Author Jackie Hosking is an accomplished poet and her skills with rhythm and rhyme are evident in this, her first picture book. With the classic Edward Lear nonsense poem as her inspiration, instead of going 'to sea in a pea-green boat', our trusty duo trundle off 'in a rusty old Holden ute'.
They took some damper
and tea in a hamper
And bundled it up in the boot.
Along the way, they look out over the Nullarbor Plain, blow on a didgeridoo, meet up with some shearers and their sheep, and camp next to an ochre pebble (um, that would be Uluru!). You get the idea!
Marjorie Crosby-Fairall's illustrations perfectly echo the dusty desert hues of so much of inland Australia, while also imbuing Croc and Platypus with suitably laid-back charm. This is an ode to the Australian outback and its icons as well as a rollickingly good read that kids will soon have memorised.
Title: The Croc and the Platypus
Author: Jackie Hosking
Illustrator: Marjorie Crosby-Fairall
Publisher: Walker Books, $24.95 RRP
Publication Date: July 2014
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781922077608
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book
