I Went Walking

Sue Machin (text)

Julie Vivas (illus)

Scholastic, Australia: 2010

ISBN: 9781862918832 2+

Genres: picture book, humour

Issues: observation

‘I went walking. What did you see? I saw a black cat, looking at me.'

It's great to see this delightful book back in print. A very simple narrative about a child's meanderings through a farmyard, this is aperfect picture book for toddlers.

The repetitive format - ‘I went walking. What did you see?' - is rhythmic and appropriate for chorus reading, a great way to develop pre-literacy skills. Julie Vivas' illustrations are a delight. Particularly effective is the hint she gives on the previous page of what might be seen on the next - the tail of what turns out to be a horse, for example. The menagerie of animals that ends up following the child provide opportunities for counting and vocabulary development, as adult readers can encourage naming and counting the animals.

Highly recommended.