The big ball of string

Bookseller Publisher Review

Ross Mueller is a seasoned writer whose experience shows in his measured use of repetition and the rhythms of natural language. The inherently poetic qualities of this text are extended with succinct motifs such as the references to warbling magpies that lend the story a subtle yet distinctively Australian character. The title’s layout and design contribute considerably to the developing momentum of the story of George, a young boy with energy and initiative who finds himself with something of a mystery at the toes of his soccer-playing feet. Popular illustrator Craig Smith is well known for his engaging, cartoon-like characters and his enthusiastic experiments with perspective. He gives us value for money, with plenty of entertaining details on every spread. An insider informed me that these illustrations were created using a combination of computer-generated and more traditional illustrative techniques. The results are rewarding. Among its intended young audience, this book may well prove a serious contender for the status of favourite ‘read aloud and read along’ book. Lizzie Whyte works for Heinemann Library. C. 2004 Thorpe-Bowker and contributors