One keen koala by Margaret Wild
Ill. by Bruce Whatley. Scholastic Australia, 2017. ISBN
9781743629291
(Age: 1+) Highly recommended. Counting. Going to school. This
wonderful picture book will serve many purposes, two of which are
obvious on first read. It is a stunning counting book, counting to
twelve but it is also an introduction for the young reader to going
to school.
Margaret Wild's beautiful text is a joy to read aloud; the
alliteration rhyme and rhythm make it a tale that bounces along and
one which young children will love to repeat and learn by heart.
Each number has a double page spread with the rhyme on one side,
illustrated, and a complementary large drawing by Bruce Whatley on
the other. I particularly loved the picture of
Five bashful banicoots
meeting Mrs Roo.
The young reader will enjoy finding the shy bandicoots hiding under
books in behind Mrs Roo's skirts, and can also count the books to
see how many there are in the picture. The expressions on the faces
of all the animals is a joy to behold and will make any reader feel
happy just looking at them. It could also be useful to use when
talking to a young child about going to school or pre-school.
This is a lovely book, humorous, happy, beautifully narrated and
illustrated by leading author Wild and illustrator Whatley.
Pat Pledger