Australia At the Beach

Max Fatchen (text)

Tom Jellett (illus)

Scholastic Press, Australia: 2009, 1999

ISBN: 9781862918702

Genres: picture book

‘The sunlit beach is shining./ It stretches far and wide/ And here the quiet sea will spread/ Its tablecloth of tide.'

First released ten years ago, this, like My Country is a celebration of our land - the coastal part, anyway! Here is Australia Day as experienced by one family - sun, surf, sand, crowds and an annoying younger brother. Skilfully written, this is a poem that would stand up to performance and individual or small group, as it's made to be read aloud. Packed with funny incidents - ‘What's happened to the lettuce?/ Some boys have funny ways. /There's William using sunscreen/ Instead of mayonnaise' - there is also a lyrical side: ‘I wish I were a sea king/ Among the fins and tails - /I'd play with diving dolphins/ And huge, respectful whales.'

Jellet's background in newspaper illustration is clear in the simple yet lively line drawings, full of movement and packed with little visual jokes to amuse the attentive reader. The heavy use of primary colours adds energy to the pictures and helps convey the heat and noise of an Australian beach in summer. It may be ten years old but Australia At the Beach reflects our enduring love of our coast, with its hot sand and refreshing waves.