Pink

by Margaret Wild

illustrated by Judith Rossell

reviewed by Mia Macrossan

Many children’s books are full of lessons that adults want to teach the young. This admirable resolve can, and often does, create very tedious, what I call, teachy preachy books. Here is one that  has something serious to say but avoids preaching. It is loads of fun from start to finish and leaves you with  something to think about.

PINK is  about a young dinosaur who stands out from the crowd. Pink  is the only dinosaur who is coloured pink in a world where all her friends and relations are brown or green or shades in between. Everyone thinks she is ‘so pretty and sweet’ and Pink is happy to bask in this approval. But, Pink’s favourite game is hide and seek and not surprisingly, she is always the first to be found because she stands out. Pink is sick of being pink. She wants to be the same as everyone else. But, in a neat twist, being pink turns out to be an advantage when she and her friends get lost in the bush.

This gentle story is all about accepting yourself and finding your strength. Pink’s jungly world, full of all sorts of dinosaurs, is gorgeously illustrated in lush colours by Judith Rossell, each page a visual delight. The font helpfully changes into the appropriate colour when the text mentions pink, green or blue or brown. Wild’s text flows merrily along amongst the greenery.  A perfect gift, a read aloud, a book to share and enjoy with anyone aged 2 – 5 available in July for $24.99.

Teaching Guide

HarperCollins Children’s Books 2020 Hardback Picture Book $24.99 Ages 2 – 5 ISBN 9781460757499