Lola’s Toy Box:
The Patchwork Picnic by Danny Parker, illustrated by Guy
Shields (Hardie Grant Egmont)
PB
RRP $12.95
ISBN
9781760124366
Reviewed
by Liz Ledden
The Patchwork Picnic is
the first junior fiction title in the Lola’s Toy Box series, by the author of
picture books Tree and Parachute, Danny Parker. The chapters
are interspersed with charming illustrations by Guy Shields, who recently
worked on the redesign of literary magazine Kill
Your Darlings.
When
Lola’s mum is clearing out the family’s junk-crammed garden shed, Lola and her
brother Nick are asked if they would like to keep any of the unwanted objects.
Nick ‘pushed past her’ and immediately began to make his demands known, setting
the scene for a realistically turbulent sibling relationship.
Lola
sees magic in the jumble of old furniture in the shed’s shadows, and sets her
sights on a large wooden box. In order to escape domineering Nick, Lola and her
toy Buddy hop inside it. They emerge out of the box to find themselves on a
hillside where Buddy begins to talk, and a magical journey in a kingdom of toys
begins.
When
Lola learns of the battle between the Plastic Prince and the Great High Bear in
a place called Nevercalm, readers may recognise parallels with Lola’s own
struggles with Nick. Lola draws on an inner-strength to challenge a threatening
bear, and agrees to partake in a button test to prove to the toys she is
trustworthy. Her adventure demonstrates her problem-solving skills, something
readers may take heart from and be inspired to apply in their own lives.
Themes
of resilience, courage, loyalty and kindness emerge in this magical tale that
deals with issues many children may relate to. Lola is a strong female character
who shows it is possible to be kind and stand up for yourself at the same time.
And with a magic toy box now in her possession, there are more adventures in
store for Lola and Buddy – in fact, three more titles in
the series are already available.
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