'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Friday, 25 January 2013

Review: On the Farm - Our Holiday with Uncle Kev

Uncle Kevin had a farm,
A-E-I-O-U
And on that farm we had a holiday,
A-E-I-O-U

Talented Australian author/illustrator Roland Harvey adds another title to his wonderful holiday adventure series. This time, Frankie, Penny, Henry, Mum and Dad are on their way to the country in On the Farm: Our Holiday with Uncle Kev.

Well, it’s kind of a holiday. That was their plan, but Uncle Kev has other ideas because the Harvest Festival is just around the corner and he wants everything just perfect, especially if Miss Kellie Kelly is able to come.

I love Harvey’s books – all those wonderfully detailed pictures filled with quirky characters and interesting scenes. I love stumbling across the unexpected and enjoying the silly moments (in the illustrations and the text), as well as appreciating the scenes that really do capture a sense of the location they portray. In On the Farm, I think the many people moving throughout the illustrations all working together to get the jobs done really conveys the sense of community spirit that I loved when I lived in a rural area myself.

On the Farm is the sixth book in the holiday adventure series which also features At the Beach, In the Bush, In the City, To the Top End, and All the Way to W.A. These books are wonderful to read with children, with so many details to look for and discuss in each illustration and the humour of the stories is likely to appeal to children who are able to confidently read picture books for themselves. As a series they are a great way to help children consider and compare Australia’s diverse and fascinating landscape.

Title: On the Farm - Our Holiday with Uncle Kev
Author/Illustrator: Roland Harvey
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $24.99 RRP
Publication Date: 29 October 2012
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781741758825
For ages: 5 - 10
Type: Picture book