Peek-a-Boo Lottie

By Laura Holloway & Kristen Willis
Reviewed by Margarite Igras

Laura Holloway’s debut picture book engages the adult reader and the young non-reading child in a one-on-one playful game of Peek-a-Boo, that beloved game of hide and seek often played by a parent and young child. It is a milestone in a child’s development, when a toddler or infant responds with a big smile at the sound of Pee-a-Boo, as the parent disappears and reappears.

The author has used her background in Teaching English as an Additional Language to research this game in different languages and cultures and together with Kristen Willis’ colourful pencil drawings and playful illustrations, in this, her debut book, the story oozes warmth both visually and through the gentleness of the rhyming text.

Lottie loves playing Peek-a-Boo with her mum, dad and Opa. She also loves playing the game with her Persian neighbour, the Indonesian grocer and even a Greek woman waiting at a bus stop, but when the French butcher doesn’t want to play, Lottie perseveres.

When Lottie hides behind her hands, he simply looks away. But Lottie tries, and tries again, this goes on for a while. Eventually, his grumpy frown transforms into a smile.

Each double page presents a scenario where Lottie meets with a person who plays Peek-a-Boo in their language. We are given the word, the language and a pronunciation guide for eight ways to say Peek-a-Boo. The rhyming text is easy to read aloud, and the charming illustrations are geared at a very young audience, with the use of a calm colour palette, the combination of  textured colour pencil and watercolour drawings resulting in  and an overall theme of joy and playfulness as Lottie encounters the adults in the story.

In my German culture, it was called Kuckuck, but I was surprised that it was played in so many countries and cultures around the world.   This is a wonderful bonding book to read to infants and toddlers up to three years and a must have for parents, grandparents and older siblings.

Five Mile Press 2024