Little Axel's Axolotl

Harris Aristotle is the beloved, and pampered pet of Axel. He goes on bike rides and walks in town, wearing a 'fur-lined hat of softest down' and even gets to share Axel's ice-cream cone! But, Harris is not content, and sets off (with some packed cheese) on an adventure. As you might be able to imagine, escaping the safety and pampered life might not be all that Harris expects.

Little Axel's Axolotl is a delight to read. Bulbous, coddled, languid, aghast, stealthy are just a few examples of the rich vocabulary that make up this rhyming story, stretching, and expanding the young reader's vocabulary bank. The rhyming makes it a fun read aloud that could be a bit of a tongue twister on some pages too!

Nielsen's illustrations portray a sense of a full range of emotions, the fearful page of 'three hunters prowl' contrasts with the happy excitement of Harris going for a walk in his dressing gown. Even the end papers have had special illustrations, featuring Harris doing a wide range of activities, knitting, playing the bag pipes etc.

An explanation at the start outlines that, Axolotls are sometimes called Mexican Walking Fish, however they are not fish at all and although MacIver refers to Harris as both a fish and a lizard throughout the story, he is in fact an amphibian, like a frog!

A fun story that will be a fabulous addition to any picture book collection or library shelf.