Who’s Afraid of the Light? (Anna McGregor, Scribble)
Two seagulls bob on top of a flat ocean on a sunny day. ‘Oh, hi!’ says one. ‘The story starts down there,’ says the other, dipping its head beneath the water. From here, readers of Anna McGregor’s wonderful new picture book Who’s Afraid of the Light? are plunged into the ocean’s ‘midnight zone’ where they meet Fergus, a deep sea–dwelling creature whose identity is hidden in the dark. A conversation begins between the narrator/reader and Fergus (the book is told entirely through dialogue), and is interrupted now and again by the approach of curious bioluminescent creatures including a spookfish and vampire fish. McGregor vividly brings each to life through simple yet astonishing neon-coloured images that appear like a bright flash onto the black pages. Tension builds as hints are given as to Fergus’s identity until, with a final burst of colour, all is revealed in a clever twist. Complete with a glow-in-the-dark cover and finished with a double-page spread of deep-sea facts, Who’s Afraid of the Light is a lively, inventive and informative book that will be loved by readers aged three and up. It begs to be read aloud with a friend or family member.
Books+Publishing reviewer: Jacqui Davies is a freelance writer and reviewer based in South Australia. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.
Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.
