Picken: Mix and Match the Farm Animals
If Ireland has a queen of board books for babies, Mary Murphy wears the crown. Her latest offering is a companion volume to the very popular Crocopotamus: Mix and Match the Wild Animals, also in the Baby Walker series. This time we are introduced to a set of animals we might find in a typical petting zoo or city farm; a calf, a lamb, a chicken, a kitten, a piglet, a goose and a puppy.
Each double-page spread is split down the centre, with one half of a farm animal on each side. The reader can open the pages, like opening a cupboard, revealing what is inside. These can be viewed in the traditional way of course, but the fun is to be had when you pair both sides of the animals in a creative, original way… What would the Picken of the title look like? What about a Pulf? Or a Goomb? Can you imagine a Pitten? What type of creature is a Lalf? Well, with just the turn of a page, you can find out!
The colour palette is bright and stimulating, with baby-friendly high contrast, while still remaining faithful to the reality of the farm animals. Mary Murphy also uses her signature hand lettering, and text and image are set against a simple blank white background. This book has a sturdy construction, which is just as well, because its pages will be turned and turned, mixed and matched, time and time again. Excellent for parent/baby interaction or for use in nurseries and pre-schools.
