Changes

Reading is easy! You may say that, after all you are reading this very review. However, if you had never read a book before and someone gave you one, would you know what to do? When King Lion loses his voice, Preposterous Rhinoceros thinks he can help, but it takes more than just hope to read a book aloud. Will Rhino figure out what to do before the other animals get restless?

A children’s reading book about learning how to read seems a little meta, but when the book is as well thought out and as sweet as Tracy Gunaratnam’s ‘Preposterous Rhinoceros’, it is not an issue. Rhino is a very likablelikeable, if slightly clueless, character who assumes that by just holding a book the words will appear. For anyone who has ever tried to teach a child to read, this is certainly not the case. It takes time and patience, but eventually , the wonderful world of the written word is opened up.

The fun is not only found seeing Rhino learn to read, but in some of the daft ideas he has. When he is told that a book should be read, he rushes off to buy red paint. When told to just dive into a book, he climbs a tall cliff and prepares to jump off. Rhino may be a little haphazard, but at least he is enthusiastic about wanting to read. It's Shy Salamander who is the voice of reason, finally getting through to Rhino that he needs to spend some time learning his words. There is a magic in how Rhino takes a jumble of letters and begins to form meaning in them. Illustrator Marta Costa has created a particularly beautiful double -page spread that shows this transformation and it will inspire the youngster sharing the book with you.