Katrin Dreiling’s delightful illustration style often puts quirky animal characters front and centre. The cover says it all in the case of The Fast Lane, which pits Daisy the pig, a competitive swimmer, against Frank the frog, who likes to take things easy. Written by multi award winning author Pip Harry, this is a bright, humorous exploration of how striving to win at all costs can get in the way of fun and friendship.
Daisy has a routine. Every day she swims precisely 100 laps at the local pool. She uses the fast lane, obviously, leaving the other lanes for the twirlers, paddlers and lazing recliners. Frank arrives with a KAH-SPLOSH, straight into the fast lane. “Plenty of room for us both to splish splosh!” he says. Daisy is not impressed and makes several attempts to reclaim her lane, before flouncing out of the pool altogether.
The language here is packed with alliteration and fun read-aloud sound words. The animal characters have an engaging mix of human characteristics and authentic behaviours (like dogs who dog paddle). The public pool setting will be relatable for many children who can also enjoy spotting visual treats, like mice in floaties and flamingos doing aqua aerobics, beyond the main narrative. This is a vibrant, enjoyable picture book for readers 4+.
