Crikey and Cat by Chris McKimmie

Crikey and Cat by Chris McKimmie
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781760110031.
(Age: Pre-school - K) It is such a dark night - so dark, in fact, that all the stars have disappeared from the sky. So what do you do? You gather up Crikey your dog and Cat, hop in your ute, go to the all-night hardware store for supplies, build the longest ladder, climb it and put them back! Amazing what can be achieved with scissors and glue. Now Crikey and Cat can sit outside and enjoy the night sky again. All is well with the world.  But then a storm comes . . .
'Big rain!
Big rain!
Whirly wind!'
Safe into shelter they run. But, once again, all the stars are blown from the sky. Can they be replaced?
This is another one of Chris McKimmie's masterpieces. Written with a minimum of text, the story is told in his iconic illustrative style demonstrating how a can-do attitude, resilience and persistence can overcome almost anything. Set against a uniquely Australian background, it demands that the reader look closely at the pictures and draw on their imagination to extract the richness and meaning of this story. While the text and pictures work really well together, the full impact of the story is probably best gained from a shared reading where a knowledgeable adult can point and discuss and question the 3-6 year old who is the target audience.
Chris McKimmie has been a CBCA nominee three times - Crikey and Cat may be his fourth.
Barbara Braxton