Aussie legends alphabet by Beck Feiner

ABC Books, 2017. ISBN 9781460709214
(Age: 8 - adult) Highly recommended. A surprise package, Aussie legends alphabet will thrill readers, children and adults alike, as they peruse the select group of famous and worthy Australians chosen to be described in this book. Starting with A is for Adam Goodes, then proceeding through the alphabet, there are amusing but very recognisable illustrations of people who have contributed to Australian life and culture, with a small and often amusing snippet of information about each. There is a good mix of gender and diversity across the whole spectrum of Australian life. The following are covered: sports (Adam Goodes, Rod Laver, Cathy Freeman), politics (Bob Hawke, Julia Gillard and Eddie Mabo), the arts (Dame Edna Everage, Dame Joan Sutherland, Peter Allen, Queenie Mckenzie, Henry Lawson, Olivia Newton-John), the media (Lee Lin Chin, Ita Buttrose, Molly Meldrum, Kath and Kim, Medicine (Fred Hollows) and History (Ned Kelly).
The way Feiner has drawn each of the people, using the letter of the alphabet, is original and attention grabbing. She has managed to capture the personality of each in the drawings and the reader is tempted to go through the book again to read the clever but short sentence that encapsulates the person's claim to fame as an Aussie legend. At the back of the book is a section with more details about the birthday, place of birth and achievements.
An ideal starting point for students who are looking at famous Australians in class, as well as being a fabulous gift and talking point for adults.
Pat Pledger