Oh, this
book is lovely. The illustrations are to be completely devoured, they are so
utterly charming and très European in their style and humour. And the chaos –
of course, there has to be chaos! Banana skin chaos. And what fun that slippery
chaos can be.
Kooky,
fabulous fun, and smile-worthy colour, Banana Skin Chaos is also reminiscent of those
gorgeously retro picture books à la Richard Scarry.
The
adorable endpapers will immediately enchant you (showcasing the creation of the
humble banana) and then the title page with a wee man gobbling said banana and
tossing the skin will make you laugh out loud.
On page
one, young Hubert is admonished by his big sister “You can’t do that!” she
yells as that slippery peel sits menacingly in the middle of the preceding page.
“Why not?” asks Hubert.
And boy do
we ever find out.
A man in a
hat slips. He bumps his head on a ladder. The banana peel lands on a
grandmother’s face.The painter on the ladder drops his paint can on the head of
a cyclist, a man pushing a wheelbarrow collects the grandmother (still with
peel on face). The grandmother’s dog runs away and chases a cat… you can imagine
why the title of the book includes the word ‘chaos’.
Narrated by
Herbert’s big sister as an increasingly wild scene unfolds in a thought bubble
above, this is an engagingly funny book, with masses of action and movement and
hilarity for both kids and adults to appreciate.
Packed with
eye-boggling detail, the author has also included a question session at the end
of the book so kids can re-explore the chaos if they want to… and who wouldn’t
want to?
Title: Banana Skin Chaos
Author/Illustrator: Lilli L’Arronge
Publisher: Bloomsbury,
$14.99
Publication
Date: 1 August 2011
ISBN: 9781408809396
Format: Soft cover
For
ages: 3 – 6
Type: Picture Book
