Peggy (Anna Walker, Scholastic)

Peggy is an endearing character. When she finds herself far from home and overwhelmed by unfamiliar surroundings, she is not daunted. She picks herself up and goes exploring, eventually following a sunflower that leads her home, where she is able to get back to her life, alive to a totally new possibility. The surprise of this book is that Peggy is a chook. She lives in a small house in a quiet street. However, her daily routine is one day interrupted when a gust of wind picks her up and blows her to the big city. She’s brave and resourceful and sets out to explore the crowded streets. The text is simple and engaging and comes full circle to a satisfying conclusion. The illustrations are ink-and-photo collage, with a palette of autumnal colours effectively portraying the inhospitable weather and the people going about their business, hiding under their umbrellas. The design is spacious, with a clear, readable font and plenty of white space. The layout varies from double-page spreads, which picture the crowded city so well, to pages where Peggy’s day is portrayed in multiple small images, rather like a photo album. This book is highly recommended for young readers.

Margaret Hamilton is a former children’s book publisher. She now provides freelance publishing services and runs Pinerolo, the Children’s Book Cottage in Blackheath, NSW

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

Category: Reviews