Vocal Violet

Vocal Violet (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-788-8
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Violet is an adorable vampire bat. But she is also the most vocal vampire bat in the whole of Victoria. Her volume causes problems among the other vampire bats. For example, when Vince takes his turn in a vaulting competition, Violets ‘veeeep!’ sends hem veering off into the veggie patch.

Everyone has ideas about how to fix Violet’s volume, but the vet suggests that rather than change, she go where her volume is valued. So Violet becomes a commentator at the V8 car racing.

Once again, the moral of Vocal Violet is incorporated well in a hilarious story with fabulous alliteration, great detailed illustrations, and an entertaining colony of vampire bats.

Lachlan Creagh is a very talented illustrator when it comes to Australian animals and his pictures are loaded with detail and humour. And the way the author manages to get so many V words into the story is extremely clever.

With only four letters in the alphabet to go, the series is getting close to the end. An while I am a little sad about this, I am looking forward to seeing how some of the harder letters at the end of the alphabet are approached!