Shelley Knoll-Miller, Parcel for Turtle, Puffin Books, October 2023, 24 pp., RRP $14.99 (hbk), 9781761046643
Another ‘Parcel for,,,’ book arrived in the post! It’s a ‘arcel for Turtle this time. Who doesn’t love a page-turning ‘guess what’s inside the wrapping’ story? Following on from the charming ‘Parcel for Penguin, Parcel for Koala and Parcel for Gorilla comes the story of Koala’s gift to Turtle. Sent over the ocean by pelican post to a remote island, Turtle and friends poke and prod at the mysterious gift. What could it be?
‘Is it a big beach umbrella?’ wonders Turtle.
‘Beach umbrellas are long and tall,’ says Crab. ‘This parcel is not long or tall.’
And so goes the guessing game of what might be inside the parcel. Thoughtful Turtle invites everyone to help open the parcel on the count of 1-2-3!
It’s a packet of crayons! But not everyone is impressed until Turtle shows his ocean creature friends what fun drawings they can create on his shell. The endpapers of this book have their own comical story to them, also.
This is a fun fast read for preschool ages 3-5 years. This book introduces essential words to small children who will love the repetition and the surprise ending. The illustrations are bright and colourful in a comical fun style. This is one of a series of Parcel for… books by author-illustrator Shelley Knoll-Miller.
Reviewed by Stef Gemmill
