When Rose and Banjo started out the day was bright and new,
The clouds small puffs of fairy floss against the dazzling blue.
A gentle breeze brushed though the trees and made their branches sway.
And …
Rose and her puppy Banjo are ready for a day flying Rose’s kite. They set off from the house. Along the way there are streams to ford, hills to climb, mud to jump in. At the top, Rose flies her kite until the weather changes and they run away home. The little red boots of the title offer a regular refrain. Illustrations are loose black pencil outline with soft watercolours, a mix of full colour pages and vignettes set in white. This almost square hardback has paw- and boot-prints on front and back, with the title in the red of Rose’s boots. Endpapers show Rose and Banjo and kite-fun.
Rose and her puppy have a plan for the day but as so often is the case with small people, the journey is as important as the destination and the activity planned. The refrain will soon have young listeners joining in. Rose’s Red Boots is a celebration of free play and discovery, and the illustrations are delightful. A spread with Rose and Banjo huddled under a tree when lightning strikes offers the opportunity to discuss safe storm havens. Recommended for pre- and early-schoolers.
Rose’s Red Boots, Maura Finn ill Karen Erasmus New Frontier Publishing 2017 ISBN: 9780957988446
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller
www.clairesaxby.com