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Reading age: 2-8 years
From the author Jo van Dam
Jo says that the book comes out of her own love of poetry, and her observations of how children enjoy and engage with rhyme in the classroom setting.
Jo says: “Everyone needs to learn the alphabet and there are many out there with standard examples for each letter. Focusing on weird and wonderful creatures offers children something a bit different. Some of the animals are very unusual, such as the gharial with the unfortunate nose, but there are some that we are more familiar, such as the emu … who knew they eat lizards? I hope the rhymes will make small people smile, that they will enjoy learning a bit about the amazing creatures around the world and might start playing with words and writing some poems of their own.”
Review
Paula Green, NZ Poetry Box ~ “So few poetry books for children get published in Aotearoa! The arrival of a new one is a celebration day for me. Jo Van Dam’s previous book, Doggy Ditties from A to Z, gained many fans. Her new book assembles a collection of ditties that give life to “weird and wonderful creatures”. The animals include some I am not familiar with (from dugongs, to zebu to numbats) and some I am (from the kiwi, to rhinoceros, to skunks). Each page has fascinating facts as well as the poem. The exquisite illustrations add further layers of fascination.”
Kiwi author Jo van Dam
Find out more about Auckland author and school librarian Jo van Dam by visiting her author page.
Kiwi illustrator Deborah Hinde
Find out more about award-winning illustrator Deborah Hinde by visiting her author / illustrator page.
Kate G –
From What Book Next?
Have you ever heard of a Gharial? What about a Zebu? These are just two of the strange animals in T isT is for Tuatara Book Review Cover for Tuatara.
There are some well knowns like the Hedgehog, Rhinoceros and Skunk, and also some kiwi critters like the Weta and and of course the Tuatara.
What’s special about this Alphabet book is that each animal (on its own page) has its own poem, limerick or rhyme that tells the reader a bit about that animal.
At the bottom of each page are some fascinating facts about that animal.
THEN… At the back of the book is even more information about each animal.
But wait! There’s even more!
Read the full review https://whatbooknext.com/t-is-for-tuatara-amazing-animals-from-a-to-z-book-review/