Ten Tiny Things (Meg McKinlay, illus by Kyle Hughes-Odgers, Fremantle Press)

27 April 2012 Unlocked content from the archive. Books+Publishing

Each day Tessa and Zachary travel to school in a ‘shiny machine’ that is ‘smooth and swift and splendiferous’. It’s the perfect way to travel to school, but when the machine breaks down their only option is to walk. At first Tessa and Zachary complain about the terribly long journey, huffing and puffing while they carry their heavy bags. But then they spot a ‘shiny thing’ on the ground, unseen on their usual ride, which is intriguing and magical. Soon they discover more interesting things all around them, such as shells, pebbles, birds and fish. For the first time their eyes are open to the beauty of the world and they realise what they’ve been missing. This is a lovely tale by Meg McKinlay with brilliant illustrations by artist Kyle Hughes-Odgers. His unique bug-like characters are painted against a mid-century modern-art backdrop. It forms an inviting world, which is reminiscent of—but much less sinister than—The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer. Recommended for children aged five and up, Ten Tiny Things will certainly be treasured by younger readers.

Andrew Wrathall is publishing assistant at Bookseller+Publisher

Category: Reviews