11 to 15+ year olds, especially to students
who have read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
Jane Moore
Get Coding 2! by David Whitney
Walker, 2018. ISBN 9781406382495
(Age: 9+) Recommended. Subjects: Computer programming, Computer
games. Cover subtitle: Build five computer games using HTML and
JavaScript. Get Coding 2 is an exciting and informative how to guide for
young computer programmers. In the introduction we have the
definition of computer software and hardware and take a look back at
the history of computer games. Parents, older siblings and
grandparents will enjoy sharing their memories of gaming from the
classics like Pac-Man and Mario through to Candy Crush Saga and
Angry Birds.
With colour-coded missions, clear instructions, step-by-step guides,
colourful diagrams and key code skills this is a comprehensive guide
to using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript. Join scientist Professor Ruby
Day and her friends Rusty, Grace and Markus and learn how to develop
games of Noughts and Crosses, Snake, Table Tennis, Endless Runner
and Side-Scrolling Platformer. Each section begins with The
Developer's Dictionary that includes the game's history and skills
for playing. Creatively organised into bite-size boxes, following
the arrows to develop each level, this is a rewarding approach to
learning these skills. After working through a game build, there's a
challenge to change the design of the board or work on developing
other more difficult games.
Duncan Beedie's bold graphics, with lively characters and cute cat
Scratch add excitement to this comprehensive information book.
Colour blocking, hints and tips in speech bubbles and the attention
to detail make David Whitney's second computer programming book a
great tool for young coders keen to increase their skills and
knowledge. In the United Kingdom, Whitney wrote this for the Young
Rewired State global community, children and youth up to 18 to learn
coding and programming, preparing them to become digital citizens.
This is an excellent introductory guide to teach computing skills
for both young and older users.
Rhyllis Bignell
Paddington at St Paul's by Michael Bond
Ill. by R. W. Alley. HarperCollins, 2018. ISBN 9780008272043
Sixty years ago, on October 13, 1958 a small bear with a blue duffle
coat, a red hat, a suitcase and a note pinned to his coat which read
'Please look after this bear' was found by the Brown family at
Paddington Station London. Sent from darkest Peru by his Aunt Lucy
who has gone into a retirement home, the little bear was a stowaway
on a lifeboat where he survived on marmalade until the Browns
renamed him Paddington and took him to their home at 32 Windsor
Gardens near Notting Hill.
And so began a great series of adventures culminating in this final
addition, completed before Bond's death in June 2017 and issued to
celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington's arrival.
Also being released are anniversary editions of the main Paddington
Bear series, each of which has a number of chapters which work
either as a continuing story or a stand-alone episode, making them
perfect as read-alouds to get the child used to the concept of the
continuing characters in novels or read-alones for the newly
independent reader.
With more than 35 million copies sold worldwide, translated into 40
languages, television and features movies, Paddington Bear is
arguably one of the most favourite bears in the world. To have the
stories republished, an exquisite gift
edition of the first story with the original illustrations by
Peggy Fortnum, and this final chapter is indeed a fitting
anniversary gift to introduce a new generation to this series
inspired by a lone teddy that Bond saw on a shelf in a London toy
store and the children who were evacuated from English cities during
World War II.
Barbara Braxton
Wildcard by Marie Lu
Penguin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780241342435
(Age: Teens) Recommended. Sci-fi. Fantasy. Emika Chen
barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now she can
no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, the one
person she thought was on her side - Hideo Tanaka.
His plan: to wipe out all crime on earth by ending the free will of
its citizens.
Emika is determined to put a stop to him, but she soon finds a new
threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a
bounty on her head, and her sole chance for survival lies with the
ruthless Zero.
But his protection comes at a price.
Caught in a web of betrayal, just how far will Emika go to take down
the man she loves? Wildcard takes place immediately after the events of Warcross,
so it is crucial to read Warcross first to become familiar
with the world Emika inhabits and her predicament as she discovered
Hideo's betrayal. Lu uses the futuristic setting to skilfully
criticize love in all its forms, familial, romantic, and friendship,
revealing the lengths people go to for the people they love through
the actions of Hideo, Emika, and various other characters. Not only
does Lu analyse love, she also explores ethical issues such as
mankind's right to free will and the consequences of removing this
ability, as well as 'the greater good'. She highlights the way
society perceives people as definitively good or bad and suggests
that 'evil' people tend to operate in morally grey areas, while a
single evil or good act does not define a person. While the
supporting characters' personalities and motives were better
expounded upon in Wildcard, there was a disconnect from
Emika, the main character. Emika's actions did not drive the plot;
rather, her role was a reactionary one as secrets were revealed and
events happened around her despite her best efforts to prevent them,
which slowed the overall pacing of the story, despite the whirlwind
action sequences. However, the complexity of the characters and the
layers of deceit Emika faced created an engrossing story which
allowed the exploration of the aforementioned themes. Lu's writing
style and descriptions shine in writing the connections between
people and this book truly showcases her abilities. Wildcard is a well-written novel critiquing the ethical
issues present and emerging in society, providing great food for
thought as well as a good read.
Stephanie Lam (Student)
Why I love summer by Michael Wagner
Ill. by Tom Jellett. Puffin Books, 2018. ISBN 9780143783749
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Family life. Summer. Beach. A delightful
story of an Australian family sharing their summer holidays will
appeal to everyone as they wait for the end of the last term at
school before the long break for summer. All the fun of summer is
shown in the glorious illustrations: backyard cricket, bbqs,
swimming in the local pool, the sprinkler on the back lawn, and
sharing the days with the neighbourhood families. Reminiscent of
days gone by, the book represents a nostalgic look at when every
household had loads of children to play with and no screens to
divert their interest and attention. The book promotes a lifestyle
full of the outdoors, interacting with others, playing in the
backyard and street, until the family moves to the beach for their
holiday. The same outdoor fun continues, but here the family widens
to include aunts and uncles, cousins and friends, all piled around
the groaning, food laden table.
All the way through the emphasis is on family, the adults playing
with their children, the group doing things together, reinforcing
the place parents hold in their children's lives. Food plays a
prominent part in their days, the tables are always covered with
food, the bbq plate seems to hold enough for the whole
neighbourhood, the shop down the road has an endless supply of ice
cream, while people coming to the caravan at the beach walk in with
plates of food and an esky.
Adults reading this to their kids or a class will have fond memories
of holidays at the beach, and for many a caravan at the beach is
still a top holiday, while others now go further afield. This will
make a fabulous read aloud, and a great introduction to the idea of
holidays and who goes where, and what is taken with them as a matter
of priority.
Jellett's wonderful illustrations will bring smiles to the faces of
all who read of this family holiday, checking out the detail he
includes, rather like a Where's Wally illustration with lots
of things to find. His humour lies in the small things that people
do, their everyday lives and interactions with others around them. I
love the unadorned image of Dad and his son looking at the beach
when they arrive at their caravan site. It speaks volumes about the
relationship between father and son, and the following page
contrasts the same scene as the families descend onto the beach for
the day. What a shock.
A joyous celebration of families and holidays together.
Fran Knight
