David Hunt (text), Lucia Masciullo (illus.). The Nose Pixies: A Cautionary Tale, ABC Books/HarperCollins Australia, 1 August 2016, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780733334870
I have nothing but admiration for David Hunt and Lucia Masciullo – for turning the subject of nose picking (and eating the result!) into a very readable and enjoyable story. The storyline of a father telling his nose-picking son Oliver a story about ‘another’ boy called Oliver who also picks his nose reminded me of story time with my own father who used to tell me stories about a girl called ‘Jane’ to get his points across.
In this book, when Oliver picks his nose he denies the Nose Pixies their ‘treasure’. There are two contrasting colours for the illustrations: muted blues for Oliver and his dad, and bright (mostly green!) illustrations for the Nose Pixies and their special world. The language is inventive and fun: from the Nose Pixies’ names such as Sniffy, Blowful and Drippy, to King Mucus and Queen Achoo, along with hankycopters, sneeze ships, and the Booger Bank of Schnozz. I never thought I would enjoy and recommend a book about this subject, but there you are. Recommended.
Reviewed by Jane Carstens
