Patrick Guest (text), Nathaniel Eckstrom (illus), The Ricker Racker Club, Little Hare, 1 April 2016, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781760122928
A joyous romp of a story where the rules of an freshly minted club are tested and refined to include Poppy who proves herself to be more than worthy of membership of a club that began with an unfair and biased premise that boys could rule. Max and Ollie after taking advantage of Poppy’s eagerness to please, acknowledge her spirit and bravery and make her an equal partner and seal the deal with their “silly Ricker Racker” dance.
So much to like in this book; the rhythm of the text, the bountiful illustrations, the well defined characters and the strong messages of acceptance and empathy. The story sets an ideal child’s adventure world as the ideal place to learn and grow emotionally; a world regrettably not available to many of the younger readers who will share this book. Recommended.
Reviewed by Chris Dayman
