Digby and the Yodelayhee… Who?

Digby and the Yodelayhee… Who? by Renee Price, illustrated by Anil Tortop (Create It Kids) HB RRP $22.95
ISBN 9780992345754

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

There is a noisy noise and Digby is curious. What is the noise? Where is it coming from? By the creators of Digby’s Moon Mission comes a fun and very musical story.

Digby goes in search of the mysterious noise, but the hunt is trickier than he expected. He visits several of his musical friends throughout the afternoon, only to find that none of them are making the ‘super-duper noise’. Digby then turns to his trusty ‘noise-o-meter’ for help, and his friends follow behind. The noise then grows ‘noisier and noisier’. When Digby and his friends eventually find out who is making the noise they cheer and all join in for some jamming fun. Soon another noise hits the noise-o-meter, but this time Digby laughs as he knows exactly what the noise is!

The musical theme is woven through every aspect of this entertaining book. The purple ombré endpapers are filled with musical notes, symbols and the use of onomatopoeia to imitate instrumental sounds. Even this picture book’s barcode is musically inspired!

The text is short and simple and offers plenty of opportunities for young ones to join in making musical sounds. The lively illustrations are enhanced with a different background colour on each page. The characters show plenty of movement and expression to complement the musical storyline.

When all the jollity of the story is over, a lovely bonus appears on the last page - an original musical composition with lyrics, titled ‘Digby’s Jam’. For those of you who struggle to sing or play an instrument, you’ll be happy to find a QR code is included for you to scan and download the song.

Digby and the Yodelayhee… Who? is suitable for children aged 2-6 years and is available via createitkids.com.au or through bookstores.

Digby and the Yodelayhee… Who?

Digby and the Yodelayhee… Who? by Renee Price, illustrated by Anil Tortop, Published by Create It Kids HB RRP $22.95

ISBN 9780992345754

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

The fly pages one sees when opening this picture book are simply lovely peachy-pink colours covered with musical notes and sounds. This is appropriate really, for the story is about music, specifically that made by a number of children who play instruments such as sticks, double bass, drums and keyboard. But what most attracts Digby’s attention about the music being played is the extra loud sounds of yodelling.

Followed by his musical friends, Digby uses his noise-o-meter to track down and find the offending noise. When a door is opened, there is Maisie on stage with a microphone and huge amplifiers filling the room as she yodelayhees repeatedly. In a gloriously colourful scene, Digby and his mates, including Maisie, play their instruments and jive happily.

In the last act of this joyous story, the children hear another sound: ‘rumble gurg.’ They follow its source and finish up having more great fun.

This simple, engaging story is full of energy and fun. The illustrations are most attractive with colour which glows from the pages. A special bonus at the end of the book is a song written by the author in collaboration with her husband, Aaron Hipwell. A recording of the song can be downloaded via the QR code featured in the book.

The book is sure to be enjoyed by children aged 3 to 6 years.