A Bit of Company

Margaret Wild (author)

Wayne Harris (illustrator)

Walker Books, Australia: 1991, 2009

ISBN: 9781921529054 5+

Genres: humour, picture book, realistic fiction

Issues: friendship, loneliness, siblings

Christopher's mother is busy with the new triplets and he is lonely. Molly McNamara, his next-door-neighbour is lonely, too. They are both so lonely that there are times when they just want to s-c-r-e-a-m!

Then one day Molly McNamara does just that and Christopher runs to the rescue. Two lonely people find friendship and very soon Christopher realises that the new triplets can feel the same s-c-r-e-a-m-ing loneliness at times.

This delightful early work from Margaret Wild is enriched by remarkable illustrations from a young Wayne Harris, who says that what he learnt about making a good picture book from this experience affected all subsequent books. Wild is known for her ability to capture emotions and experiences that her readers may not always talk about but that affect them intensely. A Bit of Company is no different, reflecting the slightly neglected and overwhelmed sensation of an older child getting used to new siblings and the loneliness-amidst-the-crowd that can happen to anybody in any city or town. Harris' illustrations of the various screams are extremely effective and convey that exact sensation of a distorted world that comes with extreme frustration.

Highly recommended.