Hello Mr Dodo

Title: Hello Mr Dodo
Author: Nicholas John Frith
Publisher:  Alison Green Books (Scholastic)
Published: 2016
Format: Paperback
Source: My own copy

Recently, Nicholas John Frith was the winner of the Klaus Flugge Prize for his first picture book “Hector And The Hummingbird”. “Hello, Mr Dodo!” is the second picture book that he has released.

The protagonist of the story is a young girl named Martha, who is fascinated by birds and knows about every single one of them that lives behind her house in the woods. That is until she discovers a dodo behind her house, a species of bird that was originally thought to be extinct. Martha decides to protect the bird and soon makes friends with it, discovering new facts about dodos, such as the fact that they apparently like doughnuts. Everything seems to be going well for a while…until one day when the postman arrives.

This story is really funny and will delight many readers of any age. The pictures are especially endearing and have a timeless feel to them, with both Martha and the dodo looking absolutely adorable. Different types of birds are introduced throughout the story, with the last page featuring a checklist of birds that Martha has seen along with drawings of them. There is an especially interesting scene in which Martha looks up dodos in her books at home and the audience is treated to passages from these books on the history of dodos, introducing them to these once-existing birds.

Overall, this is a very charming picture book that children and their parents will enjoy reading over and over again. The timeless quality to it makes it appealing to all ages alike and the audience is able to learn about dodos and their history as a result, as well as enjoy the sweet story. Once again, Frith has managed to write an entertaining and heartwarming book that explores the theme of friendship like Hector and The Hummingbird.