Clap! Clap! Clap!

The Green Hat That Blew Away   &
A Day of Surprises
By Claire Bunt. Illustrated by Philip Webb

  These two books are subtitled “Life in the Solomon Islands” and that makes an important statement about their content and purpose.
  The stories are written for children in that country and the illustrations show the way of life in the islands. Many thousands of copies of the books have been given to schools there and elsewhere in the Pacific.
  The Green Hat That Blew Away, 24 pages, is a simple tale of an incident. “One day visitors came to our school…” It is delightfully illustrated by Philip Webb, with its island readers in mind. However, there’s no need to restrict it – young readers anywhere should be interested to learn that children elsewhere may arrive at a slightly different-looking school by canoe.

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    A Day of Surprises follows on so well from Green Hat. We’re back at the same island school.
      “The teacher clapped her hands. 
      Clap! Clap! Clap! Attention class.” 
  This one, with 32 pages, includes more detail of island life in text and pictures and, in a very novel way, the story links to that in The Green Hat That Blew Away.  Every page is fully illustrated with colour pictures that make you smile.
   Claire Bunt, a longtime supporter and worker for UNICEF, and Philip Webb have collaborated beautifully to produce these lovely books. Not only have they made culture-friendly readers for Pacific children, but several thousand dollars earned from sales have also benefitted UNICEF, so increasing their contribution.
                                    Clap!  Clap!  Clap!

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Review by Emily R

Title: The Green Hat That Blew Away
         A Day of Surprises
Author: Clair Bunt. Illustrations: Philip Webb
Publisher: Arthur Publishing House
ISBN: 978-0-9941084-9-4 (Green Hat)
         978-0-9941202-0-5 (Day of Surprises)
Available: www.thebestlittlebookstore.co.nz; cbunt@xtra.co.nz;
Paper Plus The Mall, Onehunga Auckland 1061