Emo the Emu (Tony Wilson & Lucia Masciullo, Scholastic)

Sometimes all it takes is a good title to gain immediate interest, and Tony Wilson’s latest picture book Emo the Emu does exactly that. This ‘gloomy bird on a great adventure’ gains his nickname because, for reasons unknown, he is the ‘moodiest, mopeyest, saddest emu’. Lucia Masciullo draws him all in black (of course) complete with a shaggy long fringe, while his family and animal friends wear colourful tunics. In clever rhymes (bonus points for matching ‘father’ with ‘guava’), Wilson describes his anti-hero’s woebegone nature: ‘I hate the green tree frogs, the frilly-necked lizards/I hate the wild dog from its nose to its gizzards.’ He roams around the wild grassy plains believing he’s Australia’s greatest failure until a wise kangaroo challenges Emo to travel around the country until he finds something he does like. Hence, a whistlestop tour that takes in Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Harbour and many other sights. Wilson has a lot of fun with Emo’s negative, teen-like attitude: about the Twelve Apostles he sniffs ‘yeah, they’re okay for rocks’. Eventually the beauty of the environment wears even this die-hard pessimist down. The book succeeds in showcasing Australia’s natural wonders while also managing to gently satirise unwarranted grumpy and sulky behaviour that affects kids—and adults—of all ages!

Thuy On is a reviewer and books editor of the Big Issue 

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

Category: Reviews