Auslan Alphabet by Emma Memma (Puffin Books) ISBN 9781761355615 RRP $19.99 (HB)
Reviewed by Jude Mullen
Emma Memma will be well known to young
children and their parents, carers and educators as a former member of the very
popular children’s band The Wiggles. Emma Memma has collaborated with a team of
Auslan teachers, Deaf and hard-of-hearing professionals and artists to create
this bright and engaging book of the Australian Auslan alphabet.
Each
double-page spread features a large photo of Emma on one side and her friend Elvin Melvin on the other, demonstrating each letter of the alphabet in order from A to Z using hand signing. In the top corner of each page, the letter is written in both capital and lowercase and is accompanied by a diagram of the hand sign
for the featured letter.
What makes the book so attractive and engaging is both the bright, colourful outfits Emma and Elvin wear and the softer-coloured backgrounds surrounding them. The photographs are clear
and large, and the layout is simple and clean, making it very visually appealing.
Readers can clearly see the finger positions, making them easy to copy.
The last spread of the book features Auslan
hand signs for some common words such as ‘please’, ‘thank-you’ and ‘hello’. The last page also includes a QR code that can be scanned to view YouTube clips of Emma and Elvin reading and signing a range of other storybooks.
This book will appeal to children aged around 3 – 5 years. It is a perfect educational tool for teaching the
Auslan Alphabet, as well as themes of diversity and inclusivity.
