Daisy Runs Wild by Caz Goodwin,
illustrated by Ashley King (Little Hare Books) HB RRP $19.95 ISBN: 9781760503055
Reviewed
by Dannielle Viera
Daisy Runs Wild is the sequel to
the popular Lazy Daisy, and follows
the little koala on her latest adventure. Her friend Jasper has ‘built a
machine so that she could sit down’ while they strolled around town, but
something is not quite right. She leaps off the seat and darts away through the
park. ‘What in the world was poor Jasper to do? Daisy kept running, so Jasper
did too.’ When Jasper eventually catches up to Daisy, he discovers the problem:
‘He plucked out a thorn that was stuck in her rear.’
Caz
Goodwin’s rhyming couplets fly off the tongue as quickly as Daisy gallops across
the grass. Kids will giggle at Daisy’s increasingly hilarious actions, from
knocking over a wicket to landing on a passionfruit sponge. Caz’s enthralling
use of language is seen to best effect on the blue page, where she utilises
alliteration of the ‘s’ sound to emphasise Daisy’s pain: ‘The little koala was
such a sad sight, squealing and squawking and shaking with fright.’
Colour
bursts from the pages at every turn. Ashley King’s dynamic illustrations dance
across brightly hued spreads, dazzling the eyes with pattern and pandemonium.
Young readers will adore her characterisation of Daisy, from her absurdly large
ears to the tiny red bow perched on top of her head.
Brisk
rhythms and spirited images combine to create a highly entertaining picture
book for children all ages. Youngsters will ‘run wild’ as they read this
laugh-a-minute story again and again, finding amusing new details each time
they chase Daisy through the vibrant pages.
