The blog hasn't really covered many picture books yet, but this is the second one running! I love picture books, the way the text and images can work together, or in some cases tell two totally different stories. For me, these are the most interesting, where the images can be read as one story, and the text as another, allowing for different abilities of reader, and of course a bit of imagination! However, there is no less value in picture books that are beautifully illustrated stories, where picture and text work together to tell the story and engage the reader or listener. A perfect example of this is Emma Chichester Clark's I Love You, Blue Kangaroo!
We've all had, or still have, a toy that we could never be without! Mine is Polo Bear, a white teddy with tartan ears and feet, and a little tartan bow tie! Polo has been on many an adventure with me, school trips away, holidays, and lots of other occasions too. He still sits at the end of my bed, and although he plays a much more static role to the one he did when I was a child, I know he'll always be there for me when I need him, and I sometimes still give him a little squeeze. Polo is my Blue Kangaroo.
This picture book has become somewhat of a classic, published in 1998, it had been a constant influence on many children's bookshelves for the past 20 years. It is a story of love, friendship and unbreakable bonds. Lily, who I would say was about 4 or 5, loves her Blue Kangaroo, just as we've all loved our favourite toys. Every night she hugs him close and gives him all her love, until the Wild Brown Bear arrives. Lily now has to share her love with a new toy, and unfortunately poor Blue Kangaroo starts feeling a bit left out. Slowly more and more toys arrive for Lily from family and friends, until the Blue Kangaroo can barely fit into the bed each night! Then one night he is finally knocked out of bed! Feeling very sad he decides to snuggle up with Lily's baby brother instead. Like the Velveteen Rabbit in the last blog post, the Blue Kangaroo struggles to understand why he isn't always the toy of choice, and how he can become the favourite again. But to Lily the Blue Kangaroo will always be her favourite toy, and to use Margery Williams term, 'Real'. When faced with the idea of her brother having Blue Kangaroo Lily does something rather lovely. She gives her brother all her other new toys in return for having her kangaroo back. He will always be her favourite toy and she loves him dearly.
As well as being a wonderfully endearing story, and having the loveliest illustrations, the story also uses lists and repetition to engage the reader or listener. When Lily snuggles up in bed each night her toys are listed, starting with the newest first and always ending with the Blue Kangaroo. This a wonderful device for encouraging 'reading' along. I can imagine the adult reader pointing to all the toys in the bed and naming each one with the child, using the repetition and rhythm of each name to help them remember what comes next. I love books like this, and think that this type of writing is especially valuable in encouraging a love of language and reading in the very young.
Overall this is a very sweet book, with a touching sentiment. The illustrations are bright and bold, and the Blue Kangaroo, despite looking a little bit like a mouse, is very cute indeed! Coming to it as an adult reader I can totally understand the love that Lily has for her very favourite toy, and I bet if she were real, the 25 year old Lily would still have her Blue Kangaroo!
Thanks for reading, L x
Next up a firm favourite of mine, The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy.
