Review: Three picture books with messages for their readers

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Annelies Judson reviews three recent picture books designed to soothe and inspire young readers.

The Lucky Little Pig, by Stacey Smith, illustrated by Deborah Hinde

The Lucky Little Pig is another in an unofficial series of “Aotearoa Natural Disaster Animal Books”. Other titles that cover the same ground include Moo and Moo and the Little Calf Too by Jane Milton and Deborah Hinde and Quaky Cat by Diana Noonan and Gavin Bishop.

I’m a big fan of these types of stories. Natural disasters are a fact of life in Aotearoa, and it’s important that we represent them accurately, but also thoughtfully, in children’s literature. Children need to know about the history of, and potential for, disasters in New Zealand. However, we don’t want to create a sense of fear in our tamariki. Heartwarming stories with animal main characters are a way to do just that.

The Lucky Little Pig is the (true) story of a pig who survived the flooding in the Hawkes Bay that occurred during Cyclone Gabrielle. The pig was found by the author, Stacey Smith, when she and her family returned to their home once the floods had subsided. The pig, now named Lucky, was not theirs, and Smith’s book is an imagining of how a pig might have experienced the flooding and ended up on a bed in the Smith family home.

I’m always a little dubious about books based on real life experiences that are authored by people who were not previously writers. Of course all writers have to start somewhere! But translating an experience into a picture book is not the simple task that many people imagine it is. Smith handles it capably. The story flows well and doesn’t drag. In an author note, Smith states that her purpose was to provide a tool to support other families going through similar experiences and she certainly delivers on this. Lucky the Pig articulates many of the thoughts and challenges that children could face in a similar situation. Smith backs it up with a short section for parents and caregivers on helping children deal with trauma.

The book is illustrated by prolific illustrator Deborah Hinde, who has spent a large portion of her career drawing animals. In The Lucky Little Pig, she manages to effectively give the pig a range of facial expressions without detracting from the realistic “pig-ness” of the character. She translates Smith’s words well in the illustrations, and I’m particularly enamoured with her front cover, which is rather cute and bound to catch the eye of book shoppers.

I can see this book becoming a staple in classrooms and homes around the country, especially as the likelihood of flooding and cyclones increases.

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The Doll Box, by Deborah Kelly and Joanna Bartell

The Doll Box is an inspiring story about how our tīpuna can influence and inspire us. Main character Isla has a box with three dolls, which represent three generations of women in her family. As she pulls out each doll, Isla’s mother tells her a story about the woman that the doll is based on. Alone, this may sway towards the didactic, but the storyline is underpinned by Isla’s desire to get to the top of a climbing frame. Having heard the stories of each doll, she draws on the personal characteristics of the women who have come before her to find the courage and strength to overcome her fears and make it to the top.

As a feminist, mother, and woman with pretty impressive ancestors, I fully stand behind the idea of the story, and I hope that it inspires children (and their parents) to find out more about those who have come before them, if they haven’t already. But what really stands out for me in this book is the illustration. Bartel’s illustrative style is detailed, with a thoughtful colour palette. She has also created a really well conceived repeated image of plants, vines and flowers, which is used to metaphorically link Isla with her ancestors. The same imagery is used in the beautiful endpapers.

The overall impression of the book is lifted simply by the fact that it’s a hardcover book. I’m no expert, but I do feel there has been a recent increase in the number of picture books being published in hardcover as the first or only edition. While this does increase the price, it also conveys a certain level of quality which I think can appeal to certain sections of the picture book buying market. If you can excuse the pun: I think this book is bound to appeal.

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Spotty the Zebra, by Peter Millet and Raymond McGrath

Speaking of books coming out in hardcover, the newest release from well-known writer Peter Millett and experienced illustrator Raymond McGrath is Spotty the Zebra. This is from Scholastic New Zealand, which was a surprise to me, as I’m not aware of any other books from Aotearoa that have been released only in hardcover. (Most recent hardcover releases seem to be from Australian publishers.)

Spotty is told in rhyming verse, with some delightful vocabulary scattered throughout (and thoughtfully typeset in a slightly different ‘fun’ font, which really makes the key words stand out). There are a couple of places where the lines feel a little contrived to fit the rhyme and rhythm, but the effect is subtle and largely doesn’t detract from the storytelling.

In some places, McGrath’s illustrations absolutely sing. I was especially a fan of the pages depicting Spotty in a crowd of other zebras, which have a pared-down colour palette of just blue, black and white. These pages also function as a fun Where’s Wally-esque scene that perfectly highlights the theme of the story, which is about being unique.

The text is a take on the fairly classic “be yourself” storyline, with the main character, a spotty zebra, feeling he has to fit in with the other stripy zebras. He gets stripes painted on, only to discover that people don’t recognise him, and he comes to realise that what makes him unique should be celebrated, not hidden. This point is made directly in the text in the line “Be true to yourself and inspire others too/You’ll only be happy if you accept you” which is a rather lovely little rhyming quote that I’d quite like to see made into a poster featuring Spotty (if you’re reading this Raymond McGrath…). There’s also a short section at the end that packs in quite a range of facts about unique patterns in the animal world.

I can imagine that this will be a story enjoyed for both the words and pictures. The message will appeal to parents and teachers—because who doesn’t like a bit of reassurance that you should accept you?

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