The Old Woman Who Loved to Read

John Winch (author/illustrations)

Scholastic Australia, 1996

ISBN: 1863884610

Genre: picture book

Issues: choices, reading

Ever been interrupted when you were in the middle of reading something especially enthralling?

Well, you are not the only one. The old woman became so tired of all the noise and interruptions that she moved to the country, assuming that things would be more peaceful there and she could get on with her reading. Not so, however! The house requires some upkeep, and there are vegetables to be planted, then fruit to be picked, a bushfire, and more.

Double-page illustrations in either gouache, or a combination of watercolour and pastel, have a beautiful delicacy of line. Readers will delight in the humorous details such as the mice getting into everything, the lizard hiding under the rug, the goose sticking its beak into a book. The animals are given wonderfully expressive faces that convey curiosity and finally a sense of affection for this eccentric old lady.

Thoroughly delightful and a must-have for any household that loves to read!