Child's Play

Review of Tilly's at home Holiday

"Tariq is going to India. Chanel is going to Spain. And Paris, of course, is going to Paris. Poor Tilly. She’s not going anywhere. Not even to Grandma’s. Mum thinks they can still enjoy themselves at home. Tilly’s not so sure. Can a visit to the library, the swimming pool, the park and a market really be as much fun as a proper holiday?
Tilly’s at Home Holiday is a timely tale of a little girl who feels left out and disappointed when all her friends relate their holiday plans while she has none. Tilly hopes her mum is keeping some travel plans secret. Mum isn’t, but she does have some creative ideas for when school is out. Her vivid imagination turns the park in to a jungle and the swimming pool in to a lagoon. The library, the market and a tent made of towels, seed ideas for telling exotic stories. Just wait until Tilly’s friends come became from their holidays and hear what she has been up to…
Tilly’s tale is told in a creative, graphic style. I particularly liked the spread where Tilly is at the window of her flat looking glum as neighbours plot their travels, and the market scene showing objects of curiosity laid out on a stall. I loved the use of outlines to depict objects being imagined, particularly in the swimming pool. There is detail in the artwork and variety from page to page in terms of aspect and angle depicted.
There are some good lessons at the heart of this book given in a not too heavy-handed way. Children can learn that pleasure can be had in small ways as well as big and that a little imagination can enhance enjoyment. There is perhaps a lesson in here too for parents, that building a relationship with your child is not just about spending money, it’s about taking time and trouble to plan something and seeing life from the point of view of a youngster. I applaud this book for showing an alternative to materialism."

The Bookbag, . 23rd January 2015

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