Look and see by Shane Morgan
Magabala Books, 2014. ISBN 9781922142221.
(Age: Preschool) Aboriginal themes. Animals. Shane Morgan, a
descendant of the Yorta Yorta people of Victoria received an
advanced diploma from the Goulburn Community College where he
studied Koorie Art and Design. He has put his skills to good use in
this simple rhyming tale which shows six Australian animals in their
environment. Each double page has an opening sentence asking the
younger reader to look a the animal being show: the lizard is up a
tree looking down on the narrator, the kangaroo hops over him, the
emu catches him, then the fish chases him out of the water, while
the tortoise nips his toe. And in the end the dingo howls at the
moon, to say goodnight.
Each cheeky animal does something to the boy, as the pages are
turned.
The bold illustrations, with simple line drawings and blocks of
colour are most expressive, showing the animal and its features and
its environment. The book will serve young children well,
introducing Australian animals to them, and encouraging them to
predict what the rhyming word will be, finishing with the dingo
saying goodnight.
Fran Knight