Fiona Fairybread and the colour red by Cheryl Ann Knights and Leigh Hedstrom

Little Steps Publishing, 2018. ISBN 9780648267331.
(Ages: 4-6) Themes: Colours. Poetry. From scarlet to ruby to cherry red, Fiona Fairybread's world is awash with her favourite colour. Cheryl Ann Knight's rhyming picture book introduces a wonderful lady whose world is coloured red, from her house to her hair. She's surrounded by colours bold and bright, everything she wears, all her dishes, her tablecloth, her vase, even her china cabinet. Her grey cat Scarlet who 'wears a red collar was bought from the shelter for only one dollar!'
What's for lunch Fiona? Yes, there's tomato, capsicum and vegetable broth, with delicious berries and cherries for desert. From her ruby earrings to sparkly shoes, Fiona has a fun fashion sense. Jellybeans come in many colours, but she only eats the red ones; just for fun the cat sometimes hides them! Driving to the shops in her shiny red car, she sometimes forgets to move when the lights change from red to green. Fiona's life is filled with joy, even the flowers in her garden are colourful and bright.
Leigh Hedstrom's digital illustrations capture the many shades of red, there's bold splashes of colour and closeup's of Fiona face with her red curly hair. Look out for the cat as it weaves its way through the pages. Cheryl Ann Knights' picture book is an amusing story, just right for sharing.
Rhyllis Bignell