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Is This a Plum?

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Book Synopsis

Is this a pear? No, it’s a bear!

This delightfully clever picture book is full of visual tricks and rhyming reveals to inspire wonder while making you chuckle – brought to life by an Oscar-nominated animator and based on his seven-year-old son’s original idea and drawings!

Through the hole in the page, you might see a plum . . . or a spider . . . or a spoon. But turn the page to see the full picture and – SURPRISE! – it’s something unexpected: the moon, a tiger, even a hippo’s bum!

This deceptively simple picture-book debut by father-and-son duo Dan and Finn Ojari uses bold, stylish art, rhyming call-and-response text, and clever cut-through holes that play with shape and colour to create a deeply satisfying read-aloud experience for children of two and up and their adults.

Our Review Panel says...

A classic in the making, this is an inspired book by father and son team Daniel and Finn Ojari (aged 8!). The pair came up with the idea when doodling together at the kitchen table, and noticing the remarkable similarities between objects – a plum and a hippos bum for example! The result is a laugh-out-loud funny, joyous reading experience for younger children, full of simple but gorgeous artwork. A cut out hole in a page reveals part of a drawing, making the reader think they see one thing, but….SURPRISE!….turn the page and the whole object is revealed to be something entirely different!

The call and response structure of the book encourages reader participation, and makes this a perfect read aloud for a group as well as for individual children learning to read independently, all of whom will be unable to resist the challenge of guessing what the hidden image could be in each scenario. Each call rhymes with its response, cleverly and subtly engaging children’s language skills along with their powers of observation.

It’s a brilliant book – an irresistible concept, funny and beautifully presented. This absolutely deserves a place on every nursery and reception bookshelf!