Author | Anna McGregor |
---|---|
Illustrator | Anna McGregor |
Language | English |
Genre | Children's picture book |
Published | 2020 ( Scribble) |
Publication place | Australia |
Media type | Print ( hardback) |
Pages | 32 (unpaginated) |
ISBN | 9781922310118 |
OCLC | 1200259215 |
Anemone Is Not the Enemy is a 2020 children's picture book by Anna McGregor. It is about a lonely anemone who lives in a tide pool and cannot make friends as she keeps stinging everyone, but eventually does so with a clown fish.
A reviewer for Reading Time called it a "fun and funny picture book", [1] and recommended it "for young readers especially those interested in the natural world.". [1] Kirkus Reviews found that it "Suggests a human lesson from a fish fact made familiar by a popular children’s film." [2]
Anemone Is Not the Enemy has also been reviewed by The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, [3] Books+Publishing, [4] and Publishers Weekly. [5]
It is a 2021 CBCA Book of the Year Early Childhood notable book, [6] and a 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards Small publisher Children's Book of the Year longlisted book. [7]
McGregor visually includes simple marine life facts into the backdrop of Anemone's dilemma and then expands upon them in the "Fun Facts" backmatter, making this a mini-science lesson wrapped in a sweet friendship story.
This is, at first glance, a very simple, quite quirky and humorous picture book, with minimal text and appealing, colourful, digitally produced illustrations. But it is also a fascinating introduction to life in a rock pool...
A lack of upfront explanation about why Anemone stings may confuse some, and an ominous end for the three fishes strikes an odd note, but this picture book by author-illustrator McGregor will appeal to budding marine biologists.