Twinkle twinkle little star illustrated by Matt Shanks

Scholastic Australia, 2017. ISBN 9781760158668
(Age: 3-5) Nursery rhyme. The familiar Twinkle twinkle little star is illustrated in beautiful watercolours by Matt Shanks. Although the first few lines of the rhyme will be remembered by the reader, the rhyme in its entirety is given in this book, giving it an added dimension of interest.
The illustrations tell a parallel story to the traditional rhyme. Set against a vivid purple/pink night sky the reader finds an owl sitting on a tree limb and reading a book with a star on the cover. There is a satchel full of books with stars on the covers and as the rhyme progresses, the reader follows the owl as it delivers books, via a parachute first to sheep in a bare brown paddock, then to birds wading in a lake, onwards to wombats, tunnelling away and travelling in the dark. Finally it finds a little person peering through a telescope at the night sky and returns home to its own little owlets to read to them.
This is an intriguing and enjoyable picture book which allows the reader to retell the story of Twinkle twinkle little star as well as having fun following the owl delivering books. New items of interest and different ideas will be found each time it is read.
Pat Pledger