Incredibilia

Incredibilia written by Libby Hathorn, illustrated by Gaye Chapman (Little Hare Books/Hardie Grant Egmont)

HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 9781760125257

Reviewed by Liz Ledden

Little Georgie is the youngest of three siblings, and one day receives a secret message that has floated down from a tree. Max and Harriet dismiss her and play out of reach. As the days progress, Georgie receives more messages from her surroundings about an elusive game, while Max and Harriet leave her out of their more sophisticated pursuits of building cubbyhouses and playing robots.

Despite her big brother and sister’s lack of interest, Georgie is swept away in her own whimsical world, seeing and hearing messages everywhere from the clouds to the garden to the ‘notes of Dad’s guitar’. When she listens to her heart and decides to play ‘the game’ herself, Max and Harriet are intrigued about Georgie’s ideas.

The way Little Georgie sees the extraordinary in the ordinary is brought to life through Chapman’s dreamlike images. Naïve scribbles and swirls in the sky show what Georgie sees, while Georgie stands out in her block colour red dress and wild orange curls. The play with scale on each page leaves the reader in no doubt who the dominant child is by the end of the story. This is a wondrous tale highlighting the importance of creative, imaginative play.