Rating: *** 3 stars

Rolf Harris,
Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport
Scholastic, 2008.

Book + DVD

Ages 5 - 8

This antipodean nonsense song, which Rolf Harris wrote some 50 years ago and took to the UK charts, is lodged in the memory of many who grew up in the 60s. The Aboriginal animal names, simple rhymes, repeated chorus and the black humour of the finale, make this a satisfying read for older children.

The white ‘paintypaint’, brushed text applied to the bright coloured backgrounds of Harris’s oil paint illustrations gives the impression that the whole book was executed with a paintbrush. The paintings themselves are serious in style, yet not without humour, particularly the sequences showing the artist’s pursuit of the illusive kangaroo in the chorus spreads.

The book also contains a DVD with audio and music video versions of the song, the latter showing a youthful Harris complete with wobble-board in a live performance.

Jill Bennett
July 2009, No. 177

Guide to the rating system:
***** 5 stars, unmissable
**** 4 stars, very good
*** 3 stars, good
** 2 stars, fair
* 1 star, poor