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Friday 26 June 2020

Review: Bluey: All About Bluey; All About Bingo

Bluey: All about Bluey is exactly that!

Six year old (dog years) Bluey loves to play grown-up games. Her imagination is a bottomless pit. She is a committed organiser and loves playing with her sister Bingo.

The rules of each game are a flexible process as everyone involved has their own idea about which roles they play.

Bluey loves listening to stories at school (this helps with ideas for her games) and playing with her friends.

They embark on exciting adventures created with whatever is at hand and their imaginative thoughts.

Home life is equally entertaining – especially with Dad. He allows Bluey and Bingo complete freedom (read being silly) to wrestle, tickle, dress-up and pretend, which initiates laughter and great fun.

Bluey sees Mum as the best hugger, a terrific storyteller, and a good listener when things go wrong.

When things are hard to learn or understand, Bluey always tries to be brave.

Her favourite times are when all the family is together.

The first things children will notice (tested on my three year-old), are the shapes in which many of the illustrations are enveloped. There are ovals, circles and oblongs, wavy shapes and free-standing images. Each one contains Bluey, whose face or body, is expressing a particular emotion. This can be used to initiate conversation, discussions and learning with the very young, around different feelings and why we have them.

Both books, Bluey and Bingo come cut in a dog shape.


All about Bingo, gives us a personal overview of Bingo's character, identical to Bluey's, in All About Bluey.

Bingo is Bluey’s four year-old sister. She is a red heeler and shares a room with Bluey. That can cause problems with siblings sometimes, but not for these two. They love playing games and being together.

There are certain things that Bingo is expert in. Keepy Uppy is one. She also loves to call herself by different names, giving herself other personas. Bingo has a list ready to choose from, depending on the situation. Singing at specific times – especially on the toilet is another. She is also a polished mover and shaker, a talent which she frequently exhibits. Asking unusual questions is one of her finer traits. Dad says she does things her own way.

It’s the understanding ear of Mum when it is needed, and the hugs at the end of the day, that are appreciated the most.

Bluey and Bingo are family oriented, friendly and lovable. Children can and do associate the personified dogs’ activities, emotions and needs, with their own. They see solutions to their problems in how the heeler family acts. They are role models. This is the ingenuity of these characters.
Title: Bluey: All About Bluey: Bluey: All About Bingo
Author / Illustrator: Based on the ABC Kids TV show
Publisher: Penguin Random House, $16.99
Publication Date: 2 June 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760898304, 9781760898298
For ages: 2+
Type: Board Book