Downtown Sewertown (Tull Suwannakit, Ford St)
CBCA notable author-illustrator Tull Suwannakit has crafted his picture book Downtown Sewertown to depict a refugee experience. It is also a cautionary tale about the environment. A mouse, fox, rabbit and badger are forced to flee from their hobbit-like home when the diggers arrive and destroy the natural surroundings. The animals journey to a city that seems welcoming but many of its inhabitants are hostile, and force them to leave. The animals end up in the filthy, stinking sewers where they sweep, scrub, mop and polish until the sewers gleam. They build a homely, inviting utopia where even the putrid water now runs crystal-clear. They proudly name it Sewertown and it becomes a refuge for many others as well … Until the humans living above try to evict them. One brave girl stands up for the animals and urges the community to show kindness and friendship. Needing only to be shown the way, they then all live in harmony. This hopeful urban fable is told through a rhyming text and magnificent, atmospheric illustrations. The pictures create a three-dimensional environment inhabited by lively, animated animals. Downtown Sewertown is a tale of acceptance and co-existence with others and the natural world. It is best suited for four- to eight-year-olds.
Books+Publishing reviewer: 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.
