My Nanna Nelly Will Tour the Illawarra Tomorra

My Nanna Nelly Will Tour the Illawarra Tomorra by Sean Williams, illustrated by Karen Mounsey-Smith (Little Steps Publishing)
PB RRP $16.95ISBN: 9781925117547 

Reviewed by Anne Hamilton 

The opening page was so impressive with its rhythm and rhyme I was sure I was in for a treat with this very different ‘tour guide’ of the region south of Sydney.

 ‘We’ll play mahjong by a billabong in Gerringong,’ promised a feast of sound and visual treats.

 Well, subsequent pages aren’t quite up there with the consistent, rhythmic flow but the rhyme is still top notch. Imagine a suitable rhyme for ‘Isabel Boulton’s Chair’, Kiama Blow Hole and Bellambi Reef. It’s all there!
 

Although this book is targeted at 3–6 year olds, I imagine older children might enjoy it too. The specific mention of places-to-go and things-to-do in the Illawarra region clearly sets the book apart regionally, perhaps making it difficult to market elsewhere. 

This is a book to share and enjoy with children touring the Illawarra. The illustrations are joyous and exuberant. The last page has eight photographs; I would really have liked to have seen a map as well.