To Greenland! (Pip Smith, illus by Beau Wylie, Scholastic)
To Greenland! is the joyous new picture book from Pip Smith and Beau Wylie, who last collaborated on Theodore the Unsure. This new adventure follows Ellie the elephant, who resides at the zoo in an emerald igloo, and a young child called Llewyn, who spends his days in a city surrounded by dull colours and zombie-like crowds. This atmosphere is further emphasised in the book’s monotone endpapers. When the two meet, Ellie offers Llewyn a chance to escape. Told in rhyming verse, the story shows Ellie convincing Llewyn to take the journey to Greenland—a place where hills are made of ice-cream and jellyfish light the skies. However, the journey is a lot more perilous than either expected, and Llewyn soon realises they have bitten off more than they can chew. Crossing the outback and then the open seas with a hat as a boat, the pair eventually hits a speed bump in the form of a rule-abiding alligator. Llewyn accuses Ellie of lying, until an entrepreneurial eel and some other friends along the way are able to lend a hand. In the end, the hodgepodge group meets a happy ending, proving the importance of teamwork and how communities can work together to make their dreams a reality. To Greenland! is a layered story with detailed illustrations that can be appreciated by children aged four plus.
Karys McEwen is the library manager at Prahran High School, a middle-grade author, and the vice president of CBCA VIC Branch
