Melbourne: Word by word by Michael McMahon

Little Hare Books, 2016. ISBN 9781760126674
(Age: all) Recommended. Melbourne. Cities. Lifestyle. A companion to the book, Sydney: Word by word, this beautifully produced picture book about Melbourne, reflects that city in all its colour. Each page has a single word. But don't be fooled into thinking this is for the beginning reader, because that word is accompanied by an illustration which will encourage thinking about an array or words and feelings and activities evocative of life in a great city.
All the iconic features of Melbourne are included, the trams, the beach huts, Puffing Billy, the Twelve Apostles, Flinders St Station, the concert hall, Victoria Markets and more. Interspersed with the better known images are those of life at street level, people commuting to work, sheltering from the rain with their umbrellas, gridlock over the bridge, coffee shops, pastry shops, a child skipping, a beach scene, football and a neighbourhood of rows of single fronted cottages.
All the vibrancy of life in a great city is shown, with pages that will encourage readers to think about what a city has to offer. Reading the two books about Sydney and Melbourne, students will be struck by the similarities and differences between these two famous Australian cities, encouraged to look at how cities work and perhaps visit.
Fran Knight