Rattle and Rap, Clickety-clack! Follow a family on their train journey to the sea, passing cars on the level crossing, boats on the river, and people walking in the countryside.
Review
Rattle and Rap takes you on no ordinary journey… Be prepared for a cacophony of sound on every page. There are spreads of wonderful artwork across pairs of pages and gigantic machines wherever you look. Not only trains – look out for cars, motorbikes, barges and boats. Alliteration abounds in this straightforward, repetitive and extremely memorable book. This is sure to appeal to the children in your setting and a popular book for sharing. (Early Years Educator)
The book is beautifully illustrated with simple pictures that are brightly coloured and are packed with detail. Young children will love looking for things on each page as the book progresses. (Armadillo Magazine)
Vibrantly illustrated with large, bold double spreads. There is no shortage of interesting detail, both close at hand and in the distance. These are books to share and talk about and enjoy. (Ibby Link)
Bold design and bright colours make this book most attractive to very young children and there is enough detail in the pictures to stimulate conversations and more storytelling beyond the words on the page. There is great rhythm in the words and some lovely sounds.. the alliteration makes for a sensational journey when read at speed. However this book is equally suitable for a slower, more closely observed reading, giving plenty of time for discussing the train and its passengers. (Carousel)
‘The illustrations in the book are really bright and vibrant and really engage… There are more books in a similar design by Susan Steggall, and they really are lovely. I liked that she included pictures of people in wheelchairs and that this was done so naturally without it feeling forced. It’s good to have these sorts of images shared easily and naturally in children’s books.’ (Let Them Be Small)
‘The strong colour illustrations of bustling towns breathtaking landscapes and boats on the river define the scintillating beauty of travel for age seven upwards.’ (Irish Examiner)
About the Author
Having initially trained as a graphic designer, SUSAN STEGGALL became a primary school teacher and taught young children for several years. After having her own two boys, she began work in a school library where she enjoyed finding out about new authors and illustrators and selecting beautiful new books for the shelves. As her boys grew up, she started making all sorts of pictures for them of the cars, trucks and trains they found so fascinating. After lots of experiments, the idea of using torn coloured and textured paper evolved.
Susan lives in the New Forest in Hampshire. She makes the collages for her picture books in a wooden workshop in the garden, listening to her favourite music and drinking extraordinary amounts of tea.