In this post, I am reviewing two picture books written by Elsie Locke. The first one is Explorer Zach.
Elsie published this charming picture book in 1978. It is about an 8-year-old boy who goes exploring with his pet dog. His mother trusts their family dog will lead him safely on his adventures and eventually home! Can she trust the dog?
I enjoyed this story which is set in Canterbury at the turn of the 20th Century. Zach meets lots of interesting characters, and the black-and-white ink drawings complement the text beautifully.
A few page examples...
The version you see here was published in 1990. It is soft cover. The original 1978 edition is hardcover and has a dark red dust jacket.
I highly recommend this book. I think it is a great living history storybook for young children. They will be captivated by the young character, his travels and the people he meets in rural historical New Zealand. I had no content concerns with this book.
The second book is called Moko's Hideout.
Excerpt from the back cover: "Four easy-to-read stories about New Zealand animals and birds by one of the country's best known children's writers. Ugly Little Paua, Moko's Hideout, To Fly to Siberia, and Tricky Kelly."
Moko's Hideout is a compilation of four short nature stories all written by Elsie Locke. It was published in 1976. One of the stories, To Fly to Siberia, was originally published in the School Journal.
"Ugly Little Paua" is about a young paua growing up and realising although he is ugly and black on the outside, he is beautiful and colourful on the inside. "Moko's Hideout" is about a rescued native lizard and how some New Zealand siblings raise it in their kitchen. "To Fly to Siberia" is about a young Godwit getting ready to begin her first flight, and "Tricky Kelly" is about two bored keas hassling some trampers in the mountains.
The stories are great and informative, but sadly the publishing quality lets the book down. I found the illustrations dated and hard to decipher against the poor paper quality, especially the darker colours of "Ugly Little Paua". I feel this is a real letdown for such an excellent children's writer.
Some page examples...
If you see a copy at a book fair, consider purchasing it, but I wouldn't go hunting for an expensive collector's copy. There are better nature living books.