Title: The Colouring Competition
Author: Heath McKenzie
Published: April 2020
Publisher: Scholastic
Readership: Children’s
Genre: Picturebook
Rating: ★★★★.5
RRP: $17.99
I received a copy of The Colouring Competition from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
It was the perfect day for colouring in… until Oscar noticed he had competition! Now both Oscar and Henry can’t stop colouring, and they have gone WAY outside the lines! Who will win the colouring competition?
The Colouring Competition is a feast for the eyes, with a very whimsical, black and white picture style for all of the pages (just like a colouring book!) … until the two main characters – Oscar and Henry – begin to colour everything in sight in an effort to win the colouring competition. Then, we start to see pops of colour appear, starting small at the beginning, and building and culminating in a riot of colour in the end.
It’s such a simple concept, yet it’s one that will appeal to most young readers. Drawing and colouring is such a common, every-day thing, and very relatable. I also think the competitiveness is also something that will be very relatable for kids because Oscar and Henry just egg each other on to be just a little more outlandish in their colouring exploits.
The Colouring Competition is a lot of fun, and it takes readers to many different, but every day, locations – the shops, the park, the zoo, the market. The intricate detail in the illustrations for all the locations are a treat. There’s so much to look at and take in. It’s not a picture book that you can simply scan your eyes over – there’s so much to see and all of it’s interesting.
This is a wonderfully fun and entertaining visual read.
Noveltea Corner 