It's a Miroocool by Christine Harris
Ill. by Anne James. Little Hare, 2012. hbk, RRP $A24.99. ISBN
9781921541018.
Audrey Barlow has reached one of the milestones of childhood - she
has
lost
her first tooth! But Audrey lives in the outback, many kilometres
from
the
Tooth Fairy's usual nightly route, so how will she find her way to
Audrey's
bedside and the billy containing that precious prize? Because Audrey
is
clever, she has lots of ideas and spends the day making sure that
the
Tooth
Fairy will find her and goes to bed knowing she has done as much as
she
can
to guide the fairy. But she doesn't count on the fickleness of
nature,
and
during the night all her plans are wrecked. Will she wake up
disappointed
and disbelieving in a tradition that has been around for decades?
The
ending is magical - so much better than a gold coin or whatever
inflation
has put the value of a tooth at, these days. (Miss 6 has her first
wobbly
one, so I wonder if she will also treasure the Tooth Fairy's gift in
the
same way, when the time comes. I will give her this book!)
Many students are familiar with this lovable wonderful character
through the
Audrey of the Outback novels that Christine Harris has
created,
so to
see
a hardback picture book story will just delight them. And if this is
their
first introduction to her, then the promise of a series of novels to
read
afterwards will be greeted with anticipation. Audrey brings a
particular
slice of Australian life to the lives of children who will probably
never
experience it for themselves. Just HOW could you guide the Tooth
Fairy
to
your house when it's not even marked on a map? In fact, Audrey's
ideas
had
such an impact on Miss 6 that now, when she has a problem, we ask
"What
would Audrey do?"
The whole is brought to life by the remarkable artwork of Ann James
which
complements the story perfectly. Even the youngest reader is able to
envisage the isolation of Audrey, feel the dryness, and delight in
the
solutions that Audrey thinks of. The medium, colours and style work
so
well
together to convey the landscape, the actions, the mood and
atmosphere
that
this is the perfect author/illustrator match. We could feel Audrey's
concern
when she realises her predicament; feel her delight and excitement
as
she
carries out her plans and thinks she has all bases covered; and her
anguish
as Mother Nature rears her head. These pictures are drawn by someone
who has
lived Audrey's life.
Apart from the value in having the readers predict how Audrey might
solve
her problem, this book has a particular place on library shelves
just
because of its setting. It is a rich springboard for a
compare-and-contrast
exercise about how children in rural and remote Australia do the
everyday
things that children everywhere must do. It's a superb introduction
to
helping children understand that theirs is not the only life led.
There's
even a song written and sung by Bill Marsh to accompany it available
at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqG9Wx5d0ZY
that incorporates images that
complement the artwork and take the children to where Audrey lives.
Teaching notes for a range of themes that could be explored are
available
. Audrey even has her own blog and
website.
This one definitely deserves a place on the shelves.
Barbara Braxton