b'BOOK REVIEWSCHILDRENS BOOK REVIEWAlfies FeetBy Shirley Hughes|Red Fox 2009 (originally published by The Bodley Head, 1982)|ISBN 9781862307841 Alfies Feet is one of the Alfie series by Shirley Hughes, a charming set of books about the everyday exploits of Alfie and his little sister, Annie Rose. In this book (a firm favourite in our household), Alfie likes to go exploring at the park and stomping through puddles but this leaves him with very wet shoes! Alfie and Mum buy him a shiny new pair of yellow gumboots. Alfie is excited to wear them to the park straightaway and puts them on but something doesnt feel right. Could the shoes be on the wrong way around?Each book in the Alfie series focuses on simple, perhaps If it had been rainingeven mundane, events and this is what gives the series its charm and makes it so relatable for young readers. Alfie and Alfie liked to go stampingAnnie Rose make an endearing pair and the illustrations show an insight into family life and an engaging level of detail. Their about in mud and walkingadventures are so relatable that you may find them cropping up in everyday conversationthe phrase, That shoes on the through puddles, splish,Alfie foot! has become part of the language of our household (code for, That shoes on the wrong foot!)!splash, SPLOSH! Kathryn Barwick, Central Coast NSW GroupTop 100 Finger Foods: 100 quick and easy meals for a healthy, happy childBy Annabel Karmel|Ebury Press, 2009|ISBN: 9780091925079Starting your baby on solids can be an exciting and messy time. While some parents prefer to simply offer their babyA quick look through the (quite large!) collection of recipe some of what they are themselves having, others prefer not tobooks for babies and young children on our own family or are not able to. A recipe book such as this can be a handybookshelf showed a variety of suggestions from book to guide to give parents ideas about putting together meals forbook aroundwhen to start solids, what to start babies their little ones. on, and when to introduce potentially allergenic foods. It is Some recipes, in particular, in this book have beenworth noting that some of the information in recipe books a favourite in this household, sometimes with somemay not follow current Australian guidelines for infant modifications, popular with adults as well as children. Thefeeding, especially considering the publication date and Mini Chicken Sausages (page 90) were a hit at my niecescountry of origin of each book. The National Health and first birthday party and have been a staple at several picnicsMedical Research Council recommends introducing solids since then, while my own children regularly help me makeat about 6 months and introducing potentially allergenic our own version of the savoury muffins (pages 22 and 23). Thefoods at this time, rather than delaying. Many parents also muffins also have the advantage of being quite child-friendlychoose to start their baby on self-feeding, rather than to make, as little ones may enjoy helping to mix the batter andspoon-feeding, from 6 months, rather than waiting until spoon it into muffin traysa handy feature when trying to810 months. This is a matter of preference for individual distract hungry toddlers!families.Kathryn Barwick, Central Coast NSW GroupDecember 2019Australian Breastfeeding Association | Essence |35'