Arthur and the Curiosity (Lucinda Gifford, The Five Mile Press)

Written and illustrated by the winner of the inaugural Five Mile Press Illustrator Prize Lucinda Gifford, Arthur and the Curiosity depicts an unusual school trip. Arthur’s class is on an excursion to the museum, but their harried teacher has no time for them to linger over the exhibits and keeps insisting they ‘move on through’. Unsurprisingly, Arthur does some of his own exploring and discovers a strange creature described by an attendant simply as a ‘Curiosity’. As the class continues moving, Arthur spies the Curiosity in the most unusual places. Gifford’s illustrations are currently enlivening numerous books, including the cover of Jen Storer’s The Fourteenth Summer of Angus Jack and the picture books Frankie and Finn and The Witch’s Britches. Her style is diverse but her talent shines through. In Arthur and the Curiosity, the colourful, clean lines and round, sunny faces of the children are reminiscent of British illustrator David Roberts, and each double-page spread contains beautiful imagery to explore. This is a delightful book with a fun storyline and a message about taking your curiosity with you wherever you go. It will be enjoyed by curious children aged three to five and will surely inspire many exploratory trips to the museum.

Angela Crocombe is the children’s buyer at
 Readings Carlton 

Category: Reviews