Is Your Grandmother a Goanna? (Pamela Allen, Viking, $24.95 hb, ISBN 9780670071128, October) ****

Multi award-winning and notable children’s book author and illustrator, Pamela Allen, has been entertaining pre-schoolers for over 20 years with her lively and colourful picture books. Allen’s latest book Is Your Grandmother a Goanna? tells the story of a little boy who sets out on a train ride to visit his grandmother. As he boards the train he informs the stationmaster of the purpose of his journey, before the stationmaster blows his whistle and they are on their way. As they arrive at each station the little boy looks to see if this is the station where his grandmother is and each time he is surprised by the larger-than-life animals he meets on the way. In distinct Pamela Allen-style the simple text is rich with repetition and musicality. Children will enjoy joining in the ‘Chuffa Chuffa Chuffa Chuffa’ as the train heads towards its destination. Allen’s bold illustrations fill the pages and early readers will love the characters as they are brought to life. Is Your Grandmother a Goanna? is a fine picture book from a much loved Australian children’s writers.

Candice Cappe manages the National Library of Australia Bookshop in Canberra

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2007, Thorpe-Bowker