Review: Wombat Went A' Surfing by Lachlan Creagh

Author: Lachlan Creagh

Publisher: Hachette Children’s Books Australia

Amazon – TBD

Release date: 1^st September 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

It’s summertime and Wombat and his friends have gone to the beach for a holiday. Croc’s water-wise cousin, Salty, is teaching surfing to everyone – Emu, Koala, Goanna and Croc – and each of them is a natural. But Wombat is shy and too scared to try, even though he can see how much fun his friends are having. It’s the ocean and the crashing waves – they’re so big and he’s so small. Can Wombat’s friends help him overcome his fears and help him to get his feet wet?

Review: 4 ½ out of 5 stars

Wombat Went A’ Surfing is the fifth book in the Wombat series from Brisbane-based author and illustrator Lachlan Creagh and I have to say little miss seven adored this book as did I with it's fabulous Aussie feel.

The quality is beautiful, the illustrations wonderfully detailed and the story of Wombat and his friends and their trip to the beach delightful.

Miss seven was very curious about why a crocodile would be nice and friendly to a koala so the message of kindness and friendship as well as facing fears was one we certainly enjoyed.

The text was easy to read and was written in rhyme, always a favourite of ours. We highly recommend Wombat Went A’ Surfing to all young readers, it’s a wonderful Australian read.

Thank you to Hachette Children’s Books Australia for the opportunity to read and review this title. 

 

About the author: Lachlan Creagh is a versatile and talented illustrator, concept designer and animator. He has illustrated books in the Little Mates series (Scholastic) and the Robert Irwin, Dinosaur Hunter series (Random House). His picture books include Wombat Went A' Walking, Wombat Went A' Racing, Wombat's Birthday Surprise, Wombat Jumped Over the Moon and Dinosaur Rocks. For more visit www.wombatwentawalking.com.au and www.lach-land.com

Review: Lily Lemon Blossom Welcome to Lily’s Room by Barbara Miller

Title: Lily Lemon Blossom Welcome to Lily’s Room

Author: Barbara Miller

Publisher: Barbara Miller

Illustrator: Inga Shalvashvili

Release date:  28^th February 2012

Amazon – free from Amazon Australia
iBook Store - free at time of posting

Pages: 32

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Meet Lily Lemon Blossom, a delightful little girl who loves adventures and playing with her friends. Lily invites you to see her lovely room and meet her many friends, including Bunny Rabbit and Josephine her kitten who is always by her side. A quick peek into Lily's room will tell you quite a lot about her. The room comes alive with its vibrant colors and huggable plush toys. It's a happy place for a happy little girl and her friends.

Review: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

We were able to grab a kindle copy of Lily Lemon Blossom Welcome to Lily’s Room for free from Amazon Australia.

There is no real storyline in this book, it is more of an introduction to Lily and her possessions, although materialistic it is something my daughter absolutely loved to look at and explore. She especially loved her white cat named Josephine, her beautiful clean room and the wonderful dolls house.

The illustrations were vibrant, detailed and absolutely gorgeous; it is attractive to a young reader. At the end of the book, a list of other titles in the series was listed and my daughter instantly requested them. 

The text was easy for her to read and not overwhelming or overly difficult, she needed help with a few words but otherwise it was quite simplistic. It also rhymed which is always popular with Miss 7.

Miss 7’s final comment: My favourite part was when Josephine was hiding in the dolls house, she seems like a cheeky cat. The clown looked scary and I loved all of the colourful pages.

For a glimpse into the illustrations, there are some samples on Barbara Miller's beautiful website.

About the author: Barbara Miller began her writing career early in her teens writing short stories and poetry. In 2011, Barbara decided to pursue her dream of becoming an author. Her debut book, Lily Lemon Blossom-Welcome to Lily’s Room a children’s picture book was inspired by her love of storytelling. Barbara worked in collaboration with her mother who inspired her to write about an imaginative fun loving little girl that lived in a world of make believe and pretend.