Our Last Trip to the Market

Our Last Trip to the Market written by Lorin Clarke and illustrated by Mitch Vane (Allen and Unwin)  HB RRP $24.99  ISBN 9781925266962

Reviewed by Daniela Andrews

Markets are great, aren’t they? Oh, the atmosphere! The incredible smells! Fresh foods! Now imagine sharing your trip to the market with six kids in tow … hmm. Perhaps the word ‘last’ in the title refers not so much to the most recent trip, as it does to the Last Ever.

This entertaining picture book, with hilarious full-colour illustrations by Mitch Vane, is sure to strike a chord with frazzled parents everywhere. The mother in this story is, shall we say, super upbeat. She is not at all daunted by the fact that she’s daring to take six kids, including a toddler and a couple of preschoolers, out grocery shopping. She’s happy, and positive and full of bright energy as she takes in the sights. Her kids, meanwhile …

One is stealing a juggling ball from a busker, another is knocking over a pile of doughnuts. Two have stolen a wheelbarrow. One is digging through a sack of lentils. Another has found some sparkly glue.

Though the mother briefly pauses in her market merriment to discipline the children (‘Please give that back to the man’), she never loses her cool. Why would she? She’s at the market! The glorious market! The story keeps its rhythm as she continues on her way, buying far more things than she intended. The only time she expresses any anxiety is when she realises they’re running late for Grandma and Gramps. As market-goers and stall-owners watch the family, horrified by the trail of destruction they’ve left behind, good old mum suggests they’ll get to the car faster if they ‘stomp like a pack of wild boars’. Why not? Off they go, ‘stompity stomp’, but not without a couple more mishaps on the way. Just when I start to doubt the mother’s neverending patience, the story ends with some sweet revenge on her part. Phew!

Lorin Clarke has written a fantastic story made highly amusing by its unpredictable rhymes and funny caricatures. There is much to see in the illustrations and Vane perfectly captures the children’s cheeky expressions (or innocent curiosity). I particularly loved the gleam in the mother’s eyes on the last page.

The story is suitable for children aged 2 – 5 years … and parents. Of course, parents. 

The Circus Ship

The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen (Walker Books)

PB RRP $ 16.95

ISBN9780763655921

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen’s brilliant new book is created with rhyming verse and full page illustrations using caricatures. This is a fantastic tale inspired by a real happening in 1836, with the Royal Tar, a steamer sailing to Maine with 103 passengers and a complete circus.

Animals like people, never forget kindness or brutality. This strong theme flows throughout this beautifully created and designed book.

The Circus Ship steams through the fog towards its destination. Although the Captain suggests they drop anchor and wait for visibility to clear, the grumpy circus boss demands they keep going. The ship unfortunately smashes against something unseen. The terrified animals end up with some swimming for their lives, and others clinging to bits of debris as the ship sinks.

Cold and frightened, the animals come ashore at a village. They hope it’s a haven of safety. But at the sight of animals coming and going, the villagers are filled with terror.

It is in the evening that things shift. A shed catches fire. A child is trapped inside.

The circus tiger that had ‘jumped through flames a thousand times’ did what he had been trained to do, and the child is saved. ‘The tiger’s risky rescue changed everybody’s mind.’ When the crabby circus owner appears and wants the animals to put them back to work, they are nowhere to be found.

This stunning book is a work of art in every way. Everything is alive on the page. The striking colour of the illustrations in gouache, both characters and settings, create a feast for the eyes. They must be looked at in silence. The rhyming text must be read aloud for maximum pleasure for it is music to the ears.