Review: Nothing Ever Happens

Enter the watery world of orange fish and greeny-yellow fish. There’s a rock, a shell, seaweed and a starfish. Nothing ever happens here. The coloured fish buddies wish something AMAZING would happen … but they should be careful what they wish for!

Nothing Ever Happens is another wonderful book by Heidi McKinnon. She is the talented creator of books such as, I Just Ate My Friend, It’s a Long Way to the Shop, Baz & Benz and Floof.

McKinnon has kept the text minimal whilst still revealing the personalities of each fish. She has also used the colours of each fish to show the speaker. The story explores themes of gratitude and the importance of perspective. But the real magic happens in the interaction between the words and illustrations.

McKinnon's illustrations showcase her distinctive sense of humour, revealing to readers that something amazing is going to happen before our fish friends know it. My three-year-old and six-year-old sons loved being in on this! McKinnon’s bold colour palette and complementary colour choices help to make her artwork pop. Further, the contrast between the matt finish of the end papers and the glossy finish of the story pages helps promote the vibrancy of the illustrations.

We’ve all heard kids say, ‘I’m bored!’ Well if a change of perspective is needed, then this may just be the book to do it!

Title: Nothing Ever Happens
Author/Illustrator: Heidi McKinnon
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, $19.99
Publication Date: 1 November 2023
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761298561
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book