What Zola Did on Monday
Melina Marchetta
Deb Hudson
Puffin, 2020
96pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99
9781760895150
Cousins Zola and Alessandro live next door to each other – there’s even a gate cut into the fence by their Nonno Nino before he died so they could be together as much as they want., so most afternoons after school they play together.
Zola’s Nonna Rosa is a keen gardener and everyone admires her beautiful roses but Nonna Rosa loves her vegetable garden best. So when Ms Divis, the children’s teacher, starts talking about rejuvenating the community gardens where the school is being housed while the original buildings are being refurbished, people look to Zola for advice. But while Zola might like the flowers, she certainly doesn’t like gardening – Nonna Rosa has so many rules about it. And in this hilarious romp where the reader wonders what can go wrong next, Zola discovers the reason for those rules.
This is the first in a series of seven books about Zola that will form a great stepping stone for newly independent readers transitioning to novels. Using everyday kids in everyday situations in which the reader can see themselves, understand and relate to, is a recipe for success and with a solid text combined with lots of illustrations, short chapters and humour it is sure to be a favourite. Although it’s target audience is probably those in about Year 2-3, there is also enough depth to the story to make it ideal for older students who may be learning English as a new language and needing something to engage them as they practise their reading skills.