Mary Had a Little Lamb – What Really Happened

Mary Had a Little Lamb – What Really Happened by Amelia McInerney, illustrated by Natashia Curtin (Scholastic Australia) HB RRP $17.99 ISBN: 9781760663872

Reviewed by Dannielle Viera

Every child knows the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb – or do they? What if the writer ‘left the good bits out’? When the Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly goes ‘stark raving mad’, she starts eating every pet in town … and Little Bo Peep’s sheep have gone missing! It’s up to Mary to find the old lady and rescue the animals from her tummy (thank goodness ‘the beastly woman had no teeth and couldn’t chew’!).

Amelia McInerney turns literary conventions on their head in this rollicking rhyme aimed at kids aged four to seven. Rather than being a passive protagonist, Mary inspires youngsters with her dynamic ingenuity, strength, and bravery. Amelia’s hilarious tale twists and turns in unexpected ways, which is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats until they find out ‘What Really Happened’.

Natashia Curtin’s action-packed illustrations offer plenty for young eyes to look at. Slightly muted colours allow the detail and movement in each image to come to the fore. Mary rocks a Princess Leia vibe thanks to her hairstyle; this is a subtle visual reflection of her heroic courage and leadership in a time of crisis.

A magnificent mash-up with a surprising conclusion, Mary Had a Little Lamb – What Really Happened will tickle children’s funny bones every time the story is read. With each laugh they’ll learn that it’s okay to be bold and to use your brains – especially when standing up to an insatiable adversary.

Amelia McInerney, Rhyme Addict

 AMELIA MCINERNEY, RHYME ADDICT

by Amelia McInerney

Like a lot of children’s writers out there, I like to write picture books. I know it makes more sense to write in any other genre, because it is easier to publish pretty much anything other than a picture book, and if I did, I’d probably make more money. But I really love the unique medium that is the picture book. The type of experience young readers have with picture books is special. But if I’m honest, the main problem is that I really love writing in rhyme, so I don’t have a choice! I do have plans to write chapter books and lower middle grade, but I just can’t seem to stick with those manuscripts long enough to finish them, because I keep— you guessed it— writing picture books!

This year, I was fortunate to have published three separate rhyming picture books. My latest book came out this month. It’s called Mary had a Little Lamb: What REALLY Happened (illustrated by Melbourne’s Natashia Curtin and published by Scholastic Australia). It’s an action-packed nursery rhyme mash-up, written in Common meter. It’s fairly hefty at around 500 words, because a lot happens in this funny, new narrative. Being the rhyme-lover I am, I’ve always liked nursery rhymes, but I wanted to re-write some of the well-known classics (that often seem to feature passive girls) and unveil them as unsung heroes.

In Mary had a Little Lamb: What REALLY Happened, young Mary is revealed as a sporty, kick-butt hero who didn’t merely ‘have a lamb’ but who was a brave and clever hero who saved the day. In the story, the old lady from There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly has absconded from her nursing home... and the town's animals are going missing. Meanwhile, Mary's BFF, Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep again... so it's a bit of a kid-friendly mystery/thriller and a race against time for Mary (you’ll have to read the book to find out What REALLY Happened!) Writing it was fabulous fun because I took facts and events from those three nursery rhymes to tell my own rhyming story.

In July, Allen and Unwin released Who Fed Zed? an off-the-wall story told completely in mono-rhyme: every line in it rhymes with ‘Zed’. It’s illustrated by Queenslander Adam Nickel. Here’s my first attempt at the blurb (which we didn’t end up using) but it does describe this story about Zed the goldfish pretty well: With Fred’s dog Jed out in the shed, four friends watch Fred’s fish instead.

Fred says Zed must not eat bread. Later, Zed is found half-dead.

Is it to do with what Fred said? Or is it something else instead?

There’s a couple of twists in the plot and I don’t want to give it away, but despite being funny, it’s a good one to read if any little ones or their friends have food allergies or intolerances. (My daughter’s nut allergy was the serious inspiration behind this zany tale. Spoiler: Zed makes it.) 

And in February, My Bird, Bertie hit the shelves! This book (illustrated by Melbourne’s Shane McG and published by Scholastic Australia) is for slightly younger kids, and features rhyme, word play and repetition. It’s a cumulative tale that can be read like a song as it has a refrain that also builds. It’s about two introverts (a bear and a bird) on a car trip, and what happens when their boisterous friends keep piling in. The gorgeously illustrated animal characters (besides the main two) include Giggling Gertie, Silly Billy Tilly, and Jiggy Wiggle Jack. Haven’t we all been on a car trip like that?!

But amongst all the rhyme, there might just be hope for me yet, because even though my next book is another humorous picture book, it is written…wait for it… in prose!

 Baby steps, right?!

 Baby steps.

My Bird, Bertie

My Bird, Bertie by Amelia McInerney, illustrated by Shane McG (Scholastic) PB RRP $17.99 ISBN 978 1 74383511 1

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

My Bird, Bertie is a picture book that is a treat to read aloud. The story builds wonderfully as two take a relaxing ride in the car that becomes funnier as more passengers join in. This story starts and ends with two riding together. I won’t give the clever ending away.

Amelia McInerney’s simple and engaging text uses rhyme, alliteration, and repetition to great effect. I particularly love giggling Gertie as this is often a term used with a child when they have a fit of the giggles. Just like a song, the young reader can confidently join in with the story and have a load of fun. The rhyme also helps the young reader to remember and predict the text. The story repeats and builds and a young reader can quickly engage and understand the story pattern. Much Like There was an old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly this type of story is popular with pre-schoolers. Amelia has cleverly allowed plenty of room for the illustrator to play and be inventive. She has created a child-like world that is imaginative.  

The illustrator Shane Mc G has used a bold retro style that pops on each page. The cartoon-like characters and clever use of space on each spread draw the eye and bring a smile of delight. Bertie’s adoring looks at Bear show their special bond. Their facial expressions of tolerance as the others join their ride are hilarious. The looks between the two when they solve the problem of unwanted passengers are priceless. If you take the time to study the illustrations you can find a worm, a bird, a cat and even a dog on some spreads. Shane’s use of perspective adds to the movement and drama of the story and the retro colours give the whole book a cartoon like feel.

My bird, Bertie is a picture book for children 3-8 years that is filled with rollicking fun. It is a book that is engaging and easy to read which parents and teachers alike will appreciate. 

Successes for Amelia McInerney

Amelia McInerney’s debut children’s book, The Chook Book (2019, Scholastic Australia), was recently announced a CBCA notable book in the Early Childhood (Picture Book) category. It was also shortlisted in the Speech Pathology Book of the Year awards in 2019.

Amelia’s second picture book, Bad Crab (2019, Scholastic Australia), will be released in France in May 2020. 

She has two stories in Allen & Unwin’s middle-grade anthology, Funny Bones, which was recently long-listed for an Australian Book Industry Award.