The Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade (Davina Bell, illus by Allison Colpoys, Scribe)

Children often feel anxious about things that might seem trivial to adults, but to kids can seem insurmountable if they’re not given enough encouragement and support. In this book, Alfie’s ‘got that feeling’ before the Underwater Fancy-Dress Parade—the same feeling he’s experienced before running races and before a reptile party. At night, even his subconscious reacts to his unease, and Alfie dreams of unpleasant things such as an enraged octopus, a hissing sea snake and a spiky pufferfish. He decides he’s not brave enough to go to the party dressed up as Captain Starfish. Luckily, Alfie’s sympathetic mother understands his distress and takes him to the aquarium where he sees a real-life starfish. But what interests him more is a little clownfish, which makes a brief appearance and then swims away to hide in the coral. Alfie identifies with its shyness. He decides that next year he will dress up as a clownfish. Davina Bell approaches the sensitive issue of anxiety in children with subtlety, her words matched by the elegance of Allison Colpoys’ soft palette of grey, blue, white and peach. Colpoys’ illustrations have a retro feel, particularly the cool cowboy-print wallpaper that some adults will covet as much as their little ones. This is recommended for primary school-aged children.

Thuy On is a Melbourne-based reviewer and books editor of the Big Issue

Category: Reviews