My Daddy Ate an Apple

My Daddy Ate an Apple [with CD] by Craig Smith, illustrated by Scott Tulloch (Scholastic NZ)
PB RRP $16.99
ISBN 978-1-77543-200-5
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

There’s a classic joke that was a favourite in our house for some time. What is worse than finding a worm in your apple? A: Finding half a worm.

This very silly book (good silly) explores exactly this idea. When Zebra’s daddy eats an apple he accidently eats a worm as well. And the consequences are not too good for poor Daddy.

Kids are going to love the funny story, sing-song lyrics, and fabulous illustrations which enhance the humour. The worm - it was a fuzzy one, a buzzy one, a great big fat juicy one –also stars in many of the pictures and has as big a personality as the daddy zebra. The picture of the worm hanging on to Daddy’s tonsils before being swallowed is very funny. I also love the trip to hospital on the elephant ambulance, and the nurses (monkeys) taking Daddy’s x-ray, and ... I could go on. The illustrations are delightful.

The words fit cleverly into a well-known tune and kids are going to love how Daddy’s stomach ache is resolved. Craig Smith plays the guitar and sings the song on the accompanying CD and will keep young children happily entertained and engaged. Smith is also the author of the wildly silly and very popular The Wonky Donkey.  

The House that Wonky Built

The House that Wonky Built [with CD] by Craig Smith, illustrated by Katz Cowley (Scholastic NZ)
PB RRP $24.99 (includes CD & activity kit)
ISBN 978-1-77543– 115-2
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

The House that Wonky Built is an activity pack inspired by and including the well loved picture book The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith. 

‘I was walking down the road and I saw ... a donkey. He had only three legs ... And one eye! He was a winky wonky donkey.’

The rhythm of the words, the build up of the repetition and the increasingly difficult tongue twisting end line all make this story a delight to read no matter how many times you are called to.

The illustrations by Katz Cowley are fabulous. The Wonky Donkey’s character is portrayed through his cheeky grin and is charming, playful and attractive despite his three legs, one eye and bad smell. The little bird, who follows Wonky through the pages, is a great character too. This small yellow companion experiences the donkey’s characteristics for us. He faints at Wonky’s bad smell, flies off with the donkey’s eye, and plays Wonky’s honky tonk music on the gramophone. My favourite picture is Bird sitting in the grass looking up at Donkey, emphasising the clever perspective from below, making Wonky Donkey look tall and slim.

The activity pack with the book includes a play set, removable stickers and a cd. This play set folds out to create Wonky’s stables, three rooms and an outdoor area. Along with this are several pages of foldable furniture and accessories to create Wonky’s world, as well as Wonky Donkey and Bird. I especially love the inclusion of the coffee machine and pot. This has all been cleverly created by paper engineer Phillip Fickling.

While playing with Wonky Donkey and recreating the story, children can listen to the very amusing CD included in the kit. The honky-tonky tune is performed by Craig Smith.

This book can be enjoyed from a very young age, but the play set is best suited for over six year olds. Even at this age, children will need adult help to construct the furniture as it is more complex than paper dolls, but there are hours of fun to be had during and after construction. I think upper primary children would enjoy the humour and ingenuity of the furniture, stables and ‘setting up house’.