My Dad Snores

John Williamson

Peter Carnavas

Puffin, 2019

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780143793793

The family has a problem. Dad snores so loudly that the galahs fall out of the nearby trees.  He is so loud that no one can get any sleep and nothing they do stops him. What are they going to do?

This is another true-to-life story from iconic singer-songwriter John Williamson and its hilarious interpretation by Peter Carnavas is superb with its uniquely Australian twist.  Apart from resonating with so many children who have the same problem, the use of metaphoric language is sublime and just invites the reader to suggest some of their own, while the relationship between the text and the graphics is symbiotic, right from the front cover.

And of course, being John Williamson, there is a musical version. Not the usual upbeat, fast-moving tune we are used to, but perfectly reflecting the despair and tiredness of the family .