FICTION

Emu

by Claire SAXBY
illus. by Graham Byrne. 32p. index. Candlewick. 2015. Tr. $16.99. ISBN 9780763674793. LC 2013957348.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 3—This attractive picture book takes a look at emus, those strange-looking, flightless birds native to Australia. Byrne's sketchy, digitally created illustrations perfectly capture the essence of these scraggly birds, and the panoramic scenes of the Australian outback in the neutral tones of an arid savannah bring depth to the book. Saxby's simple text is ideal for curious readers. Each spread includes bits of a story about one particular bird, Emu, as well as basic animal facts. The narrative follows Emu as he watches over a brood of eggs, keeps them safe, and eventually raises his young (Saxby explains that emu fathers are the primary parents, as the mothers leave after laying eggs).
VERDICT A strong choice for the 590s.
Reviewed by Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX
The life cycle and habits of emus are told through the story of a male emu as he raises his young in an Australian eucalyptus forest (with this species, the female departs after egg-laying). The constant threats from predators such as goannas, dingoes, and eagles keeps the emu on his nest for a full eight weeks, then close by for six more months as the chicks grow and develop. Byrne’s spiky digital illustrations perfectly display the emus’ hairlike feathering and their awkward-looking flightless movement, along with the rough textures of the grasses and trees in the landscape. Each double-page spread includes the main narrative, in slightly larger type, along with additional statistics and facts about emus in a smaller, more casual font. An “About Emus” page and index are appended. danielle j. ford
The life cycle and habits of emus are told through the story of a male emu raising his young in an Australian eucalyptus forest (female emus depart after egg-laying). Spiky digital illustrations perfectly display the birds' hairlike feathering, their awkward-looking flightless movement, and the landscape's rough textures. On each spread, additional statistics and facts about emus accompany the main narrative. Ind.
 , May 01, 2015

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