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Reviewed by Ange Birks, Classroom Teacher, Ohinewai School
Opening sentence
This is a cute story based on the true story about how a mischievous, playful orphaned goat came to join celebrity cook Nadia Lim and her family on their farm.

Milly is soon joined by two orphan lambs who become her constant companions but are not really into adventures and mischief as much as Mischievous Milly is. Who will join their family and keep Milly entertained on her adventures?

Full of rhyme and text features such as contractions, direct speech, similes and interesting adjectives, this is an entertaining tale that would provide plenty of teaching opportunities. It could be used to scaffold imaginative writing describing adventures the four friends could have or simply read for enjoyment.

The illustrations are bright, colourful and detailed which present oral language and vocabulary building opportunities. Special features of the book include photos of Lim and her family with the characters, interesting facts about goats, tips for growing great strawberries and of course, a recipe for Strawberry Jellies.

This is the third book of Lim’s children’s book series set on her South Island farm. It would be suitable for younger audiences up to about eight years of age. All of the author proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to HUHA (Helping You Help Animals) and Garden to Table.

Do you have any advisory warnings for this book: No

Would this book work as a read aloud? Yes

Is there a particular part of the country that it's set in? Rural South Island New Zealand
Author & Illustrator: Illustrator: Fifi Colston
Publisher: Scholastic NZ
ISBN: 978-1-77543-810-6
Format: Paperback
Publication: December 2022
Ages: Up to 8 years
Themes: Animals, rural life