Deck the Shed with Bits of Wattle

Deck the Shed with Bits of Wattle [with CD] by Colin Buchanan & Greg Champion, illustrated by Glen Singleton (Scholastic Australia)

HB RRP $19.99

ISBN 978-1-74362-042-7

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Syd the Echidna is getting his shed decorated for Christmas when an unexpected willy willy blows through and scatters all his hard work. Dejected, Syd goes to bed. But while he sleeps, his friends sneak in and redecorate his home. What a wonderful surprise for Syd on Christmas morning.

Deck the Shed With Bits of Wattle is a classic Christmas carol cleverly rewritten with Australian flavour. It reflects the true spirit of Christmas, full of friendship and community with not a present or anything materialistic in sight. The Book is warm and fun with wonderfully drawn bush animals, from Syd the Echidna to Boss Cocky to the pygmy possums with their huge eyes holding brightly shining glow worms.

Australia flora also plays a large role in the story as the shed is decorated with wattle, bottle brushes, ferns and other bush flowers and foliage. Even the language is a fun play on Australian slang, ‘Whack some gum leaves in a bottle’ and ‘To help a mate who was in trouble’.

For a truly Australian Christmas, grab this book and sing-along with words and pictures which shine on every page. And when you get sick of all the Fa la la la la la la la la’s, whack on the accompanying CD and let the wonderful Colin Buchanan sing it for you.