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Wednesday 13 November 2019

Review: Liarbird

Have you ever told a lie? A little white lie, or a big porky-pie? Well, the lyrebird learns how to lie from the day it hatches. And this lyrebird loves it.

From impersonations to big fat whoppers, he soon becomes 'the best in the bush at fibbing, faking, fabricating and fake-news creating'.

Adults and children alike will get plenty of giggles out of this modern-day Australian fable, which is more a commentary on social etiquette than simply just telling the truth.

Of course, the lyrebird eventually takes his lying too far and learns that terrible things can happen when you stray from the truth.

Vowing to always tell 'the whole truth and nothing but the truth', the lyrebird soon discovers there can be a fine line between fact and fiction, with hilarious results.

Laura and Philip Bunting are renowned for their witty and clever stories and this is a splendid example. Bursting with Laura's wry humour and fun play on words, the story is given added layers of playfulness and quirk through Philip's vibrant, stylised illustrations. The thick matte pages are saturated with backdrops of pink and salmon to highlight the characters, which are given extra warmth and charm through their subtle changing expressions.

I'm not lying, or even stretching the truth, when I say this is another delightful book from the Buntings that's sure to become a classic.

Title: Liarbird
Author: Laura Bunting
Illustrator: Philip Bunting
Publisher: Omnibus Books, $17.99
Publication Date: September 2019
Format: Hard Cover
ISBN: 9781743831571
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book