Tortoise and the Hair

Tortoise and the Hair by P. Crumble, illustrated by Louis Shea (Scholastic Press)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-1-74362-528-6

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Tortoise is ready for his big day. He is going to play guitar on the big stage, in front of everyone. He is very excited about it until he discovers that his favourite wig is missing. Will he be able to perform without it?

This picture book is the story of the journey made by Tortoise's hair, a twist on the classic Hare and Tortoise tale which children know so well. The wig makes its way from bear, to zebra, to monkey and several other animals before being spotted by Hare, who then tries to get it to his friend Tortoise in time for the performance.

'He ran from the cafe clutching the hair,

“Tortoise will need it, I’ll get it there.''’

Is Hare fast enough to save the day? And does Tortoise really need saving in the end?

Shea's illustrations are fabulous, vibrant and luminescent with glowing colours which seem to leap off the page. I love the detail and character he draws into animals - the hippo with her mudpack, Bird at sunrise in her hair roller and Tortoise's sparkly leg-warmers.

I found the rhythm a little awkward and not easy to read aloud, but after a few reads this smooths out. Children will engage in the progression the wig makes from animal to animal and the ending, both in the text and illustrations, is great.

Tortoise and the Hair is a fun and playful book. Young children will enjoy the story and older ones will delight in discovering all the detail of the pictures.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Meerkat

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Meerkat by P. Crumble, illustrated by Louis Shea (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $13.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-646-1
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

‘There was an old lady who swallowed a meerkat,
I don’t know why she swallowed that meerkat ...
Fancy that!’

From the creators of There was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Mozzie comes another addition to the There was An Old Lady/There was an old Bloke series and this time the hungry woman is visiting the zoo. The rhyme in this story works really well making it fun and easy to read aloud and the rhythm aids in creating a crescendo effect. Crumble has chosen animals which young children will know well from their own visits to the zoo. The familiar setting makes the absurdity of the situation even more pronounced. As the animals the Old Lady swallows get bigger and bigger the sense of ridiculousness builds to a fantastic explosive ending.

Shea’s illustrations in this series can be either fabulous or terrifying. In this picture book they are fabulous. The animals are chock full of their own character and the detail in the pictures will keep children thoroughly entertained. The illustration of the Old Lady leaving the zoo after the seams in her clothes have let go ends the story brilliantly. Look out for the ‘Do Not Feed ...’ signs and the hungry monkey who follows the Old Lady around. The zoo animals and setting will make this story a hit for young children and with amusing details to spot in every scene they will be pouring over the pictures as well as reciting the rhyme.

I found this to be the funniest and most entertaining book in the series this far.

There was an Old Bloke who Swallowed a Bunny!

There was an Old Bloke who Swallowed a Bunny! by P.Crumble, illustrated by Louis Shea (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $13.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-160-2
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

There was an Old Bloke Who Swallowed a Bunny! is the newest version of the classic rhyme There was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly. I like P. Crumble but this is not one of my favourites – in fact I found this farmyard version a little hard to swallow. The rhyme is awkward and the procession of animals does not quite make sense. Why does he swallow a duck to carry the mouse?

Louis Shea is a fabulous illustrator and I love his animals and their expressions. On the bunny page there are about thirty rabbits (and two tortoises) and each one is individual. The humour on the page is strong as well, but the pictures have a dark edge to them that may be a little frightening for the very young.

The words follow the convention of the original rhyme, and as always, the author adds a different mix of animals to keep each other company during their brief stay inside his ever growing stomach. 'There was an old bloke who swallowed a llama. The toothy fellow caused quite a drama.'

This is a fun book and many children will enjoy the silliness of events. See if you can find the worm the illustrator has hidden in every picture.

There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Star

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Star by P. Crumble, illustrated by Louis Shea (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-330-9
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

‘There was an old lady who swallowed a star.’
Now if you think that’s bizarre, read on as she polishes of larger and larger items including an elf, fairy lights, and eventually, Santa Claus himself!

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly has captured the imagination of children for decades and I’m sure some adults can still recite this whole poem. Such a silly and humorous premise with an easy and familiar rhythm has spawned many picture book variations. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Star is a Christmas version.

Unfortunately the rhythm doesn’t quite work for me after the first two layers of the poem. It is uneven and awkward, hard to read aloud. I have read and enjoyed many other P. Crumble books, but the text in this one doesn’t flow.

The illustrations by Louis Shea are intense, and at times a shade on the scary side, but this is not a book for pre-schoolers and should be engrossing for primary students. I imagine they will respond with humour, rather than anxiety to images such as the elf who hides fearfully behind the table just before he is swallowed by the old lady.

And the detail in the illustrations is great. On the first page the old lady sits up in bed yawning, which is when the star drops into her mouth. On the wall is a framed photo of the old man and his chook from a previous book by this author and illustrator There Was an Old Man Who Swallowed a Chook. There are two cheeky mice that can be found on most pages doing something naughty. And I love the spines on the books in the book case: Captain Corelli’s Mandarin, Oliver Twisty, Pride and Prune Juice and many, many more.

It will catch the eye of children between the ages of 7 and 12 with its lenticular moving image cover. As you tilt the book in different directions, the Old Lady climbs to the top of the Christmas tree to eat the star. It will appeal to their sense of humour and the detail in the illustrations will entertain.

This is an enjoyable book, just don’t expect it to be an easy read aloud for pre-school children.