Tania Ingram (text), Christina Miesen (illus.), The Great Barbie Disaster (Mates: Great Australian Yarns), Scholastic Australia, Nov 2016, 64pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9781782991245
Another in Scholastic’s Mates: Great Australian Yarns series; this junior novel for 7-plus focuses on an eccentric Dad who loves to make things – in this instance a barbecue.
I love the format of these little books; colour illustrations, short chapters with cliff-hanger endings and gorgeous design – in this book the bottom of the page is underlined with mustard, the top with tomato sauce. There’s also an All About Us section at the end of each book, explaining the cultural significance of the subject.
Sarah is the child narrator who tells the story of Dad’s attempts to make increasingly dodgy barbies and Mum’s eye-rolling tolerance. I loved the bit where cousin Jack’s aberrant footy sends the latest barbie crashing to the ground causing Dad to shout ‘Look out! Flaming snags!’ Lots of humour and warmth in these easy readers.
Reviewed by Heather Gallagher
