Amelia McInerney (text) and Shane McG (illustrator), My Bird, Bertie, Scholastic Australia, February 2021, 24pp., RRP $17.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781743835111
Watch Bear’s face change as he drives along, first just with his bird Bertie, then with giggling Gertie, followed by silly billy Tilly and jiggy Jack, all squeezed into a small blue car.
Repetition and rhyme make this is a fun read-aloud book that introduces word patterns and sounds for 3 – 6-year-olds. The storyline gently explores sharing spaces, and how it can make one feel. Some ‘animals’ cope better than others!
Shane McGowan’s illustrations are in a modern animation style that readers could easily on a tv screen. The bright bold colours combined with the simple but expressive faces of the animals are sure to capture the attention of young children.
Reviewed by Julie Bertola