Reviewed
by Dannielle Viera
When a little boy visits his school library, he’s in for a huge surprise. Behind the front desk stands a blue buffalo, while between the shelves he comes across a greedy caterpillar, a smiling cat, and plenty of other literary characters. In a loud voice, he demands that they return to their books. The truth is revealed as masks are removed – the characters are kids ‘all dressed for Book Week, in outfits they had made!’ The boy’s friends save him from embarrassment by lending him things to make his own kooky costume.
Children aged three to six – especially those experiencing the fun of CBCA Book Week for the first time – will adore Rory H. Mather’s light and lively rhyming tale. His character choices are clever as they run the gamut of general figures found within the pages of kid-lit tomes – from a fox and three pigs to a wealth of wizards – but they also clearly represent well-known books that youngsters love.
Created
in his quirky trademark style, Shane McG’s colourful cartoon illustrations
perfectly complement the playful text (especially the eye-catching ginger frizz
on top of the protagonist’s head!). Readers will thoroughly enjoy scanning the spreads
in search of kids dressed as familiar characters, including Mary Poppins and
Wally, and this may inspire their own Book Week costumes.
Bright
and bubbly from beginning to end, Get
Back In Your Books! is an exuberant celebration of children’s literature. While
the inventive story is satisfying on its own, its true power lies in its
ability to encourage new and hesitant readers to explore the wonderful world of
books.
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