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by Boomert - Jasper McFlea Will Not Eat His Tea by Lee Fox 18 Jan 2010
JasperMcFlea is a companion volume to the popular picture book, Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair, by the same author. Ella Kazoo looked at the issue of a girl who had uncontrollable hair and this new title addresses another perennial conflict: a child who has a limited diet. Jasper will only eat pasta and it is affecting his performance in cricket. His twin sister, Ginger, is a goody-goody who eats a wide variety of foods, even parsnip and spinach. The family eventually take Jasper to Doctor McTavish, who gives him the secret of eating—tasting. I am a little sceptical that this ‘secret’ would actually work, but maybe it is worth parents trying it if they have fussy eaters. The book could also be used by primary schools, kindergartens, and early childhood centres, to complement their programs on healthy eating. Humour is created by both the rhyming text and the illustrations. The illustrations are cartoon-like, using white space—instead of framing—to separate them from each other. They emphasise facial expressions and movement to create a lively mood. This is a book aimed to amuse and teach young boys, in particular.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine (March 2009, Vol 88, No 6.) is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker.

Author Biography: Lee Fox
Lee Fox's 2006 picture book, Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair, was shortlisted in the Early Childhood category for the 2007 CBCA Awards, and her first young adult novel, Other People's Country, was published in 2008. Lee lives in Castlemaine, Victoria. Mitch Vane has been working as a freelance illustrator for twenty years. She loves illustrating children's books, and is also interested in most forms of visual storytelling - cartoons, book covers, packaging, design, and editorial illustrations.

Recent books by Lee Fox » View all books by Lee Fox

Ginger McFlea Will Not Clean Her Teeth, Paperback (March 2010)

Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair, Hardback (January 2010)

Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair, Hardback (January 2010)

10 Little Hermit Crabs, Hardback (November 2009)

Jasper McFlea Will Not Eat His Tea, Paperback (March 2009)

Jasper McFlea Will Not Eat His Tea, Hardback (March 2009)

Other People's Country, CD-Audio (August 2008)

Other People's Country, Paperback (March 2008)

Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair, Paperback (June 2007)

Ella Kazoo Will Not Brush Her Hair, Hardback (June 2006)