Daisy Says Coo!
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Cover Story
This issue’s cover is from a stunning new picture book, Mary’s Secret by David McKee (Andersen Press, 0 86264 909 9, £9.99). An ecological fable about doing without cars, McKee’s story with its bright pictures full of well observed detail is set within Mary’s cheerful family and at her school. His bold, painterly illustrations use the page so confidently and dextrously that their quirky, decorative perspectives seem entirely natural. Thanks to Andersen Press for their help in producing this September cover.
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Send to friendDaisy Says Coo!
Page-filling luminous greens and blues illustrate the river in this large format board book where Daisy, a ‘little duck with big feet’, lives. Exploring on her own she meets various creatures for the first time (or so I surmise):
‘“Zub! Zub!” buzzed the bee.
“Munch! Munch!” chomped the caterpillar.
Daisy said “Coo!’’’
Daisy’s coos express variously amazement, apprehension and relief, but this is only clear after careful reading and re-reading of text and pictures, eluding all but the most persistent readers. The very word ‘coo’ is unfamiliar nowadays – none of my testers, young or old, understood why Daisy used it so much. Added to which, it is not an easy word to read expressively, even if one wants to. Perhaps the other Daisy books are more successful – this, while visually arresting in its exuberance and colour, seems to have little point.
