Anna McGregor, Fly, Mama, Fly!, Scribble, March 2025, 24 pp., RRP $19.99, (board), ISBN 9781761381539
The request of “Wake up, Mama” seems an unusual way to begin a book set at night, especially one that would work beautifully as a bedtime read. But work it does, as we are carried along on a nocturnal flight with the two bats, flying under stars, past clouds and over trees. Children and parents alike may well be as ready for sleep as the bats by the end of this short story!
Design has been given great consideration in this sturdy board book, and it really packs a punch. The front cover twinkles with tiny silver stars, as does the title. Cursive font has been used to highlight the pup’s encouraging calls to mum. The predominantly duotone pages are of neon orange and rich purple, creating a nighttime setting that feels warm and comforting, not dark and overwhelming.
Little ones will love the changes in page orientation, as the cover of the book is landscape, but many of the pages are full page double spreads in a sideways orientation. They may also enjoy joining in with the pup bat urging her mum to fly. But there is also much to see and learn along the night flight, as we watch the bats from sunset to sunrise when they cuddle up for their sleep. Discussions about the love between parent and child, nocturnal and native animals, ecosystems, stars, endangered species and earth’s cycle around the sun may all arise after sharing Fly, Mama, Fly.
The narrative is succinctly told in just 85 words, not including the fabulous fact page at the back of the book sharing some interesting information about the endangered grey-headed flying fox. 5% of profits from book sales are being donated to Australian Conservation Foundation.
There are board books and there are board books, and this is a delight and one I would happily share with lower primary students.
Anna McGregor’s books will be familiar to many, such as Colouroos, Spiro (CBCA EC 2025 Shorlist), A pair of Pears and an Orange, and of course, Anemone Is Not the Enemy,
Highly recommended for 0- 5 years.
Reviewed by Bronwyn Joseph
