Danny Katz (text), Mitch Vane (illus.) Little Lunch: Triple Snack Pack, Black Dog Books/Walker Books, 1 August 2016, 128pp., $12.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781925381276
A companion release to the TV series of the same name, Little Lunch: Triple Snack Pack brings back our favourite characters from Mrs Gonsha’s Grade 5 class. The book contains three short stories with kids, including bossy Debra Jo, dreamy Batty, irascible Rory and sporty Tamara, for more school yard fun. All the stories are set during ‘little lunch’ or recess out in the yard where adventures range from the physical (protesting over the planned destruction of the Old Climbing Tree) to the romantic (Rory is asked out by a Grade 6 girl).
Danny Katz, most famous for his columns in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, writes in a funny, whimsical style and the stories are beautifully complimented by Vane’s naïve-style cartoons.
I had the joy of being present at a recent story-time session at my local primary school where kids were treated to another of the stories in the series. The story was about Mrs Gonsha getting her big bottom stuck on the slide and the kids were in hysterics – they loved every minute of it! Similarly, middle primary-school kids will love this collection.
Reviewed by Heather Gallagher
