Fingerlings: Friendship @ your Fingertips

Fingerlings: Friendship @ your Fingertips: Meet the Fingerlings by Rosie Peet (DK Books) HB RRP $12.99 ISBN 97802413 7080 3

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

‘Jump into the exciting world of the Fingerlings!’ reads the back-cover blurb, below which is a colourful real-life picture of three cute gizmos clutching onto the fingers of a small child.

Has our society so conditioned us that one would immediately expect that there’s merchandise attached to this book series for children aged 3 to 5 years? Yes, that’s right: not only can you purchase a whole range of Fingerlings, which are small, colourful plastic creatures with cute expressions, but there’s even an instructional manual on how to play and customise your experience with Fingerlings!

Like all DK books (from Penguin Random House), this book is beautifully designed and presented with contents and index pages, as well as a quiz at the end of the book asking the reader questions such as ‘where do the Fingerlings live?’ and ‘Who likes surfing?’ (Answers are provided).

First, in the book, the reader is invited to meet the Fingerlings such as the twins Bella and Boris, Gigi the unicorn who ‘loves parties with her friends’, and siblings Marge and Kingsley. On each double page spread there are about three or four sentences in large typeface, and a focus on one character. Kingsley’s page, for example, reads: ‘Kingsley is Marge’s brother. He is a chilled-out sloth. He likes to relax. His favourite hobby is surfing.’

In each of the illustrations Fingerlings can be seen hanging onto children’s fingers which no doubt will have youngsters urging parents to buy all the characters in the collection. Clever marketing!

This would seem to be the first book in the Fingerlings’ series as it simply introduces the characters (about a dozen of them) and finishes with them all playing together. The last sentence reads, ‘When they play together, the fun never stops!’

Simple sentences, attractive pictures and a sure money-maker for the copyright owners.