In a Minute by Eileen Browne
In a minute is written By Eileen Browne. Her books have been praised by Early Childhood Review for including diverse characters and properly presenting different cultures, such as Kenyan life. [1]
Summary
"We'll never get to the playground," said Jo.
"Yes we will," said Dad. "We'll be there in a minute."
Jo is eager to get to the playground in the park, to play with her friend Sita and Patch the dog. But Mum and Dad take so long getting ready, stopping to talk to friends, and getting distracted by speeches and processions she thinks they'll never get there. When they finally arrive at the playground they are in for a terrible disappointment. Until Patch the dog makes a fantastic discovery. [2]
Pros
The lively, detailed illustrations introduce a wealth of additional information into this multicultural society, providing talking points around equality and diversity. It is another worth book to read! [3]
For those who live in predominately white areas this is a good recommendation book of the racially mixed neighbourhoods that draw some of us to the big cities. There is a particularly lovely double page spread of a park scene that belongs on a wall for everyone to appreciate. Most important things is the children get to see positive portrayals of families similar to theirs. [4]
The narrative that Browne creates is a sense of inclusion, where "colour seems merely incidental. Browne to realised "how important it was for us to see pictures of ourselves. [5]