A Summery Saturday Morning

Beginning with the glorious end pages which presage the rumpus to come when dogs meet geese, Young has captured the spirit of freedom and lightness implied in the title of this fresh looking picture book. She makes full use of its landscape format to present at each opening a bright double spread, bled to the edges, which draws us in to become part of the group of four children, one adult and two dogs winding along the 'wiggly track' to the sea. The dogs chase cat and cyclist without resistance, but get their comeuppance when they meet a goose and her goslings. The party is put to flight by the geese and the smallest child sounds the retreat on his toy trumpet as they dash back up the track. Mahy's economical four-line rhymes at each opening sets the pace for the action, blending word and picture in what is likely to become a well-loved addition to any infant bookshelf.