Twig highlights feelings of excitement, loneliness, acceptance, joy and confidence. This book will be a great addition to reading lists about the first day of school.
Heidi is a stick insect, tall and thin like a hat stand. On Heidi’s first day of school she finds it hard to be noticed--'It seems your camouflage has been working too well!' Heidi’s teacher, Miss Orb, devises a solution to help Heidi to be easily seen. The other children quickly realise what a wonderful friend Heidi can be.
Twig uses all the available book pages to tell the story. The endpapers, half title and title pages introduce Heidi’s family travelling through the forest to their new home. Bugs are hidden on the endpapers for the readers to find and count. Insect lovers will enjoy seeing how many bugs they can identify. I was pleased to find my favourite insect was one of the story’s main characters, Scarlett, the ladybug.
Twig is a book that needs to be revisited often as the pages are abuzz with intricate drawings. I spent time just dipping into the book to gaze at the illustrations to discover more.
Click to read Aura Parker’s One Word and Meet the Illustrator interviews.
- reviewed by Leanne Barrett
Title: Twig
Author/Illustrator: Aura Parker
Publisher: Scholastic, $24.99
Publication Date: 1 November 2015
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760157067
For ages: 3 - 8
Type: Picture Book
