Goat on a Tractor

This book’s artwork is what grabs attention first. Ross Hamilton uses a variety of drawing and painting techniques to create colourful, expressive illustrations which add great detail to the text and emphatically ground it in an Aotearoa New Zealand setting.

The text is appealingly verbal and rhythmic with plenty of interesting words. For example , Lily, the goat “reversed through a field of perplexed-looking sheep”. The audacious behaviour of this rather wicked goat, who takes a tractor for a joyride, will shock and amuse its audience. Responsible children will be relieved that Lily does fix up all her mistakes by the end of the story.

'Goat on a Tractor' is a largish picture book, which could easily be shared with groups of children and has plenty of visual and verbal detail to encourage discussion.