10 Clumsy Emus

10 Clumsy Emus by Ed Allen, illustrated by Wendy Binks (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $9.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-639-3

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Ed Allen continues his 10 Green Bottles spin-offs with this title featuring a very wacky bunch of emus. These emus roller-skate, play musical chairs, visit the zoo and even try to tidy their rooms. One by one, they drop out of the picture, until only one emu remains. Then they all reappear for a last sing-a-long. This title has a particularly satisfying ending.

The emus in this story may be clumsy but the rhythm and rhyme are not. It is such fun to read this book aloud and it will be enjoyed, not only by preschoolers, but by their older readers as well. The words flow and the situations the emus end up in will be recognisable to all.

Four clumsy emus tidying their room

Four clumsy emus tidying their room

And if one clumsy emu should sneak away too soon,

There’ll be three clumsy emus tidying their room.

This is the first time I’ve seen Wendy Binks’ illustrations and her emus are endearing. With their wild hairstyles and popping eyes they each have a sense of style and personality. It is easy to follow the fate of a specific emu through the pages. The bold colours and humour will attract young readers and the front cover gives a fabulous taste of the emus inside.

Other titles in this series include 10 Funny Sheep, 10 Silly Wombats, 10 Green Geckos and many more. These fun books are an entertaining way for young children to learn their counting – forwards and backwards.