Review: The Oo in Uluru

Having an engaging book that will both entertain and teach little ones is always a bonus, whether at school or at home. 

This is a vibrant rhyming romp through the heart of Australia, exploring the traditional home of the Anangu people and wildlife, and, at the same time, a tool for teaching beginning readers about the phoneme ‘oo’ the long vowel sound that has so many different appearances. 

In Uluru and rufous (wallaby) it is a ‘u’ that says ‘oo’ but in cockatoo and hullabaloo ‘oo’ is just its own self – and then there’s words such as move, or shoe or two, where ‘oo’ is virtually unrecognisable. No wonder indeed that English is such a hard language to acquire for our ESL students as well as our emerging readers.

The text itself is highly appealing to readers but the illustrations are simply superb and truly enhance the reading experience. For the many children who will never see the red centre this is a beautiful vicarious trip to this amazing landscape.

Not surprisingly, this picture book won Book of the Year in the 2019 Speech Pathology Award Australia, which very much affirms it’s value in your literacy or reading program.

It certainly has my recommendation for your readers as they begin their journey to reading fluency.

Title: The Oo in Uluru
Author: Judith Barker
Illustrator: Janie Frith
Publisher: Woodslane Press, $16.99

Publication Date: August 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 781925868180
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book