The Wrong Overcoat

Everybody in the family is delighted with Chimp's new coat - except Chimp, who wants something more flamboyant and suitable for bowling. So frustrated does he become with the praise heaped on his coat that he threatens to take it off in public - and he is not wearing anything underneath. Eventually, he comes to a creative compromise with a sartorially challenged kangaroo. This is a straightforward little tale about the kind of mini-ordeal that many young children will be familiar with. It makes a significant point about individual choice and initiative within the framework of a lighthearted animal story. Birchall's pastel and watercolour illustrations in this, his first picture book, are humorous and topical - the swaggering procession of duded up animals on the way to the bowling alley is instantly recognisable as a cohort of pre-adolescents putting on the style. Highly recommended for all readers.