Dinosaur Disco

Dinosaur Disco by Deborah Kelly, illustrated by Daron Parton (Random House)

HB RRP $24.99

ISBN 978-0-85798-136-3

Reviewed by Jaquelyn Muller

I can easily see a run of dinosaur onesies flying off the shelves, as kindergartens and foundation classes stage their own dinosaur discos, thanks to this fun, rhythmic story by Deborah Kelly and Daron Parton.

I can’t imagine trying to work tricky dinosaur names into a flowing, engaging rhyme, but Kelly has created an entertaining and educational text that will delight younger readers.

The fully bled pages of illustrations by Parton beautifully represent each dinosaur character. The bright textural pages delightfully place them in a social scene that assists with understanding dinosaur characteristics like size, diet and physical attributes. 

Kelly has understood this age group’s love of music and movement by creating a disco setting, allowing for humorous images involving flared pants, gold chains and polyester shirts, now thankfully as extinct as the animals wearing them. The facts at the end of the book will make this a great addition to classrooms and give plenty of opportunities for further learning and discovery.

Clear, large text makes the rhyme easy to read among the rich bright palette of aubergine, orange, green and red and the sprinkling of light across each page keeps us under the ‘mirror ball’ throughout the book.

Deborah Kelly’s previous titles include The Bouncing Ball, Jam for Nana and Haiku Journey. She will be releasing Ruby Wishfingers in 2016 with Wombat Books. Daron Parton’s alphabet book Alligator in an Anorak was released in October 2014.

The Healthy Harvest

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The Healthy Harvest by Emma Martin, illustrated by Graeme Compton (Little Steps Publishing)
PB RRP $14.95
ISBN: 9781925117431
Reviewed by Anne Hamilton

I’d have said it was Mission: Impossible.

The task, should anyone have been foolish enough to accept it: write a children’s picture book in rhyming verse about the five food groups. Combine educational imperatives with an appealing story.

Ok, the mission was not without its minor hiccups. Intrepid rhymester Emma Stuart stumbled over occasional rhythm—but that it worked at all seemed almost miraculous. There were a couple of awkward sentence constructions to accommodate the rhyme scheme. And Harry Harvester’s friends were mostly male.

But these minor quibbles aside, The Healthy Harvest is admirable in all the right ways.

A fresh, zesty look complements a simple storyline.

Harry Harvester introduces the reader to the five food groups with the help of his friends—Alfie Apple, Carly Carrot, Charlie Cheese, Wally Wheat, Sammy Salmon and Tommy Takeaway. In the course of the story, the reader learns about the five different food groups, food sources, what nutrients are and how they benefit health.

Graeme Compton’s graphics enhance

A fun but firmly factual foray
Into the five food types we need each day.