Paul Seden, Crabbing with Dad, Magabala Books, April 2016, 32pp., $17.95 (pbk), ISBN: 9781925360158
Sam and his sister are going crabbing with their Dad. He will take them up the creek in his tin dinghy, and they will bait and sink the crab pots. They see many locals they know along the way, some of them indigenous and some white Australians. Their day is fun, it’s adventurous and there’s lots to imagine as well as experience. Of course the point of the day is not to catch the crabs, poor angry crabs, but to spend time with Dad.
The full page colour wash illustrations are dynamic, educative, and beautifully detailed for parents or teachers who would like to spend some time talking to their child about what they can find in the illustrations. This is the first book Paul Seden has written and illustrated. The story is inspired by his own fishing trips out of Darwin with his children. Magabala Books is to be congratulated for a fine production featuring local places and local knowledge. Suitable for children 3 to 7 years old.
Reviewed by Kevin Brophy
