Energetic Elliot

Susannah McFarlane (author)

Lachlan Creagh (illustrator)

Scholastic Press, Australia: 2011

ISBN: 9781741698299 Genre: picture book

Issues: friendship, gifted

extension vocabulary

'Elliot has enormous amounts of energy. He is the most energetic emu on the entire earth. Elliot is extremely eager and likes everything!' One of those 200% characters, Elliot is always on the go – from 'playing elastics under the Eucalyptus' with friends to being 'an essential member of the Eastern Emu Eleven'. However will he cope, then, with having to sit and be still?

Exploring another common trait of childhood – those who have only 'stop' and 'go' buttons with nothing in between – Susannah McFarlane has created a simple narrative packed with extension vocabulary. Creagh does a wonderful job of giving Elliot the slightly goggle-eyed manic look of an Emu on the Edge as the lead character pushes himself too hard. Creagh also manages to create identifiable personalities for each of the minor characters by altering their 'do' (the Mohawk type feathers on the top of an emu's head) and adding features such as bowties and scarves.

They may be small – 14cm x 14cm – but the Little Mates alphabet adventures show all the care and attention to detail that goes into good quality full-size picture book.