April 2015

Jeremy (Chris Faille / Danny Snell)

Even though my blog is pretty much dedicated to YA fiction, I also like to chuck in a couple of children's books, or even the odd junior fiction title.  This is mainly because my library has so many on offer, and I like to think that reading these books is akin to "professional development" (much more enjoyable than a Powerpoint lecture on collection development!!)

I was putting out some picture books for display and came across this one and thought the cover picture was awesome.  OK, so I totally judged the book by it's cover...  but then, it's hard not to with a picture book, right?

Jeremy is a baby Kookaburra (a native Australian bird, for those not familiar with the name). He has fallen out of his nest, and is being cared for by a loving family as he grows.  The story is simple, the pictures of wee Jeremy are so cute, and in the end (spoiler alert!!) Jeremy learns to fly and is reunited with his family.  The book also includes "bonus material" in the form of interesting facts on Kookaburra family life in the inside cover. 

The story is actually quite moving, which is exactly what you want in a picture book.  As an adult, when you are choosing a book for your child - read it first.  You want to feel something from the narrative, you want your eyes to be drawn to the pictures and the detail (kids love detail).  But be warned, you want to make sure the pictures match the story as kids will be the first to point out any discrepancies! 

I would recommend this as a great bed-time read, particularly if your child is an animal lover.