Look See, Look At Me by Leonie Norrington

Look See, Look At Me by Leonie Norrington

Look See, Look At Me is set in an Aboriginal community and is the story of a three-year-old Aboriginal boy. It doesn’t matter where a child lives though, there are some qualities that all three-year-olds share, and Leonie and Dee have captured that so well, in the text and illustrations.

Toddlers bring so much joy to the world and this little boy is no exception. He exhibits confidence as he demonstrates his new skills and abilities. He seems a cheeky but endearing little character.

The book also portrays a strong sense of kinship. The young boy is never alone. He interacts with many others throughout the book: women, men, animals, and other children. Most of the pages also feature members of the community in the background illustrations.

There is very little text in this book but the words have a beautiful simplicity that is perfect for reading aloud. The book is rich with verbs like run, jump, swing, bump, hop, wiggle, cuddle, giggle, copy, flop, and climb, almost tempting the reader to take part in the action.

The illustrations are simply divine. There’s nothing more beautiful than the colors of the outback, and Dee Huxley has emulated them beautifully with her use of pastels on colored paper. The proportions are breathtaking as the illustrations fill the page leaving very little background. There is also beauty in the way the dingo and crocodile mirror the boy’s movements. The original artwork is available for purchase through Books Illustrated.

Leonie and Dee visited communities in the Northern Territory to workshop the words and drawings for this book. I think that’s important to note because sometimes as readers we can underestimate the research and groundwork that authors put into their work.

Book Details:

Author: Leonie Norrington

Illustrator: Dee Huxley

ISBN:978-1741758832

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Allen & Unwin, November 2009

Suitable for: 18 months+