Flit the Fantail and the Matariki Map
Some readers will already have made friends with this adorable character in one of his previous two books. His cuteness will appeal to many and the illustrations alone will ensure this book becomes a firm favourite. I loved the blues and purples used throughout for the sky and found the final illustration absolutely stunning with the inclusion of warm pinks and golds as the sun rises.
Being a fan of alliteration, I relished in the "shimmering shallows", "scratchy scrub" and "crumbling cliff" especially as the verb alliterated too, eg "scramble through the scratchy scrub" and "safely skip through the scratchy scrub".
This book would be a great starting point to introduce a variety of topics such as problem-solving, friendship, counting in te reo, the Matariki star cluster and native flora and fauna.
What a talented author and illustrator Kat Quin is. Her books will undoubtedly be popular both with the adults who are reading them and the youngsters they are sharing them with.
This book is also available in a te reo Māori edition, Ko Flit te Tīrairaka me te Mahere Matariki.
Title: Flit the Fantail and the Matariki Map
Author & Illustrator: Kat Quin
Publisher: Scholastic
ISBN: 9781775436355 (English) 9781775436539 (te reo Māori)
RRP: $19.99
Format: Paperback
Publication: May 2021
Ages: 3 to 7 year olds
Any advisory warnings? No
Reviewer: Nadine Molloy, Library Assistant, Remarkables Primary School, Queenstown
How are you recommending this book? Highly recommended
Opening sentence? Flit should be snoozing snuggly in his nest.