Deb Fitzgerald, Kelpie Chaos, Fremantle Press, April 2024, 128 pp., RRP $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760993856
Kelpie Chaos is a short chapter book featuring a family and their active, slightly rambunctious, new pet.
Eli and Lexie’s family hasn’t had a dog since Schnoozle died a year ago. Mum thinks they’re ready for a new pet, so they’re off to the farm to pick up a puppy that hasn’t found a home yet. Their new dog is the runt of a litter of kelpie cross pups; his mum was a working dog. The family love him straight away, and quickly realise that Zoom is the right name for this firecracker of a canine. Zoom is a sock-collecting, lawn mower chasing bundle of energy.
Getting a new pet is an exciting experience for children, and I think lots of kids will love reading about how the family’s life changes to include their new puppy in the household. But all stories need a conflict or problem, so we can expect it will not all be smooth sailing. Zoom, eager to be in nature, manages to get lost during a family outing to the bush. The family are desperate to find him, so much so that they put themselves in danger.
This is a bit of a spoiler, but I thought one of the more interesting parts of this book was the ethical dilemma of having a kelpie as a pet in the suburbs, when they have the natural tendencies to work, and are more suited to farm life. It would be an interesting discussion to have with children.
This book is ideal for school libraries or as a take home reader for children who are young but have higher reading levels. The writing doesn’t feel ‘young’, but it’s also not very challenging, so this would also work for older primary school children with weaker reading skills – a very tough mark to hit, so well done to Deb Fitzgerald.
Teacher Notes are available at the publisher’s website.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
