Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Reading Time
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Highly Recommended
      • CBCA Short Listed
      • Early Childhood Books
      • Younger Readers
      • Intermediate Readers
      • Older Readers
      • ANZAC books
      • Great Read Alouds
      • Information Books
      • LGBTQIA+
      • Picture Books
      • Professional Development
    • Interviews
    • Suggestions
    • News
    • Meet The Review Team
    • Contact Us
    Reading Time
    You are at:Home»Reviews»Picture Books»Edward and the Great Discovery

    Edward and the Great Discovery

    0
    By Admin on October 9, 2014 Picture Books

    Edward and the great discovery

    HULME, Celeste (illus.) Rebecca McRitchie (text) Edward and the Great Discovery New Frontier, 2014 unpaged $24.99 ISBN 9781925059007 SCIS 1661102

    Picture books generally are becoming more sophisticated both in presentation and in content.  This book falls into the category of post-modern because of the avant-garde illustrations such as an inset of a small boy fondling a skull and many others of archaeologists in stiff poses, as though for a camera.  As well, digging and other tools used by archaeologists are also inset.  Indeed on one double spread there are some thirty frames to do with archaeology and discovery; each one stiffly stylized.

    Each has relevance to the text where we learn that Edward’s parents are archaeologists and have made important discoveries.  Edward, on the other hand, had never discovered, even a fossil or a shard of bone, not even one piece of treasure – until one night Edward tripped over an egg which eventually hatches to release a bird.  This bird, surreally pictured holding an umbrella, follows Edward everywhere and obviously loves him.  Yet Edward is deeply troubled to find that the large bird can’t fly, and is grounded.  The boy sulks and mopes because of the mystery of this strange being.

    To cheer himself, Edward pays a visit to the Museum of Ancient Things.  There, in a room full of birds; and with the help of a book resting on the highest shelf; Edward is delighted to be able to uncover the bird’s identity – a Dodo: a special bird indeed.  The dodo becomes Edward’s special friend.  Like his parents Edward has discovered not only a bird from ancient times, but also a true, if somewhat strange, companion.  So here is a somewhat fanciful, but gripping tale illustrated with great ingenuity to not only hold the reader’s attention, but to be thought provoking and revealing strange mysteries.  But it is the ingenuity of the carefully placed illustrations, such as the one of Edward perched on the Dodo bird with a text book and archaeological tools scattered around the pair, that confirms the reader that this is not so much fantasy, but a post-modern look back to the past that has still the power to inspire readers to think, ponder and luxuriate in what intellectual and emotional treasures there are still in our modern world, waiting to be mined by the researcher, or the adventurous reader.

    reviewed by Maurice Saxby

    Archaeology Dodo

    Related Posts

    Enough Love?

    A Human for Kingsley

    Bear and Rat

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    • Themes
    • Curriculum
    Action adventure Airplanes Alphabet Anxiety autism Bullying CBCA Awards Coming of age Dystopian emotions family fantasy friendship grief Historical humour magic Mystery Post apocalyptic Readers Cup reluctant readers school Sci-Fi series of books siblings Sport Starting school Teacher Notes
    ANZAC Australian animals Australian history Biography Culture & Diversity Disabilities First Nations Geography health Humanities mental health Poetry Reconciliation resilience Science STEM Stolen Generation sustainability Wordless books



    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    Recent Posts
    • The Bravest Word
    • The Ghost Locket
    • The Ghost Locket
    • Enough Love?
    • Wonderful Shoes
    Recent Comments
    • Cherie on Elephant Island
    • Patricia Tilton on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Jilanne Hoffmann on Freddy the Not-Teddy
    • Penelope Pratley on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • Emily Flint on Walk of the Whales
    © Copyright 2021 The Children’s Book Council of Australia - All rights reserved

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Posting....