The little book
of Australia’s big things written by Samone Bos, illustrated by
Alice Oehr (Chirpy Bird/Hardie Grant Egmont)
HB
RRP $19.95
ISBN
9781760125547
Reviewed
by Liz Ledden
The little book
of Australia’s big things offers primary school-aged readers a
little bit of everything, from facts and jokes to recipes and craft activities.
It casts a spotlight on ten of Australia’s beloved ‘big things’, spanning
tourist sites from the better known Big Banana to the more obscure Big Penguin
(which is actually found in a Tasmanian town called Penguin, who knew?!).
This
is a book readers can easily dip in and out of. It is divided into sections for
each ‘big thing’, containing a photo of the real thing, illustrative
depictions, and a map of Australia marking its location. There’s a brief
rundown of key facts, perhaps a joke or two, and then the interactive fun
begins.
Each
‘big thing’ has a page containing a pop-out picture to cut out and assemble.
It’s a shame these aren’t perforated, as it means chopping into a beautifully
designed book. The jacket of the book contains a panoramic scene of Australia
where the pop-out ‘big things’ can be pasted. Other fun activities within the
pages include instructions on how to teach a galah to talk, and how to grow
your own pineapple from an old pineapple top (hint: much patience is
required!).
Readers
will delight in the vibrant illustrations and fun-packed pages on this most
endearing Australian topic, all things ‘big’. If children have visited one of
the sites they will no doubt love to learn more about it, and for those they
haven’t seen, requests for road trips may ensue. As the book mentions, there
are over 150 ‘big things’ in Australia, so there’s sequel potential for this
highly engaging non-fiction title.
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