Bluey: Shadowlands

Bluey, Coco and their friend, Snickers are at the park playing What’s the time, Mrs Wolf? But Coco keeps changing the rules to make sure she wins, much to the chagrin of Bluey. Snickers suggests that they play Shadowlands instead, where they must keep to the shadows and not step into the sun to get to their destination. They are aiming for the picnic that the mums have laid out by the large tree, so they are in a rush to get there.

They keep to the shadows, Coco complaining that they should run across a sunny bit to get to where they all want to go, but Bluey and Snickers keep telling her to obey the rules. This is a funny story about relationships between three children, as one who wants to change the rules annoys the others who wish to obey them. Playing by the rules is reiterated through the story.

A very sturdy board book, the illustrations are bright and clear, the delineation between sun and shade made obvious so the rules can be observed in practise.

This Bluey book has more text than usual and would be a good read aloud as well as a handy book for a parent and child to read together, particularly after observation of rules is an issue.

The popularity of the Bluey books and TV programmes ensure this will be well read. Bluey is an Australian children's television program by the Emmy award-winning Ludo Studio for ABC KIDS and is co-commissioned by ABC Children's and BBC Studios.

Themes: Observation of rules, Relationships, Siblings, Family and friends, Shadows.

Fran Knight