Daisy Runs Wild

Daisy Runs Wild by Caz Goodwin, illustrated by Ashley King (Little Hare Books) HB RRP $19.95 ISBN: 9781760503055

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Daisy Runs Wild is the sequel to the popular Lazy Daisy, and follows the little koala on her latest adventure. Her friend Jasper has ‘built a machine so that she could sit down’ while they strolled around town, but something is not quite right. She leaps off the seat and darts away through the park. ‘What in the world was poor Jasper to do? Daisy kept running, so Jasper did too.’ When Jasper eventually catches up to Daisy, he discovers the problem: ‘He plucked out a thorn that was stuck in her rear.’

Caz Goodwin’s rhyming couplets fly off the tongue as quickly as Daisy gallops across the grass. Kids will giggle at Daisy’s increasingly hilarious actions, from knocking over a wicket to landing on a passionfruit sponge. Caz’s enthralling use of language is seen to best effect on the blue page, where she utilises alliteration of the ‘s’ sound to emphasise Daisy’s pain: ‘The little koala was such a sad sight, squealing and squawking and shaking with fright.’            

Colour bursts from the pages at every turn. Ashley King’s dynamic illustrations dance across brightly hued spreads, dazzling the eyes with pattern and pandemonium. Young readers will adore her characterisation of Daisy, from her absurdly large ears to the tiny red bow perched on top of her head.

Brisk rhythms and spirited images combine to create a highly entertaining picture book for children all ages. Youngsters will ‘run wild’ as they read this laugh-a-minute story again and again, finding amusing new details each time they chase Daisy through the vibrant pages.