Gymnastica Fantastica!
Briony Stewart
Publisher: Lothian Children's Books, Hachette
ISBN: 9780734421852
Awards Year: 2024
Category: Book of the Year: Early Childhood

Blurb

Quick! Come and see! Something fabulous, it's . . . me!

Gymnastica Fantastica! is a joyful and exuberant picture book about a child discovering and attempting new physical skills and putting on wonderfully imperfect shows for whoever will watch them.

Join Gymnastica, a small person with big energy, as they bend and balance, bounce and roll, attempt a cartwheel and a spectacular trapeze flip-out finale. Written in playful rhyming text and with brightly energetic and appealing illustrations, this is a book that kids and parents alike will find irresistible to read aloud and delight in its energy and humour.

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The CBCA judges say...

An enticing invitation opens this vibrant picture book, as a vivacious young child confidently demonstrates their gymnastic prowess, bouncing, cartwheeling and flipping their way across the pages. Their dog, a silent but invested observer throughout, provides a lovely contrast. This book conveys so much energy and life which children will connect with immediately. The young child’s voice permeates the tight, joyful rhyming text which includes a rich assortment of verbs, nouns and adjectives. Pencil, ink, crayon, gouache, and digital illustrations are filled with zoom in action and movement matching the equally energetic text. The endpapers are perfect bookends, as twirling ribbons, held in the child’s left at the start and right hand at the end, appear to capture the story.

 

Teaching Notes for this book...

Hachette, the publisher has generously made teaching notes available for this book on their website.

 

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