n Hello, Goodbye by David Lloyd, illustrations by Louise Voce (Walker Books, £4.99)
A bear, two bees, some birds, and a few other creatures meet at a tree and say hello until the rain begins. And then they say goodbye.
This pretty much sums up the book, first published in 1988 and now been re-released, but it doesn't tell half the story.
As any parent with young children will tell you, repetition is a big favourite with the under-threes. Anyone who has spent more then 10 minutes in the company of Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, La-La and Po will know the squeals of delight that saying the same thing over and over and over again elicits in the very young.
Long before TV woke up to this marvellous marketing opportunity, children's authors were using simple repeated phrases to entertain and educate their readers.
Hello, Goodbye has lost none of its charm. Children will love Louise Voce's cheerful animal faces and Lloyd's clever use of repetition.
Jim Collins
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