Comings and Goings at Parrot Park

This bridging book wherein equal prominence is given to text and illustrations comprises three short stories detailing events in the life of the Murphy family – Mum, Dad and six children. In the first, Dad’s brother and family from Canada come to stay in their Parrot Park house in Dublin and end up camping in the garden. The second revolves around a clean up and subsequent jumble sale following the Canadian cousin’s departure. The final story details the mystery of eldest son Rory’s holey school jumper that was meant to last forever.

Jessica Ahlberg’s detailed line drawings show readers what the characters look like and something of what they are feeling, but despite this being the second book about the Murphys in the Walker ‘Stories’ series for developing readers, I still feel I know nothing of significance about the personalities of any of the family; the text somehow fails to bring these individuals to life. Sadly I found this more reading fodder than a nourishing story book.