Rory H. Mather (text) and Shane McG (illustrator), Get Back in Your Books!, Scholastic Australia, July 2021, 24 pp., RRP $17.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781761120800
Get Back In Your Books! tells the story of a young book who is very confused about some characters at the school library. The bright illustrations will immediately engage young children and they will delight in identifying characters from their favourite books from other beloved titles from Mary Poppins to Harry Potter; my own toddler immediately recognised The Very Hungry Caterpillar and questioned why the main character wasn’t dressed up too. The concept is similar to recent popular titles The Lost Library and All of the Factors of why I Love Tractors, where the library acts more as a character than a setting, and the plot is unique but easily comprehended by young readers.
I found the small details of the costumes a highlight, such as the Wally character holding a Where’s Wally? book, the Gryffindor scarves and Max (of Where the Wild Things Are) chasing the three pigs. It is refreshing to see so many new titles focus on the joys of reading and the important role of libraries and Get Back In Your Books is a great addition to this growing field.
The rhyming text flows well although the lack of repetition may make this more suitable for early primary readers in terms of reading along. Suitable 3+ years.
Reviewed by Jessica Dowling
