Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Reading Time
    • Home
    • Reviews
      • Highly Recommended
      • CBCA Short Listed
      • Early Childhood Books
      • Younger Readers
      • Intermediate Readers
      • Older Readers
      • Great Read Alouds
      • Information Books
      • Picture Books
      • Professional Development
    • Interviews
    • Suggestions
    • News
    • Meet The Review Team
    • Contact Us
    Reading Time
    You are at:Home»Reviews»Picture Books»He Was Tremendously Scary and Extraordinarily Hairy

    He Was Tremendously Scary and Extraordinarily Hairy

    0
    By Admin on October 26, 2021 Picture Books, Reviews

    Christopher Maxell, He was Tremendously Scary and Extraordinarily Hairy, Little Steps Publishing, March 2021, 32pp, RRP $29.95 (hbk), ISBN: 9781925839074

    Aspiring illustrator Christopher Maxwell tells the tale of a shy little girl’s bravery through this achingly beautiful, wordless picture book.  

    Inspired by Christopher’s own winter adventures in Europe, readers are drawn into this little girl’s world as she leaves her warm, cosy house to venture into a frozen world of snowy mountains, shadowy pine forests, and boundless awe and wonder.

    As the child journeys on, a little further each day, the comforting glow of coloured lights, adorning the occasional tree or strung delicately along the pathway, light her way home, and bring a nostalgic sense of joy to the reader. 

    Determined not to be governed by fear and give up on her adventurous creativity, this shy little child draws courage and strength from her woodland friends, who in turn help her to see things differently and to finally face her fears.

    Multi-layered watercolour washes, intricate details, and clean lines make for a stunning visual display. Christopher’s fanciful compositions are bright and deeply textured thanks to his unique, mixed media style. As I looked at the pages with my own children, I could almost feel the silent weight of all that thickly drifted snow.

    Readers, young and old, are bound to lose themselves in these dreamlike illustrations as the wealth of visual information builds-up the little girl’s story in their minds.

    This is a wonderful picture book for parents and teachers to share with young readers (3-8 years). Not only does this imaginative title explore the concept of facing our fears and who might be able to help us along the way, it also encourages young readers to visualise the story, see where their imagination takes them and retell it in their own words. No matter how many times you share this picture book, the story is always subtly, or sometimes vastly, different, and young readers will never tire of looking through its pages.

    Reviewed by Lisa Hoad

    adventure Australian author Fears illustrations imagination Journey

    Related Posts

    Battlefield

    The Calling of Jackdaw Hollow

    The Bush Birds

    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
    • Barbara on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • 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
    Recent Posts
    • Battlefield
    • The Calling of Jackdaw Hollow
    • The Bush Birds
    • Star of Anise
    • Spotlight Please…It’s Stevie Louise
    Recent Comments
    • Barbara on The Secret of Sapling Green
    • 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
    © Copyright 2021 The Children’s Book Council of Australia - All rights reserved

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