Amigo the Capybara (Amy Freund, illus Kooky Chooky, File Mile)

In Amigo the Capybara, Amy Freund takes a simple story about making friends and compromising, and capitalises on the ‘quirk’ factor by using a capybara and a chinchilla as the protagonists. These irresistibly engaging animals are brought to vibrant life in Kooky Chooky’s pleasingly textured acrylic gauche and wax pastel illustrations. Amigo, the ebullient capybara, is loved by all, apart from his neighbour Mila, the chinchilla, who would just like a little bit more shush sometimes. Desperate for her approval, Amigo puts on a show (featuring stacked baby capybaras, dancing cats and snapping crocodiles) and discovers that maybe a good laugh is the pathway to any animal’s heart, and a gentle compromise will go a long way. The focus of this picture book, suited for children aged three and up, is more about exuberance and fun than the ‘lesson’ about learning to compromise. Little listeners who enjoy the zany energy of Aaron Blabey’s Pig the Pug or Matt Cosgrove’s Alpacas with Maracas (but with a softer illustration style) will be drawn to the irrepressible Amigo. Clean scansion can be challenging to nail in picture books, and a few rhythmic hiccups interrupt the ease of reading here, but it is a warm-hearted story with lively, endearing characters kids will connect with.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Anica Boulanger-Mashberg is a freelance editor and writer, and a bookseller at the Hobart Bookshop. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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