Venetia Tyson, My Lost Mob, Magabala Books, March 2015, $12.95 (pbk), 32pp., ISBN 9781922142917
In a similar vein to the famous Are You My Mother? by PD Eastman, a young emu is lost and asks other Australian animals and a corroboree dancer ‘Have you seen my mob?’
The text weaves across the pages in a good sized clear font. The illustrations are in a naïve style in pastel using the colours of various Australian landscapes and animals. Small children will be able to follow the emu footprints, which start on the front cover and run across many pages (as a lover of end papers I would have liked to see them there as well).
There are further opportunities for interaction with the refrain. In a small book format, this story is suited to very young children but also has indigenous themes appropriate for older children. There are helpful Teacher Notes with links to the Australian curriculum on the Magabala website.
reviewed by Julie Long