Today I’m so excited to be part of a very special event – a blog blast to celebrate the release of Tottie and Dot, Tania McCartney’s new picture book collaboration with Tina Snerling.

My review of this gorgeous book is below, but you can also hear great interviews, and do other fun things at the other fabulous blogs involved in the Tottie and Dot blog blast.  Just click on the BLOG BLAST picture above and it will take you to the blog schedule.

TOTTIE AND DOT REVIEW

Turning the pages of Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling’s new picture book, Tottie and Dot is like browsing through a candy store. It’s so vibrant and full of appealing surprises.

Tottie and Dot are two adorable little girls who live side by side in quaint little houses.

They share the same taste in many things, marshmallow tea, apricot sandwiches, and my favourite, speckled eggs. But one day, things start to change.

A competition springs up between them over who can create the prettiest house. They become more and more outrageous in their attempts to come up with grander and grander plans for their homes.

I love the way this book is symbolic of modern day consumerism – where people accumulate things not out of need but out of a desire to impress.

Tottie and Dot and their deteriorating friendship over things that don’t really matter will invite important discussions with readers at home and in the classroom.

Friendship, consumerism and the environment are all contemporary issues for children to grapple with, and they are woven into Tottie and Dot’s story in a colourful, non-confronting way.

Tania McCartney’s lyrical language makes this book a pleasure to read out loud.

Each girl’s house is shown over a series of exquisitely illustrated double-page spreads — Tottie on the left and Dot on the right. Tina Snerling’s enchanting illustrations are full of expression and telling detail.

Tottie and Dot is a delightful read that raises important themes to be discussed with teachers and parents. But it’s an appealing story in its own right.

It’s another beautiful creation from the team who brought us An Aussie Year.

Tottie and Dot is for readers aged 4-7. It is published by EK Publishing.

(Sep 2014, EK Books, $24.99, hard cover, 9781921966491)

The collaboration between writer and illustrator on this book is clearly a labour of love. Their close connection comes through in all the nuances, the perfect marriage between text and illustrations.

Tania McCartney is coming back to my blog this Tuesday to talk about the collaboration process and she has some great tips – so stay tuned.

I hope you enjoy Tottie and Dot as much as I did.