Robbit the Job-hopping Frog

Robbit the Job-hopping Frog Michael Gerard Bauer & Katrin Dreiling (Scholastic) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN 97817025503

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Michael Gerard Bauer is an award-winning author. His debut young adult novel, The Running Man, won the 2005 Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year for Older Readers. His picture book Rodney Loses It! won the 2018 CBCA Book of the Year Award. His writing often explores overcoming challenges.

Katrin Dreiling is a German-born illustrator based in Brisbane. She moved to Australia in 2004 and has now made it home. Self-taught, she creates quirky illustrations. Her debut picture book, The World’s Worst Pirate, written by Michelle Worthington, won a CBCA award in 2018. She also won the Harper Collins Illustrators Showcase Award in 2019 at the SCBWI conference in Sydney.

Meet Robbit, a job-hopping frog on a quest to find the perfect job. With determination and a never-give-up attitude, he chases his dream.

Michael Gerard Bauer’s writing often explores overcoming challenges, and that’s exactly what Robbit the frog does. The opening sentence introduces Robbit and his problem with a touch of humour: "Robbit the frog (Who no one called Bob), decided one day that he wanted a job." From here, the reader is immediately swept into a job seeking journey. Bauer’s clever word choices, including the name of the frog, showcase his playful style.

The story’s voice is strong and full of personality, bearing Bauer's unique stamp. The dialogue shines with lines like, "You never know what you can do till you try." I can almost hear a child or parent repeating this. As Robbit searches for a job, a series of funny misunderstandings unfold. One example is when Robbit discovers, to his dismay, that not every bank is the same. I love how Robbit seeks out jobs he believes are great for him.

Bauer gives him a never-give-up attitude that really shines. Late in the story, a writer is introduced who creates a story about Robbit’s job hunt, leading Robbit to discover the best job ever for him. This text is imaginative and unique.

Katrin Dreiling’s illustration style in Robbit the Job-Hopping Frog is playful, vibrant, and full of character, perfectly complementing the humour and charm of Michael Gerard Bauer’s story. Her illustrations are fun and detailed, bringing Robbit's quirky adventures to life with a mix of soft, pastel hues and lively, expressive characters. Dreiling’s quirky style is immediately recognisable and matches this text well.

The cover is catchy, showing Robbit jumping for joy under the colourful large title. The endpapers with bugs and worms on a green background are perfect for a frog story. Dreiling makes great use of white space, which allows her simple and eye-catching illustrations to stand out. Their simplicity and expression are appealing.

Robbit the Job-Hopping Frog reminds us that there’s something for everyone in this world – you just need to find it. The message of never giving up and being resilient shines through in the text and illustrations. This book is perfect for children aged 4 to 8 and will appeal to kids, parents, teachers, and librarians alike.

A Perfect Pig

 

A Perfect Pig by Katrin Dreiling (Scholastic) HB RRP $17.99 ISBN 9781760974374

Reviewed by Nikki M Heath

Anton Pig runs his life to perfection. He has the perfect routine, perfect plans and is perfectly punctual. So, when the wheels begin to fall off (quite literally) while preparing his best friend’s birthday party, Anton starts to panic. Anton reels from one disaster to another, running later and later, and the party ends up nothing like he planned - but everyone has fun anyway.

Anton Pig is a fabulous character, with his natty outfit, eccentricities and earnest good intentions warming the heart and bringing the audience on his side. We identify with each of the setbacks he faces in his race to create the perfect party for his friend and empathise with the despair and rising anxiety exhibited by his twitching eye and rolling stomach.

Anton is brought even more fully to life by the dynamic, colourful illustrations, which depict movement, weather and feeling with equal impact. The pages are busy and vibrant without being overwhelming.

A triumph in appreciating the joy of chaos, this book will resonate for kids (and parents) who have a perfectionist streak or struggle with anxiety. Those who run a little wilder will appreciate the resolution as Anton revels in his ‘perfectly imperfect’ birthday party. Fantastic fun for kids aged from 3 to 8 years. 

Bedtime Daddy

Bedtime Daddy by Sharon Giltrow, Katrin Dreiling (EK Books)

RRP $24.99 ISBN 9781925820386

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

Giltrow has written a book that flips the role play between a Little Bear and his Daddy. It’s hard work putting a Daddy Bear to bed: he is full of bedtime excuses and dramas that even call for monster spray. The endless battles to get Daddy to sleep are hilarious.

The dialogue is full of humour and moves the story through bedtime rituals until Daddy finally sleeps. ‘Then say, ‘Time to brush your teeth.’ The language adds to the fun. ‘Tell your Daddy, ‘Potty time.’ Then race him and belly flop onto the bed.’ The pacing of the story varies to build the frustration and anticipation. The tongue-in-cheek humour will delight any adults that read to children at bedtime. E.g. Read one more story but skip a few words or even a few pages. Giltrow’s voice makes this text sing.

Dreiling’s gorgeous illustrations add multiple layers of meaning to the already funny text. The endpapers, with an inky sky with moons and stars, are a great visual start and finish. We know the book begins and ends at night-time. The cartoon-like bears with expressive faces play well with the text. I love that the child reader can choose for themselves if Little Bear is a boy or girl. The colour palette and use of perspective with water colours let emotions speak. The strong ending of the book has allowed the illustrations to be the voice which satisfies the reader with a cheeky wink and snooze. The illustrator has added another character with Little Bear’s doll.

This is a book for children 3-8 years. It will be well received by both children and parents. It’s a great bedtime book sure to be found upon many a shelf.