Felix and his Fantastic Friends

Felix and his Fantastic Friends by Ellie Cole and Caroline Keys (Scholastic Australia) HB RRP $19.99 ISBN: 9781761644177

Reviewed by Kellie Nissen

Everyone has a different way of playing and that’s okay. But Felix is curious so embarks upon ‘Mission Friendship’ to investigate the different ways his school friends play, particularly when they are on their own.

Throughout the course of the day, Felix discovers that some of his friends love to be active, some have secret worlds and some prefer to sit and read. They are all different but all have one thing in common – they are willing to invite others into their play-world.

Author of Felix and his Fantastic Friends, Ellie Cole, is a retired Paralympian who has competed in swimming and wheelchair basketball. Her goal when writing this uplifting story was to raise awareness of difference and celebrate it by focusing on what children ‘can’ do, rather than the limitations they have.

While we may look at the range of abilities in Felix’s playground – from physical to neurological – and think it unrealistic, it is, in fact, the reality in many of our schools.

By focusing on a child’s natural curiosity and the positives they can find in others, Ellie Cole is making ‘difference’ the norm rather than the exception. A world with children who, like Felix, are curious but also respectful and inclusive, surely has to be a better world.

Caroline Keys illustrations are bright, yet whimsical, and capture the essence of each of the children Felix befriends. Combined with the text, the illustrations help make the book a joy to read – and read again.

Ideal for sharing with young children of preschool and early primary age, it’s quite refreshing to see that the publisher has identified a much broader target audience range of 3 to 10 years of age. In doing so, the importance of inclusive education and practices in the middle to upper years of primary school has been acknowledged.

This is a lovely book that should be shared between parent and child, and used in schools in tandem with other inclusive stories showing multiple perspectives.

Easter Egg Express

Easter Egg Express (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Caroline Keys (Scholastic Australia)

PB RRP $4.99

ISBN 978-1-74283-169-5

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

  

The Little Mates alphabet finished with Zippy Zoe but Eric and Ellie, Easter Bilbies from the Easter Egg Emporium, have arrived in time for Easter in a new title Easter Egg Express. These two cute bilbies have great fun making Easter special for everybody -    ‘Ellie has elegant handwriting and Eric is an exceptional egg wrapper’ – but can they get everything done in time? Perhaps they need to call on their friends for help through the Bush Telegraph.

Easter Egg Express has a different illustrator to the previous books in the series and although Keys does not include the same detail in every illustration as Creagh did, the endearing nature of the Aussie bush animals shines through in her vibrant and colourful pictures. The Australian bush flavour also is retained throughout.

This Easter edition of Little Mates is an entertaining addition to the well loved alphabet series. Have some fun, twist your tongue and read it aloud this Easter.