Baby Bilby's question by Sally Morgan and Adele Jaunn
Little Hare, 2012. hbk., RRP $A24.95 ISBN 9781921714856.
Remember when you asked your mum how much she loved you, she said,
'I'll
love you to the moon and back?' In this gorgeous book by Sally
Morgan
and
Adele Jaunn, Baby Bilby asks his dad the same question and the
response
is a
unique exploration of Australian fauna and the amazing feats they
might
perform. 'I will love you until a crow catches a falling star', is
just
an
example. Whether it's kangaroo kissing a koala or a platypus playing
with a
porpoise, the effect is the same - there is a feeling that this
little
baby
bilby will be loved forever, and there's a certain reassurance about
that.
This book works on so many levels - the story, the message, the
humour,
the
illustrations and the rhythm of the language make it a brilliant
read-aloud
while, at the same time it introduces the child to some of the
amazing
animals that are part of our landscape and culture. Slightly older
readers
might like to invent their own responses and draw these, while the
alliteration could provide an introduction to this grammatical
feature
for
those just a bit older again. But, above all, there's this warm,
snuggly,
secure feeling of being loved.
I will love this book until an echidna eats an eggplant!
Barbara Braxton