In this book, Going to the Footy, a journey to the football is turned into a gorgeous representation of different forms of transport.
The book and its illustrations are the artwork of Debbie Coombes, a Tiwi woman from Pirlangimpi Community on Melville Island. She learned to paint from her grandfather and mother.
Debbie's painting has been described as being 'joyful depictions of Tiwi life in figurative forms'. One look at this book and you will understand what that means.
I love her use of colour and lines, and how the background frames the pictures of a canoe, tinny boat, bus, trail bike, and other vehicles.
The book design perfectly suits the artwork. A large square format, with simple, large font on pages which change colour, alternating with the illustrations which have a consistent black background.
Young readers can be challenged to recognise and name all the forms of transport, and maybe to count all the people travelling to the footy.
I hope to see more books from Debbie Coombes. Going to the Footy is beautiful, simple, and appealing.
Title: Going to the Footy
Author/illustrator: Debbie Coombes
Publisher: Magabala Books, $19.99
Publication Date: August 2019
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781925936964
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture book
