Come On, Let's Play!

Come On, Let's Play! illustrated by Cheryl Orsini (Lothian/Hachette)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN: 9780734415509
Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

This delightful in-house picture book shows the fun a family can have while staying at home. Cheryl Orsini's colourful and merry illustrations in water colour and gouache support the sparce but meaningful text as mum and dad and the kids play games together.

Mum and Dad's bed is transformed into a fort with all the pillows and blankets, and pancake-making for breakfast using eggs from the back-yard hens is presided over by Dad and the kids. Mum happily sips on tea to await the treat, then its hide and seek, picture painting and dressing up for a show to make the day extra fun.  All children will relate to these activities which have been tested for generations.  I liked the illustration of Dad pretending to be a hatstand and the two older children counting to a hundred before hunting for their parents.

After dinner, there's just time to play rocket-ships and have stories read with the whole family sitting on the couch before its bedtime. The children are soon asleep after their busy family day.

This picture book is warm and comforting for kids and parents alike. In a busy world how often parents would like to be able to spend a whole day having fun with their precious offspring! Maybe this book will be the inspiration they need.