Kylie Howarth, Koalas Stole My Undies, Affirm Press, August 2022, 24 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922806352
We all have our pet peeves. Some of us will do anything to avoid dirty dishes, wearing the right shoes to school, or rinsing the toothpaste off the side of the sink. For Lex, he only has one major pet peeve: wearing his undies.
From the author of Bush Magic, and the Fish Kid series, Koalas Stole My Undies is a rhyming-romp that will have readers laughing all the way to the wardrobe (to pick out their best pair). Lex’s genius hiding places for his least-favourite attire get more hilarious as the book goes on. Parents and young ones alike will have fun hunting down the undies in their various hideouts.
From the title page drawing of a Koala wearing a pair as a wrestling mask, it was easy to see readers were in for a laugh—Howarth’s sense of humour is delightful and layered. Standouts were the ‘return to Santa’ scene (where an unsuspecting post box is going to deal with the undies), and the match between ‘Drop Bear’ and ‘Hulk Bogan’.
The illustrations are casual and joyful, with a pleasing colour palette and fun sense of movement. The montage of animal undie-thieves was a magnificent inclusion, as was the foldout spread towards the end of Lex’s underwear-free journey.
Overall, an effervescent and hilarious ride for readers to go on—and a joy to watch Lex find his own solution to the undie debacle.
Recommended for readers aged 2-6 years old.
Reviewed by Sarah Stivens
