Who Killed Cockatoo? - Hardcover

Cawthorne, W. A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0374383952 ISBN 13: 9780374383954

Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux, 1989

Synopsis

An old adaptation of "Who killed Cock Robin?," using Australia's unique creatures as its characters, is given new life by vivid Aborignal--influenced illustrations of the animals and landscapes

About this title

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- An Australian adaptation of the familiar children's rhyme, updated with striking illustrations. Written in the 1870s, this is thought to be one of Australia's earliest children's picture books. This version uses animals native to Australia, including the emu, platypus, and wombat. At twice the length of "Who Killed Cock Robin," it is a tad long for younger children. It is also more solemn and dramatic, with not only the funeral but also a terrible promise of revenge: "Oh, wicked Morepork!/ We'll have you caught/ for the deed you have done./ We'll slyly creep,/ When you're fast asleep,/ And break your bones, every one." McCrae uses simple shapes for the animals but fills them with intense pattern against pattern in a manner suggestive of Aboriginal art. Borders with similar intricate patterns frame the page. The text is set on facing pages in large type on a white background. The complex patterns, while beguiling close up, make the forms difficult to discern in a more distanced storytelling situation. Altogether a pleasing glimpse of Australia and a well-crafted artwork. --Judith Gloyer, Milwaukee Public Library
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0374383952
• ISBN 13: 9780374383954
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 34
• Illustrator: McRae Rodney