Big Digger ABC

Big Digger ABC by Margaret Mayo Illus. by Alex Ayliffe (Orchard/Hachette)
HB RRP $24.99
ISBN:9781408332696

Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

Long-time acclaimed British author, Margaret Mayo has created an alphabet picture book using names of vehicles which will enthrall little people, especially boys. Her rhythmic text has as much action as Alex Ayliffe's lively and colourful illustrations.  For example:

Aa Ambulance Busy, busy ambulance

rush, rush, rushing.                                                                                                            Whee-ow! Whee-ow!
                                                                  Loud siren blaring.

The use of bold letters in wavy or oblique patterns emphasises, for example the speed of the ambulance, and this is repeated throughout - a bulldozer push, push, pushing; a crane hoist, hoist, hoisting; right through to Z which is represented by a Zooming Rocket. Mayo isn't afraid to use adjectives instead of the nouns common in most alphabets, or even a letter in a word rather than at the beginning, e.g., X is for EXtra Big Wheels.

Narrowboat and Icebreaker are two unusual modes of transport which may not be familiar to all young children but they certainly add a further educational element to their reading experience.

The vivid illustrations of each vehicle are cheerful and appealing and Alex Ayliffe's award winning style doesn't stop there - the backgrounds also hold a lot of interest for children to examine and enjoy. E.g., a bright yellow Helicopter is in the air, but a ladder is being lowered to someone stranded on a snowy mountain which faithfully supports the text:

Smart yellow helicopter whirr, whirr, whirring.
Hovering and swaying - look!
Someone needs rescuing.

Machine-mad little kids will love the whole concept of this exciting ABC picture book.

B is for Bedtime

B is for Bedtime written by Margaret Hamilton, illustrated by Anna Pignataro (Little Hare)

ISBN 978 1 921894 34 3

HB RRP $24.95 

Reviewed by Nean McKenzie

B is for Bedtime gently works its way through the alphabet, describing the gradual process that is a child going to sleep. Using the 'A' for awake, the alphabet goes through things a child would notice, like 'F' for fingers, 'M' for moon and 'I' for insect until it reaches the last one: Zzzzzz! Each pair of letters has a rhyme, and this flows particularly well, for example,' L is for Lullaby … dum di-di dum' (rhyming with Mum).

The very cute illustrations show a rosy cheeked child which could be a girl or boy (this could widen the appeal to readers). Pictures have the appearance of home-made collage, with lots of different patterns such as polka dots and stripes in soft colours. The small brown and white spotted dog on almost every page is a great addition, providing humour.

The alphabet is a nice structure to hang a bedtime rhyme on, giving a sense of movement through to the end — that is sleep! Moving towards the letter 'x', never an easy one to rhyme with, I was pleased to read 'X for relaX now I'm facing the wall.' It's nice to be surprised by an unexpected bit of text.

This lovely book could become a favourite for little ones going to bed. Adults will also appreciate the way the rhymes read so well out loud. 

A is for Awesome

A is for Awesome by Dallas Clayton (Walker Books)

HC RRP $19.95

ISBN 9780763657451

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

I love this superb rhyming alphabet. It’s so uplifting and offers so much I want to share it with the world. But on my children’s book shelf it goes because it is dedicated to ‘you’. That means me because I have the book. Therefore, all that’s in it is directed at me. ‘A is for Awesome and Amazing’ I can be that at times. ‘C is for Confident, cool and collected’ – I’m rarely all of them together. ‘J, Just remember you’re never alone’– my favourite.

I know it’s my book and I can be selective. But I love the fact that it is full of optimistic, positive, and motivating reinforcement. Just what I needed and it’s come at the right time.

Each page is a pastel coloured platform for a carnival of colourful illustrations, all starting with the letter displayed. Think of all the words of any length you can make with one letter as a thought- provoker. Think of all the words that start with that one letter.

This book encourages children to learn the alphabet so they can create words, have fun and play with letters any way they want. Just like writers do.

Thoughts, ideas, words and illustrations are by Dallas Clayton. I think I’ve said it all.

Zippy Zoe

Zippy Zoe (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-884-7
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Zoe is zippy. This little Zebra Finch can zip from zero to a zillion in seconds. But all this zipping and zapping can tire out a small bird and when Zoe zonks, it can be really hard for her friends to wake her. What will they do?

Sadly, this entertaining little series is drawing to a close with Zoe and her friends. I have enjoyed the alliteration and the standard has been really consistent across the series. The illustrations have always been a fabulous part of the stories as well - uniquely Australian with humour, detail and many objects to find for each given letter.

The emphasis put on friendship, family and helping out has also been a great strength of these stories. It’s a lot to pack into a tiny book and this series manages it well. With so many titles to collect there are hours of fun to be had for littlies who are learning the alphabet - and for lovers of animals and words.

Yum Yum Yoshi

Yum Yum Yoshi (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-742-0
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Yoshi has many friends. He hangs out with Yolanda, Yuri, Yasmine and Yang. Of all these Yellow-bellied gliders it is Yoshi who loves food the most. He’ll eat anything from Yams to Yum Cha. One day, however, Yoshi wakes up feeling yicky. All his friends try to help suggesting many activities which may help him to feel better. Nothing seems to be helping. Then they remember his favourite food. Will that do the trick?

I have been enjoying this pocket-sized series of alphabet books. Featuring a great variety of Australian native animals these stories have such a great flavour of our bush, outback and other Aussie settings.
I love the tongue-twisting alliteration. And although this must be hard to construct for some of the curlier letters towards the end of the alphabet such as Y, the author does well.

‘And yummy yum cha whilst yachting?’ suggests Yasmine. 
‘Yum Yum!’ yells Yoshi.

With just one more to go, what does Z have in store for us?

Little Mates: Worrying Will; Xylophone Xavier

Little Mates: Worrying Will by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-740-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Little Mates: Xylophone Xavier by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-741-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Little Mates, the fun alliterative Australian series, is getting close to the end of the alphabet. The two newest books feature Will, a worry wombat and Xavier, a swordfish who loves to explore.

In Worrying Will, this worrisome wombat worries about everything from water consumption, to wonky wheelbarrows, to what to wear. And when he worries, he wobbles and gets lots of wrinkles. And there is nothing more adorable than Creagh’s illustrations of a wombat with wrinkles. Unless it’s his illustration of Whitney working on Will’s wrinkles ... with a rolling pin. Once again, it’s friendship to the rescue as Will’s friends rally around to help him work through all his worries.



I was looking forward to seeing how the trickier letters at the end of the alphabet would be treated and Xylophone Xavier did not disappoint.

Xavier is a swordfish (xiphius gladius) who loves to explore and collect xylophones of all sizes, from XS to XXL. Join Xavier and his friends in this tongue twisting adventure – their most excellent and exciting one yet.


Little Mates are fun with clever wording and distinctively colourful and busy illustrations. This is a great series for young children, full of Australian animals with boundless curiosities and large personalities in a tiny book format.

Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos

Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos by David Ridyard, illustrations by Doreen Gristwood (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $15.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-872-4
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos is a beautifully simple alphabet book for the very young. With only a few words on each page, children can find pictures to match in the softly painted pages, filled with Australian animals having fun.

The illustrations are beautiful. Their gentle nature encourages slow contemplation. Each illustration is a complete scene which highlights two letters of the alphabet. Parts of these pictures spill out over the constructed borders which hold the words - they cannot be contained - bringing the animals to life. There are a few extra pictures to be spotted on some pages (there is a list at the end of the story), but these are kept to a minimum and the book is not overwhelming for young children.

The words chosen to illustrate each letter are ones which can be easily understood and visualised by young children, moon, vegemite, footprint, quilt, and are printed in large clear writing.

Subtitled An Australian Alphabet Book, Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos is thoughtfully and attractively laid out. There is a verse filled with really fun alliteration at the start, enticing the reader to begin the alphabet journey. Then another to close the book which creates a sense of completion (even though it invites the reader to look at the pages again) which alphabet books rarely do.

Koalas, Kites and Kangaroos is a very enjoyable alphabet book.

Vocal Violet

Vocal Violet (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-788-8
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Violet is an adorable vampire bat. But she is also the most vocal vampire bat in the whole of Victoria. Her volume causes problems among the other vampire bats. For example, when Vince takes his turn in a vaulting competition, Violets ‘veeeep!’ sends hem veering off into the veggie patch.

Everyone has ideas about how to fix Violet’s volume, but the vet suggests that rather than change, she go where her volume is valued. So Violet becomes a commentator at the V8 car racing.

Once again, the moral of Vocal Violet is incorporated well in a hilarious story with fabulous alliteration, great detailed illustrations, and an entertaining colony of vampire bats.

Lachlan Creagh is a very talented illustrator when it comes to Australian animals and his pictures are loaded with detail and humour. And the way the author manages to get so many V words into the story is extremely clever.

With only four letters in the alphabet to go, the series is getting close to the end. An while I am a little sad about this, I am looking forward to seeing how some of the harder letters at the end of the alphabet are approached!

Ticklish Tom

Ticklish Tom (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-738-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Ticklish Tom is a new title in the sweet alliteration alphabet series Little Mates. Tom is a Tasmanian Devil who happens to be the most ticklish Devil across the whole of Tassie. His friends take advantage of this most of the time but when Tom gets himself into a tricky situation, they all team up to help.

As with other books in this series, friendship, teamwork and helping others feature strongly in Ticklish Tom. But it is the humour, fun and word play that shine brightest. The author manipulates all of the t words in the story with great skill and style. And the illustrator is extremely talented at depicting Australian animals and their surrounds.

This is a great read-aloud story for young children who are exploring the world of the alphabet.

Quiet Queenie and Racing Ruby (Little Mates)

Quiet Queenie (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-331-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Racing Ruby (Little Mates) by Susannah McFarlane, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Scholastic Australia)
PB RRP $4.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-332-3
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Queenie has always been a quiet quokka, the quietest in Queensland. But one day she needs a loud voice to help out a quivering quoll.

Ruby the rainbow fish loves to race. But one day, racing ahead, she takes a wrong turn and gets lost. Can she retrace her route and rejoin her friends?

Quiet Queenie and Racing Ruby continue the Little Mates series, a set of small, fun alphabet books featuring Australian animals and friendships. The alliteration is fun to read aloud and the author does a great job, especially with Q, which would not, I would imagine, be an easy letter to work with.

The illustrations are energetic, humorous and fun to explore. The animals are drawn with individual character and there is often something a little unexpected among the wonderfully Australian settings. I love Queenie in the bush library. There a family of ducks check out their books at the reference desk decorated in Quixote and the windmills. And the shoreline Ruby that fails to notice, as she races past includes a rafting rhino - so out of place in the Australian setting that I almost failed to notice the dinosaur in the background myself!

These books can be enjoyed by children from a very young age, for the alphabet, for the joy of tongue twisting words and for the delight in the pictures.

Zoo in Me

Zoo in Me by Susan Pease, illustrated by Olivia Pease (Little Steps Publishing)
HB RRP $24.95
ISBN 9781921928956
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

Zoo in Me is a story and an alphabet book rolled into one. Friends Kat and Toby meet for a play date  All the essential ingredients are gathered: chocolate cake, crayons and paper, big and small blocks, and, best of all, animal dress-ups.

The two friends have a dress-up race to the end of the alphabet. Not only do they dress-up as an animal but they also choose an emotion, thought or action. There's everything from interested iguanas to racy rabbits! Both children try hard to win the race and discover that there's a reason for their different moods. Toby holds a drawing in front of his tummy and says, 'If you x-ray me, you will see ... (t)here are lots of animals in me.' Kat agrees, declaring that 'there is a zoo in me.'

Created by a mother and daughter team, Susan Pease's text is engaging and eleven-year-old Olivia Pease's illustrations are quirky and fun. Young children are sure to spend much time poring over them, pointing out such inclusions as the blocks which spell out the animals' names.

Zoo in Me is beautifully presented in hardback with quality paper and would make a lovely gift.

A is Amazing

A is Amazing: Poems About Feelings edited by Wendy Cooling, illustrated by Piet Grobler (Walker Books)
HC RRP $29.95
ISBN 978-1-84780-255-2
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Poetry within pictures is always a great way to cultivate an interest in another word form in children. This excellent collection of 33 poems by 29 poets from around the globe is about feelings. It begins with the letter A and goes though the alphabet. Each letter represents a feeling, at times with two or more poems beginning with the same letter. There are varied styles but each one has a specific focus on the feeling. The illustrations, created with pencil and watercolours complement the text, bringing visual life to the words and a double experience to the reader.

In R for Rotten, the poem is titled, I’m in a Rotten Mood by Jack Prelutsky. The illustration shows a young girl sitting on a chair, arms crossed over her chest with a forlorn look on her face. Her dog is keeping away, but looks at her over his shoulder from across the room. The window is grey, and dark with shadows, matching the girl’s mood. It ends –‘I’m in a rotten mood today, a really rotten mood today, you’d better stay away from me, I’m just a lump of misery, I’m feeling absolutely rude - I’M IN A ROTTEN MOOD!’

Under V for Very Strange, there are four poems on a double page. The strangest one is GHEAUGHTEIGHPTOUGH spells potato by Michael Rosen. This set of poems concentrate on language and how letters create words in differing ways and through various turns of phrase. These are the types of surprises awaiting the reader: happy and sad, moody and mixed up, loneliness and joy, celebration and loss.

This anthology of poetry has been carefully collected with a deep understanding of human feelings by Wendy Cooling who is the founder of the Bookstart Programme, a national programme which gives free books to each child in the UK. She has been awarded the Eleanor Fargeon Award for a lifetime devoted to children’s literature. Poetry of every kind is ageless. Therefore this book is ideal for the 8 -108+ age group.

Alphabet Town

Alphabet Town by Bryan Evans, illustrated by Kimberly Moon (New Frontier Publishing)
PB RRP $14.95
ISBN 9781921928277
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton


Originally electronically published under the title How It Came About, Alphabet Town is an original concept that will fascinate young children learning the three 'r's. In a place called Knowledge are little towns each inhabited by particular people. In the town of Alphabet live Letters. In another town live Numbers and among the Numbers lives Zero but 'nobody took any notice of the Number Zero because she didn't amount to anything'.

Disheartened, Zero heads out into the world of Knowledge and meets Spot from the town of Punctuation who reminds her that '(e)verybody amounts to something. It's up to each one of us to find out what it is.' When Zero and Spot stumble upon Alphabet, they discover that everyone does indeed have a purpose. Letters can become words, sentences, books and then libraries and that numbers can amount to more than nine. But Spot is the most important of all.

The accompanying illustrations are bright and colourful and add to the quirkiness of the story with the personification of the letters, numbers and punctuation. This book could be a very useful teaching resource and one that will have everyone thinking about how words, numbers and language is formed.

Oh Baby! The A to Z

Oh Baby!: The A to Z (black dog books, an imprint of Walker Books Australia)
PB RRP $16.95
ISBN 9781742032306
Reviewed by Vicki Stanton

Oh Baby! is an A to Z with a difference. The photographs are extraordinary (and extraordinarily cute) and the animals featured include some I have never seen in a alphabet collection before such as upland geese and x-ray fish. Animals from across the globe appear including many from Australia (and no, the 'k' is not a kangaroo or koala but a kookaburra).

Some of the animals also have descriptions or actions added in the text and these were the best pages of all. It was hard to decide on my favourite. Was it the hedgehog which 'has a very spiky hairstyle!' or the chicken which 'is curious about flying'?

Oh Baby! is a delightful book to share with young children and for those eager to learn the alphabet. Children will be sure to return to the book time and time again.

W is for Wombat

W is for Wombat  by Bronwyn Bancroft (Little Hare Books)

PB RRP $16.99

ISBN 978-1-921541-85-8

Reviewed by Simone Zmood

The thing that grabs you about W is for Wombat is the large, bold colour illustrations and indigenous dot technique.  They draw attention to the front cover of the book and this style is delivered throughout.  Most pages have a single, solid colour background which is not overwhelming for a young child, though a few pages do have a vibrant background scene.  The strong colours used are those routinely associated with the Australian outback including rust red, blue, green and gold.

There is typically one word per page in very large, easy-to-read black font. The A-Z words themselves capture a range of iconic Australian animals such cockatoos, dingo, emu, goanna, joey, koala, magpie, platypus, and wombat.  Some less well-known Australian animals are also included such as lyrebird, numbat, quokka, and yabby.  A boomerang features early on and this is the only iconic Australian object.  There are also a range of items which are not unique to Australia but will capture a young child’s interest, including creatures such as ants, hawk, owl, unicorn fish, and zebra fish, and the more ubiquitous island, river, sun, tree, and vine.

W is for Wombat is subtitled “My First Australian Word Book” and the back cover proclaims this as “a first book of Australian words for the very young”.  The book is well-suited to capture the interest of babies through to 3 years.  Beyond that age, the book could be used to discuss artistic style and indigenous culture, but there is no storyline to maintain the interest of an older preschool child. 

It is a delight to welcome another feast for the eyes by noted artist and illustrator Bronwyn Bancroft.  W is for Wombat was first published in 2008, and this edition was released in mid-2010.