Tiny Tradies (Tami Sussman, illus by Tom Jellett, Affirm Press)
Tami Sussman and evergreen illustrator Tom Jellett perfectly execute their ingenious idea of comparing toddlers and tradespeople in Tiny Tradies. The picture book begins at home before a big day at daycare (or preschool). The young children wake early, eat a big brekkie and put on their protective clothing (hats and boots) before arriving on-site and clocking on. Their ‘workplace’ looks like a construction site but is actually an early-learning centre. The tiny tradies ‘say g’day, and get stuck in’ to a busy day of work. They ‘climb ladders, push wheelbarrows, bang bins, dig holes … And leave muddy footprints on the carpet.’ The ‘site manager’ and ‘project manager’ set up tasks for them, feed them, bandage them up and provide beds for those sleeping on the job. The words and comic-style illustrations are whip-smart—Sussman affectionately captures the Australian vernacular and laconic wit. The bright, generously detailed pictures add to the humour of the tale: a wheelbarrow is full of Lego and ‘sanding’ is straining sand through a sieve. Muted colours signal the winding down of the day. Bath follows dinner but some recalcitrant toddlers follow the age-old pattern of refusing to go to sleep, even after their big day at work!
Joy Lawn has worked for independent bookshops and blogs at Paperbark Words. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
