Mem Fox (text) and Judy Horacek (illustrator), Meerkat Mayhem, Penguin Random House, November 2024, RRP $24.99 (hbk), 32 pp., ISBN 9780143777687
Mem Fox and Judy Horacek are award-winning creators of Australian picture books and famous for their collaboration on the classic, Where is the Green Sheep. Meerkat Mayhem is their latest book together and is certainly worthy of its selection as a 2025 CBCA Early Childhood Notable.
Meerkat Mayhem is an adaptation of The Enormous Turnip fairy tale, with a similar progressive story format and same theme of collaboration, but different scenario and different characters. Meerkat loves his food. But one day, after a huge meal, he gets stuck at the entrance of his burrow. The animals of the jungle arrive one by one to join the line trying to pull Meerkat out.
I love the several interactive features of Meerkat Mayhem. My 3-year-old granddaughter was responsive to doing the pulling actions as I read … and they pulled, and they pulled … and she emphatically responded to the repeated refrain: But could they pull Meerkat out of that burrow?. She also guessed which animal would appear next, based on clues in the illustrations. And, much to my pleasure, she even got the humour of Meerkat’s concluding remark.
The text has a repeated pattern, with repeated phrases, which creates a pleasant symmetry whilst also supporting comprehension for the littlies. The characters’ brief remarks also cleverly indicate their varying personality types.
There is a neatness and clarity to Horacek’s distinct images of animals against a blank background, which also importantly aids the little ones’ comprehension of the story. I love how her portrayal of Meerkat’s facial expressions develops his character and how tiny he looks next to the huge elephant.
Meerkat Mayhem is special for having interactive elements to engage a young audience of preschoolers, from 2 to 4-year-olds. I highly recommend it as an addition to an Early Learning Centre or home book collection.
Reviewed by Barbara Swartz
