Jillian Packer, A Farm by the Sea, Berbay, June 2025, 40 pp., RRP $26.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922610997
This debut picture book by author and illustrator Jillian Packer explores a child’s day on a seaside farm, from sunup to sundown. Daily chores are shared, such as milking the cows, collecting eggs from the chickens, feeding the horses, gathering firewood and collecting fruit from the garden. At times, the girl is free to roam on her own, as she frolics at the beach and engages in an imaginary tea party with only her dog for company.
The narrative seems to lack a rise and fall, and with no significant plot points, it begins to feel a little flat towards the end of the book. However, the illustrations are delightful! Created with pen, inks, watercolours and printmaking processes, they are filled with minutiae and have a Scandinavian folk art feel. They are the strength of this picture book and fill every page. I can imagine young readers pouring over the pages like a treasure hunt, searching for insects hidden between blades of grass, looking for fruits and vegetables in the garden, finding sea creatures submerged beneath the surface, and spotting farm animals dotted in the paddocks. This element would certainly keep little ones engaged.
Reviewed by Bronwyn Joseph
