Alfie’s Lost Sharkie

Alfie’s Lost Sharkie by Anna Walker (Scholastic Press)

HB RRP $19.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-992-9

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Alfie, the engaging little crocodile who loves to procrastinate, is back! This time it is bedtime and he cannot find Sharkie. How’s a little crocodile supposed to sleep without the right toy to cuddle? Once again, it’s up to a clever father to find a way around the distractions, keep things going and get his tired son bathed and in to bed. ‘Let’s see if he is in the bath.’, ‘He might be hiding in your pyjama drawer.’

The text in the story is dialogue; bold font for Alfie and normal for Dad. The pictures provide all the other clues for the story, the search for Sharkie. These ink and collage illustrations are full of colour, shape and imagination and the text looks like strips stuck on, blending the words and pictures seamlessly.

 Alfie’s Lost Sharkie is an engaging and fun story which will be enjoyed by preschoolers and their adult readers. Children will respond to the humour and relate to many aspects of Alfie’s behaviour. Every parent will recognise Alfie’s stalling tactics and applaud Dad’s gentle way of dealing with them.