Here’s another of Pamela Allen’s books to enchant the little children. In Kirribilli, Sydney, John and his mum set off for a picnic in the Botanic Gardens. John has made his own honey sandwiches and wrapped them in a plastic bag. His mum prefers cucumber sandwiches. They walk across the Harbour Bridge, past the Opera House and into the Botanic Gardens where they choose a spot to eat their picnic lunch.

It doesn’t take long for the scavenging birds to find them. But then a catastrophe! A little breeze picks up John’s last sandwich and the plastic bag and blows it away. This is just what the birds are hoping for. They fight and squabble and then take off again with the plastic bag attached to one of the flock. The bag fills with air and drags the bird down into the water. What will happen now, John thinks.

In true Pamela Allen style, the story and the illustrations are just perfect for the littlies. Such a happy ending and even just a subtle message about the dangers of those plastic bags.

Reviewed by Merle Morcom

Age Guide 2+