Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Review of 'That's not a milk carton'



Thank you to author/illustrator Jacque Duffy for donating 5 titles in her 'That's not a ....!' series.
She has donated 10 books of each title, which will make for 50 happy kids!

This is the first book review I am doing for Jacque and the first thing that grabs my attention is the illustrations. In fact I looked at all the pictures in the book before I read the words.
There is a lovely sense of calm and of the 'country life' in the pictures. From the blue mountains in the background to the adorable faces of the calves, the pictures each have their own story to tell.

As a teacher of children in the early years of schooling, I can see why the Education Queensland jumped at the opportunity to include Jacque's books in their libraries.
The story is told in a simple yet interesting way, including facts and local landmarks such as the Malanda Milk Factory. Locals would easily recognise the countryside with the green rolling fence lined hills.

Jacque has included her children in the story, making it all the more personal and meaningful. And what cute kids they are. See the picture at the bottom of this post.

Some of the facts in the story may seem simple to us as adults, but children often don't know the origins of the food they eat. I remember being completely distraught when I found out where veal came from! And as a teacher it has been my job to let the kids know that MacDonald hamburgers are made out of meat, which comes from an animal.

Milk is more easily explained as coming from a cow, but the concept of cheese, butter and yoghurt coming from milk are hard ones to grasp. Jacque has touched on this subject without 'teaching' the point. She has simply stated that it 'is so'.

The process of collecting milk is explained in simple to understand language and is accompanied by delightful illustrations.

I believe the children who receive this book in their backpack will be thrilled!

You can see more of Jacque's work at her website, http://www.jacquesartandbooks.com/



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