Come on safari around the world with Wilbur, an animal-loving city kid, and his BAFs (best animal friends) as he discovers the wonder of animal collective nouns. This book supports The Lion’s Share, a fund backed by the United Nations Development Programme, and its work protecting our most vulnerable wildlife groups.
Published in May 2022, on World Biodiversity Day.
https://fordstreetpublishing.com/book/group-hug-a-collective-noun-safari/
Teachers, librarians, and word-nerd parents – huddle up! Debut author and illustrator Andy Fackrell has delivered a book just for you, cleverly disguised as a delightful picture book for your kids! If you’ve been looking for ways to get youngsters excited about learning the mechanics of the English language, Group Hug is a great place to start. Through this story, they’ll learn what a collective noun is in a practical way. And, bonus, they’ll get a really cute story out of it too!
Wilbur is at the zoo to learn a collective noun or two. But on his travels, he gets to know more about the animals than what they like to be called when they’re all together; Group Hug also explores animal biodiversity in a very manageable manner for little readers to understand.
Group Hug is a rhythmic, rhyming picture book that just works on the first go. Readers don’t have to worry about tripping over clunky sentences – Fackrell supplies a smooth journey from the first page. But more importantly, he delivers a character, Wilbur, with a genuinely unique voice. Even though the animals do most of the talking, Wilbur’s quirky questions are easily the most fun part of this decadent reading experience.
Fackrell also illustrates the book with spreads of richly colourful interpretations of zoo animals that are full of movement and provide plenty to explore; an especially remarkable experience for children who can’t yet read on their own
Group Hug provides so much to unpack that it works equally well in classrooms exploring English as it does in classrooms exploring animal biodiversity. Fackrell has truly established himself as a talented author and illustrator in this funny, quirky, and educational book. CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA January 2023