The front cover of Rose's Red Boots by author Maura Finn and illustrator Karen Erasmus delivers on its promise. It is a delightful autumn adventure story about a girl and her dog.Thanks to Erasmus's colourful illustrations, I can just imagine that Rose has dressed herself in; stripey orange and yellow leggings, green tunic, pink and purple scarf, blue winter jacket and to top off her ensemble, she slips on her red boots.
Rose's boots aren't made for walking they were made for; marching, crunching, chasing, splashing, dancing, climbing and racing. She is an active little girl who explores the world just outside her house and into the countryside, with only her dog, Banjo, for supervision. As the morning's gentle breeze gets stronger Rose is able to fly her kite until the wind carries it up high into a tree. I hope Rose can make it home for morning tea before the raindrops begin to fall.
Finn's words when read aloud rolls off the tongue as the story unfolds. She has used rhyme, rhythm and repetition with beautiful language choices. This story has been shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards 2018 in the three to five years category.
Finn and Erasmus have created a story that captures playfulness and childhood abandon. Rose's Red Boots makes adults smile with happy memories and will have children wanting to grab their own red gumboots and go play in a muddy puddle, fly a kite and climb the nearest tree.
To find out more about Maura Finn see her answers to KBR's 12 Curly Questions and the book review for My Magnificent Jelly Bean Tree.
More books illustrated by Karen Erasmus include; The Flying Optometrist and Annabel’s chewey-gooey birthday cake.
Title: Rose's Red Boots
Author: Maura Finn
Illustrator: Karen Erasmus
Publisher: New Frontier Publishing, $15.99
Publication Date: 1 June 2017
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780957988446
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Books
