A Walk in the Bush (Gwyn Perkins, Affirm Press)

Iggy has to be coaxed out of his various hidey holes to visit the great outdoors. With his keen guardian (possibly a grandfather), Iggy is taken to the bush and witnesses a large number of animals, including goannas, sulphur-crested cockatoos, wallabies and kangaroos. The approximate noises some of the birds make are included—‘Squwaaaaarrrk, Orbil Orbil Orbil, Kook Kookoo Ka Kah Koo Koo…’—and young readers and their minders will enjoy calling them out loud. Though he has no mouth, Iggy’s little face manages to reveal a great deal. His large and surprised—sometimes alarmed-looking—eyes offer an insight to his uncertainty and fear of some of the animals that he sees. This field trip has an educational aspect too, as Iggy is shown new shoots coming through after a bushfire and how you can crush eucalyptus leaves to release its scent. The large white spaces around the gentle watercolour illustrations and the minimal text allow for a contemplative reading experience. Despite the many animals scurrying around, Gwyn Perkins’ paean to the beauty of the bush is both calming and celebratory. One small quibble though: some readers may be confused by Iggy’s depiction as a cat-like creature while his guardian is drawn as a human.

Thuy On is a freelance arts journalist and reviewer and the books editor of the Big Issue

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