My Nanna Nelly Will Tour the Illawarra Tomorra

My Nanna Nelly Will Tour the Illawarra Tomorra by Sean Williams, illustrated by Karen Mounsey-Smith (Little Steps Publishing)
PB RRP $16.95ISBN: 9781925117547 

Reviewed by Anne Hamilton 

The opening page was so impressive with its rhythm and rhyme I was sure I was in for a treat with this very different ‘tour guide’ of the region south of Sydney.

 ‘We’ll play mahjong by a billabong in Gerringong,’ promised a feast of sound and visual treats.

 Well, subsequent pages aren’t quite up there with the consistent, rhythmic flow but the rhyme is still top notch. Imagine a suitable rhyme for ‘Isabel Boulton’s Chair’, Kiama Blow Hole and Bellambi Reef. It’s all there!
 

Although this book is targeted at 3–6 year olds, I imagine older children might enjoy it too. The specific mention of places-to-go and things-to-do in the Illawarra region clearly sets the book apart regionally, perhaps making it difficult to market elsewhere. 

This is a book to share and enjoy with children touring the Illawarra. The illustrations are joyous and exuberant. The last page has eight photographs; I would really have liked to have seen a map as well.

Thelma the Unicorn

Thelma the Unicorn by Aaron Blabey (Scholastic Press)

HB RRP $16.99

ISBN 978-1-74362-580-4

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Thelma the pony and her friend Otis the donkey live contentedly in a field. Well, Otis is content. Thelma wants to be different... She would very much like to be a unicorn.  But, becoming a unicorn and being famous do not turn out exactly as Thelma has imagined. Maybe she would be happier as her old self again?

The rhythm and rhyme is pleasant - without lines which sound forced - and rolls off the tongue easily. The text is clear and straight-forward with pure even rhyme, perfectly suited for the pre-schoolers who will enjoy this book.

'And that was when she saw it.

A carrot on the ground.

It gave her such a great idea,

She squealed and jumped around.'

The illustrations are delightful and full of colour.  In one, Thelma flicks through a magazine in a sun-lounger on the deck of a yacht called 'The Fairy Princess'.   In another, she’s hounded by paparazzi and fans.

This fun story about finding out what really matters in life will appeal to young girls – especially with its unicorn, its pink and glitter, and its fantasy of fame.

Aaron Blabey wrote one of my favourite picture books of last year, Pig the Pug, and Thelma the Unicorn carries a smilar humour and likeable characters.