Reviewed by Wendy Lipke
Windy Washing Day is a 210x210cm hardback picture book for ages 3-8 by Yvonne Low and Kate Talbot.
This is a wonderfully funny story about a young child helping mum hang out the washing when the wind whips up and the clothes are blown off the line. Told in the first person by the child, it explains how the wash and the child took off as the wind blew and blew and ended up in the zoo next door. The pet dog was also there for the adventure.
The animals, in the zoo, preened themselves in the items they chose to wear until it was realised that there were not enough clothes to go around. Then it became chaos until the wise monkey with the help of the toucan and pelican restored the clothes to their rightful property.
The animals were chasing one another high and low.
There was trouble,
there was chaos,
there was nowhere safe to go.
Mum was not amused when she stepped out to see how things were going. Eventually the clothes were back on the line with double the pegs.
This story would be interesting to young children on many levels. There is humour with the antics of the animals as they chase the clothes. There is a variety of different animal species to identify as well as find in the foliage filled illustrations lining the covers of the book. The illustrations are sharp, realistic and colourful. All are presented on glossy white paper.
For anyone wanting to use this book as a teaching tool there are three pages of teacher notes available to help online.
This debut-as-author debut picture book by Yvonne Low was published by MidnightSun. However, Yvonne Low is already an award-winning fine artist, writer and illustrator. Her skills include pencil and watercolour, pen and ink, pastel, acrylic and Chinese brush painting. She often finds herself in primary schools telling her stories with the use of puppets. She is also a published poet and this is evidenced with the rhyming text in this book.
Kate Talbot, an Australian-born, New Zealand-based children’s book writer and illustrator, works digitally, and is passionate about instilling a love for stories and storytelling in little people through her quirky characters and vibrant illustrations.
Windy Washing Day
(2025)
by Yvonne Low and Kate Talbot
Midnight Sun Publishing
ISBN:078-1-922858-67-2
$29.99; 36pp