You can’t beat a good book, and as a parent that applies equally to the prose written for your offspring. Because the reality is you’ll be reading that shit time and time again and then playing captive audience as your children insist on reading it to you in return. So, like I say, you can’t beat a good book and Victoria Mackinlay’s RIBBIT RABBIT ROBOT is better than good, it’s great!
A simple narrative with glorious illustrations, Mackinlay’s tale is a moral one, as all good children’s book are, with its trio of characters put to the test to determine their level of kindness and more importantly, the ability to see past the end of their noses (or at least to the end of the page).
A lamp, a genie and wishes to be made uncover the real personalities of the rabbit, the frog and the robot as they navigate this sudden and overwhelming luck that has magically fallen into their hands. But which of the friends has been paying attention?
My three characters, aged 8, 5 and 3, have not been able to put it down since it landed on our bookshelf. They find the simple alliterative text both entertaining and captivating, and Denny (8) in particular loves the words of the genie which she always adds extra drama to when she’s the one reading the story to her siblings (as pictured).
Mackinlay’s clever grasp of the English language to weave such a simple yarn with so much complexity makes it a joy to read as both a parent and a child.
So if you’re looking to give the gift of literature this Christmas, add Ribbit Rabbit Robot to your list. Grab it here or here or here or here!
