Krys Saclier (text) and Cathy Wilcox (illustrator), Vote 4 Me, Wild Dog Books, August 2020, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781742035956
Vote 4 Me is a humorous and comprehensive look at Australia’s election system, using the fictional Ms Spark’s Year 6 class as a case study. The students of Mount Mayhem are fed up with their hideous uniforms, healthy tuckshop food and bare sports cupboard. Everyone wants change so it’s decided each class will elect a representative.
Jack, who thinks he’s the best, Kira, who wins every race, as well as funny Farrel, and smart and kind Alexandria, are the candidates. Ms Sparks explains that the class will vote using the Australian system which is preferential. Wilcox’s cartoon-style illustrations are witty, depicting things like Farrel rapping in a unicorn onesie and Jack’s poster proclaiming VOTE FOR JACK … OR ELSE!
The book makes learning about the electoral system accessible for all and clearly shows each stage in the process with tables showing how votes are redistributed. It will make a fantastic resource for upper primary and lower secondary years, explaining our complex voting system. And, here, if not in real life, the best woman wins!
Reviewed by Heather Gallagher
