Sunday, June 13, 2010

Guest Reviewer Brenton Cullen! The Giraffe in the Bath,


Today I welcome guest reviewer Brenton Cullen to Read and Reviewed. Brenton has reviewed A

Giraffe in the Bath, written by Mem Fox and Olivia Rawson, illustrated by Kerry Argent, and published by Penguin in 2010.


A Giraffe in the Bath was written by picture-book writing legend Mem Fox (Possum Magic, Where is the Green Sheep, Koala Lou) and a former student of hers at Flinders University, Olivia Rawson, with deliciously stunning illustrations by the amazing Kerry Argent of One Woolly Wombat.


Though "Giraffe" relies on mainly the illustrations (because the text is little) the words and actual written story of the book is so clever and humourously written that my five-year-old brother kept wanting me to read it out, and especially because of the rhyming and repetitiveness of the story. I would say that small children respond to the rhyming and hearing the same pattern over and over again.


I have always been a huge fan of Fox's and own 15 of her books, mostly from when I was younger, but also a few that I have bought recently for younger siblings. She is the Queen of Words, in my opinion, and definitely the MOST brilliant and talented picture-book writer I have ever come across. And I've read a lot of picture-books. Her astounding ability to draw children into her magical books, with her amazing talents of rhythm, repetitiveness, and just, in general, fascinating stories, is a Magical Wonder. And I am sure Australia is proud to say, "We own Mem Fox. We're her home country". I sure am.


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