Sally Snickers’ Knickers
Book Review by Trevor Agnew
Sally Snickers’ Knickers (2014) Lynn
Ward, ill. Anthea Stead,
Walker
Books, NZ$27.99
Don’t
snicker. In this irreverent picture book, Lyn Ward has written a cheerful verse
tribute to the most functional items of underwear. Call them what you like:
briefs, pants, jocks or boxers. The only problem is that young Sally likes her
knickers so much that she wears them on her head.
“Sally knows that knickers on her head might
seem a bit offbeat.
She’s happy being different and her
undie-hats are sweet.”
Anthea
Stead’s lively colour illustrations show Sally wearing white cottontails for
tennis “and lycra when she’s biking.”
When teacher bans Sally’s unorthodox headwear in the classroom, Sally is mortified.
Dejection turns to delight when Sally’s fellow students find a way of changing
their teacher’s mind. And her headgear. “Every
single classmate wears knickers, not a hat.”
Sally Snickers’ Knickers is a cheerful
tribute to unorthodoxy and the right of the individual to be different.
Note: This book review first appeared in Your Weekend magazine (Fairfax NZ) on 22 Nov 2014.
Full
publishing details:
Sally Snickers’ Knickers (2014) Lynn Ward, ill. Anthea Stead, Walker
Books, 24pp, hb, NZ$27.99ISBN 978-1-921720-49-9
