by June Allen
This is a picture book for children in the 3-7 age range. The title sums up the story – it is about a little glow worm, and the characters he meets in his cave, as he is trying to find a way to switch on his light. The characters are all New Zealand animals – a cave spider, long-tailed bat, weta, and harvestman, with graphic illustrations of each. The story also provides a little information about these creatures, what they eat and how they live.
Some things I didn’t like: The story finishes quite suddenly and in a rushed way, without much explanation; the way the glow worm solves the problem of his light doesn’t make much sense to an adult, but my children accepted it as a satisfactory solution. Also the printing is a little unusual, in that page 1 is on the left as you open the book.
What I really did like: It is nice to read a very “New Zealand” story for this age group, with references to New Zealand creatures, and plants and trees as well. There are some colourful descriptions of the characters, and the language is expressive but still simple enough for children. And I liked the illustrations of the creatures, realistic and full of character. I think your children will enjoy this story.
by June Allen
Publisher: Kwizzel Publishing
Available: some Paper Plus stores, Waitomo Caves gift shop, some NZ souvenir shops, through Wheelers and TLS
ISBN 978-0-473-27860-1 (book)
ISBN 978-0-9941095-4-5 (eBook) available soon, as Two Children’s Stories