Anna Myra Notley (text) and Anna Falconer (illustrator), Peppermint and Popcorn Days: A book of verse for children, Putto Press, 2023, 64 pp., RRP $35.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922648624
Peppermint and Popcorn Days is a short book of verse perfect for children aged 5+. Through its four main parts ‘Animals’, ‘The World’, ‘Imagining’, and ‘Silliness’, Peppermint and Popcorn Days explores what the world can look through different eyes, encouraging children to establish empathy and an understanding of the world around them. With rhetorical questions, alliteration, onomatopoeia and other devices littered throughout the book, Peppermint and Popcorn Days is perfect to introduce topics of poetry and literary skills to young children. This not only establishes a foundation for further learning in a fun and unique way, but also ensures that the book is interactive and fun.
Similarly, the small poems will easily keep the attention span of young children, cleverly capturing unique Australian characters in short bursts of creativity. The four categories, particularly ‘The World’ and ‘Imagining’ inspires exploration of the outdoors, such as in the poem ‘Forest Song’, which was especially interesting.
At times, the vocabulary seems slightly advanced for the target age group, though is certainly useful in introducing poetry to young children. My favourite poem was ‘Enelmenel’, which I found to be very creative and enjoyable, even as an older reader. The illustrations are simple yet captivating, and provide a unique spin on the text, allowing the reader to follow the stories easily.
Copies can be purchased through the publisher’s website.
Reviewed by Lily Pearson
