Mac the Dog Man

Mac the Dog Man by Elizabeth Vercoe, design by Mary Thom Hays PB RRP $15.95

ISBN: 9780994587008

Reviewed by Ellie Royce

This delightful and thoroughly engaging book takes us on a journey with Mac, a man who understands and loves dogs and his canine crowd of best friends. Mac walks the dogs in all kinds of weather and each dog has a personality and story.

Beautifully written, Mac the Dog Man is a joy to read out loud with repetition, rhythm and humour all combining to keep readers entertained. I read it out aloud to groups of both young children and aged care residents and they all loved it.

Add to this the detailed and charming illustrations and you have a book that will captivate young and old and become a favourite ‘read again ‘story.

Go to www.elizabethvercoe.com.au for purchase and stockist information

Sydney Word by Word

Sydney Word by Word written and illustrated by Sonny & Biddy (Little Hare Books) HB RRP $29.99

ISBN 9781760125523

Reviewed by Liz Ledden

In Sydney Word by Word, design duo, Sonny & Biddy, reflect the sights and sounds of Sydney in vibrant colour.

Each page features one, simple word, with a full page illustration providing greater nuance. For example, ‘Fashion’ features a figure resembling queen of colour, designer Jenny Kee, while ‘Splash’ accompanies a pool meets sea, presumably Bondi’s Icebergs.

The book features the best of Sydney’s iconic sites, from the Opera House and Harbour Bridge to Taronga Zoo and Cockatoo Island, interspersed with everyday scenes. Annual events, like Sydney’s Sculptures by the Sea and the bright lights of Vivid are also pictured.

You may recognise the Town Hall steps, the QVB, the smoke stacks in St Peters’ Sydney Park, and Newtown’s ‘I Have a Dream’ mural. The scenes are mostly city and beach-oriented, with a nod to Sydney’s multiculturalism through imagery of pho-slurping and Chinese dragon-dancing. Escalators, buskers, snacks and terrace houses provide snapshots of urban life.

Overall, Sydney Word by Word captures the energy, colour, beach vibes and must-sees of Sydney, and can be used as a ‘first word’ type book for toddlers through to all-ages gift book. A Melbourne title illustrated by Michael McMahon is also available.