These staple-bound, pocket-sized books are the first two in a series of small activity books. The child is  supposed to fill in the blank pages as directed and then give the finished product to a favourite friend or teacher. I am sure they are designed for the school fair market-they are just right for the mum on a budget looking for a ‘creative’ present. The price is low and since the majority of the pages are devoted to the child’s contributions, they will feel personal enough. On every other page spread is a statement about friendship-‘Whenever we’re together you make me laugh’ or teacher-ship-‘You make me want to be the best that I can be’. The intervening pages have illustrations to colour-in, pictures to draw, lists to fill-you get the idea. The illustrations are bland and, in our very multicultural country, rather too Caucasian, but for their intended purpose these books are perfectly well designed. For ages five and up.

Liz Riley was a bookseller with The Little Bookroom for many years and now works for the Australian Booksellers Association

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