Our D.I.Y. dad illustrated by Ned Culic

Hachette, 2012. ISBN 978 0734413079.
(Ages: 5+) Picture book. Fathers. The family, mum, dad, the two kids and the cat pitch in to help erect a cubby house in the tree in the backyard. While mum cooks the bbq, dad and the kids go off to the hardware store to fetch the wood and nails and plan. Mum reads the plan upside down, while the whole group works together to build the tree house. The story is redolent of a family working together to get a task done, one which is complicated an involved and requires concentration to complete. As they go, they use acronyms, letters that everyone takes for granted in representing words. DIY is a case in point. Most people know it stands for do it yourself, but some may not. Included in the tale are other acronyms which are used often in our culture, such as, ABC, Sao, OJ, easy as 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Looked at as a whole the book could be a useful tool for acquainting students with the range of acronyms we take for granted in our everyday speech, or could be well used for students new to the language. It is a neat story telling of a family working together on a project and detailing the plan of attack to get the job done. The whole has a 'reader' feel to it, and I was surprised that the illustrator was the only creator acknowledged. The illustrations are bold and colourful, but again giving the appearance of a reader.
Fran Knight