Roger the Wrasse and the Itchy Fishes (Sue Pillans, Little Pink Dog)

Roger the wrasse is a tiny fish with a big job. Each morning, Roger—a sprightly fish with a penchant for singing songs to get through his day—opens his cleaning station. A bustling queue of creatures needing a good scrub forms; sharks, fish, manta rays, eels and sea turtles all rely on Roger to brush their bodies, gills and gums. Roger relishes his important role with pride—he makes sure his friends are the cleanest on the reef. Packing up his brush and broom at the end of another busy working day, Roger looks forward to doing it all again tomorrow. Author and illustrator Dr Suzie Starfish (Dr Sue Pillans) delivers an original concept in this picture storybook. However, I am hard-pressed to classify this as a true ‘story’ due to the absence of significant conflict or change in Roger’s journey. For children, educators and parents exploring the ocean for the first time, Roger the Wrasse and the Itchy Fishes offers an engaging and informative glimpse into the daily life of fish and marine life. With a strong rhyming text, brightly expressive illustrations, and a sweet main character in Roger, this is ideal for readers aged 4–8.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Brenton Cullen is an emerging children's author and freelance writer of articles, reviews, and interviews when not working part-time in a bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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

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