#365PictureBooks 48. Phylys the Farm Truck by Christine Fernyhough & Susan Elijas, photography by John Bougen

Fernyhough, C., & Elijas, S. (2013). Phylys the Farm Truck. Auckland, New Zealand: Random House.

ISBN: 9781775535096
Pages: 32
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6
Genre: Picture Storybook / NZ Fiction
Rating: 4 stars

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Meet Phylys.  She's the shiny new farm truck at Castle Hill Station.  Will she be tough enough to get the jobs of a high-country farm done, or will she be to pretty to try?  And how are the animals on the station going to treat her? 

Christine Fernyhough & Susan Elijas have presented us with a humorous rhyming read-aloud about the every-day happenings on a working farm.  The verse reminds me of The Man from Snowy River (Yes I know it's Australian and this is a New Zealand story) but it's rhythm and language just has a 'down home' feel.

Interspersed with the actual verse are rhyming one-liners from the farm animals which add beautifully to the story.

The illustrations remind me of one of those felt boards that we had as a kid.  You could create & re-create your own 'story' by adding felt characters, buildings, vehicles, trees etc to a felt back-board.  Hours and hours and hours of fun was had.

Susan & Sam Elijas have taken John Bougen's photos, and with the use of collage have designed each spread in a way that is eye-catching.  Their humorous depiction of an everyday occurrence in the farming community is brilliant.  

What a great read-aloud with so many fantastic things to spot on each page.  Keep your eyes open for the little pink mouse who can be seen on each page getting up to all sorts of mischief.

I got my copy of Phylys the Farm Truck from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

Find out more about Christine Fernyhough here.

Check out Graham Beattie's blog post about Phylys the Farm Truck.