Bev and Kev
Mandy Foot (Text: Katrina Germein)
Publisher: Little Book Press
ISBN: 9780645027051
Awards Year: 2023
Category: Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Blurb

Bev is tall and Kev is small.
An unlikely pair!

Could this be the beginning of a very big friendship?
A heart-warming tale about learning to love yourself
and the value of a true friend.

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The CBCA judges say...

Themes of friendship, acceptance and finding one’s place and tribe are explored as Bev the giraffe moves through the African landscape, experiencing social rejection from animals that cannot relate to her due to her size. Using the theme ‘opposites attract’, readers may empathise with Bev's lonliness and her joy at finding a non-judgmental companion. Interesting synonyms for ‘big’ provide rich language, while important messages are imparted, such as body image, the comfort found in companionship and how our words may affect others. The pencil and watercolour illustrations shift in perspectives, emphasising Bev’s great height and perfectly matching her mood as seen in the bird’s eye view of her solitary walk. The southern African setting is clearly defined in these outstanding watercolour and pencil illustrations which are placed onto digitally rendered backgrounds, capturing the mood of the story to perfection. Illustrations and text harmonise well, and the spectacularly eye-catching final fold-out page creates a lovely resolution, told wordlessly.

 

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