Kangaroo Kisses

In a mix of fantasy and real life, one mischievous child plays a procrastinating role as she extends bedtime, experiencing some amazing wildlife encounters along the way. Reading aloud well, the rhymes jump off the page as listeners join in and enjoy the illustrations. These begin with intriguing endpapers; creatures large and small, from blue whale to frog, each drawn with a cheeky gleam in the eye. As we move through the book, we realise each of her mini adventures is sparked by her cuddly toys, bathmat, or towel hooks. As the child slowly gets through bathtime, she also learns to fly with geese, cuddle in a puddle with sleepy hippos and race with an alligator. Mum shows incredible patience whilst the girl tickles a giraffe to make it laugh… and everywhere the child goes, so too does her little white rabbit cuddly, met on page one. The pictures are full of humour, showing the growing exasperation of Mum and the seemingly boundless energy of the child. Finally, Mum says, ‘You KNOW it’s bedtime!’ ‘But I MUST hug my pup!’ ‘And I MUST tuck you up!’ Mum wins eventually as the girl is tucked in bed… with her white rabbit… along with hugs, kisses and goodnights. The penultimate kisses are for kangaroo, whilst Mum gets the final ‘I love you.’ The illustrations match this bedtime scenario perfectly and further reads will reveal the skills of Curnick, winner of the Seven Stories Illustration Competition in 2012.