I quite
simply adore Fiona Roberston’s work. She’s one of these author/illustrators I
wish I could ‘be’. Her books are an eternal delight and so I was ecstatic to
open her latest offering – The Perfect Present.
Little
Henry is eagerly awaiting his birthday – and is guessing, alphabetically, what
his gift from Spot might be. Spot, his pet duck, is keeping mum. He’s hoping
his fishing rod – an item Henry has swooned over for quite a while now – will
be the perfect present.
What Spot doesn’t expect, however, is the enormous, wobbling box that arrives in the mail from Henry’s grandparents. Nor does he expect the ruination of the ‘perfect’ present that is about to occur – when out of that wobbly box leaps… Henry’s idea of a perfect present.
This
adorable and adventurous tale is typical Robertson style, with delightfully
warm characters, hot-water-bottle friendship, intelligent writing that doesn’t
dumb things down, and the sweetest of endings, without a hunt of schmaltz.
Open, white
pages with child-entrancing ink illustrations (that will also delight adults
with their retro detail), I love the minimal use of primary colours, temperate
shading and character-driven warmth.
But what I
love most about Robertson’s work – beyond the absolutely gorgeous and uttely
charming illustrations and storylines, is her penchant for reaching
outside-the-cookie-cutter picture book creation.
Another
Robertson winner.
Title: The Perfect Present
Author/Illustrator:
Fiona Robertson
Publisher: Viking, $24.95
Publication
Date: 3 October 2011
ISBN: 9780670074761
Format: Hard cover
For
ages: 2 – 8
Type: Picture Book
