Summer Rain

Summer Rain by Ros Moriarty, illustrated by Balarinji (Allen & Unwin 2015)
PB RRP $12.99
ISBN: 9781760112110

Reviewed by Jade Harmer

With rain comes life and Summer Rain is a vivid celebration of life in the wet season in northern Australia.

This story is a lyrical one, commencing at dawn and concluding at dusk, each spread depicting the sights and sounds of the unique summer landscape from a new vantage point. Kangaroos pound over red ochre earth, grasses stand like spears in the steamy heat, geckos stretch in the sunset.

Filled with colour and movement, the lively beauty of this book makes it stand out from the crowd. The simplicity of Balarinji’s Indigenous design – each perfect dot, hypnotic swirl and stylised creature – brings the words of author Ros Moriarty to life with bold impact.

In fewer than eighty words, Moriarty’s rhythm, rhyme and alliteration, blend with Balarinji’s images to create a warm and engaging feast for the senses.

With a distinctly northern Australian flavour, Summer Rain revels in the splendour of the natural landscape and those who inhabit it. It also showcases the storytelling qualities of Indigenous art.

Different typography is used to accentuate certain words throughout the story. I found this approach slightly distracting, particularly as the story and artwork speak so well for themselves.

This simple picture book with its colourful imagery and low word count will likely appeal to pre-schoolers and early primary school aged children.

A translation is included in Yanyuwa, the language spoken by Aboriginal families in Borroloola, Northern Territory.

Big Red Kangaroo

Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby and Graham Byrne (Walker Books)
HB RRP $ 27.95
ISBN 9781921720420
Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Claire Saxby is a prolific creator of children’s books whose work covers many genres. Her latest book Big Red Kangaroo is created in highly original parallel format with one page of text telling the story to entertain, while the parallel text defines, informs and educates.

It introduces Red, the leader of the mob, and his followers in sparse and precise storytelling prose. The opposite page elaborates on the word ‘mob’; what mobs or families are made up of, when they are most active, their feeding patterns, the strength and leadership of the dominant male, and the importance of the tail of the red kangaroo.

‘His hops are long. Each landing pushes air from his lungs, each bound fills them’. These gems of information flow through the opposing narrative throughout the book.

The illustrations by Graham Byrne are reminiscent of Ron Brooks’ haunting artwork in Fox by Margaret Wild. The powerful opening lines of the book also bring to mind the opening in the same book.

The outstanding artwork is created with charcoal and digital media using earthy colours with shades of ochre dominating. This is a high quality production and one which should do well in publicising Australia and her unique fauna.

Come Fly With Captain Kangaroo

Come Fly With Captain Kangaroo by Mandy Foot (Lothian/Hachette)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 9780734411945

Reviewed by Hilary Smillie

The title of this colourful in-house picture book is an immediate indication of being the ideal choice for parents anxious to prepare a child for his/her first flying experience. For once a book can be judged by its cover!

Australian fauna are the airport staff and crew, and the bouncy rhyming text guides children through every step of catching a plane for a flight within Australia, from the moment of arrival at the airport to the flight itself. The text includes great action words such as loading up, bumpy, the click-clack of seat belts, the thump! thump! of the wheels when landing. Mandy Foot’s brilliant illustrations are imaginative and zany, and the only small flaw was that the animals were not shown to be wearing seat belts. I liked the inside cover illustrations of luggage of various sizes and shapes.

Come Fly With Captain Kangaroo is a fun read as well as being practical and educational. Not only will it be enjoyed before or during a flight but afterwards it is sure to prompt a child’s recollection of their own experience of air travel which, hopefully, was just as pleasurable.