Ed Allen (text) Claire Richards (illus). 10 Cheeky Possums. Scholastic. 1 August 2015. 24 pp. $9.99 (pbk) ISBN: 9781742836409.
Told in the tradition of 10 Green Bottles, this exuberant picture book describes the titular possums disappearing one by one, while the story counts-down from 10 to zero. The lively possums get up to wild mischief in such unlikely settings as the playground, the grocery store, the fun-fair, and the beach (where in true possum fashion, they are usually high off the ground).
While the text includes some rather forced rhymes squeezed into the constrictions of the repetitive 4-line format, the illustrations are playful, full of life and the joys of discovery, encouraging close exploration by young readers to discover the hidden numbers, as well as offering the entertaining opportunity for some enthusiastic singing. Lively fun for pre-schoolers.
reviewed by Chloe Mauger
