Ochre Lawson, My Australian Alphabet, Windy Hollow Books, 1 Sept 2014, unpaged, $25.99, ISBN: 9781922081391
Ochre Lawson shows common Australian animals and plants, such as ants, banksia, cockatoo, firmly centred on each page. Each subject has some coloured background with clear white space around it. These vague background blobs don’t give any context but do put the focus firmly on the subject. The Echidna is appealing but looks as if it is sitting on a big brown cushion.
Each letter is shown in upper and lower case in the upper left hand corner of the page and the name of the subject is placed in the lower right hand corner. The colours of the text vary depending on the colours chosen for the subject, all are in soft muted tones.
The choice of animal or plant seems a bit random. V for vine isn’t particularly Australian while X for Xanthorrhoea, commonly known as grass tree, is beyond the intended audience. This is a well-intentioned work, pleasant and unassuming, but there are better Australian alphabet books available.
reviewed by Mia Macrossan
