Shannon Horsfall, Was Not Me!, Angus & Robertson/HarperCollins Australia, 1 July 2016, 32pp., $24.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781460752463
An amusing tale told from the point of view of a young boy as he tries to put all the blame for his riotous escapades onto his invisible ‘twin brother’ Not Me. This wild romp is told through rhyming text and lively illustrations, as Not Me’s cheeky, naughty adventures cause mess and mayhem throughout the house.
The author/illustrator uses many interesting design arrangements of text and illustration as lively action is depicted in a range of layout spreads with extensive use of white space, while imaginative use is made of many objects found in the house to create adventurous action and wild play. While visual clues of a foot and leg lead beginning readers to turn to the next page, this book is great fun for parents to share with pre-school kids. Canny readers may already have guessed who Not Me really is, before his final acrobatics are reflected in the mirror.
Reviewed by Chloe Mauger