Calder, Charlotte (text) Mark Jackson (illus.): Stuck!

[A] ** CALDER, Charlotte (text) Mark Jackson (illus.) Stuck! Walker, 2009 unpaged $27.95 ISBN 9781921150463 SCIS 1418472

This is a most delightful book with a clear developing story and a few surprises. Charlie and a whole family of kids, go out to fly a kite and the cat goes too. It's a recurring theme that kite flyers often find that trees get in their way and Charlie's is a particularly big one. So the kite gets stuck!

Of course every body tries to help with whatever they happen to have and the tree ends up with a frisbie, a boomerang, a soccer ball, a stick etc all caught in the tree. Mum is called upon to help but only comments that it looks like a Christmas tree! 'Suddenly .. . YEEOWW!' the cat springs up after a bird and shakes the branch so much that everything falls to the ground. BUT ... Guess who's stuck now?

The children all laugh and set off home with their belongings. The last page has no words at all, just a line of children heading back towards the tree and daddy with a ladder on his shoulder. Highly recommended.

** Book by an Australian author or illustrator

[A] An outstanding book of its kind as recommended by the reviewer