Mem Fox’s picture
book, Guess What? tells
the story of a crazy,
tall, skinny, old lady who
has some very
humorous and “witchy”
personality traits.
This book has been a favourite of
mine since I can remember; its
repetitive written structure and
the fantastic illustrations by
Vivienne Goodman that reveal
implicit objects that are all too
common to the average
Australian household make this
book a delight to read for the
young and old. It wasn’t until I
began really studying the ideas in
this book that I realised just how
versatile it is for teaching.
The way the story is written with
repetitive questions and simple
answers makes it a great
resource to use in lower primary
years when teaching reading.
The illustrations are what really
engage the more advanced
readers though. In this woman’s
bedroom, we are surprised to see
some familiar band memorabilia
items and small gestures of
support for Australian Indigenous
cultures, adding to the interest of
readers.
A witch’s kitchen, we would assume,
would consist of a cauldron, but
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